Decision details

To consider alternative arrangements for the management/future ownership of the childcare provisions Dorset Council run in Blandford and Shaftesbury.

Our objectives are to: 

Meet our statutory duty1 to secure sufficient childcare, so far as is reasonably practicable, for working parents, or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0-14 (or up to 18 for disabled children)

Ensure the provisions are run by an organisation with the dedicated leadership, experience, resources, and skills to do this effectively.

(a)    That the ownership and management of the Dorset Council run Nursery and Oscar’s Out of School Club in Blandford in its current form, be transferred to *The Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust (DSAT), in order to expand the provision at Archbishop Wake CE Primary School and enhance the educational offer to create a single school from 0 years, through to 11 years, on terms to be agreed by the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills, in consultation with the Executive Director for Children’s and the Executive Director for Corporate Development Services.

(b)    That Dorset Council progress discussions with Sherborne Area Schools Trust (SAST) to consider feasibility of transferring ownership of the nursery provision at the Dorset Council run Nursery at Shaftesbury Children’s Centre, or to procure and award a contract to a suitably skilled provider to take on management of the service in the event that Sherborne Area Schools Trust is not able to do so.

(c)    Cabinet agreed to the lease of appropriate facilities at Blandford Children’s Centre and Shaftesbury Children’s Centre to the successful providers who take on the operation of Nurseries and out of school provision on these sites on terms to be agreed by the Cabinet Member for Property & Assets and Economic Growth, in consultation with the Executive Director for Place and the Executive Director People – Children.

*Subject to community consultation and grant of Significant Change by the Department for Education (DfE) Making significant changes to an academy: January 2024 (applies from April 2024) (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Reason for the decision

Dorset Council has a duty to ensure that sufficient childcare was available for parents, but there was no statutory obligation for a local authority to provide childcare. Most childcare settings were run by the private sector, voluntary organisations, or schools. These types of organisations were expertly placed to run thriving childcare settings with the dedicated leadership, experience, resources, and skills to do this effectively.