Head's Welcome

Head of College Welcome

Welcome to Dawlish College.

It continues to be an absolute privilege to be the Headteacher at Dawlish College – the staff and students are second to none and take all of life’s challenges in their stride. Despite current uncertainties as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we continue to hold onto our core purpose in all that we do. Behind all of the decisions taken and measures put in place sits the balance between keeping staff and students safe whilst also providing them with a varied and exciting school experience.

Dawlish College is a vibrant and exciting place to be, where we have the highest expectations of staff and students alike and seek to provide challenge at every available opportunity. As a small school, we have a very proud record of holistic support, care and individual attention: the happiness and well-being of our students is of paramount importance and is a vital foundation for their growth and development. Our college has an atmosphere of creativity and positivity that is generated by the provision of excellent opportunities for every individual thereby maximising the outcomes and improving the life chances of the young people in our care.

As a parent myself, I understand that you want your child to be inspired, supported and challenged to be the best version of themselves within an environment that knows them and values them as an individual. Thank you for entrusting me with the care and education of your child, present or future, and I look forward to unlocking their ambitions as I get to know them and work closely with you.

S Banks

Headteacher

Admissions and Transition

Dawlish College welcomes prospective students and their parents, guardians or carers to experience the College on both open events and individual tours. Spending time at the College, seeing learning in action and being able to talk with staff and students will allow you to get a real sense of the environment and culture.

Book a tour

Welcome to Dawlish College Video

Dawlish Open Tours Postcard 1

How to apply to Dawlish College

All admission applications must be made through Devon County Council

Applications can be made online at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionsonline 

After receiving notification of your allocated place from Devon County Council, the College will contact you directly with further information about transition from primary school.

The College’s Admissions Policy, including details of the appeals process, is available to view here, on the Ivy Education Trust's website or at the foot of this page.The admissions policies for 2023 and 2024 may also be viewed by following the link above.

In-year admissions

To find out if there are places available in the relevant year group, please contact KBukowski@dawlish.devon.sch.uk directly. Any subsequent application must then be made through Devon County Council. All prospective in-year admission students and their parents, guardians or carers are invited on a tour and to meet with the relevant staff to ensure a smooth transition is made and appropriate support and guidance is given.

Transport

If you live within the Dawlish College catchment area  and are over three miles, by the shortest walking route, from the College, then you may be eligible for free transport from Devon County Council

Transition

“Students are safe, well looked after and cared for, enjoy coming to school and attend regularly." - Oftsed, December 2016

Moving from the familiarity of primary school to a new secondary school is a time of excitement and new opportunities. However, it can also be over-whelming and a little scary. At Dawlish College we have a team of experienced staff whose mission is to help every young person make a smooth transition and settle successfully into life at the College.

The main worries experienced by young people tend to be around the ‘unknown’ and so we run a range of experiences throughout Year 5 and 6 to help the College become a more familiar place to the young people in our catchment. This varies from school to school but, as a minimum, all year 5 and 6 students have the opportunity to spend time in College experiencing the reality of life at Dawlish College.

All primary aged students and their families are welcome to attend our open events. Details of these can be found on the website, Facebook and Twitter.

Once you have selected Dawlish College as the next step for your child, our staff begin to work in partnership with you and the primary school to ensure that we are prepared for the arrival of each individual young person. Parents, guardians and carers also have the opportunity to attend an Induction Evening at the end of the summer term in preparation for starting Year 7 in September.

The Year 6 Guide to College is also a useful source of information.

 

Admissions Policy 2023-2024
Admissions Policy 2024-2025
Admissions Policy 2025-2026
Year Six Guide 2023