Dunottar/ Reigate Grammar - Merger, or what?

[quandry]

Got the letter today, and I have to say I don't really understand what is going on?
Is RGS bailing out Dunottar to save it going under?
I can't see the advantages for RGS at all?

Someone suggested that perhaps they'd make it co-ed, less academic school in the future (like a Box Hill in Reigate?) and share facilities more? (Sports fields closer than Hartswood?)

Thanks shootingatpigeons. Sounds like they are a good bunch. I suppose because Dunottar is a charity, it seems somewhat at odds with the whole venture capitalists thing. And as you say always alarmist press about profit making schools groups. Let's hope if the Board votes this way today, they turn out to be the good kind.

I'm still not quite clear. Does the board vote today and that is then the final decision?

Chocolatewombat: the board votes this weekend and will announce its decision immediately afterwards according to www.dunottarschool.com/

NikkiSurrey Oops! Sorry! mumster30! Got you mixed up for a moment! Odd thing - you use similar words and phrases! LOL! Anyone would think you'd reinvented yourself after being briefed to promote Radnor House! LOL!!!!!

Is this the governing body of D itself voting or the overall RGS group, effectively bringing the end of the consultation period a month forward ? Can they do that if redundancies are still a possibility or would that period restart once any proposal is confirmed ?

The governing body of Dunottar has 3 members of the original board and the rest are from RGS. The Chairman of the Dunottar governing body is also the chairman of the RGS governing body. They can bring the consultation period forward if the parents have provided all the relevant information to produce a business case. The board has also sourced at least one other option so it appears to have all the information it needs to move forwards.Redundancies might not take place but it would depend on who the board chooses to go with. The general feeling from Dunottar Voice is that UL is a viable option. However, it's suspicious that Radnor House, which RGS has proposed, does not have the same established long-term track record, is one small school without the resources of UL and has members of the board in the asset stripping industry.

So would they alone have the legal power to dissolve the current relationship and where would that leave the school short term? I would think that should the outcome be a co-ed proposal there will be some members of staff who might prefer redundancy as their skills set and experience may no longer fit.

The most likely outcome seems a UL takeover and then conversion to a state academy in a few year's time.

That would be just right for the area.

LIZS: ' there will be some members of staff who might prefer redundancy as their skills set and experience may no longer fit.' I wouldn't be too sure about that. We're working on lots of assumptions here! I have a friend who works at Dunottar who told me the staff voted 100% support for UL and said they wanted to stay. There's a buzz re professional development opportunities and the benefits this would also have for the students.

Angelina I am not in any way briefed to promote Radnor, just someone who has watched a local school develop with interest and a touch of cynicism, but that cynicism has never been invoked because the school is one that is genuinely meeting the needs of parents. It apparently has a great leadership team. Just because some venture capitalists are in the business of assett stripping, doesn't mean they all are and this particular business makes it clear that it's strategy is to empower the professionals whilst offering support in the shape of finance and strategic advice. I obviously have no idea what they might be offering v. UL, money? But I see no reason why they would put the Radnor brand, which they have built up extremely successfully, at risk by acting other than in the best interest of school and pupils.

Where my cynicism has been invoked is with a company that is trying to muscle in on the local need for new Free Schools. That is a business that has a track record of buying up ailing schools and if it can't fill them up peddling an indifferent education to overseas pupils closes them down and sells the site as building land. They are not venture capitalists, they are an "international education company" and even on the DofEs list of academy sponsors. If anyone on here mentions that company as a possible party to all this then I would be the first to cry foul.

Well played DV, best outcome for all the students at Dunottar and the staff there given the circumstances.

The most important thing throughout this all has been securing a future for the students at Dunottar to enable them to continue their schooling.

Future secured. The end.

Hello again Angellina .. Thought you weren't coming back?

You are funny with all your conspiracy theories. Just for the record, I can't have 'outed' myself as an RGS employee because I'm not one!
And if there is another RGS parent called Nikki who has a niece at Dunottar, then there must be two... Except perhaps there aren't because, er, perhaps my real name isn't Nikki (internet forum anonymity etc..)
And nor am I the other person you seem to think I am, and I'd never heard of Radnor until this thread.

Anyway, we can all calm down and go back to our knitting because it seems a decision has been made, and the UL proposal has been accepted by all.
Good news for all affected, I think! Good luck xx

If someone new takes over, there seems to be an acceptance that numbers will be low for at least 5 years and the school will need to be financially carried through that period. It maybe that 5 years down the line, it is successful and viable in its own right again, due to growth, as it proves itself.
My question is to people who need an education now (current Dunottar parents) and potential parents of the next year or 2. Would you choose to have your children in Dunottar in its current size ?(and we don't know what that exactly is.....but small). How small feels too small for the experience you want your children to have?
One of the reasons people liked Dunottar was that it was not huge. Will current parents stay, knowing the school is likely to not be significantly bigger for several years? Does each year group have enough in it to field proper sports teams, give enough choice in friendships, setting by ability and a wide range of options?

