A PRIVATE school in Inverclyde has won back charity status after regulators earlier ruled that it had failed the qualifying test.

St Columba’s independent school in Kilmacolm was one of five such establishments told two years ago by the Scottish charity regulator, OSCR, that they would have to make immediate changes following a review.

It was ordered to increase the amount of money it allocated in bursaries, or face losing its charity status.

In a newly published report, the regulator said the school had made the changes necessary to make the charity grade.

Management at St Columba’s today warmly welcomed the decision.

David Girdwood, the school’s rector, said: “St Columba’s is proud to be part of the independent school sector which makes an enormous contribution to the UK economy, with 275,000 full time equivalent jobs and supporting tax receipts in excess of £4.7 billion.

“Beyond this there is a saving to the taxpayer of annual recurrent costs for the education of children not being educated in the state sector exceeding £3.2 billion.” Making their case for charitable status, the school said it had introduced bursaries in 2008 and then increased them, as well as being strongly committed to the local community.

They highlighted the introduction of support for a leadership programme run by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme across Inverclyde schools.

The regulator’s report said that the private school now supports 80 pupils from its 712-strong school roll with bursaries.

They have awarded a total of £421,656, which is 6.7 per cent of the school’s income.

This compares with just 3.5 per cent previously.

In total, bursaries help meet 20-40 per cent of the costs of fees for those pupils concerned, with 11 young people having 100 per cent of their fees paid for by the school.

The school, which charges fees of around £10,000, has a yearly income of around £6 million.