Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen has confirmed that teachers and support staff may lose their jobs as it battles escalating costs.
In a letter to parents, head of college Robin Macpherson said the financial crisis is presenting “ongoing challenges”.
As a result, the Aberdeen private school is looking at a range of cost-saving measures. These include reviewing energy use and reducing its teaching and support staff.
The college has already started making voluntary redundancies, and warned that compulsory job losses may follow. Mr Macpherson emphasised these would not affect the quality of pupils’ education.
The news was set out to parents in a letter seen by the P&J.
One Aberdeen parent said she is now reconsidering sending her child to the school.
Robert Gordon’s College ‘looking very carefully at budget’
A spokeswoman for Robert Gordon’s College said: “The cost-of-living crisis is affecting all schools. In response to increased costs from energy prices and inflation, we are looking very carefully at our budget and operating costs to ensure that we limit the impact on our families.
“The cost efficiencies we are investigating includes looking at resourcing levels across the college and a voluntary redundancy process.
“This will not lead to any reduction in the quality of education that Robert Gordon’s College offers its pupils, nor will it impact on the many public benefit activities that we undertake.”
The P&J understands that the school already had to increase its fees last summer.
Currently, the fees start at £9,615 a year in Primary One and rise to £14,960 in the senior phase. Nursery fees range from £6,000 to more than £15,000 depending on the hours attended.
Parents say they’re reconsidering applying
One concerned local parent wrote to the P&J, attaching a copy of the letter from Mr Macpherson.
She did not wish to be named, but said the letter made her reconsider whether to apply for the school. Other parents share her concerns, she said.
The letter in question refers to fees having increased last summer, and cost savings being one way to ensure fees don’t have to go up again.
It goes on to say that voluntary redundancies have already started, and compulsory redundancies may follow. The job losses affect both teaching and support staff.
Mr Macpherson states: “These measures are being taken to ensure that the college remains financially stable during the current economic climate. As well as looking at efficiencies, we are also actively exploring all opportunities to grow and diversify our revenue streams in the next five years.”
The college is holding information evenings on March 14 and 15 .
We know the sacrifices that our parents make to send their children to RGC.”
The letter continues: “I would like to make two things very clear to you all. Firstly, in making efficiencies we are not going to limit the quality of education being delivered to all of our pupils.
“Secondly, we want to change our business and operating models so that we make an independent education as affordable as we can, for as many parents as we can.
“We know the sacrifices that our parents make to send their children to RGC, and we want to ensure that we keep our fee level manageable for all of our parents.”
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