Staff at New School at Butterstone call for public inquiry.

Thousands sign Holyrood petition for school to reopen

Staff at the troubled New School at Butterstone are calling for a public inquiry into a series of controversial decisions that led to its sudden closure.

A teacher at the Perthshire school for children with additional support needs said many children didn’t even get to say goodbye to friends before it shut on Friday, after less than a week’s warning.

More than 7,500 people have signed a petition calling for the New School to be reopened. It will be presented to education secretary John Swinney by parents on Friday.

Head teacher Bill Colley was reinstated this week after an investigation into a complaint alleging “significant concerns” about children.

His suspension was heavily criticised by staff and parents and was said to be an “overreaction” to what is believed to be failing to report a minor incident.

The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland have both come under fire for their handling of the closure. In a hardhitting statement, teacher Allistair Mathieson said there had been “assaults on good sense, good education and good care” by the authorities.

He added: “The carelessness and arrogance of the regulatory bodies was illustrated in the last four days of the school’s existence when a large group of regulators took over a classroom and proceeded to countermand and undermine all of the careful staff planning arranged for the students’ last days. They took over the school.”

A Care Inspectorate spokesman said: “Where concerns are raised about a care service we have a duty to investigate them fully and in this case we issued an improvement notice in relation to the school. We took this action because we were concerned about elements of the care experienced by children and young people. We remained fully committed to support improvement at the school, but the school took the decision to close.”

A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council said: “We undertook preparations and support for this transition in an orderly manner taking into consideration the time available and the individual needs and circumstances of the young people, their parents and carers.”

An Education Scotland spokeswoman declined to comment.

In the last days of the school’s existence, a group of regulators undermined all of the careful staff planning.

ALLISTAIR MATHIESON