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

Music

Welcome to Dawlish College’s vibrant, fully inclusive Music Department where we aim to enrich every student’s education through a dynamic and comprehensive approach to music. The ethos of the department is one of inclusivity for all students and the development of a life-long love of music.

Year 7

Students’ experiences of music prior to starting secondary can be widely different and so Year 7 is structured so that there is something for everyone. Content ranges from the development of keyboard skills and rhythm recognition, basic music theory and graphic notation to song composition and radio station production. Students are introduced to a number of pieces of music software and have the benefit of being able to experiment with these on our Macs.

Year 8

In Year 8 students build on the skills acquired in Year 7. The compositional skills that they began to work with are developed further by introducing Minimalism and different Structures and Form using Pachelbel’s Canon. They also explore a range of musical genres from Japanese improvisation, Film Music and Blues.

Year 9

In Year 9, students build on the skills in preparation for Btec Tech Award. The compositional skills that they began to work with are developed further by introducing Serialism. They also explore a range of musical genres from Samba Batucada, Pop Song Composition, use of DAW software and performance projects. There is also an increase in the Listening and appraising work in preparation for the step up to KS4.

Btec Tech Award (Music in Practice)

This exciting course will develop a student's interest in, and understanding of, how music is created through a practical approach. The focus for learning on the course is provided by developing and understanding different styles and the key skills of composing, performing and appraising through practical workshops and demonstrations.

GCSE Music (Eduqas)

This exciting course will develop a student's interest in, and understanding of, how music is created through a practical approach. The focus for learning on the course is provided by three areas of study and further details of the course can be found in the Guide to Options.

For more information please contact JWaterworth@dawlish.devon.sch.uk

Knowledge Organisers can be found here.