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
Our vision is to achieve excellence together and so we know how important a supportive partnership between parents, staff and students is in achieving the best. We recognise that one of the biggest adjustments for many parents as students move from primary to secondary is the reduction in contact with staff. There are a number of ways that we keep in touch but please do remember that we are always at the end of the phone.
There is a ‘settling in’ evening with tutors in the first term for Year 7 parents – this is an early opportunity to review the transition from primary to secondary and then a Year 7 parents’ evening towards the end of the year to review the progress made by students in their first year. For all other year groups the parents’ evenings are spread throughout the year and dates can be found here. All appointments are booked on line through Parentmail and information will be sent to you regarding this nearer the time. If you are unable to make appointments online you can always call our Student Office who will be able to make appointments for you.
We also understand that it can be difficult to keep up with the changes that take place from year to year so we run a Parent Support Evening for Year 8-11. These evenings are more informal and are designed to share information and advice that is relevant to the particular year group. They are also an opportunity for parents to meet with senior staff on an informal basis with questions and suggestions for improving the College.
We really value the views and ideas of our parents and will put into action those that can have a positive impact on the students in our care. (In fact, the Parental Support Evenings came about as a direct result of a suggestion made at a parent forum meeting.) We meet once a term in a very informal setting and the discussion is entirely driven by the needs of the parents.
At Dawlish College we use two kinds of reports: a termly snapshot of progress towards targets alongside attitude to learning scores and an annual full written report.
The above are our formal routes for home-school communication but staff will also contact you if they have individual messages to relay with regards to your child’s attitude, progress and attainment. Likewise, you are always welcome to get in touch and can find the contact details for subject areas on the subject pages within this website.
If your query is academic but not subject specific, please contact LChantry@dawlish.devon.sch.uk, (Years 6 & 7), JClements@dawlish.devon.sch.uk (Years 8 & 9) or EWiseman@dawlish.devon.sch.uk (Years 10 & 11).
If your query is of a pastoral nature please contact SWarbuton@dawlish.devon.sch.uk (Years 6 & 7) LDonohue@dawlish.devon.sch.uk (Years 8 & 9) or TFriend@dawlish.devon.sch.uk (Years 10 & 11).