General Discussion
In praise of Dawlish Community College
Along with other parents I know who have moved to Dawlish, one of the deciding factors was that we wished our children to attend DCC. I wish to make this point as it seems that the "let's knock Dawlish at every opportunity brigade" now includes the local newspaper.
Some of you may have noticed in last week's Gazette and Post a not very complimentary screaming headline concerning DCC's ranking in the school league tables. Damage done in the headline the article then went on to say that school league tables are not the be all and end all when it comes to choosing a school and whether or not a school is 'successful'. Quite!
Can I point out that school league tables do not compare schools on a level playing field basis (what an appropriate expression.)As long as some schools are able to cream off the most academically able (the two grammar schools in Torquay being a case in point but I understand this phenomenon also extends to Teignmouth Community College)then it follows does it not that some schools will be more academically successful than others. However, "academically successful" needs to be defined. Is a school more academically successful because it has a higher number of students gaining 5 GCSEs at A* - C grade but who were always thought to be going to gain such grades or is a school more academically successful because whilst having a lower number of students gaining A*-C grade GCSE's the number of students gaining such grades actually exceeded that which was originally expected?
And what about the students who, whilst not academically gifted, by sheer hard work and determination achieve let's say E&D grades when originally it was thought that they would achieve nothing at all? And what about the students who whilst maybe not academically gifted and/or inclined go on to be our mechanics, plumbers, electricians, hairdressers, beauticians, etc. Are such students 'successful'? I think so.
DCC is a lovely school whose students have a wide range of abilities and talents. It would be nice if the local press gave its support instead of using tabloid type headlines with which to attack and undermine. I suggest the paper/journalist in question does an article on DCC (and yes, do warts 'n all) but please let the article be balanced.
We moved to the area a few years ago and DCC was the MAIN deciding factor. I think your post summed up everything. DCC is a great school and I'm proud my child attends it. I think you should send your post to the Gazette. They've obviously gone for the news angle - but to the detriment of one of our town's great assets. Local papers should support its local town, not take every opportunity to slam it. OK so DCC came 39th from top - or if you prefer 31st from bottom. Making it somewhere in the middle. but when you remove from the league tables all the private, independent and grammar schools (who are no doubt taking the top positions, as they have taken the top students) you have a very different picture. WE SUPPORT DCC
To produce a truly accurate league table, you would have to know absolutely everything about each and every school. The league table would have to be produced by ONE individual, with utter objectivity (something that I doubt even Offsted has!) and based on them teaching children with exactly the same skills, needs and abilities. Utter fantasy.
And this is why league tables don't work
So, DCC came 39th in the league tables! Now what are we going to do? Run in screaming to pick up our children and take them to a "better" school? Scour the County's league tables to find out who's got a higher position and move to that area? Dash up to the school with our demands that they immediately work on getting higher up the league tables?
Let me ask you something. If DCC had came 1st or 2nd in those league tables, would it really, really have made a bit of difference to the teaching our children would have got? I firmly believe that teachers do the best they can under the circumstances they are in. The league tables judge the academic quality of our children as much as they judge the school. So let's put this in perspective - it is our children who are 39th in the league table. NOW isn't it time to see what can be done at home....?
Taken from the 1st post
"Along with other parents I know who have moved to Dawlish, one of the deciding factors was that we wished our children to attend DCC."
Firstly, why would anyone MOVE to Dawlish and second, if you MOVED to Dawlish because of DCC then clearly you didn't look very far for a good school. I have lived in Dawlish all my life and can't wait to get out of the place, which is why I am looking for work elsewhere. As for DCC, when our daughter was bullied at the school, they could not have been less helpful, didn't give a damn. So enjoy your life in Dawlish, I am sure you will (for now), then you will wake up and see it for what it is. Good luck.
Like others Anon I moved to Dawlish because I like it. I also like the school. Small and friendly. You say you are looking to move out. Best wishes.
How long ago was your daughter at the college? What did you do about nothing being done about the bullying? If you weren't happy with the school did you not see if she could go elsewhere - Teignmouth perhaps.
As ever Anon - you are negative, negative, negative. I have seen your postings on other threads. Perhaps Dawlish will be as well rid of you as you will be of Dawlish.
To me schooling isn't just about exams and being top of the tables.
My hopes for my child is that she leaves school having learned as much as she can, in a way that she has enjoyed. That she has made and kept her friends so that the social part of the school time has been rewarding. That when she leaves school she is able to progress with confidence to either the workplace or further education (her choice). That she can look back and say I did my best.
