Our Vision & Values:

“Working together in a safe and inclusive environment to develop creative, disciplined and aspirational pupils.”

Core to the success of our pupils and school, we have identified five values that underpin everything we do, and which we believe our children need to show in order to be successful in the future:

Respect: a feeling of admiration for others because of their good qualities, actions and achievements.

Resilience: the ability to cope when things don’t go as planned.

Empathy: being able to understand how someone else feels.

Tolerance: accepting and respecting other people for their differences.

Self-Belief: a belief in ones own ability to complete tasks and reach their goals.

Every child who attends Dorchester is given the best opportunities to thrive and develop the skills to go on and be successful, life-long learners.

We have developed an exciting, flexible curriculum which is tailored to the needs of our children; developing their knowledge, skills and understanding as well as providing a wide-range of enrichment opportunities to excite them. Our curriculum is mapped out carefully to ensure that there is a clear progression of skills

Our focus on basic skills ensures children are ‘Secondary ready’ when the leave us, ready to face the challenges of the next stage of their education.

We prioritise our children’s well-being and promote a real sense of belonging. We are well aware of the challenges our children face and have a strong pastoral team in place to help them overcome any difficulties.

We strive to develop inquisitive learners, who question the world around them and independently find solutions to problems. We expect our children to build resilience and confidence to enable them to face any challenge they come across.

We prepare our children for life in modern Britain by looking at the values that uphold our society and we allow children to discuss and express themselves in a safe non-judgemental environment.

The HCAT Signature

Principle:
Promoting community,
Building effective relationships,
accountability,
ownership of own actions,
resolving conflicts.

HCAT Signature:
Community members;
– feel they belong
– have a voice and influence
– challenge appropriately
– understand fair process
– resolve conflicts
– take responsibility

Principle:
Developing the ability to think, reason, problem solve and apply learning

HCAT Signature:
Community members;
– are lifelong learners
– have a growth mindset
– can apply knowledge skills and understanding
– are ready for the next stage

Principle:
Promoting character traits to deal with the challenges of life.

HCAT Signature:
Community members;
– demonstrate the appropriate key character virtues particularly resilience and resourcefulness
– contribute positively to the community
– have a social conscience
– are responsible citizens

Principle:
Developing the value of self and others, enabling a social and emotional place to learn.

HCAST Signature:
Community members;
– have a strong identity
– are happy and secure
– are able to empathise and care for others
– value self and others

Principle:
Facilitating a broad range of experience and opportunities to open doors

HCAT Signature:
Community members;
– are able to broaden horizons
– shape their own mindset
– make informed choices
– have equal opportunities

“Teachers provide lots of opportunities for pupils to rehearse and say the sounds they are learning aloud, which helps them to remember them.”

Ofsted

“School council representatives attend School Stakeholder Group (SSG) meetings to share their views.”

Ofsted

“The help that leaders provide for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the school.”

Ofsted

“As soon as children start school, leaders check their speech and language needs so that extra help can be provided, where it is required.”

Ofsted

“In other curriculum
areas, such as design technology (DT), the curriculum is improving rapidly.”

Ofsted

“Knowledgeable and highly trained leaders ensure that pupils get the support they need to achieve.”

Ofsted

“Leaders have rightly reorganised their curriculum to make up for learning that has been
lost during the COVID-19”

Ofsted

“Strong, cross-curricular links with subjects, such as science, give pupils the opportunity to apply their skills and
knowledge when making products.”

Ofsted

“Leaders have ensured that pupils have plenty of opportunities
to design, make and evaluate projects using different materials.”

Ofsted

“Leaders provide ‘chatterpacks’ to parents so that they have the age-appropriate resources they need to support their child’s
reading.”

Ofsted

“Leaders use assessment well to ensure that the books pupils read match the sounds they already know.”

Ofsted

“Children are
taught to read as soon as they start in the early years.”

Ofsted

“Democratically elected roles, such as house captains and school councillors, enable pupils to contribute purposefully to school life.”

Ofsted

“One pupil told inspectors that ‘teachers are really caring, we know if we ask for help, we will get it’.”

Ofsted

“Pupils feel that they are being listened to and that their views help leaders to improve the school.”

Ofsted

“Leaders have continued to prioritise the teaching of phonics and reading.”

Ofsted

“Pupils now use mathematical vocabulary with accuracy.”

Ofsted

“In the short term, leaders have placed a greater focus on subjects such as
English and mathematics.”

Ofsted

“The mathematics curriculum is clearly sequenced. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to continually revisit and review previous learning.”

Ofsted

“In subjects such as history, teachers use assessment skilfully to find out what pupils know before they start to teach a new unit of work.”

Ofsted

“Leaders’ subject monitoring has led to a consistent and successful approach to the teaching of phonics across the early years and key stage 1.”

Ofsted

“Leaders ensure there is a focus on developing pupils’ mathematical vocabulary.”

Ofsted

“Leaders have established ‘hive’ provision for pupils who need it. These well-resourced, intimate settings provide the intense support that a significant minority of pupils need.”

Ofsted

“Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum that sets out clearly what pupils should
learn and when.”

Ofsted

“Leaders ensure that opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical understanding are provided in the activities pupils
complete.”

Ofsted

“Pupils are clear about the school rules.”

Ofsted

“Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about the school garden they are developing and of their plans for the fruit and vegetables they will grow.”

Ofsted

“In the early years, mathematics is a high priority. Daily ‘carpet time’ is used to teach children
mathematical concepts”

Ofsted