Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Chair of the Board.

The Chair of the Board introduced the report, which provided an update on the current situation at the Dorset Centre of Excellence (“the Company”) and the Coombe House School (“the School”). The report included progress made in relation to governance, leadership, staffing, estate, community use and finance. In addition, the Chair provided a summary of the key findings of the Ofsted report and in particular noted the ‘Outstanding’ rating in respect of the Personal Development category.

The Managing Director highlighted key successes from the summer period, which included a positive open day for families and a good set of exam results. In addition, he noted that it was hoped to share performance information at the next meeting of the shareholder committee and further information was presented in respect of recent positive annual quality assurance and annual safeguarding review visits by Dorset Council and Wiltshire Council.

A discussion was held with regard to work to implement the approved Business Plan and it was noted that dialogue was ongoing with Dorset Council officers. Reference was made to work being undertaken to reprofile phases and in response to a question, further detail was provided as to the detail of phases 3 (growing site capacity) and 5 (residential proposal). Work was underway to ensure that the next phases of the required development would best facilitate the company’s planned growth and represented value for money for all stakeholders. It was noted that all procurement to date had been managed through Dorset Council, although this was being discussed.

In response to a question relating to increasing the number of children at the school, the Executive Director, People – Children, noted that Coombe House School provided a good educational facility for children that may have previously had to travel further for school, with the associated transport costs for the council. Coombe House School was part of a wider strategy in Dorset and discussions were ongoing in respect of provision at the Dorset Centre of Excellence and also meeting wider needs across the area.

It was noted that there were both children from within and outside of the Dorset Council area attending the school and a point flagged that the Teckal arrangements in place put a restriction on the number of children that could attend the school from outside the area.

Further information on GCSE subject areas provided would be brought to the next meeting of the shareholder committee.

The Executive Director congratulated the school on a very successful period.

The report was NOTED.