Dolphin Aims
Provide a safe, happy, stimulating environment
Encourage curiosity and inspire a lifelong love of learning
Identify and nurture the talents of every child, celebrating their individuality
Promote high academic standards
Develop caring, independent-thinking, confident and well-balanced young people
Put learning into context within the real world via an extensive programme of day and residential trips
|
Safe Use of ICT
Technology has transformed the entire process of teaching and learning at Dolphin School. It is a crucial component of every academic subject, and is also taught as a subject in its own right. Most of our classrooms are equipped with electronic whiteboards or projectors with standard whiteboards or both and all have a networked computer.
|
Admissions
The majority of children at Dolphin either join Nursery from the age of three, Reception in the autumn term following their fourth birthday, or Year Seven wherescholarships are available. However, entry is possible at any time if spaces are available and we can also offer waiting list places.
|
Safeguarding Children
Drawn up with reference to DCSF Guidance Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education and in compliance with the Independent Schools Regulations.
|
Rewards and Sanctions
The happiness of the individual child is of vital importance to us and staff and children have worked together to establish policies and codes of behaviour for Dolphin School.
|
Curriculum
We strive to give all our children a wide and stimulating programme suited for the general education of the ‘rounded man’. Bright children need, from a very early age, a special course suited to their needs, not a ‘standard syllabus’. Our children cope with a much more demanding day than the majority of their peers and with a very broad range of activities - academic, artistic, physical and social. They also need specialist teachers from an early age; indeed, it has been suggested that the majority of primary children may, in varying degrees, be intellectually starved because they do not have specialist teachers from the age of nine. At Dolphin many subjects are taught by specialists from the age of five and from the age of six all our classes are taught in this way. The maximum class size for all subjects, with the exception of drama, is eighteen children except in special circumstances and the majority of class sizes are smaller.
|
Health and Safety on Visits
All educational visits at Dolphin are planned in considerable detail, and the Trips Package in the Staff Handbook, which runs to over forty pages, is regularly consulted by staff.
|
Anti-Bullying
All schools in the world seem to suffer in varying degrees from the problem of bullying. Although we believe that Dolphin is a very pleasant, tolerant and well disciplined school, where the incidence of bullying is rare, it is right to be vigilant. We therefore have a clear policy on this issue; it includes giving advice to parents, pupils and staff.
|
Discipline
Children are encouraged to develop self-discipline and to take responsibility for their own actions.
|
Exclusions
Exclusion, (whether temporary or permanent) is seen as a last resort after other strategies have failed. (See Rewards and Sanctions). Permanent exclusion would be used in only the most severe circumstances.
|
Education and Welfare Provision
Children with English as an Additional language are welcomed at Dolphin and we have a team of support staff who are experienced in teaching EASL if this is required. We work closely with the parents to identify the particular needs of each child and an individual programme of support can be set up. As far as possible the child is integrated with their peers and the form teachers, and Individual Needs Coordinator, monitor the situation closely.
|
School Attendence
We would ask parents to support us in carrying out this policy.
|
Complaints Procedure
Dolphin has long prided itself on the quality of the teaching and pastoral care provided to its pupils. However, if parents do have a complaint, they can expect it to be treated by the school in accordance with this procedure. The following procedure is applicable to all Dolphin pupils including those who are part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The complaints procedure is available to parents of all current and prospective pupils.
|
Data Protection
For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998 ("the DPA"), Dolphin School ("the School") is the "data controller" of personal data about pupils and their parents and/or guardians ("your personal data").
|