Crikey! That school IS on the up. I've just looked at its admission figures for September 2007. The school takes 180 students max each year. For September 2007 there were 184 applications. In September 2007 178 students were admitted. So it was only 2 down from its full whack.
I had heard that parents were moving into its catchment area in order to guarantee a place. Didn't believe it I have to admit but those figures do seem to be proving otherwise don't they?
Yeah, I've heard that the new Principal is really making changes there and that if a parent contacts him about anything he gets back to them pretty niftily.
Sounds good to me.
Not sure what your talking about with postings on other threads, do you know what anon means ?. This is the ONLY post I have put hear, because I was told there were things about DCC. And the reason I am anon, is because I know the nasty vindictive people who bullied my daughter would post things about it here. Good luck in your Dawlish dream world.
You are quite right Anon - there can be many called Anon- indeed for the purpose of this posting I am Anon.
I am sorry if your daughter was bullied. Of course I am. I just wonder, as you are using the cloak of anonymity, whether you could tell us all how long ago this took place and what you did to try and rectify it.
Not that I am condoning it you understand, but don't you think that bullying is something that can be found in all schools and in every walk of life?
I agree, it can be found in all schools, but the DCC policy, is to deny it has a bullying problem. It took place over 3 years, my daughter left last year, which is why we are now looking to re-locate. All I got from the school, was that those doing the bullying were from "problem homes". I really don't care, the school should have done something about it, I have also found out since, that one of the ring leaders, was related to one of the teachers, what does that tell you ?
Sorry to hear about your experiences. However, I would like to point out that there is now a
new regime in place in the form of a new Principal. I hear he is sorting out lots of things. Why don't you write to him and tell him what happened. Too late now I know with regards to your child but perhaps it would alert him to the fact that you felt the matter wasn't dealt with to your satisfaction.
Can I ask again what you actually DID about this problem? If you felt you were getting no support from the school what else did you DO?
I also have to say of course, that we are only getting your version of events. Which isn't to say that what you say isn't true (from your point of view) but to make the point that DCC is not able to confirm or contradict you.
Thanks for the info. What I did when the school did nothing was to contact the police, as the problem became very bad indeed, the school then told me that I should not have contacted the police as they could have delt with it (even though I had geven them plenty of oppertunities). DCC is not my problem any more and my daugghter has had counseling to build her self esteem and she is doing well thankfully.
I genuinely hope your daughter is succesful in all that she wishes to do.
Whilst bullying is of course a school issue let us not forget that unfortunately bullying can happen at any school including those schools that find themselves towards the top end of those highly suspect school league tables.
And that those league tables are nonsensical is the point I think Parent was trying to make when s/he made the original posting which started off this thread.
Remember: there are lies, damned lies and statistics.
I have sent both my sons to the school and have nothing but praise for the college and staff.
Assessing a school merely on GCSE results is simplistic. Admission to Dawlish Community College is non selectional and would and never hope to compete with schools with selection and a lop sided approach to education.
What makes Dawlish special is its commitment to help children of all abilities, tailoring its teaching to maximise the learning of all children. Children who are potentially high educational attainers are not impaired by the college, while pupils with other skills and emotional intelligence are nutured.
What the school provides is a holistic education, the ability for pupils to get on with others from all walks of life and backgrounds. It provides sport, music, drama, outdoor pursuits and great pastoral care.
All schools will have some problems with bullying, but I feel that Dawlish is no worse and the college has had a great strength in handling the problem head on, involving parents and other agencies where appropriate.
Really good to see some positive points about the College. I was on a bus and overheard a parent run all the teachers down and the Head. Seems the paremt has stopped his son going to college and he has been to court over it.
I had to smile as I heard him say to his friend 'I never learnt anything when I was at school so it is far better to teach him at home!'
I am sure his son will not thank him for that choice in future years.
It strikes me that this whole school league table thing is abject nonsense and the quicker central government gets the whole thing knocked into touch the better.
Manchester United & Liverpool are really good football teams. Why? Because they are comprised of those who are really talented at football. Can you compare them to Torquay United? Both are football teams after all? Why should some teams be better than others? Because they have creamed off those who have the most talent in football that's why!
Ditto: Academic ability and grammar schools and 'comprehensives'. And I've put 'comprehensives' in inverted commas because I fail to see how there can be a comprehensive system in operation when at the same time the grammar schools are able to cream off the most academically able.
And before anyone quotes Teignmouth Community College back at me I'd just like to point out that anecdotally I understand that it too does its fair share of creaming off the most academically able in the area.
You can only compare like with like. This present system manifestly does not do that.