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?)

Not sure if meeting is going ahead. Waiting to hear.

Legally UL can not hold a meeting with regards a school that they do not have ownership of I guess.

So I doubt it will go ahead.

Well I would have thought that they can, provided the trustees invite them. Strictly the actual ownership of Dunottar hasn't changed, and is unlikely to, as winding up charitable companies is messy unless you have to. In any event when my dcs school was taken over by another similar group there was a parents meeting before everything was signed.

But in business terms the suggestion that they are no longer in exclusive discussions with UL doesn't bode well.

Lady Muck, tombaker, why shouldn't the meeting go ahead? The Dunottar Website still says "The governors are pleased to confirm that they are proceeding with negotiations with United Learning with a view to United Learning taking over Dunottar School." Even if the governors are going to look at other possible bids (if there are any), then I don't see a problem in United Learning presenting and answering questions on their bid, provided that other bidders are afforded the same opportunity.

Most likely something has come up in the due diligence (which, to be fair, is the purpose of the due diligence...)

Possibly that they meant it to be an academy?

Let's ignore pointless speculation. The meeting between current/prospective parents and representatives from UL to discuss their plans for Dunottar is still taking place tomorrow but at a different venue. 7.30pm at st Joseph's church hall, 122 ladbroke road, redhill RH1 1LF.

From the Dunottar Website:
The Dunottar Board of Governors have been approached by four academic organisations who have expressed an interest in running the school. We are confident, therefore, that the needs of the existing pupils will be met and that the school will not be closed.
The question the governors have now is which of the applicants is best placed to lead the school in the future. As governors, we have a duty to the parents and pupils to test the models thoroughly. We have been advised that we must consider each of these applications in detail to ensure that the best decisions are made for Dunottar.

For this reason, our legal advisors are preparing a questionnaire for each applicant to complete. The Dunottar Board of Governors will review these responses before inviting the applicants to present their plans and answer questions, ahead of deciding which organisation is best placed to lead the school moving forward.

The decision will be made on March 13th, permitting the successful applicant to commence the transition.

Dunottar Board of Governors

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It's the right decision to properly evaluate all the options I think.

So the meeting in the church hall is just a Dunottar Voice meeting with UL then? Seems a bit pointless to be meeting with just one of the potential owners?

Quandry, my understanding is that, as of now, UL are the only bid on the table. I'm sure that Dunottar parents will be keen to question any other bidders who come forward (close for bidding is Friday I believe). UL are in a slightly odd position in that the Dunottar Trustees announced them as preferred bidder a week or two ago, but have now backtracked and are inviting other bids. As far as I know, nothing has come out of due diligence to scupper the deal.

Are any of the Dunottar trustees current parents at the school?

I suppose the important thing for many, is that the Governors post starts with the comment that the 4 proposals mean Dunottar is likely to stay open. This seemed to be the greatest desire from parents throughout this thread. Closure does not seem an option anymore, which will relieve people Im sure.
It is important isn't it, to get the detail right...and that takes time. Don't want to rush into something because people are anxious for answers. All of the questions raised to be put to UL upthread, have no doubt been being thrashed out, and there may well be some sticking points. I guess Dunottar wants the owner who can deliver the highest percentage of what they would like. Some things might be a bit negotiable, others not. Assume it means it might not be UL now but someone else.
A shame there is a further 2 weeks of uncertainty, but I guess that in the wider scheme of things it is worth taking time to get it right. And sounds like it might actually be a legal requirement not to choose too hastily before the deadline.
Best of luck with it.

UL cannot be the only bid on the table if there are 3 other entities who have expressed an interest. I believe that Dunottar voice were lending their support to UL, but I assume that the Governors have received legal advice that they must consider all interests expressed which is absolutely the right thing to do. I had assumed that when the Governors had originally announced they were moving into due diligence with UL they had discounted other parties, maybe they have come back with more details on what they could offer and the Governors must now re-consider.

I'm not sure why the meeting between UL and parents is happening if they are only one of the interested parties, why not invite them all to present?

Sheldon, I'm sure the parents would like to meet all the bidders, but perhaps not all at the same time! It could get a bit out of hand! And remember that an expression of interest is not the same as a bid (especially as bids have to be in by close Friday).

Ye - I agree with Wombat - the great thing here is that the work DV have done has resulted in FOUR interested parties looking at Dunottar and saying, 'yes, this is a school that has potential and is worth saving' and that is an excellent outcome.

I suppose the difficulty might come if the DV 'preferred' acquirer is not the same as the decision of the Governors. Hopefully they will be able to come to an agreement either way.

Seems a bit strange that the meeting with UL has been moved away from the school to a new venue at the last minute. Does anyone know why? I was notified by email from DV but no explanation given as to why.

If it's for anyone to attend maybe it's a space issue? petal yes good point interest isn't a bid! Didn't know they had until Friday to put formal bids in, thanks.

What has happened was entirely predictable by us cynics. However at the end of the day UL will prevail. IMO of course.

If it is UL, and it will or may change it over to a state Academy, how will that work? I am guessing that most people whose daughters are at D at the moment want them to have a private education, as would most people who would potentially be interested in sending their children to New Dunottar. Yet if it is to change to an academy, at some stage it will need to have a mix of private and state pupils, albeit, I assume the 'private' ones will not be paying any more. I can only see this leading to more uncertainty, and falling numbers of private pupils and the hastening of it becoming a state Academy.

So it could be DV is faced with the choice of the land and buildings going to RGS or to UL, but in neither case will D continue as a separate private non-selective school. With RGS the L&B will benefit a private school; with UL, a state school.

It would be interesting to know UL's modus operandi in the other private schools it has taken over and turned into state Academies.

UL has no plans to turn Dunottar into an academy. None. Really.

I believe that since there are three other 'bidders' the governors felt it would be unfair hold a meeting with just one of them ( UL) and wanted to postpone the meeting.
However since DV are really pushing this option they decided to go ahead, but had to move the meeting away from the school.

Wonder who the other two groups are? Could be interesting.

Batman - why are you so obsessed with UL prevailing? What if an even better option emerges? It does seem that DV have quickly pinned all their hopes on UL. It's never a good negotiating tactic to be seen to be clearly favouring just one provider.

Good news all round then folks! yay! Ps Some parent saw some boys from BHill in uniform looking round yesterday… wow.

Hi: DV has asked to be able to hold open meetings with all 'bidders' and is waiting to see who they are. The meetings need to happen asap to help give the parents some confidence about the options. And, to be fair, the UL meeting was set up at a time when the board was in active talks with them and no other 'bidders' were in discussion.

Why didn't the other bidders come forward earlier then? Be interesting to see if they can give a long term commitment like UL ?

Tiredanddetermined - UL may say 'they have no plans' but as we know from our political masters, and their manifestos, that may be just words. It's easy to say that and then 'plans change' later on.

Have they committed, in writing, to never changing it to academy or similar status, or otherwise changing it to a state school?

Quandary, agree with you about negotiation stratagy, but this it is too late in the day to start selecting contestants. It is a fast moving situation and parents / pupils have had enough uncertainty. They delay is causing untold stress and damage. There is a lag between what is happening and what we know about on this forum. There needs to be resolution by the end of this week.