THE head of an East Dorset school has defended plans to turn it into an academy – less than two years after a £55 million rebuild.

QE School in Wimborne plans to open its doors as an academy next term.

The school’s new status will mean that it is entitled to additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, despite the multi-million pound bill from its refurbishment, which finished in 2011.

However, outgoing head Andy Puttock said QE will be less of a financial burden on the council when it becomes an academy.

“We had no major political or financial reason for this,” he said.

“To all intents and purposes, nothing will change. The only difference financially is that the school will receive all of its money, rather than money top-sliced by the local authority. The extra money will be used to buy back services provided by the council.”

He said he believes all of the secondary schools applicable are considering becoming academies.

“A significant difference is that you have freedom from the standard curriculum,” he said.

“Of course, we will still have GCSEs and A-levels, but we are now able to develop our curriculum so that it best meets the needs of our students.”

Former Blackmore Vale County Councillor David Fox said the plans were “scandalous”.

“It is absolutely outrageous to hear that the school could become an academy after the staggering overspend on its redevelopment,” he said.

“This misspending has deprived schools in the Blackmore Vale and beyond of essential investment. We should be telling the people of Dorset the facts about this scandal.”

Councillor Robin Cook, a governor at the school, said: “At this stage I wouldn’t like to comment.”

 

IN NOVEMBER 2008, it was revealed that Dorset County Council was investing nearly five times the sum earmarked for QE School, taking its contribution to the total budget from about £4 million to nearly £20 million.
Councillors approved an overall cost of £50.6 million for the design, with £31 million coming from the government.
However, in February 2011, costs for the project were said to have reached £52.6 million.
A council whistleblower has now said that the council has “managed to keep the lid on” the full cost, and estimated that it had reached £55 million in total.