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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Daniel Byron

Campaign to save Scotland's only Catholic boarding school raises £1.2m

A PERTHSHIRE boarding school might be saved from closure as its parents and supporters raised £1.2m 48 hours after news broke of its intended closure.

Kilgraston School in Bridge of Earn, announced its decision citing loss of income due to Covid lockdowns.

The headteacher Tanya Davie told parents that there was now a "real interest from investors" as a result of the fundraising campaign to save the 97-year-old school which launched on Friday, with an aim to hit £2m.

BBC Scotland reported that "an experienced and successful education provider" was ready to invest into the school's long-term future, they already run two successful independent schools and had been inspired by the support of the parents.

The school was founded in 1930 and currently has 217 pupils and 116 staff.

The trustees of the school gave a presentation to parents on Friday morning outlining the reasons behind their decision. 

There is "light at the end of the tunnel," one parent said as more than 200 parents and staff dialed into a meeting to look at options of saving the school

An immediate cash injection of £2m was needed, an insolvency and restructuring expert told the meeting.

Damian Hind, a parent of a pupil at the school, said it had been "a rollercoaster of a weekend."

He continued: "Not a single parent was aware of the issues raised by the trustees. Obviously, that caused alarm and a great deal of upset.

"We are more than halfway to our target and we are confident that will be reached by Friday, all in the knowledge that a complete restructure is being planned to keep Kilgraston open."

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