Why are you doing this? What is the advantage to Dumpton?
We are extremely proud of Dumpton and all it stands for, and this merger allows us to do what we already do well, even better.
This is a merger of two highly successful independent charitable schools which will allow Dumpton to improve its educational offer to children, find economies of scale and strengthen its position in the long term. It is also the beginning of the Canford Schools Group, a new family of day and boarding independent schools which will seek strong new members and offer high quality education for children aged 2-18 whichever route through school they choose to take.
There are educational benefits to the move for Dumpton, including teachers and other specialist staff being able to share skills, resources, best practice and facilities. It will allow Dumpton to develop further its understanding of a child’s whole journey through school, helping us to prepare children even more effectively for whatever senior school they choose to move on to. Being part of a well-resourced group of schools will bring new opportunities for our pupils, provide professional development to our staff and free our senior team staff to focus even harder on the most important part of our jobs – education and the children.
At the same time, we will be able to work together to ensure our teaching and learning best fits pupils for the modern world whilst honouring the traditions which have made us so successful for so long. More shared resource will allow us to seek out excellence in education and bring best practice into our shared schools.
Our highly regarded schools are already like-minded, close neighbours so this a natural move. Hundreds of Dumpton pupils have moved on to Canford and have thrived, because both schools believe in stretching children to reach their potential whilst supporting them to be kind and happy.
It also allows us to make savings through economies of scale in support services, at a time of unprecedented political and economic pressure on independent schools. VAT on school fees and other punitive measures, plus the economic climate have caused a substantial rise in the costs of running schools, and it is incumbent upon the governors to be prudent and seek cost saving measures whilst making the best use of the assets and resources of both schools. Such mergers have become commonplace in the sector as schools seek added strength in numbers.
As charitable schools, all money saved will be invested back into Dumpton School and our pupils. In the short term, this will allow us to release funds to enhance some facilities and outdoor spaces.
The added security that a group provides to local prep schools will also help Dumpton to secure its long-term future at a time of considerable demographic, economic and political change. The aim is a sustainable financial future for the best local independent education for generations to come.
It is important to note that we hugely value our strong relationships with the other senior schools our pupils attend after Dumpton, and we will continue to nurture these and prepare pupils for whichever schools families choose. We strongly believe in the right school for the right child and that will continue as a cornerstone of the way we do things.
Is it a merger or a takeover?
It is a charitable merger. Two highly successful schools are choosing to join together in way that makes sound educational and financial sense.
Both Dumpton and Canford respect each other’s ways of working, and Dumpton will keep our individual identity, name, headmaster, teachers, uniform and site. Governance of the Canford Schools Group will be unified, and the governing body will contain governors from both schools. Dumpton will have its own Education Committee to directly oversee its activities. Any changes will be carefully considered and positive for boarding and day pupils at both schools.
How will I as a parent see benefits?
The educational benefits for children in broad terms are outlined above. We are creating a business plan now, so over the coming school year and beyond, we will keep you updated on specific measures we are taking to enhance our educational offer.
At the same time, we are being careful to keep much of what we have in place, which we all love so much about the school. Savings will be reinvested in the school, and we will do our best to control fee increases at a time of a huge hike in the costs of providing the highest quality prep school education.
Who is in charge?
It’s important to note that this is a coming together of two strong partners with a great deal of respect for each other. Dumpton is a founding partner in the Canford Schools Group because of the outstanding education we offer and the values we instil in our pupils, which Canford share. Our inspection reports and the nominations we receive for national educational awards is testament to that.
Governance of the Canford Schools Group will be unified, and the governing body will contain governors from both schools. Dumpton will have its own Education Committee to directly oversee its activities. Dumpton staff will be employed by Canford, but pupils will have the same teachers, and life will carry on in the classroom as normal. Any changes will be carefully considered and positive for boarding and day pupils at both schools.
How will it work in practice?
Both our schools will keep their individual identity, name, headmaster, teachers, uniform and site – so much that, as we know, shapes each school’s character. Day to day teaching and learning will carry on as before – as will our longstanding and close relationships with other schools.
The Dumpton mission of Aim High and Be Kind will remain at the heart of our school. As will our values and character education, which the recent ISI inspectors awarded us the highest accolade for.
Whilst this is indeed a change to the way the school is run, school life will carry on pretty much as before (see above). Both schools respect the other’s individuality and the values that make Dumpton the school we all love so much.
Very little change will be seen by parents and pupils, as most of the efficiencies will be made behind the scenes in support areas. Any changes over time will be slow, incremental and positive. The cash resources of Dumpton School, restricted and unrestricted, will remain entirely for the purpose of advancing Dumpton School.
Does this mean that there will an expectation that Dumpton pupils will move to Canford in the future?
Many Dumpton pupils already go on to Canford and thrive there. However, our children progress to a variety of other good schools, and that will continue. Dumpton firmly believes in parental choice and the importance of children going to the school which is right for them. We will continue to prepare all pupils equally for whichever school they choose.
What’s the plan for the Canford Schools Group?
Our ambition is to create a wider group of schools which is fundamentally rooted in excellence and value for money.
The plan is to offer the very best education to children who may be choosing various routes through school. It will maximise the value of charitable educational partnerships, allowing teachers to learn from each other professionally and pupils to have increased opportunities.
At the same time, we can make savings through economies of scale, sharing support functions and passing these funds back into the schools.
We will naturally be seeking new members over time from a range of boarding and day schools who share our standards, vision and values.
What will happen next?
We are creating a business plan and will update our school communities as we progress. We are proceeding with care and caution, and most pupils will see no change to their daily school lives.
Governance of the Canford Schools Group will be unified, and the governing body will contain governors from both schools. Dumpton will have its own Education Committee to directly oversee its activities. as well as its own staff (see above). Legal completion of the merger is expected to take place by the end of 2025.
How long have you been planning this?
The governors of Dumpton and Canford schools have been considering various possibilities for over a year, and the formation of a high-quality group of schools was clearly the best option. We have been through several months of careful due diligence, and both schools are satisfied that they are in excellent financial shape and very suited as educational partners. We have been fortunate in having governors with a range of senior relevant experience on our boards, which has been a great asset.
As ever with such measures, it has of course been necessary to keep negotiations confidential, but we have informed our school communities as soon as was possible.
Which school are you going to approach next?
At this stage we are mainly concentrating on the smooth passageway of our current merger. Both Dumpton and Canford have excellent relationships with a large range of other schools and over time you would expect us to have multiple conversations about the future as the education landscape continues to shift nationally. Any decisions we make will be for the good of all our pupils, and the future of high-quality independent schools.