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Original poster

Dunottar/ Reigate Grammar - Merger, or what?

999 replies

quandry · 31/01/2013 20:56

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?)

OP posts:
Original poster
Quandry · 20/02/2014 14:46

Thanks Tired - cross posted!

OP posts:
Marmitelover55 · 20/02/2014 15:16

I think that academies are classified as being "independent" schools anyway.

My DD1 is at a former private school which has become an academy and we are very happy with if. It has maintained much the same ethos and curriculum but has had to increase class sizes to 28. The results at GCSE are even better than when if was private.

wholenewwoman · 20/02/2014 15:19

Bolligog - is this a meeting for anyone to attend?
As I said, I am a prospective parent but not for a few years - am I allowed to attend this meeting to ask the valid questions that I am raising?

I am 100% behind Dunottar - I have been for years and fought very hard last year to keep the Junior school open without success. I am not feeding seeds of doubt, far from it. I would like nothing better than for my daughter to return.
Just because my daughter is not at the school at the moment, does not mean I cannot ask questions, although it very much appears from any parent currently at Dunottar that I must know my place and not question anything!

Please don't make sweeping statements that we cannot be positive if we are not already at the school. There are many parents like me that have been watching with interest and celebrated when the news came out that Dunottar was to survive.

Why must the parents at Dunottar (part of Dunottar Voice) constantly try and stop anyone asking questions? It does appear as if there is a)something to hide, b) arrogance that prospective parents will unquestionably be sending their children there and c) prospective parents views don't actually count unless they explicitly cheer on Dunottar.

No school can give guarantees about governors, heads etc for the time period that we are talking about (10 years). However, that does not mean if you are looking at a potential school for your child you should not ask questions about the future.

TiredAndDetermined · 20/02/2014 15:52

I wonder if independent is the correct term for a school within a major group of schools? Perhaps it still being private is the key? Perhaps (and I am not speaking from a position of knowledge, merely looking at the semantics) this is a key point?

And does this logically lead to the assertion that it will be becoming a state comprehensive academy in 3 or 4 years? I think not.

TiredAndDetermined · 20/02/2014 15:52

There are so many questions being batted about. And I accept that we need to sweep through the blog too and see what remains unanswered. I will see answers I can find.

wholenewwoman · 20/02/2014 15:57

Tiredanddetermined - you are such an inspiration on how to rise above the points being made and distill down to the important points.

I think you have hit the nail on the head re independent/state/private (in my mind you have made total sense anyway!).

I agree there is no logical assumption, but the question needs a clear answer - and obviously that will need to come from UL if they are going to be the company leading/running the school in the future. I don't think DV will be able to answer it, as I'm sure UL will have their own comms etc that will handle a Q&A document in times like this. They have done it many times before and I am sure that they are expecting a number of questions just like these.

Where I am coming from, is that it is a key piece of information for me to decide at the time when I need to be making choices for my daughter. I am sure that others need the answer to it much sooner than I do!

Marmitelover55 · 20/02/2014 16:42

I think this may be an unpopular thing to say, but becoming a state academy could be a very good thing. My DD1's former private school became a state academy in 2008. They had their first year of academy intake GCSE results last year and they look similar/better to/than Dunottar's (probably giving away too much info, but here goes)

Dunottar - % A*-C 96%, my DD's school 95%
Dunottar - A*-A 50%, my DD's school 56%
Dunottar -5 A*-C ??, my DD's school 91%

Maybe academisation wouldn't be such a bad thing if it were to happen? As I recall, existing classes remained the same size, but each year, each new year group admitted numbers according to the funding agreement. Existing parents thus got the private education for free.

Sheldonswhiteboard · 20/02/2014 18:03

agree Marmite, academies can produced very good results and yep, why would you pay when you get the same results for free? I guess though that parents consider schooling options within the private fee paying sector, are not just looking at what exam results can be purchased with their fees? I have to admit I don't know a huge amount about academies, can they be completely selective, can they easily expel/ exclude continually disruptive pupils?

Anyway, thank you tired for offering to find outstanding answers where you can. It may well be that DV cannot answer this question as at the end of the day they are not the decision making body of either UL or the RGS group and the whole proposal is still being worked through.

