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?)

Nikkisurrey - i would be very careful if I was you, not only is what you are saying is highly aggressive, especially as you are complaining about others being aggressive, you have missed out important factual points to ensure the facts fit your version (point 3 yes the idea of Co-ed was rejected but it was rejected by the Dunottar board who were mainly made up of RGS so had the majority vote and then when it looked like the school was to be handed to another party put forward the same proposal (as you have pointed out above!), the projected Dunottar losses are not in the public domain and neither was a lot of what you have put above therefore you are either guessing or in breach of your contract (if you are an employee). So rather than throw mud at each other, understand that the deal is done and all staff, parents and Dunottar governors are happy (it says they are in their statement) and therefore this is the best outcome.

Well done, NikkiSurrey! I'm really impressed - you obviously have a gift for this sort of thing - maybe you should get a job in journalism or PR or something. I particularly liked the bit about the "angry and aggressive parents, baying for blood"

Oh and thanks for filling us in on the expected loss that Dunottar will be making in 2014/15. Most of us don't have access to internal RGS documents, so thanks for enlightening us.

Nikkisurrey: interesting that you should talk about PR. Some of your posts have been so well crafted that you could do this for a living.

Angelina - great minds think alike

Nikki - thanks for giving a much more realistic version of events, makes a lot more sense for anyone with an objective outlook than petalpower's version. You're a breath of fresh air!

Nickisurrey - a direct one for you please - where are you getting your information from, regarding possible financial position of Dunottar in the most recent financial year - as far as I'm aware those accounts are not published/in the public domain........

Oh and here we all go again!

In case anyone is wondering (for more than the first time), I have nothing to do with Dunottar! I did go to the open day last week and I will encourage others and my husband to do the same. I will probably also go back this week if UL are going to be there so that I can hear what their plans are.

However, even I know, as just a parent in Reigate that the logo that UL have started to use is the one that the school used prior to getting involved with RGS - hardly innovative from UL, and Batman if you had really been involved with Dunottar for the time that you say you have, you will have known that - it is still the one on lots of the headed paper (it's just the words 'school for girls' removed!!)

Slightly smacks of desperation to me that they are holding an open week. Agree a Saturday event is a good move, but an entire week?? How distruptive (again) to the staff and current pupils to increase the numbers by possibly a few for September??!

However, I will remain positive - it seemed wonderful when I went round last week and will go back and ask lots more questions probably next Saturday.

Batman - if you are all out having a party is this where the Funds raised are going?? Wouldn't it be more sensible to hand it over to the school to use as scholarships etc to encourage more pupils to attend than spent on champagne and eggs?

Slight change of subject - Urmel mentioned something about RGS getting a new 6th Form Block. Is that the building that's going to go where Merrick House is (just off Church Walk for those of you who don't know RGS)?

PP1, I have no idea and I don't see the relevance.
The only reason I mentioned this investment was because you seemed to doubt the financial strength of RGS. Would you really expect RGS to invest in expansion if they didn't have the financing?

Hmm, I wonder how much that new block is going to cost? And they'll have to buy the land off the housing trust as well. I hope they weren't relying on any sudden inflows of assets against which they could finance the purchase and construction costs.

No spend it on champagne ! joking!!!!!! come on guys we can't change anything . We have all had to accept change , so lets just get on with it. Shocked bunny - its called marketing .If D need to do more marketing then bring it on! Can we just let the people do what they have to do. Points of view are very helpful, but it won't change the successful outcome.

Nikki, I know there are a lot of posts for you, but when you have the chance I'd be interested to hear WHO signed the secret deal, because I don't get how there can be a deal if it was done by anyone other than the Dunottar board. Are you saying Dunottar board did not sign the deal? or are you saying that Dunottar board did sign the deal but didn't tell anyone beforehand?

To me the former would seem illegal, but I'm not sure why the latter would be.

PP1, you seem to be full of information and/or speculation.

Dunottar continues as an excellent independent school in Reigate and people in the area have a private school choice with both Dunottar and RGS offering excellent private education - GOOD FOR ALL CONCERNED. I would hope that nobody on either side is trying to sabotage that happy state of affairs.

If - as is being hinted at by both sides - there was illegality, surely this will be between lawyers not between parents. In the meantime both schools have a job to do, which is educating children.

Urmel - the source of the info about Merrick House is very simple - none other than Mr Shaun Fenton, Headmaster of RGS. You should ask him about it.

