Latest news with #FettesCollege
Scotsman
25-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Fettes College appoints Richard Girvan as next Head
Fettes College is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Girvan, currently Principal & CEO of the Stephen Perse Foundation, as its new Head from September 2026. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In April, Fettes announced that current Head, Helen Harrison, will be retiring from the role next year, by which point she will have devoted herself to Fettes for over 30 years, serving seven years in the position of Head. Named after its founder, Sir William Fettes, the school opened in 1870 and has around 720 students with over 300 staff. Fettes is the only school in Scotland to offer the option of A-Levels or International Baccalaureate (IB) in the Sixth Form and is a top ten IB School in the UK. Although it currently educates young people aged 7 – 18, from September it will also open a Pre-Prep and offer places to children from age five. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Rt Hon Lady Morag Wise, Chair of the Governors, said: 'We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Richard's calibre joining Fettes. Our shortlist of potential candidates included experienced and excellent school leaders, all of whom were existing Head teachers. Although all of them would have been a credit to Fettes, Richard stood out from these candidates as an outstanding and visionary leader. We look forward to him building on our proud legacy and bold ambitions to lead our community and shape the future of our school as he takes Fettes forward into this new era. Fettes College appoints Richard Girvan as next Head 'Over the next year, Richard Girvan and our current Head, Helen Harrison, both have extensive ongoing commitments leading their respective schools, which they will do to their customary high standards. The year we have, before the change, allows for a smooth handover process and opportunities for Richard, his wife Tessa, and their three children: Molly, Ruairi and Finn to return to Fettes and for them to meet parents, students and staff over the coming months and we look forward to welcoming them into the Fettes family.' Richard will join Fettes from the Stephen Perse Foundation, a group of nurseries, junior and senior schools in Cambridge and Saffron Walden, where he has served as Principal since 2020. Prior to this, Richard spent eight years as Surmaster (Head of the Senior School) at St Paul's School in London. He joined St Paul's directly after graduating from Cambridge, serving as a mathematics teacher, pastoral and boarding house tutor, and coach of athletics and rugby, and later as Director of Sport and Safeguarding Lead. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Originally from Belfast, Richard read Engineering at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he also completed his PGCE. During his time at university, he represented Cambridge in both rugby union and rugby league, earning a Blue and student international caps. Richard currently sits on the Academy Council at North Cambridge Academy and has previously held board positions, including two as a governor. Richard said: 'My family and I are thrilled and deeply honoured to be invited to join the vibrant, friendly, full boarding community of Fettes. We're beyond excited to become part of a school with such a rich history, in such a wonderful setting, and with such a community-focused spirit. I eagerly look forward to leading Fettes into its next chapter — one that builds on excellence and embraces opportunity.'
Daily Record
30-06-2025
- Daily Record
Nicky Campbell calls for extradition of paedophile teacher as beast marks 86th birthday
'With every passing year, and every birthday he marks as a free man, it looks more and more like he'll be allowed to die in South Africa and that would deny justice to thousands of survivors.' Broadcaster Nicky Campbell and fellow ex-pupils of paedophile teacher Iain Wares are demanding he is finally extradited from South Africa to face justice as he celebrates his 86th birthday today – still a free man. Nicky said yesterday: 'He abused boys typically who were around nine years old and, with the help of the South African authorities, he is still doing it. 'He is still breaking the hearts of his victims. It breaks my heart every day. 'I was sexually and physically abused by other teachers at Edinburgh Academy but Iain Wares – who never taught me – is the reason I came forward. 'Seeing him sexually abuse my friend from only a yard or so away in a changing room – the image is with me every day and it breaks my heart every day. 'That's what drove me into the public domain, and the frustration we all feel knowing that it would just take a signature from the South African justice minister to get him on a plane is hard to bear. 'We know South Africa has a chaotic system of justice, but we can't understand why it is standing in the way of an old, white paedophile being sent to face justice. Is it negligence, inefficiency or worse?' Nicky, 64, said fellow survivor Neil Douglas, who flew to Cape Town in April 2023 to look Wares in the eyes as he faced a charge of sexual abuse in his homeland, had calculated that Wares had abused thousands of boys. He added: 'Those who were in his classroom were familiar with how he abused and how many boys he targeted in each group, and Neil multiplied that by the number of classes he had taught over all the years of his career. Timeline 1968 Wares travels to UK from his nativeSouth Africa to get psychological support for paedophilia. He is treated at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. 1968-73 He is employed by Edinburgh Academy to teach primary-age boys mathematics. He also coaches sports, including rugby. 1973-79 Moves on to nearby Fettes College, where he continues to teach. 