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10TH SEPTEMBER 2024


Education & Schooling 11


Award-winning St Dunstan’s College earns praise from latest inspection report


Tis September, St Dunstan’s College, Catford, south-east London, was delighted to share the find- ings of its latest inspection from the Independent Schools Inspectorate following a visit in April. St Dunstan’s is believed to be one


of the first schools in the country to receive two significant strengths as part of its inspection. Speaking about the report, St Dunstan’s Head, Nick Hewlett, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to share our new inspection report with our community. “We’re one of the first schools


in the whole country to receive two significant strengths, and I’m delighted they recognise both our broad,


forward-thinking, renais-


sance education and how diver- sity is embedded and celebrated in everything we do at St Dunstan’s. “Te report is testament to the


hard work, dedication and commit- ment of the whole community and I pay tribute to staff, students and our families who make St Dunstan’s such a special and unique place to be. We are truly an independent school like no other, and I’m proud of our place within Lewisham and the sector.” Te


report praised the broad


and varied curriculums on offer to students at St Dunstan’s, explaining:


‘Leaders have put in place an ambi- tious, timetabled curriculum that provides extensive opportunities for pupils to acquire the broadest of learning experiences. Leaders have taken great care in the design of this multi-faceted programme, which is included as part of the school day. ‘Tere are four separate strands;,-


together these provide the full range of curriculum subjects, an extensive offering of broader learning expe- riences, a programme of teaching skills for the future and one that focuses on building pupils’ wellbeing and self-awareness. Te breadth and relevance of this curriculum and leaders’ decision that all pupils participate in these opportunities, is a significant strength.’ Te second ‘significant strength’ applauded the school’s


dedica-


tion to celebrating diversity within the school. ‘Te school’s ethos supports


leaders in creating a strong commu- nity where diversity is celebrated,’ the


report found. ‘Tis works


through many facets of school life: through the curriculum, through the varied groups in school, led by pupils, which celebrate diversity, and through producing events such as the annual St Dunstan’s Festival.


St Dunstan’s College Open Day and Sixth Form Open Evening Find out more about St Dunstan’s College at their upcoming open day on Saturday 21 September 2024, or their Sixth Form


Open Evening on Wednesday 2 October 2024. From September to November, the school also hosts other open events including morning tours. St Dunstan’s offers a variety of scholarships and bursaries for students joining at 11+ and 16+.


Te school’s ethos supports leaders in creating a strong community where diversity is celebrated


All these promote respect and


understanding among the pupils for everyone in their own school and in the wider local community. Tis is a significant strength of the school.’ Te inspection report comes at


an exciting time for St Dunstan’s. In August, the college celebrated its best A-level and GCSE results in its 136-year history. Eighty-eight percent of all A-level grades achieved were A*to B with an outstanding 61% being A to A* and 27% being A*. Following the historic results, 97% of the cohort will be heading


to their chosen destination, which includes 100% success for students holding an offer for Oxbridge, medi- cine, music


conservatoires, art


foundation or drama school. Mean- while, Year 11 students also achieved record-breaking results in their summer examinations, with 78% being 9 to 7, which is A*to A, and 53% 9 to 8, which is the former A*. Speaking about the results, Nick


Hewlett said: ‘Tese outcomes truly showcase the St Dunstan’s differ- ence and demonstrate that it’s perfectly possible to achieve excep- tional academic results within the framework of a liberal, progressive and renaissance curriculum — one that’s bold, ambitious and cham- pions individuality.’ Earlier this year, St Dunstan’s was


named ‘Most Progressive School in South East England’ at the Private Education Awards 2024 and was awarded the best Diversity and Inclusion in Sport at the Education Choices Awards


2024, following


the school’s groundbreaking part- nership with Chelsea FC. In 2022, St Dunstan’s was also named Inde- pendent Senior School of the Year at the Tes Schools Awards in London, which are known as the Oscars of education.


Find out more information and book a visit at stdunstans.org.uk


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