DUNSTER First School is making three learning support staff redundant and closing its after school child care club at the end of term, because of pressures on funding.

The announcement was made in a letter to parents last Friday, and there will be two voluntary redundancies and one compulsory one.

Three staff from the after school Monstas Club are also being made redundant but will continue to work with the school in other, existing roles, and the school is signposting parents to alternative after school care.

The school has had to cut 55 hours a week of learning support staff hours through the redundancies, leaving it with still approximately 90 hours a week of support staff time and approximately 30 hours a week of one to one support.

“It’s a painful process, no leader wants to run a redundancy process, but we’ve tried as best we can to make it as dignified and caring … as we could,” headteacher Naomi Philp told the Free Press.

“All our staff are highly valued and well trained, capable people, who are incredibly dear to us. Sadly, despite the budget being very well managed, as with a large number of schools, our funding streams are under pressure.

“School reserves have been supporting the budget for a significant time, but we’re at a point where that can’t carry on.

“We had to look at staff and reduce the support staff – they are an amazing team, very capable, very well respected. Those we are losing and retaining are of an excellent calibre,” she said.

There had already been savings made across schools, Mrs Philp said, with her being head of Timberscombe and Cutcombe First Schools since October. She will continue to be head of Timberscombe and Dunster next academic year, and the schools will also share a business manager.

She said Dunster First School had planned and devised a new structure of support for pupils, which it undertook with the support of external expertise, to ensure provision for pupils continued to be exemplary.

“The new model will ensure pupils receive targeted and bespoke support through the school day, both in class and for specific groups and one to one,” Mrs Philp said.

For the full report, buy today’s Free Press.