Interest in special school from outside county

Coombe House near Shaftesbury was a former private school

The owners of a special school in Dorset have heard there is a growing interest in places for children from outside the county.

The managing director for Coombe House near Shaftesbury, Andy Holder, told a shareholders meeting this week there had been "significant interest" from neighbouring authorities.

He said this was because of the proximity of the school and its fee structure, as well as the quality of care and teaching.

The school opened in May 2022, but suffered a "bumpy start", forcing it to shut again, according to Dorset Council.

It was set up for Dorset children with complex needs and learning challenges, but could accept a limited number from other councils.

Mr Holder said it was currently focused on providing for "Dorset children first".

"We haven't felt there is a lot of capacity to work with other local authorities just yet," he said.

Chairman of the school board Ian Comfort said even though there was provision to take pupils from outside Dorset, a 20% limit had been set when the school was established.

The former private school was bought for about £10m by Dorset Council, which nominates and pays for the majority of pupils.

At the moment it can take about 150 children, although Ofsted has said the site could take up to 200.

The long-term school business plan envisages the possibility of almost 250 pupils on the site, although this would require further capital investment.

Dorset Council's children's social services executive director Paul Dempsey said there had been discussions about further capital projects at the school, but there was still some way to go before any firm proposals were made.