Bolligog · 20/02/2014 18:43

Wholenewwoman, Of course you should ask questions. We all should. The point I was trying to make was that we need to direct those questions to people who are qualified to answer them, I.e. re academy etc, we need to ask UL, not a group of 'guessers' on here. It is totally relevant to current AND prospective parents and interest/questions from each of those groups is of course, extremely important. But, in my opinion, there are people on this thread, not you, who seem to have no particular personal interest in this, yet seem to keep dropping negative comments in, again, not you. Now I'm sorry, but it makes me wonder who they are, and what their agenda is. Yes the DV appears positive, but pls remember that what we can put out on the website is very restricted while negotiations going on. It is frustrating i know, but things are moving really fast so we should all get to know much more detail very soon. There is no hidden agenda, just a lot of restriction. We more than most, want clarity asap as our children are at Dunottar now. I have asked for more clarity on the academy question and as soon as I can, I will post on here. Anyone can email the DV or the school with questions, and the people answering will likely know more than many on here :)

Marmitelover55 · 20/02/2014 18:49

I think academies are able to select 10% of pupils based on aptitude e.g. Music or languages. My DD's school has a very tough disciplinary policy and pupils that don't tow the line can be expelled. There seems to be no low-level disruption and sport, music and drama are carried out to a very high level. There are a multitude of other extracurricular activities too.

I suppose the only difference to a private school that I can see (I was privately educated myself), is that there is a more diverse social and cultural mix, but I welcome this.

My DD secured s place at a selective private school, but I was more than happy to relinquish this place in favour of this state academy.

wholenewwoman · 20/02/2014 19:10

Thank you boligog

Bolligog · 20/02/2014 19:23

Wholenewwoman, you are welcome. Apologies if I gave wrong impression. We all just want the right solution x

byebye1 · 20/02/2014 19:29

Cheers bolligog. Good luck to you whoever you are and to the rest of you!

Sheldonswhiteboard · 20/02/2014 19:38

Interesting Marmite, the results are very good then if not wholly selective. Can I just ask, is it definitely a done thing as far as these things ever can be that Dunottar will be co-ed? I have a friend with a DS in year 5 who is struggling to find a non academically selective private school and I think the journey into Reigate would be doable for them.

Bolligog · 20/02/2014 19:53

I believe all of the possible models are co-ed. there is an open day on wed 26th, why not suggest your friend goes along 'sheldonswhiteboard'?

Sheldonswhiteboard · 20/02/2014 19:56

Great, will do. Thanks

Marmitelover55 · 20/02/2014 19:57

Yes - it really is a comprehensive, so pretty good.

I think the school had a completely visionary head, who could see the amazing opportunity that becoming a state academy would be (although I guess with declining numbers the alternative was closing, the same as Dunottar).

Also, as a former direct grant school, maybe the ethos is quite similar...?

Now it is a thriving, successful and very over-subscribed "independent" state school. If becoming an academy is on the cards for Dunottar, maybe it could be a really good thing?

nowveryconfuseddotcom · 20/02/2014 20:00

I think it will become an academy because that is what has hapoened to virtually every other UL school taken on this century. The admissions will be much fairer and will basically be filled with Reigate children as the it will be a local school.

Dunnottar being taken over by what is nowadays an academy chain ais actually good news for the town.

At this point UL will insist that they have no intention etc. I hope that they do go for an academy so I will read what is in writing and rules out acadeny status rather than cleverly worded statements given verbally that are not binding.

Marmitelover55 · 20/02/2014 20:00

Also it managed to remain a girls' school and didn't have to go co-ed...

Bolligog · 20/02/2014 20:20

Not going to speculate. We will all know exactly what is planned by the end of next Thursday regarding united learning, after the meeting with them. Until then, I have no reason to think an academy is on the cards based on every communication so far, but will of course be raising the point on Thursday. Not that I think an academy would be a bad thing, I just don't think its the intention. Either way, we will at least still have choice, which has been an important part of our campaign :)

flipcharting · 20/02/2014 20:33

Well said bolli - idle speculation not helping anyone!!

flipcharting · 20/02/2014 20:33

Well said bolli - idle speculation not helping anyone!!

Marmitelover55 · 20/02/2014 20:55

I'm not speculating - just trying to give you positive feedback about a private girls school becoming a state academy.

ChocolateWombat · 20/02/2014 20:58

'Independent' when used about schools, refers to private fee paying schools. They are independent of state funding. Schools can be 'independent' and part of a larger group, such as the Whitgift foundation schools. They don't have to stand alone. The thing they are independent of, is simply the state.
Academies are state funded. Parents do not pay fees for their pupils to attend. Admissions polices are determined by the academy, influenced by the state (usually admissions based on distance from school). Academies have more freedoms than non academy state schools, but are not independent from the state, but funded by it and consequently influenced by it.
People choosing Dunottar have opted for a private,fee paying education. It is good to know that UL will be pinned down about whether they are guaranteeing this will continue for the 10 years they are willing to guarantee the school, or for any length of time.

beatlemania14 · 20/02/2014 21:03

In the meetings so far, has there been any clarification about what UL will seek to be in the curriculum.

I am worried for students in year 7 and 8 about GCSE options they will get when they have to choose in year 9. I think there are about 15 girls in each year group but 45 and more in years 10 and 11. I imagine that means fewer GCSE options will be affordable by Dunottar moving forward. Does anyone know if this has been clarified yet? It would be a shame to get a year down the line and find that there was a problem.