Canford Schools Group

·       We are extremely proud of Canford and all it stands for, and this merger allows us to do what we already do well, even better.

·       A merger of these two highly successful independent charitable schools will allow Canford to build on existing excellence in the education it offers for every individual pupil, Through shared resource and economies of scale this merger will only strengthen the School’s 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 Canford, including teachers and other specialist staff being able to share skills, resources, best practice and facilities. It will allow Canford to develop its understanding of a child’s whole journey through school, helping us to welcome and nurture children in the best way possible. There may be opportunities for older pupils, such as mentoring younger pupils, and for the younger pupils to become even more familiar with what life at a senior school looks like.

·       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.

·       These highly regarded schools are already like-minded, close neighbours so this a natural move. Hundreds of pupils have moved on to Canford from Dumpton and have thrived, because both schools believe in stretching children to reach their potential whilst supporting them to be kind and happy.

·       You will be aware of the difficult landscape in which independent schools have been operating in recent years.  A group structure will mean we are even stronger, ensuring a sustainable future as the school of choice for independent education across the South of England.

·       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 the schools and their pupils.

·       The added security that a group provides to local prep schools will also help Canford by ensuring the local independent prep school market is strong, and Canford’s pupil roll continues to be extremely healthy. It is important to understand that we hugely value our relationships with the other prep schools who send pupils to Canford. We will continue to nurture them, and our admissions criteria will remain the same for all pupils regardless of their school. As you know, pupils from around 50 boarding and day prep schools from across the UK join us every year and thrive at Canford.  We very much value the education those schools provide and the way they prepare their pupils for senior school. Entrance requirements for Canford will be the same, whether a pupil is at the group member school or elsewhere. The symbiosis between Canford and our many feeder schools is as important as ever. One example, most locally, is Castle Court, which has sent over 150 children to us over the last 10 years and shares close and warm links with the school. This is one of many schools with whom we work closely and such collaborations will continue and develop in the coming years. 

·       It is a charitable merger. Two highly successful schools are choosing to join together in a way that makes good educational and financial sense.

·       Both Canford and Dumpton respect each other’s ways of working, and we 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 consist of governors from both schools. Dumpton will have its own Education Committee overseeing its offering. Any changes will be carefully considered and positive for boarding and day pupils at both schools.

·       The educational benefits for children in broad terms are outlined above. We are creating a strategic plan at the moment, 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. While not the driver, there will in time be financial benefits to a Group structure and any savings will be reinvested in the School.  We will also do our best to control fee increases while ensuring we are not compromising on providing the highest quality boarding and day school education that Canford is known for.

·       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 the other founding partner in The Canford Schools Group because of the outstanding education it offers and the values it instils in its pupils, which we at Canford share. Its inspection reports and the nominations it receives for national educational awards is testament to that.

·       Governance of The Canford Schools Group will be unified, and the governing body will consist of governors from both schools. Dumpton will have its own Education Committee supervising its offering. 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.

·       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.

·       Very little change will be seen by parents and pupils, as most of the efficiencies over time will be made behind the scenes in support areas.  Any changes will be slow, incremental, considered and taken with the best interests of the Group, for the educational benefit of our pupils.

·       Canford welcomes approximately 120 pupils into Year 9 each year from around 50 other day and boarding prep schools and our admissions criteria will be identical, regardless of the school.

·       We still hugely value all the skill and experience of all these other feeder schools in preparing children for senior school, and the longstanding relationships we have with them. Indeed, we will look to developing ever closer ties with our strongest partners.

·       One example, most locally, is Castle Court. It has sent over 150 children to us over the last 10 years and shares close and warm links with Canford. This will continue as we seek to strengthen independent education in the South of England.

·       Our ambition is to create a wider group of schools with like-minded cultures rooted in educational excellence and representing high quality and value.

·       The plan is to offer the very best education to children who may be choosing various routes through boarding and day schools. 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 shared resources and pass 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 culture, vision and values.

·       We are creating a strategic 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 consist of governors from both schools. Dumpton will have its own Education Committee overseeing its offering. Legal completion of the merger is expected to take place by the end of 2025.

·       The governors of Canford and Dumpton schools have been considering various possibilities for more than 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 aligned in terms of shared educational values and strong financials 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.

·       At this stage we are mainly concentrating on the smooth passageway of our current merger. Both Canford and Dumpton 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 benefit of all our pupils, and the future of high-quality independent schools.