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
This term, a number of students have been working on two projects in memory of Albina, a Ukrainian student at Dawlish College who sadly passed away earlier this year.
The students have designed and created a seating bench and mosaic mural which have been painted or designed to represent the country of Ukraine and their culture. The bench has been painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag and then finished with artwork that demonstrates Ukrainian culture. The tile mosaic depicts a harvest field scene in summer with bright flowers in the foreground and framed by a tree under blue skies.
A poem has been selected and etched onto a plaque to commemorate Albina and a second plaque represents the students who have been involved in the projects. Each of these students will be presented with a certificate to acknowledge their work on the project.
The students gained skills in measuring, marking out and cutting timber to create the bench and then sanding down all rough edges prior to painting. Three Ukrainian students, along with Miss Simakova created authentic artwork to finish the bench and ‘bring it to life’. Other students worked on creating a tile mosaic and learning how to select and set tile pieces to create a harvest scene depicting a key aspect of Ukrainian life.
Both the bench and the mural will be sited within the Millennium garden as a focal point for all students who use this space.
