Merger shock
heralds an uncertain future for the school.
And one added:“The first parents knew of this was a letter on Monday.
“This is a bombshell, especially just before the end of term. There are a lot of upset children and angry parents.”
The decision is said to have been taken due to a decline in senior pupil numbers at Beaconhurst, in line with a broader trend facing the whole independent sector in Scotland.
The nursery and junior school, which together have 176 pupils, will continue to use the facilities at Beaconhurst, which has been part of Bridge of Allan for the last century.
The nursery and junior school at Morrison’s Academy are unaffected.
Senior school pupils at Beaconhurst, however, will join those at Morrison’s Academy. The new, enlarged secondary school at Morrison’s has the capacity for all 122 pupils who attend Beaconhurst senior school.
Affected staff will be given the opportunity to apply for jobs at Morrison’s.
Landel Johnston, chairman of the board of governors at Morrison’s Academy, said:“We have been working very closely with the governors of Beaconhurst and their senior staff over recent days to identify what help and offering we can make to assist Beaconhurst’s pupils and parents with some reassurance of how we can provide continuity in education in a similar or complementary environment to their current offering.
“This decision will create a substantial and wide-ranging independent school for the whole region.
“The values of our schools focus on ambition and integrity and both are renowned for their commitment to excellence.
“Once the idea became a possibility there was a real excitement about what a larger school could mean and a determination from both boards to see the idea through.”
Mr Landels added that, in an effort to minimise the impact on Beaconhurst parents and pupils, places will be offered at Morrison’s Academy alongside arrangements to support the transition.
Tom Preston, chairman of the board of governors at Beaconhurst, said:“It is no secret that the affordability of a private education in Scotland has been increasingly problematic for families and schools alike.
“Our priority throughout this whole process has been on creating a sustainable solution to secure the best schooling for our pupils.
“While the Beaconhurst board has explored a variety of alternative options to joining forces with Morrison’s Academy, we unanimously agreed this was both sustainable and the option with the greatest potential.
“However, this is also a very difficult and uncertain time for our senior school staff as we go through the process of establishing how the transfer of pupils to Morrison’s Academy will affect them.
“We will be giving them as much support as we can and we are committed to keeping redundancies to a minimum.
“While we fully appreciate and acknowledge that moving schools is often difficult for pupils, our first priority was to safeguard their long-term future. We will be doing all we can to support each and every pupil moving to a new school location and will not rest until they are all ready for the new school term in August.”
IBeaconhurst Alumni Association president Fraser Morrison said:“It is without a doubt that Beaconhurst has a lasting legacy. Its legacy is all of our amazing alumni all across the world who have passed through these gates and are a better person for it.
“I for one am proud to be part of that, regardless of what this uncertain future may hold.”