St David's College

Overview

Leadership fosters a collective vision of St David’s as an “inclusive, nurturing family community” where pupils thrive in a “calm and supportive environment.” The school provides “high-quality learning support” and an “outstanding range” of activities, resulting in strong progress in social skills, wellbeing, and academic standards tailored to individual needs.

Strengths

• “Care, support and guidance” are rated Excellent, with “comprehensive and robust” processes for identifying and meeting individual learning needs.
• Pupils achieve “high levels of wellbeing” and develop resilience through an extensive outdoor education programme that lies “at the heart of the school’s life.”
• Teaching is characterised by “supportive and nurturing working relationships” that build pupil confidence and trust.
• The school offers an “outstanding range of creative, cultural, recreational and sporting opportunities” that enhance learning experiences.
• Pupils make “strong progress in developing their social and communication skills” and achieve high standards relative to their abilities.

Areas to improve

• Ensure learning activities provide “sufficient levels of challenge for all pupils, particularly the more able.”
• Improve the “consistency of teachers’ feedback to pupils and the quality of their responses.”
• Strengthen “quality assurance and improvement planning arrangements.”

Safeguarding

The report states that the school meets the regulatory requirements for the “welfare, health and safety of pupils” and that nearly all pupils feel “safe and secure” with confidence that bullying is dealt with effectively.