St David’s College is an independent day and boarding school that educates boys and girls from age 9 to 19 years. The school is situated in extensive grounds, just south of Llandudno in North Wales. The school opened in 1965, as an educational charity established by Trust Deed, in order to provide secondary education within a Christian framework. The school’s mission is to ‘develop the whole person through a broad education founded on Christian principles, a wide choice of interest and activity, and an achievable personal programme for each pupil’. There are currently 250 pupils on roll of whom 95 are boarders. This total includes 27 in Years 5 and 6, as well as 154 pupils aged from 11 to 16 years in the senior school, and a further 69 in the sixth form. Overall, there are approximately twice as many boys than girls although the precise balance varies in year groups across the school. Around half of pupils, including some boarders, come from the local areas of Gwynedd, Conwy and the Isle of Anglesey. Others come from across the United Kingdom and from Ireland. Approximately 12% come from overseas, including from expatriate communities around the world, children of service personnel as well as pupils from other countries in the European Union. Around 7% of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Almost all pupils speak English as their first language at home. A very few speak Welsh or another language. St David's College educates pupils with a broad range of abilities. Around 50% of pupils have a diagnosis of dyslexia or another specific learning difficulty. Just over 16% of pupils have a statement of special educational need (SEN) or an education, health and care plan (EHCP). The school offers additional specialist support for pupils within its literacy and numeracy units. The level of support is tailored to meet pupils’ individual learning needs. The last core inspection was in October 2012. Since that inspection, there have been significant changes to the leadership team. The current headteacher took up his post in June 2017. The restructured leadership team includes the bursar, the registrar and the director of strategic development, a deputy headteacher and two assistant headteachers as well as the school chaplain and the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). Further information is available from the Welsh Government My Local School website at the link below. http://mylocalschool.wales.gov.uk/Schools/SchoolSearch?lang=en 1 A report on St David's College November 2019 Summary Leadership at all levels is successful in fostering a collective vision of St David’s as an inclusive, nurturing family community that promotes engaging and beneficial learning experiences for all pupils. Pupils thrive in the calm and supportive environment, enhancing their self-esteem and achieving high levels of wellbeing during their time at the school. Pupils of all ages make strong progress in developing their social and communication skills and achieve high standards in relation to their learning needs and abilities. In particular, the school’s high-quality learning support provision helps pupils to develop effective learning strategies to overcome their difficulties, improve their selfconfidence and to make secure progress in line with their abilities. These outcomes prepare pupils of all abilities well for relevant further educational experiences and future employment opportunities. Teaching at St David’s is characterised by the supportive and nurturing working relationships between staff and pupils. These relationships help build pupils’ confidence and trust and contribute significantly to pupils’ developing knowledge, understanding and skills. The curriculum builds effectively on pupils’ previous learning and supports their progress successfully. The school provides an outstanding range of creative, cultural, recreational and sporting opportunities. The extensive outdoor education programme that lies at the heart of the school’s life and mission makes a fundamental contribution to pupils’ resilience, personal development and wellbeing. The school meets all of the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2003. Inspection area Judgement Standards Good Wellbeing and attitudes to learning Good Teaching and learning experiences Good Care, support and guidance Excellent Leadership and management Good 2 A report on St David's College November 2019 Compliance with the regulations for registration Independent school inspections are governed by the Education Act 2002 and related regulations: the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2003. These regulations require an independent school to meet an appropriate standard in the following areas: The quality of education provided by the school The school meets the regulatory requirements for this standard. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils The school meets the regulatory requirements for this standard. Welfare, health and safety of pupils The school meets the regulatory requirements for this standard. The suitability of proprietors and staff The school meets the regulatory requirements for this standard. Premises of and boarding accommodation at schools The school meets the regulatory requirements for this standard. The provision of information The school meets the regulatory requirements for this standard. The manner in which complaints are to be handled The school meets the regulatory requirements for this standard.