A Crieff mum has taken her son out of Ardvreck School after being told he needed extra tuition that would cost more than £1,500 per month.
Sarah McGregor was in receipt of a bursary but still paid £500 per month to get Lauchlin, 6, a place at the fee-paying prep school.
In Lauchlin’s second year his teacher claimed he was not making good enough progress.
They strongly advised that he should be allocated a dedicated member of staff.
Sarah was told this would cost her an additional £21 per class, which worked out at £84 per day and more than £1,500 per month.
She works as a community nurse and her partner is in customer service at a contact centre.
“We are not top earners so there was no way we could afford it,” Sarah said.
“If we’d known there was any way we would have to spend thousands we wouldn’t have sent our son to that school.”
Ardvreck School say information on additional fees is “freely available on our website” and “in our parent pack”, with parent contracts also highlighting the possibility of increases.
‘Awed’ by top prep school
Set in 40 acres of stunning grounds on a hill above Crieff, Ardvreck has an idyllic setting.
Last year it was jointly named the independent prep school of the year at an awards ceremony in London.
Mum-of-three Sarah admits the thought of sending her eldest child to such an establishment was appealing.
“When you go there you are quite awed by it,” she said.
“With the bursary the idea was to pay £500 per month throughout the school year.
“It might change with inflation but it was going to be more or less the same.
“It was a lot of money but we thought it was a great opportunity to do the best for our son.
“He was going to have a great chance to do something we never got the opportunity to do.
“But it hasn’t done us any favours at all.”
ADHD suspected but nurse had ‘no concerns’
Lauchlin began as a P1 pupil in September 2021.
During the first year, Sarah says Lauchlin’s teacher reported that he could be stubborn, and wondered whether he had ADHD.
So he was checked over by the school nurse.
“They had no concerns,” said Sarah. “They said he was a delightful boy.”
Lauchlin was taught by a new teacher when he began P2 in September 2022.
Very soon, they told Sarah he was a year behind on his reading compared to his peers.
“I was told none of this last year and now, after a couple of weeks in their job, they say this,” Sarah said.
“We worked really hard because of this.
“He was getting a different book every night and doing homework every holiday.”
Leaving after two years ‘doesn’t sit right’
Sadly, this didn’t prevent the bombshell that was to be dropped in February this year.
“The teacher told us that Lauchlin was doing much better but he had not caught up with his classmates,” Sarah said.
“They then they thought he would struggle in P3 because he would struggle to retain information.
“They thought he would need additional learning support, but that comes at a premium.”
Sarah went to the school bursar, who said no more funding was available. She had little choice but to take her son elsewhere.
“You do not send your child to school to move them two years later,” she said.
“When you sign up it says additional costs may be necessary.
“My assumption was that it might be music lessons or classes after school, which is understandable.
“It doesn’t say you may need to pay £21 an hour for extra learning.
“I was under the assumption that if a child was diagnosed with dyslexia or anything you would get help given to you, just as you do anywhere else.
“It just doesn’t sit right.”
‘He probably feels he has had a snub’
Since the Easter holidays Lauchlin has attended St Dominic’s Primary School in Crieff.
“He is slightly behind his peers but his teacher doesn’t have concerns,” Sarah said.
“They aren’t saying he needs a classroom assistant to help him with his work.
“The teacher says he always tries to work as hard as he can, and you can’t ask for more than that.
“But he really misses his old school and his friends.
“Because he was so proud at Ardvreck he probably feels he has had a snub.
“If we had any idea that this would be the situation we would have never sent him there.
“We would have put him at a school where he would be able to stay.”
‘We detail additional costs’
A spokesperson for Ardvreck School said: “For child protection purposes we do not disclose personal information about our pupils, including their attendance at our school.
“Our pupils’ wellbeing is at the heart of our decision-making to ensure the children feel safe; are healthy; achieve; feel nurtured; are active; are respected; are responsible; and feel included.
“If our experienced staff identify any learning differences or concerns for a pupil’s wellbeing, our teaching staff will discuss these observations directly with parents ahead of a possible formal diagnostic assessment by services beyond the school.
“In terms of our bursaries and financial support, at Ardvreck we strive to welcome and support as many children as possible to enjoy our academic and adventurous education.
“We detail additional costs that may be incurred on a child-by-child basis.
“The details of such additional fees are freely available on our website and also included in our parent pack.
“Within our parent contract we also highlight the possibility of fee increases with an annual review that takes into consideration inflation, amongst other variables.”
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