What about prospective parents? How small will feel too small to them, even if Dunottar is being bankrolled for a few years, until it hopefully becomes bigger and viable?
So for me the issue has moved on a bit. It seems some organisations may be willing to keep the school going even as a loss maker, for a number of years, believen g it can be brought back to health (although we need to have that confirmed. Closure has still not totally been ruled out, but seems unlikely now) so the question for me now, is about how current and prospective parents will feel about their children being in a very small school.
Personally, if I were choosing a secondary, I would want at least 3 forms in a year group, at least 50 pupils in a year group. It is for the reasons I mention above. For that reason, Dunottar would not have appealed to me for many years. How many do you think people want to see in a year group in order to choose Dunottar now?

Congratulations to all you campaigners and to the Governors too. It looks like you have secured the future of Dunottar. I have just seen the message on the Dunottar website. Realise the details are still to be confirmed and no doubt these will be pinned down in coming weeks, and the new Dunottar wont please everyone, but sounds like there is likely to be a school there in September. I hope you are all able to enjoy half term much more now and the frenetic pace of activity can slow down a little now. I should think there will be some large glasses of wine drunk tonight.

Glad there is positive news. :) What role will DV take now ?

I imagine that at least some of the DV will work alongside the governors as part of the due diligence to make sure they negotiate on the aspects most important to them. The 'devil is always in the detail' as they say.

I think DV should certainly continue as UL will need careful watching en route to Academy status.

Lilly - you are being naughty - there is no suggestion anywhere of it being turned into an academy, so don't scaremonger....

Interesting change of tone nikkisurrey. We'll have to agree to disagree.

Well done Dunottar Voice, well done parents of Dunottar students who had enough faith in the school to keep your daughters there. I hope that the school sees former students returning. Well done students for supporting the school. Well done teachers who must have been under an unbelievable amount of stress. We'll done all other staff who don't teach and for the same reasons. Over and out.

Said I wouldn't comment but how can you not. Well done to everyone fighting for this beautiful school. Did we ever doubt....no. That's Dunottar for you! Big smiles in this household..ok business as usual homework and revision! Next fund raising event...a Big party! Go Dunottar! Need a drink....

Well done, look forward to hearing the details.

Hello... should change name to Tired,DeterminedAndNotDoneYet!!
There is much to be done, for sure. And that is fine because our central concern was to secure the future of the school. Tick.
Of course the next step is it remaining a school we want to support! And the Board has been very gracious in accepting the work, analysis and insight of DV and invited reps to the table to help design the UL deal. Fab.
All the projections, by the way, point to breakeven pupil numbers in the next two years, and then further growth. That said, UL has stated that it is in for the long run and will guarantee the school's future for ten years (was seven, and increased on request). Super.

Why lilly is fixated on it becoming a state academy I am not clear... I'll make sure that the possibility is debated at the negotiating table!

And Wombat opinions on education are so personal, aren't they... I personally cringe at the thought of a school with minimum three classes / 50 people per year. Absolutely not what I'm after! So there are probably others like me out there... or for whom size is not a factor either way.

All thanks for the robust debate. Sometimes a bit too robust! Can we find a way to move on now and stop the conjecture?

Very good news about a minimum of 10 years support, that will give prospective parents confidence for the longer term.

No change of tone Angellina - I am genuinely pleased that there has been an agreement.

Well done the governors for managing to keep a level head in the face of a lot of bullies and loud mouths. Thank goodness the sensible people have been the ones having the important discussions and negotiations.

Let's hope DV can harness the energy of the last few weeks and translate it into ongoing commitment and support for the future. Nothing like a campaign to bring people together - my sister said she's met more Dunottar parents in the last 3 weeks than she has in the last five years!

NikkiSurrey
Batmans back!

Please stop these unfounded allegations, there are no bullies and loudmouths within the Dunottar voice, they are all very nice people who wanted to right a wrong. Please tell us of the instances of bullying.
Lessons need to be learned and I think that they have been. It was the overwhelming momentum and pressure from the PAG together with the legal input that forced the governors hand, by bringing the decision forward and making the right decision. I am so pleased for the girls, parents and teachers. Enough said.

No unfounded allegations from me - all clearly laid out upthread, so I see no need to repeat again. Agree that the 'core' DV team are good, hard-working folk with the right intentions, but I also know they have had to reign in some more vocal parents on the periphery who risked ruining it for them with all the 'asset-stripping' talk and propaganda.

I am really pleased for the girls, parents, teachers AND governors. "Enough said."