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?)

Bearleigh: as stated up thread, they have made written commitments. Never is a long time, so who knows what happens in another 87 years' time... for the (long) foreseeable, no academy or state option is in the mix.
AND don't forget that no deal is done yet, and such commitments will need to be woven into any deal that is done.

Bearleigh, you're starting to sound a little obsessive about UL's "secret plans" to turn Dunottar into an academy. It would be helpful if you could give us examples of where they've already done this.

Well, reading the governors' message again, it looks as if the position will be that by 13th March they will have selected which bid they want to pursue and then the due diligence and negotiations start with that bidder. Unfortunately the efforts required to satisfy the Charity Commission requirements are more arduous than if say Dunottar had been a proprietor owned school, and as a result there will still be several weeks of uncertainty.

If there is anything left in the fighting fund then now is the time to engage professional PR.

Yes please give us examples of academy status from UL. Thank you Petalpower 1 was just about to ask that question too.

Dunottar have the finest legal advice available which has got them into the current strong position; they really do know what they are doing. As regards PR, they have demonstrated how effective they are in raising money and promoting the school. So called professional PR has not worked that well in the past.

Batman and ByeBye - not sure where you are coming from on a lot of what you were saying.

I was at the open day yesterday. It was only parents there were no children there at all being shown round.

I am nothing to do with Dunottar and wanted to see for myself - it is a fantastic school with what appears to be fantastic staff.

You are doing them no favours by the way you are coming across, telling untruths (and stirring about other schools!)

If I was on the Board of RGS (which I'm not, before you ask), I would be getting worried about the reputational damage this episode has done to them. It's been dragging on for some weeks now, and a lot of accusations have been slung at them. And as we know, mud sticks. So some, maybe quite a few people, might decide not to send their kids there. I can't imagine that RGS would not still be able to fill the school, but if you have a smaller pool to work with, quality will inevitably be affected, which in turn will further damage RGS's reputation. RGS needs to act quickly to nip this damage in the bud (great mixed metaphor there), and the only way to do that is by getting shot of Dunottar asap.

Shockedbunny

Have never ever told an untruth or run-down other schools. It is disappointing that you have said that.

Petalpower you are absolutely right. Damage limitation should be a priority now.

sorry - just byebye then.

comments about pupils attending from others schools yesterday could cause problems for parents and the school. Complete untruth.

Thank you shockedbunny for the apology, much appreciated.

PetalPower - I think any sensible parent about to invest £120k + in their child's education will look beyond just the gossip going on at the moment before making up their mind.

There is also an important distinction to be made between the Trust/trustees who run the charity behind the school, and RGS the school itself i.e. the excellent Head, amazing staff and fantastic pupils. In reality the trustees have relatively little input into the day to day activities which make the school great - that is mostly influenced by the Head and staff. The governors are more involved in the finance, administration, property, maintenance etc etc.

I tend to agree that the communication hasn't been great from the governors, and I'm sure that lessons are being learnt. I also think we'll see some important changes in the structure of that team in the near future.

You obviously know what's going on Quandry.

Quandry, your point about people looking beyond gossip when they are investing £120k is well made, but you could turn it on its head - when so much money is at stake, every little uncertainty about the suitability of the school suddenly becomes very important.

I agree that the governors have very little to do with the day-to-day running of a school, but after the Head they are probably the most influential people there, as they largely control the long term direction of travel of the school, e.g admissions policy, investment, business planning etc.

To be fair to RGS, it seems that they never promised any assistance to Dunottar apart from a letter of comfort to Dunottar's auditors for one year. So having kept Dunottar afloat long enough for a long term solution to appear, they can now bow out gracefully. Yes, maybe things could have been handled better on all sides, but we're all going to have to live with each other after this is all over, so maybe it's time to call a truce and sort it out before things get really messy (frantic waving of olive branch)

An example of a private school that became an academy under the UL banner is William Hulme's grammar school in Manchester.

It says in Wikipedia (obviously not the most reliable of sources) that parents were mislead and the contract was signed by UL to become an academy...

In fact it goes on to say that the changes implemented by UL caused great controversy. For example the UL logo and motto must now be on all publications and the headmaster is now called the principal. Additional changes include tighter controls on activities.

Thanks for that Marmitelover55, very interesting. To be fair it seems that UL took on the school as an Academy, as the school had already entered the state sector a year before. But it's certainly something that Dunottar parents could ask about at the meeting with UL this evening.

I must admit that this Wikipedia article is a bit over the top. Especially the bit about UL introducing changes that "have caused great controversy. For example, the ULT logo and motto must now be on all school publications". Oh the swine, how could they? Seems like they also facilitated £10m investment in the school, though how much of that was their money isn't clear.

Sorry Marmite, didn't see your second message.

Would it be such a bad thing if it did become a state academy if standards were high? Seems likely to me as it seems the quickest way to get the numbers they need and there is a large shorthage of secondary places in the area.

Forago, it takes a lot of time to apply for, be considered for, and finally receive Academy status - I don't think Dunottar have that much time. One to consider in the future perhaps?

Chairman of Dunottar has resigned!

Chairman of Dunottar what? I thought that the trustees of the RGS group were the trustees of Dunottar now, I didn't think Dunottar had a separate board of Trustees. Do you mean the Chairman of the RGS group of trustees?

Sorry have just checked the Dunottar website, there is a Dunottar board of governors chaired by Alan Walker, so he has resigned?

Separate charity and board, but a lot of overlap if you check the websites of both schools for the names of governors.

No idea about who,if anyone has resigned. Wouldn't be surprised though. These governor roles are voluntary. The chair of RGS and Dunottar Governors must have worked endlessly in the last 18 months on all this. I thought how Petal put is was good. They stepped into to give a limited guarantee of comfort to the auditors, which on ending, gave the impetus to parents to look for an alternative, which they have found...and now RGS wants to bow out gracefully.
As far as I can see, there was no big conspiracy to do Dunottar in, just a school with declining numbers. They were given a temporary reprieve, but the limited nature of it sounds like it wasn't totally clear. I suspect that was down to both the Head and Governors wanting to avoid people panicking and leaving Dunottar. The more honest assessment of the situation at prize day, was roundly criticised, because it wasn't what people wanted to hear...perhaps it was an attempt to clarify. Anyway, those governors will have no doubt worked tirelessly to find solutions and carry out the due diligence required with UL. I'm not sure I have ever seen anyone on this thread recognise their work. It isn't going to benefit RGS, which they belong to long term, but a struggling school in need of outside input. Dunottar Voice have worked hard. But those Governors must have too and deserve some thanks. Tbh, I'm not surprised if someone resigns. Whatever they do is criticised and whatever the new version of Dunottar will be blamed on them, rather than looking at the longer term issues underpinning the problems.

Yes I know he is the Chair of the RGS Governors, there is nothing on the RGS website about him resigning from that Board so assume it's just Dunottar?