Donald McKinnon

Based in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Fernhill School is an independent Catholic school for boys and girls aged three to 18.

McKinnon said: “Following a board meeting which concluded that the school was insolvent following a challenging period during which the school faced enormous financial pressures, including rising costs, VAT on school fees, and the many challenges that ultimately made its future unviable, Fernhill directors Giuseppe ‘Sep’ Marini and David Equi took the decision to petition the court for my appointment as provisional liquidator.

“My primary duty in this role is to safeguard the wellbeing of the pupils and the staff. Once the liquidator has been appointed, there will be an investigation into what led to this predicament.

“While the school had been due to close at 12 noon tomorrow, I have taken the practical decision to close it today to avoid any further distress to the pupils.”

He added: “To that end, I considered it appropriate and necessary to cancel the planned Fun Day to safeguard the pupil’s welfare regarding an obligation to appoint professionals on site to deal with security and other practical matters at hand.

“I would like to thank all staff members who, over a difficult period, have enabled the pupils to sit their exams. We appreciate the tremendous efforts made by teachers under very difficult circumstances.”