This timeline traces the development of Scotland’s distinct educational institutions and the gradual expansion of Scottish governmental responsibility and oversight, culminating in the contemporary system of inspection and regulation of independent boarding schools.
As head teacher of Scotland’s last remaining all-boys school, Huw Jones believes instilling emotional resilience is key to tackling toxic masculinity… Mr Jones said: “There is a crisis. But my personal take is we’re viewing that crisis the wrong way. “I don’t think boys are broken, or men are broken. I think there’s a real lack of identity, belonging and connection, particularly in men and boys and that manifests itself in a lack of self-esteem.”
A report into the exclusive Merchiston Castle School has concluded that for 60 years, “abusers were protected by tradition”. Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry chairwoman Lady Smith has published her findings on the provision of residential care at the Edinburgh boarding school, concluding that over almost six decades, there was a “more or less continuous line of indecency” from two named perpetrators.
A boys-only private school has been criticised for a culture which involved “dreadful abuse” of children almost continuously for six decades. The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry report into Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh found that from the 1950s to the second decade of the 21st century, there was a “more or less continuous line of indecency” from two named perpetrators.
Abuse at a boarding school for boys in Edinburgh was “normalised for generations”, the chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has said. Lady Smith published her findings on Wednesday relating to the provision of residential care for children at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh.
Lady Smith delivers the findings about Merchiston Castle School at the release of Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry’s report “Case Study no. 9: Volume 5: The provision of residential care in boarding schools for children at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, between 1930 and 2021”
A group of survivors who gave evidence on the abuse they suffered at private schools have called on the first minister to dismiss the judge leading the inquiry. Lady Smith, who is chairing the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), has been accused of “thinly veiled favouritism” towards independent schools. The letter, from 28 former pupils, urges John Swinney to remove her from her role.
John Halley, 59, was arrested on 15 February after a police search at an address in Caddonfoot, near Galashiels. He was appointed as a lead junior counsel by former inquiry chairwoman Susan O’Brien KC. He worked on the inquiry until October 2016.
A senior judge was acting beyond her powers to prevent the BBC from fully reporting a £2.6m legal claim against Scotland’s child abuse inquiry, an appeal court has ruled. Lady Smith, chairwoman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), passed orders stopping detail of an employment tribunal claim being reported. A judicial review of the orders brought by the BBC backed Lady Smith’s move. But the appeal court has now ruled she “had no power” to make the orders.
Closing submissions from Mr Brown, solicitor Paul Reid GC on behalf of Merchiston Castle School, and Mr John Edward on behalf of Scottish Council of Independent Schools.
Evidence was heard from Chair of the Board of Governors and former pupil Gareth Baird and former headmaster Jonathan Anderson.
One of Scotland’s most prestigious boarding schools failed to discipline an abusive housemaster for 15 years, an inquiry heard yesterday. Andrew Hunter, who became head of Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School in 1998, admitted in email exchanges that he had become aware of James Rainy Brown’s actions that year.
Evidence was heard from school inspectors Marion Crawford and the read-in evidence of school inspector Iain Lamb.
Evidence was heard from Merchiston assistant masters “Glenn (QZA)” and “Jane (QTL)”, and the read-in evidence of Merchiston assistant masters Marion Muetzelfeldt and Peter Hall.
Evidence was heard from Merchiston assistant masters Maria Victoria Prini-Garcia and “Robert (QZL)”, and the read-in evidence of Merchiston assistant master “Nicola (DFX)”—AKA “Laura (RCQ)” in the SCAI’s final report—and headmaster David Spawforth.
Evidence was heard from former pupil and subsequent Chaplain and assistant master “James (CDR)” and assistant master Gordon Cruden, and the read-in evidence of assistant masters Stephen Campbell and Nicholas Diver.
Evidence was heard from witness (Ian) FPU, and the read-in evidence of former pupils “Craig (CCB)” and “Edward (CDS)”, and parents “Diane (KJV)”, “Jenny (FWQ)” and “Catherine (FHS)”.
Evidence was heard from former pupils “John Crawford (HYD)”, “Mark (CCY)”, and “William (CBM)”.
Evidence was heard from former pupils “Gerald (BRG)”, “Graham (CCL)”, and “Jack (CCZ)”.
Evidence was heard from former pupils “John (CCG)” and “James (BLQ)”.
A senior judge was right to prevent the BBC from fully reporting a £2.6m legal claim against Scotland’s child abuse inquiry, a court has ruled… Lord Boyd has now ruled that the order covered material that was sensitive and required “to be protected”, and that in those circumstances Lady Smith was able and “bound to make the order”.
The head of a boys-only independent boarding school has told an inquiry that concerns of a “predatory culture” are an issue for all schools. Jonathan Anderson, headmaster at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, said it was “not fair” to single out boys-only schools over the issue. Giving evidence at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, Anderson said his school had done a “harrowing” review of files and accepted there may have been abuse between 1930, when the school moved to Colinton, and 2014.
Evidence was heard from Mr Jonathan Anderson, Headmaster of Merchiston Castle School.
A senior judge was right to limit the reporting of a £2.6m legal claim against Scotland’s child abuse inquiry, a court has been told. The BBC is challenging a decision by Lady Smith, chairwoman of the inquiry, to stop details of an employment tribunal against her being aired.
A senior judge prevented the BBC from properly reporting a £2.6m legal claim against Scotland’s child abuse inquiry, a court has been told. The Court of Session heard how Lady Smith, chairwoman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), faced an employment tribunal claim in 2019. Lady Smith passed orders which stopped detail of the action being reported.
Lady Smith announces the boarding school phase of the Inquiry beginning July 2020. The Inquiry is expected to focus on Fettes College, Gordonstoun School, Keils School in Dumbarton, Loretto School, Merchiston Castle School, Morrison’s Academy during the time it was a boarding school, and the Queen Victoria School in Dunblaine.
Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry urges former pupils and staff to come forward ahead of boarding schools case study.
Hearings in 2020 will focus on seven schools including Fettes College, Gordonstoun, Loretto School and Merchiston Castle School. Lady Smith, who leads the inquiry, has urged people affected by abuse in these establishments to contribute evidence. It will come after the current phase on care experiences involving male religious orders.
This announcement provides information about a future Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) case study. Beginning in summer 2020, phase 6 will investigate provision at boarding schools.
The last remaining original panel member on the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has resigned, prompting further concerns from abuse survivors that it is in crisis.
Some of Scotland’s top private schools are being investigated by a national inquiry into child abuse. Gordonstoun–Prince Charles’s former school–and Fettes College, where Tony Blair was a pupil, feature in the statutory probe. Others include Merchiston Castle and Loretto, Scotland’s oldest boarding school. They are among more than 60 residential care establishments identiifed as sites of alleged child abuse or neglect.
More than 60 residential care establishments for youngsters are being investigated by the team working on Scotland’s national child abuse inquiry. Lady Smith, the inquiry chairwoman, has revealed they are among more than 100 locations where the abuse of children is alleged to have taken place. Boarding schools, institutions run by religious orders and local authorities are among the establishments being probed.
Two top public schools attended by Prince Charles and Tony Blair are being investigated by a major national inquiry into child abuse. Gordonstoun, the alma mater of the heir to the throne, and Fettes College – where the former Labour Prime Minister was a pupil – both feature in the statutory probe. Other private schools under investigation include Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Loretto School in Musselburgh and Morrison’s Academy in Crieff.
A swathe of Scotlandʼs top private schools–including Gordonstoun, Fettes College, Loretto and Merchiston Castle—will be subject to investigations by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
