Greenwood is the lead teacher of chemistry at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh which is Scotland’s only all-boys independent boarding school. He studied chemistry at Imperial College in London and spent six years working in the agrochemical industry before going into teaching in 2008.
The leader of the Scottish Family Party is suing the private Edinburgh school where he used to teach, accusing it of reneging on a deal over reduced school fees for his sons when he agreed to leave. Richard Lucas was a maths teacher at Merchiston Castle School for 23 years but says the school wanted him to go because it was unhappy about his comments outside school on matters such as abortion, sexuality and transgender issues.
Former pupils at a Scottish boarding school have told how they were touched inappropriately and received brutal beatings in scenes akin to Lord of the Flies. The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry heard evidence that teachers at Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh, one of the country’s most expensive private schools, mistreated the children.
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.
A teacher found guilty of sexual offences at a top private school in Edinburgh is still working in classrooms with children at another school in England.
Gordon Cruden, who taught at the exclusive Merchiston Castle, exposed himself in front of teenage boys at the school but escaped any punishment in December after a trial despite being found guilty.
Merchiston Castle School, where the day pupil fees are £21,495 per year, requires additional support according to Education Scotland. The school’s Board of Governors with its newly appointed Chair, Gareth Baird, is to work with the Independent Schools Link Inspector to make further improvements and monitor progress. The latest inspection report demands that the school works on ensuring that pupils feel able to report concerns in a safe environment.
Two men in their sixties, believed to be ex-staff members, have been charged as a result of a police investigation relating to the exclusive Merchiston Castle school in Edinburgh. Based in Colinton in the south west of the city, Merchiston Castle is Scotland’s only all-boys independent boarding school.
