Coombe House School re-opens after troubled start
The new school near Shaftesbury for children with special educational needs and disabilities has been hit with staffing issues and building problems
Coombe House special school near Shaftesbury has re-opened today (13 September) with far fewer pupils than originally expected.
Only 36 are currently on the roll – far less than a hundred which had been expected by the end of September.
The school, which had a troubled start in June, has seen further building work delays which, at one point, included completely switching off the water supply.
“The initial opening period for the school has been challenging and significant effort is underway to ensure recovery is swift and sustainable to avoid any further disruption to children and their education and mitigate any reputational damage to Dorset Council,” said a report to councillors.
Meeting postponed due to Queen's funeral
A meeting of the shareholder committee of the Dorset Centre for Excellence, due to meet next Monday (19 September) has now been postponed.
The meeting, of Dorset councillors involved with the running of educational facilities on the site of Coombe House School near Shaftesbury had been due to be held at 10am in County Hall, Dorchester, the day of the Queen’s funeral and a national bank holiday.
The agenda had included a verbal report on the appointment of directors for the centre and a report from the independent chair of the board of directors.
Significant water leak
Councillors would have been told of a “significant” water leak in the old part of the building which had required an rapid response to rectify before the school site re-opened for the autumn term. At one point the water supply had to be turned off completely and staff on the site issued with bottled drinking water.
Loss of staff
The school, which suffered a disruptive start earlier in the year, resulting in 16 pupils being told they were being transferred elsewhere, also saw the loss of some senior staff including the head.
A report prepared for the 19 September meeting said there would be “a phased integration” for the 36 pupils currently on roll. This compares to the one hundred pupils Dorset Council has intended to place there by the end of September – a figure which will now be subject to further review.
The report notes: ”Growth of the school roll has slowed, with fewer children attending in September than initially forecast in the original business plan….”
It also tells councillors that delayed building works, mainly associated with the kitchen, are due to be finished by September 23rd.
Dorset Council bought the school, formerly the private St Mary’s School, for more than £10million after it closed and has since spent months making changes and alterations to the site, work which was delayed by a national shortage of materials and, at time, experience building staff.
The council envisaged that the school would largely provide a major contribution to its special education need pupils, allowing many being educated outside the county, to return closer to home for their school years. The site itself, although close to Shaftesbury, just falls within the Wiltshire border.