· 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.