Industry News

Fee-paying school retains charitable status

Posted on 19th July 2007

Independent schools in Scotland received some good news today after the country's charity regulator ruled that the High School of Dundee would keep its charitable status, following a pilot review.

The ruling from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is the first of its kind since new legislation was introduced by the Scottish Parliament in 2005 stating that charitable organisations must be able to demonstrate they have charitable aims and benefit the public.

The High School of Dundee qualifies for charitable status, despite charging fees between £5,841 and £8,304 a year, because of the range of bursaries it offers and the access to its facilities that it provides to the local community.

OSCR chief executive, Jane Ryder, said: "There was in Dundee's case a certain amount of local and national benefit which wasn't charged for. What we looked at was those benefits against those that are charged for. In this case they made facilities available to local groups and they support the national curriculum."

Judith Sischy, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, said that the High School's success would be good for the rest of the sector, establishing an important precedent for other fee-paying schools once they are required to take the test.