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
I am delighted to be able to share with you the outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection
Overall Effectiveness Good
Effectiveness of leadership and management Good
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good
Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good
Outcomes for pupils Good
The inspectors commented that “there is a strong sense of shared purpose and real enthusiasm for learning across the school” and that students “are proud of their school”.
I am particularly proud that we have successfully driven up standards of teaching and learning to improve students’ outcomes and life chances whilst maintaining excellent pastoral care. The inspectors noted that teachers “identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and thus provide appropriate support and challenge. As a result, pupils make good progress” whilst also judging pastoral care to be “a real strength of the school” and our awareness of the mental health needs of our students to be “impressive”.
Whilst, as a whole school, we are rightfully pleased with the outcome of this inspection we will continue to work relentlessly to make further improvements. The inspection report states that the leadership “have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and the areas needing further development. High-quality plans are in place to bring about further improvement.” So, whilst we all enjoyed a break over Easter, we return with renewed energy to continue working with you to provide the best care and education possible for your children.
The full inspection report will be available on the Ofsted website within 5 days and you can access a copy with immediate effect via the ‘Latest News’ and ‘Ofsted’ sections of the College website.
Thank you for your continued support.
Yours Faithfully
Rachel Wickham
Head of College
http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk.
https://www.dawlish.devon.sch.uk/about-us/ofsted/