One of Aberdeen’s most prominent independent schools has warned that up to 16 jobs could be lost as it launches a formal review of its staffing and costs in response to what it describes as a “rapidly changing educational and financial landscape.”
Albyn School, which educates around 600 pupils from nursery through to sixth year, employs approximately 175 staff. The school has confirmed that up to 9% of those posts are now at risk, as its board of governors has approved a proposal to reduce headcount and expenditure in line with anticipated future pupil numbers.
The school is entering two separate statutory consultations with staff, with one examining potential redundancies across both teaching and support roles, and a second focused on a review of the teaching pension scheme.
Head teacher David Starbuck said the decision had not been taken lightly:
“Following careful consideration, the board has approved a proposed realignment of the school’s staffing levels and costs to match anticipated pupil numbers. Acting now enables us to make thoughtful, proportionate adjustments that protect the school’s long-term future.”
Starbuck acknowledged that current pupil enrolment remains “strong,” but said the school must act “prudently” given the significant possibility of declining demand in the period ahead.
The announcement comes against a backdrop of mounting financial pressure across Scotland’s independent school sector. From 1 January 2025, all UK private schools became subject to 20% VAT on tuition and boarding fees — a policy change introduced by the UK Government — pushing up the cost of a typical day school place from around £18,450 to approximately £22,140 per year, according to Institute for Fiscal Studies data.
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Independent schools in England with charitable status also lost an 80% discount on business rates from April 2025, adding further strain to operating budgets across the sector. While Scottish independent schools are subject to a separate rates regime, the VAT change applies UK-wide and has forced many institutions to reconsider their cost base.
Albyn, which offers nursery, lower school, upper school and a French bilingual stream, has positioned itself as a broad-curriculum school with strong academic results. Its Higher pass rate at S5 level was cited as 100% in 2025, and the school boasts more than 30 languages spoken by its current pupil cohort.
The statutory consultation process — a legal requirement under UK employment law before any collective redundancies can be confirmed — gives affected staff and their representatives the opportunity to engage with management proposals before any final decisions are made. No timescale for the conclusion of that process has been publicly confirmed.
