Blandford School has issued an urgent appeal for help as it prepares to re-open to all pupils.

In an open letter, the resources committee of the TBS Governing Body say: “We hear the best place for children is in schools, and that the government places great value on education. Perhaps less often heard is the financial impact of covid on schools, now and over the coming months or years.”

“Many schools in Dorset ran a ‘licensed deficit’ before the pandemic – The Blandford School was no exception. Schools, open to students from key worker and other homes, have had to take measures to be covid-safe. To date, these have cost TBS more than £60,000, which includes cleaning and health and safety (to comply with covid regulations) of around £15,000, as well as teaching cover and catering. At the same time, facility hire has ceased, resulting in a loss of income of around £40,000, for which there will be no compensation.”

“The DfE states that schools will have some covid expenditures reimbursed, with schools the size of TBS eligible for up to £75,000. But the conditions are strict, and schools are refused permission to claim for making premises ‘covid-secure’. Of the approximately £60,000 additional expenditure, the school has only been able to reclaim £6,500.”

Since January this year, TBS has been covid testing almost 200 pupils, and with testing staff from local primary schools.

“Much of the cost of the testing is underwritten by external funders, but the school still must buy additional sanitiser, PPE, medical waste disposal bags and pay for medical waste disposal. When children return to TBS full-time, it is very likely the school will need to scale up the testing regime which will also add extra costs.”

“As a governing board we want TBS to be fully open again, to provide the best possible learning and educational outcomes for all its pupils. However, we are most concerned that the school – and therefore its returning student body – is at risk of being seriously underfunded. As a board we are keen to build on the support from the local community – the town council, Chaffers and Rotary to date – to help the school over what is likely to be a challenging period in many respects. If you can assist in any way, we would very much appreciate hearing from you.”

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