OSCR will review the charitable status of 40 fee-charging schools in Scotland over the next two years, it has announced.

OSCR will consider whether each school meets the charity test set out in the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 as part of its ongoing programme of reviews of charitable status.

OSCR's chief executive, David Robb, said: “Charities need to be seen to be providing public benefit - that is what the legislation requires the regulator to ensure.  Our reviews of charitable status have been ongoing since 2006 and we have gained considerable experience as Scotland's charity regulator.

“We have reviewed 13 schools so far, to reassure the public that the requirements of charitable status are protected.  We look forward to engaging in dialogue with these charities, so that they can demonstrate the benefit they provide and how they address any restrictions.”

Of those 13 schools, eight were deemed to be meeting the public benefit test and the other five passed the test after making changes recommended by the regulator.