School bosses decide against merger

An Perthshire independent school will no longer take over the running of a junior school and nursery in Bridge of Allan.

Morrison’s Academy in Crieff had been expected to accommodate Beaconhurst’s nursery and junior school.

But after days of detailed discussion and due diligence, bosses at Morrison’s have decided against the move.

Morrison’s blamed concerns about the viability of the school and the number of parents considering alternative schools either to ensure siblings are in the same school or to benefit from an all-through school experience. It is now likely Beaconhurst nursery and junior school will close.

The process of merging the two senior schools is currently continuing ahead of the 2018/19 school session, with Morrison’s assuming financial responsibility.

Morrison’s will now offer help to pupils of the junior school and nursery to join its school in Crieff, in the same way it has done so for secondary pupils.

Last week, Morrison’s Academy announced that it would maintain fees for any Beaconhurst pupils moving from the secondary school in Bridge of Allan to Crieff, for a period of two years. In addition, Morrison’s will provide some items of uniform and cover additional transport costs.

That offer is now being extended to all pupils at the Beaconhurst junior school and nursery.

Landel Johnston, chair of the board of governors of Morrison’s Academy, said:“Unfortunately it has become clear that Beaconhurst’s nursery and junior school are not viable institutions, despite our collective best efforts to preserve a legacy in Bridge of Allan.

“It has become clear recently that many parents are already seeking alternative options for their children, leaving the nursery and junior school with too few pupils to be a going concern. We were further concerned about the need for significant funding and the lack of clarity around how that funding would be secured.

“We are hugely disappointed that we cannot make this work. However, we have a duty as governors of Morrison’s Academy to protect our institution for the long-term good of pupils and staff alike and we communicated this news to Beaconhurst parents on Tuesday, July 3 to help give them as much clarity as possible, as early as possible.

“We are happy to be extending through our normal admissions process- the ability to offer places to those who have been assessed at our school in Crieff to the pupils of the Beaconhurst Junior School. While we regret that we cannot go ahead with the takeover of thejunior school and nursery, we are pleased to have been able to offer some help and alternatives to the pupils of Beaconhurst School and their families.”

It is likely, depending on the number of pupils who transition from Bridge of Allan to Crieff, that additional teaching staff will be required at Morrison’s Academy and the school will be encouraging any Beaconhurst staff at risk of redundancy to apply for any of those new posts at Morrison’s.