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.

Councillors considered the areas covered by the report and during discussion, points were raised in the following areas:

·       In respect of attendance levels, it was acknowledged that some children found going to school challenging. The school was supporting those children affected and it was felt that the attendance profile was good at the present time

·       A discussion was held on the transition of some pupils to post-16 mainstream education. There were no key performance indicators in this area as it was about ensuring that pupils took the next steps that were right for their requirement. In some cases, children were moving back to education provision closer to their home/community

·       Recent activities included a successful residential trip to Hooke Court and a farm open day

·       Progress was being made in the implementation of Government guidance on the use of mobile phones in school and in respect of the use of reasonable force

·       The Company was ready to be an effective partner with Dorset Council in respect of the requirements of the 2026 schools’ white paper

·       The Coombe House farm was run as a therapeutic farm, which offered both learning facilities beyond the classroom setting and had a wider community impact, demonstrated by the good community turnout at the recent farm open day.

The report was NOTED.