Cost to support pupils at north Dorset special school rising by £10K
Fees for Coombe House near Shaftesbury are covered by council tax
Pupil costs at a Dorset special school near Shaftesbury are likely to rise from just over £42,000 a year to £52,000 for each child.
The dramatic rise has been attributed to the teachers’ pay award, an increase in National Insurance for each employee and the rising costs of heating, lighting and maintaining the Coombe House School site, near Shaftesbury.
It has also been revealed that the school is exploring setting up another site in the southern part of the county.
Despite the likely £10,000 increase, which will be paid by Dorset Council taxpayers, the pupil costs is still said to represent good value compared to buying places at establishments outside the county – even when the £10 million-plus cost of buying the former private school site is considered, together with, undisclosed, sums for alterations and improvements.
Dorset Council executive director for finance, Aidan Dunn told a shareholders committee on Monday (10th March) that despite the expected increase in the charge for each placement, compared to what the council would have to pay for independent sector places, the fee still represented good value for money and keeps Dorset pupils in the county.
Board chairman Ian Comfort said even with the increase in fees the school believed it was providing a better standard of education than comparable centres.
“We are very pleased about how the school is continuing to develop… We have continued to make good progress and for those who are taking exams this year we are anticipating good examination results, which is great news,” he said.
Mr Comfort said that the board remained on top of finances and, despite the pay and other increases, continued to make ‘small surpluses’, and did represent good value for money.
“In terms of cost and quality we do continue to provide a good offer for children within the county,” he said.
Managing director of the Dorset Centre for Excellence which runs the school, Andy Holden, said that until now fees had remained static despite massive inflation.
The meeting heard that the school continued to serve the whole county, which meant some pupils having to travel a long distance.
Mr Holden said that, aware of the travel distances, the school was beginning to look at the feasibility of having what he described as “a presence in another area of the county where, for some children, they would be able to travel to that site instead of our site which would lower the travel time and the carbon footprint.”
He stressed that the idea was still in the very early stage with much more work to be completed before any decision was made.