1979-2006 Returns to South Africa and teaches at Rondebosch Boys' School in Cape Town. 2019 The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry hears numerous accounts of alleged physical and sexual abuse carried out by Wares, known as 'Edgar', at both Fettes College and Edinburgh Academy. 2020 Extradition order is signed after the Crown Office decides to charge him with six offences of lewd and libidinous behaviour and an indecent assault. 2022 Delays caused by the Covid pandemic and the complexity of dealing with extradition are exacerbated when Wares is charged with allegedly abusing a boy at Rondebosch. June 2022 Fettes pays a reported £400,000 compensation to one of Wares's alleged victims at the school. Dec 2022 Fettes pays a reported £450,000 to a second alleged victim of Wares. Jan 2023 Former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford uses parliamentary privilege to name 'Edgar' as Iain Wares. March 2023 With Wares facing more than 80 charges relating to more than 40 alleged victims, Lady Smith, chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, agrees he can be named. April 2023 Wares appears in court in Cape Town facing abuse charge. June 2023 Alleged victims plead for justice to move more quickly fearing time will run out for them. Dec 2024 Delays mean South African case will run into next year. June 2025 Nicky Campbell demands the extradition of Wares, who turns 86 today. 'He came up with a figure, way into the thousands, and then divided it by ten so that he wouldn't be accused of overestimating it – and it was still in the thousands. 'If Iain Wares is put on trial, we believe he will emerge as the most prolific paedophile in British criminal history. 'All we ask is that he comes here and has a fair trial. If he is found not guilty and goes home, we will find a way to accept that. But he has to face justice and he should have the courage to want that himself. This has been going on for eight years, adding insult to more than 50 years of injury. 'With every passing year, and every birthday he marks as a free man, it looks more and more like he'll be allowed to die in South Africa and that would deny justice to thousands of survivors.' More than 100 victims have made allegations about Wares's sadistic physical and sexual abuse to Police Scotland and the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI). Crown Office prosecutors have presented their South African counterparts with a solid case for Wares's extradition and they feel this remains the case even though some charges are incompatible with their law and have been ruled out. It's understood the accounts of more than 60 victims in the UK are accepted as actionable by the South Africans, yet he remains a free man in a luxury retirement complex just outside Cape Town. Neil said the delays were further traumatising Wares' victims, and every passing year made justice seem less likely. He added: 'At least 72 men have complained to police. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'We know of at least a dozen who have taken their own lives, and I have spoken to many more who cannot face the trauma of reporting his crimes. The barrier to his extradition is a request, on behalf of 65 victims, that has languished on the desk of the minister of justice in South Africa, Mmamoloko Kubayi, for over eight months. 'Were she to sign it, then Interpol could request an arrest warrant from a magistrate. 'The minister has been non-responsive to requests from journalists, campaigners and survivors. We cannot imagine why she would not approve the request to extradite a prolific child abuser and paedophile.' The South African Ministry of Justice decided last summer, after years of legal arguments, that Wares should be 'extradited soonest' to face the many charges in Scotland. But Wares, who admitted his crimes when they were first put to him, and his legal advisers, who effectively tore up his confession, have managed to delay justice for victims. Wares was described by Nicky as Scotland's Jimmy Savile when the SCAI heard evidence about his abuse of an unprecedented number of pupils at Edinburgh Academy and Tony Blair's old school, Fettes College. It is understood that if Wares is sent back, he could face the longest indictment ever seen in Scotland. He now denies all the charges despite admissions of paedophilia in his distant past. The SCIA heard he came to Scotland in 1967 to seek treatment for his paedophilia at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. The psychiatrist who treated him had been a family friend in Cape Town and encouraged him to go into teaching, describing Wares in medical notes as a 'pleasant pederast'. He taught at Edinburgh Academy from 1968 to 1973 before being forced to leave, with a glowing reference, after complaints of sexual assaults on pupils. As the inquiry heard in 2023, Fettes employed him for six years, even keeping him on after governors learned of his treatment for paedophilia and incidents at the academy, as well as allegations at their school. A South African group that lobbies for justice, Women and Men Against Child Abuse, has supported the survivors of the Edinburgh schools and recently published an article on its website calling for Wares' extradition. It said: 'From the 1960s to the early 2000s, Wares operated unchecked in elite boys' schools in the UK and South Africa. 'At Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College, he didn't only molest children, he struck them, humiliated them, manipulated them.' It added: 'He has not been arrested, he has not been extradited, and the Department of Justice has offered no answers. The men he brutalised are still living with the aftermath. 'While Wares spends his days quietly by the sea, his victims relive moments they've spent a lifetime trying to forget.' The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: 'This has been a complex investigation and COPFS appreciates it has been difficult for all those involved. 'In order to protect any future proceedings and to preserve the rights of the complainers, the Crown will not comment further at this stage.'