I just saw my friend from the Choral Society in Morrisons and she told me that Sir Colin Chandler, the vice Chairman of RGS had even tried to stop her neighbors from putting a bedroom extension on their bungalow. He seemed to think it was unsightly and a blight on the area. It went to court and everything but the court decided that they should be allowed to have their bungalow extension and that Mr Chandler's objection to it being unsightly was unreasonable and that he was being snobbish. This is a retired teacher and her husband who had to go to court because Mr Chandler decided it wasn't posh enough. Its all on the internet so have a look for yourselves. It just seems like some people on the board of Governors at RGS feel that they can do what they want, when they want, because they want, without taking other people's feelings into account.
Perhaps they thought Dunottar school was a blight on the area as well. The girls could have lost their school, the teachers could have lost their jobs. It seems like a lot of parents and teachers are fed up with this attitude regardless of where they teach or where their children go to school.
Thank goodness Dunottar is staying open. At least people will have a choice now.

Hobbits or Trolls?

Sorry NikkiiSurrey, you're a hypocrite. You're calling people trolls yourself.

It's getting like lord of the rings on here.

I'm off to Costa for a cappucinno.

xx

Hippygall, what a load of nonsense, how totally irrelevant. Can you not see how this continued smear campaign by Dunottar parents against RGS and the governors is not painting Dunottar in a good light?? It just strikes of bitterness and pettiness.

Soothsayer, maybe Hippygall's tale is not particularly relevant, but you do have to understand the feelings that have been stirred up in some Dunottar parents by the way they feel they have been treated by RGS. Even though RGS are out of the picture now, I know that many parents feel that the RGS directors who served on the Dunottar board should somehow be called to account for their actions. Not sure that's ever going to happen, but it also means that there may be continued bitterness against some people in RGS, though hopefully not against the school itself.

As someone else said earlier.....nobody should rely on this thread for factual information. There is all kinds of tosh on here.

If people want to consider the new Dunottar, they should go and look and ask all the questions that they would ask of any independent school they are looking around. Then they should make a judgement in light of what they see and the answers they are given. I really think they should ignore all this speculation.

If I were looking, I would ask the following;

• What are the current numbers?
• What are the expected numbers for September 2014, 2015....
• Who will be the Head?
• What percentage of current teachers will be kept on (assuming they want to stay)
• how many men are on the staff currently?
• what is the likely class size in each year for September?
• how do they plan to adjust their teaching for a mixed, rather than girls only environment?
• how much boys sport can they guarantee, including teams and fixtures?
• how will UL play a role in the day to day running of the school?
• Are they guaranteeing the school being independent? For the full 10 years or how long.
• what will the fee structure be?
• what has been the academic standard of the intake over the last few years (based on baseline testing which all schools do in Year 7... And which those value added scores are based upon)

I would need convincing answers for all of these questions if Dunottar was to become a serious contender for my children. If I felt the answers were robust and backed with evidence, I would certainly consider it seriously.

I understand that emotions are running very high - when your children's education is at stake they're bound to be. But I honestly don't see that there has been any wrong-doing by governors. Can you explain how they've acted inappropriately?

Soothsayer, I'm about to go out now, but I could give you an overview tomorrow. It may take some time. Remind me if I don't!

OMFG!! Honestly!?
It could be that you won't find the answers to many of your questions in this small (yet strangely swelling) pool of opinion. Much of it really unpleasant.

That said, there are a few voices on here that seem remarkably well informed for 'casual passers by' aren't there?
NickySurrey You complain about others running with their version of events... and then claim the chairman was receiving death threats. Well, OK. I do recall you upthread as a good friend of several of the governors, so perhaps you too are a little too close emotionally? Also with those connections I am sure that you do have some interesting insight to offer... Including::
9) With the co-ed door now ‘open’, some other options are also under consideration by the governors. This includes one from RGS to run it as a non-selective co-ed school alongside RSM. DV are now in bed with UL however (presumably because Jon Coles is better looking?) and don't want to consider any other options, being the RGS-haters they are. (emphasis mine)

This is new information, isn't it? Because the board weren't sharing information about any other bidders. So now we know that RGS was one. Can you tell us who the others were? It would be interesting to gather more of these facts in this sea of speculation.

Soothsayer, Sorry to bring this up sweetie I don't want to sound like I'm stirring things up, I'm just a mum. But if there was no wrongdoing by the governors, why did the chairman, Mr Alan Walker resign?

I've just been into Costa and 2 people asked me that question.

Sorry to ask sweetie, I know it's kicking off a bit on here but that's to be expected when our children's happiness is threatened, but if there was no funny biz, why did he actually go? Sorry again for asking.

I don't think resigning is an admission of any wrongdoing - I expect as Nikki says further up he'd just had enough of the bullies & threats. I mean would you want to be a governor after this?!

Soothsayer, Sorry sweetie, is that the official statement from NikkiSurrey then, he was fed up with it? I Does that mean he's resigning from the RGS board as well if he's had enough of being a governor?