Bankrupt school chases parents for unpaid fees

A PRIVATE school, forced to close last year, is pursuing parents for tens of thousands of pounds in outstanding fees.

One in three parents from the bankrupt St Margaret’s in Edinburgh owes money, more than a year after the school closed its doors, says liquidator KPMG.

The total is thought to be more than £137,000, with £20,000 owed by a foreign embassy for one pupil.

The school went into administration in June last year with the loss of 85 jobs and 350 school places. The liquidators said they would continue to chase the fee-dodgers through the courts.The outstanding fees originally stood at £400,000 before KPMG successfully took a number of parents to court.

But teachers owed wages and those who paid fees in advance will have to wait another year before they receive any payment. Several teachers are taking the school to tribunals.

One unnamed parent paid £10,000 in advance. She said: “The governors decided to pull the plug without a word of warning and they were still encouraging parents to pay fees in advance until the last minute.”