Watchdog allows oldest prep school to retain its charity status

AN EDINBURGH school has become the latest Scottish institution to retain its charitable status following an investigation by regulators.

Cargilfield School in Barnton, which is Scotland’s oldest prep school, will remain as a charity following a ruling by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

Last month, four private schools – Hutchesons’ Grammar in Glasgow, Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh, Lomond School in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, and St Leonards in St Andrews – were allowed to retain their charitable status following a three-year investigation. The probe was launched in 2008 amid claims the schools did not “provide public benefit”, charged high fees and did not offer enough support to those who could not afford to pay.

Martin Tyson, OSCR’s head of charity services, said: “On balance, we considered the arrangements currently in place to allow access to the benefit provided by Cargilfield School are sufficient to mitigate the fees charged.”