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Fears for Fettes College jobs after VAT added to school fees
One of Scotland's top private schools has confirmed jobs could be lost as it looks to cut College in Edinburgh - which counts former Prime Minister Tony Blair among its alumni - said the introduction of VAT on school fees was one of the reasons it was faced with the "difficult" private schools did not have to charge VAT on their fees because of an exemption for organisations providing education but that was removed on 1 Scotsman newspaper reported Fettes had now opened a consultation process, for both teaching and operational staff, in order to reduce its head count. The school's most recent accounts show it had 751 students in August, down from 780 the previous April, the High Court in London heard the government's policy of adding VAT to private school fees would "interfere with the fundamental right to education".And last month he it emerged private school fees were 22.6% higher on average in January compared with a year ago, according to the body that represents most independent schools in the UK. Fees for boarders at Fettes College can cost up to £18,000 a year, inclusive of Labour government imposed VAT on private school education and boarding fees to pay for more state school teachers in argue removing the VAT exemption will benefit the wider education sector, including the 94% of pupils who attend state Fettes College said the sector was facing a "tough time".A spokesman said: "Various factors have conspired to increase costs on all organisations and schools are not immune, particularly with the recent imposition of VAT on school fees and rise in national insurance contributions."He added that the consultation process started in spokesman said: "This difficult decision may result in some redundancies."
STV News
21-06-2025
- Business
- STV News
Jobs may be lost at private school after fee VAT decision
Jobs at a prestigious Edinburgh private school may be lost as it looks to cut costs. Fettes College said the introduction of VAT on school fees was one of the reasons it took the 'difficult' decision to 'right size our staffing model'. The Scotsman reported that the school – which counts former prime minister Tony Blair among its alumni – has opened a consultation process for both teaching and operational staff in order to reduce headcount. The most recent accounts show 751 students in August 2024, down from 780 the previous year. Fees for boarders at Fettes College can cost up to £18,000 for the current academic year, inclusive of VAT. The Labour government imposed VAT on private school education and boarding fees, effective from January 1. Ministers argue that removing the VAT exemption will benefit the wider education sector, including the 94% of pupils who attend state schools. A spokesman for Fettes College said the sector is facing a 'tough time' and appealed for privacy for the staff involved. The spokesman said: 'Various factors have conspired to increase costs on all organisations and schools are not immune, particularly with the recent imposition of VAT on school fees and rise in national insurance contributions. 'Despite being financially very well managed with a strong student roll, these factors are having an impact on our costs and numbers, and we are obliged to run our operations as efficiently as possible. 'These headwinds obviously affect our families too and our parents need to be certain that we are taking the necessary decisions to run the school efficiently and to use their money effectively. 'A consultation process began in May to right size our staffing model. This difficult decision may result in some redundancies. 'We will continue to provide the highest standard of educational experience, delivering our innovative vision for the school and maintaining our position as a leader in the sector.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Telegraph
21-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Blair's old school ‘to axe teachers' after Labour VAT raid
Teachers at Sir Tony Blair's former college are facing redundancy after Labour's VAT raid on private school fees. Fettes College in Edinburgh, which charges up to £54,000 a year, is examining its options for reducing staff after changes to VAT and National Insurance forced it into 'difficult' decisions. It comes as private schools experienced their biggest year-on-year drop in pupil numbers for more than a decade. A number of schools across the country have also had to close, with others revealing the cost of Labour changes had run into seven figures. Fettes College sits on 100 acres and offers mountain views, woodland and green space on campus. Pupils pay up to £15,150 a term, rising to £18,000 if they board. However, it has been hit by Chancellor Rachel Reeves's decision to remove the VAT exemption on private school fees from January 1 and hike employer National Insurance contributions from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent. It is now running a consultation with staff that could lead to redundancies. A Fettes College spokesman said: 'Various factors have conspired to increase costs on all organisations and schools are not immune, particularly with the recent imposition of VAT on school fees and rise in National Insurance contributions. 'Despite being financially very well managed with a strong student roll, these factors are having an impact on our costs and numbers, and we are obliged to run our operations as efficiently as possible. 'A consultation process began in May to right-size our staffing model. This difficult decision may result in some redundancies.' Experts have previously warned that the raid could hurt thousands of Scottish children with special educational needs and disabilities. Pupils with an educational, health and care plan are exempt from the increase in fees, but the system does not exist in Scotland. Private school pupil numbers have already fallen by more than 11,000 across England, with some schools already forced to close after becoming unaffordable. Park Hill School in Surrey, London-based Falcons School and Wakefield Independent School are among those which have said they will shut their doors. The headmaster of Malvern College, based in Worcestershire, said the raid had cost his school £2m. Earlier this month, affected families brought a series of High Court legal challenges in a bid to reverse the Government's decision. However, judges dismissed all three claims in a single judgment. Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, said: 'This is an unprecedented tax on education, and it was right that its compatibility with human rights law was tested. 'We will continue to work to ensure the government is held to account over the negative impact this tax on education is having across independent and state schools.'
