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

Personal Development

Learning Journey and intent3

Personal development (PD) curriculum including Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)

At Dawlish College our Personal, Social, Health and Economic education will stay with our students for life. Through the development of skills and attributes such as honesty, compassion, integrity and self-management, our Personal development curriculum will provide our students with the knowledge, resilience and confidence to make safe, healthy and informed choices, now and in the future. Empowering our students to understand themselves and their role in society; to reflect on their values, morals and behaviour and to be able to openly discuss and evaluate their personal development.

Our Personal Development (PD) curriculum is carefully planned and delivered through two 30 minute lessons a week to all students in Years 7 – 10. Personal development is taught through a range of teaching methods and interactive activities, including; role play, group and class discussion, online programs, student led research and developing understanding of key terms and tier 3 vocabulary. Lessons are differentiated by the PD staff to ensure that all learners can access and benefit from the curriculum. A strong emphasis is placed on the development of social and communication skills, this often allows students with literacy needs to be successful through verbal input. Selected resources, such as books and film clips, will be used which support and promote understanding within a moral/values context and underpin our college values.

Students are encouraged to reflect on their own learning and progress by creating a mind map at the start of each unit in response to the key question for that unit, this is revisited at the end of the unit so that students can add, in purple pen, any new learning.

At Dawlish College our Personal development curriculum will:

• Be age appropriate and differentiated to the needs of ALL students
• Present information in an objective, balanced and sensitive manner
• Encourage the development of social skills and strategies, which will reduce the risk of exploitation, misunderstanding and abuse.
• Develop a clear understanding of the importance of consent; how to give, withdraw, ask for and recognise consent
• Reinforce the importance of loving relationships, rooted in mutual respect
• Ensure that BAME, LGBT and people with disabilities are positively represented in our curriculum
• Ensure students can identify the qualities of healthy and unhealthy relationships
• Allow students to examine the physical and emotional implications of their behaviour
• Make students aware how and where to seek help when needed
• Prepare students for the journey from adolescence to adulthood
• Provide students with a safe environment to learn about sexual orientation and gender identity
• Ensure that students have a clear understanding of sexual and reproductive biology, including knowledge of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases
• Ensure students understand the different risks associated with various types of sexual activity and understand how to engage in safe sexual activity by exploring a range of contraception
• Place paramount importance on online safety and the risks of using social media and the internet

From September 2020 the DFE guidance document ‘Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (RSHE): statutory guidance for governing bodies, proprietors, head teachers, principals, senior leadership teams, teachers’ became statutory. This document clearly sets out the curriculum content that secondary schools must deliver on RSE and Health Education. This document contains information on what schools should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply when teaching Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (RSHE). This can be read here.

Right to withdraw your child

Parents and carers do not have the right to withdraw from Health Education or the Relationships Education element of Relationships and Sex Education, because it is important that all children receive this content, covering topics such as friendships and how to stay safe. If parents and carers do not want their child to take part in some or all of the Sex Education lessons they can ask that they are withdrawn. The Headteacher of Dawlish College will consider this request and discuss it with the parents and carers, and will grant this in all but exceptional circumstances, up until three school terms before the student turns 16. At this age, the child can choose to receive Sex Education if they would like to, and Dawlish College will arrange for your child to receive this teaching in one of those three terms (unless there are exceptional circumstances).

Our college Sex and Relationship Education policy can be read here.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact our Personal Development Lead: Mrs Carr jcarr@dawlish.devon.sch.uk