St. Dominic’s is an inclusive, ethnically diverse two-form entry school where all children are encouraged to achieve their full potential through a rich and varied curriculum. The school is a vibrant and happy place to be, with lots of exciting things going on.
We hope that every child will leave our school with high aspirations for their lives, with a strong self-belief that enables them to meet the demands of a changing world and make positive contributions. We aim for all our children to achieve high standards academically and therefore provide an exciting and challenging curriculum that will enable them to do so. Parents and carers play an important part in the life of our school and are always made to feel welcome.
As a Catholic school, we aim to provide a Catholic education for all our pupils. At a Catholic school, Catholic doctrine and practice permeate every aspect of the school’s activity. The Catholic character of the school’s education must be fully supported by all families in the school. All applicants are therefore expected to give their full, unreserved, and positive support for the aims and ethos of the school.
St Dominic’s is a Voluntary Aided Catholic Primary School. A voluntary aided (VA) school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust, which in the case of St Dominic’s is the Westminster Diocesan Education Service of the Catholic Church, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school.
We recognize individual differences, act to raise self-esteem, and ensure equal access to the curriculum. We believe that every teacher is a teacher of every child or young person including those with SEND. As a school we recognize these disabilities may refer to learning or physical impairment. We also recognize that extra provision may need to be made for the needs of gifted children. In addition, we recognize that children with social and emotional mental health (SEMH) are included in the definition of special education needs. At St Dominic’s we aim to raise the aspirations of and expectations for all pupils with SEND. We provide a focus on outcomes for children and young people and not just on hours of provision/support. Pupil Premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers.
St. Dominic’s is a Catholic school that seeks to live out the values of Jesus Christ. We promote these values by our words and deeds, and Catholic doctrine and practice, therefore, permeate every aspect of the school’s activity.
Parent View gives you the chance to tell Ofsted what you think about your child’s school, from the quality of teaching to dealing with bullying and poor behavior. The survey can be completed at any time you don’t have to wait until the school is being inspected.
We provide a Catholic curriculum, which is broad and balanced, recognizing that every pupil is unique and is created in the image of God. Our curriculum is designed to enable every pupil to discern their vocation and to be well-equipped to follow it as active citizens in service to the world. Catholic Religious Education is the “core of the core curriculum” (Pope St John Paul II) and the foundation of the entire educational process. We also provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities and strong pastoral support. We incorporate democratic principles, value the rule of law, support individual liberty and foster a community in which different faiths and beliefs are respected.
No one likes to receive criticism but an open organization will always be willing to listen to concerns and anxieties and be ready to learn from them if appropriate. In a school, most concerns are likely to be expressed by parents of its pupils, though some may come from pupils themselves, parishioners, or other interested parties such as neighbors or users of the premises.
Nearly all concerns or questions can be resolved very quickly and informally if parents feel able to voice them as soon as they arise. The more information the School gives to the parents the less scope there is for misunderstanding. As part of this information, parents could be told that feedback is always welcome and that, therefore, they are warmly encouraged to voice any concerns straightaway, preferably to the person concerned. In most cases, discussion, explanation, further information – or an apology if appropriate – will resolve the issue. Every effort should be made to allay concerns at this level and with the least possible formality. The ideal is that no concern should ever become a formal complaint.
The Diocese of Westminster owns the land and the Governing Body are trustees and have a duty to look after the school buildings and site on behalf of the Bishop. Parents and carers are asked for contributions towards the cost of maintaining and improving the school buildings and grounds. The Governing Body is the legal employer of all the staff who works at the School. This is very different from community schools where the local authority owns the land and buildings and the local authority employs the staff.
