It’s Curriculum Enrichment Week next week and we’re wishing everyone, staff and students, a fantastic time with thanks in advance for all the hard work and enthusiasm which make opportunities like this such a success.
We will post photos and updates on X (Twitter) using our own hashtag #DHSBCEW.
Please check this each day to catch up with our activities and news.
Below are some images from 2023.
Careers Related Education
I am pleased to report that we have achieved 100% Gatsby recognition, a testament to our school's unwavering commitment to excellence in careers related education. This achievement underscores our dedication to providing students with comprehensive guidance and opportunities to prepare them for their future careers.
The Gatsby Benchmarks, a framework of eight guidelines developed to ensure the highest standards in career education, are a gold standard for schools across the UK. Achieving 100% recognition means that we have met and exceeded all eight benchmarks, showcasing our exceptional ability to deliver high quality career guidance and support. Our success in reaching this milestone is a result of the collective efforts of our dedicated staff, enthusiastic students, and supportive community. Through a combination of engaging career talks, interactive workshops, and invaluable work experience opportunities, we have created an environment where students can explore their interests, develop essential skills, and gain the confidence needed to pursue their aspirations.
I'd like to extend my gratitude to everyone involved in making this achievement possible - in particular Ms Moreton who retired last summer, Mr Scott, Mr Manley, Miss Jensen and Miss Millman.
A huge thank you to all the teachers across the school offering opportunities to our students in their subjects to meet Gatsby benchmark four by adding interactions on Unifrog that helped us achieve our goal.
As we celebrate this milestone, we remain steadfast in our mission to continue providing exceptional career guidance and support to our students. Together, we will keep empowering our students to reach new heights and achieve their full potential.
Best School Digital Transformation 2024
In a big week for school news we are also delighted to announce we are the winners of the Global Edtech Awards Best School Digital Transformation 2024.
This award is testament to the entire school community in embracing our digital strategy and working with Google Workspaces for Education.
We have been a Google Worldwide Reference School now for over ten years and have deployed new technology to support teaching and learning across the school site.
Thank you to our teachers, support staff, students, parents and all stakeholders in learning and developing practices to embrace new technologies.
Congratulations must go to Mrs Parkes nee Buckler who has been instrumental in applying for this award and training / assisting staff with the use of Chromebooks and Google products.
This has also supported the CPD programme run by Mr Winstone which has seamlessly allowed teachers to deliver 21st century teaching.
Thanks also must go to Mr Berrryman who has led on a digital strategy to implement the new infrastructure which links in with the school development priorities set out by our vision for the school.
Performing and Creative Arts News
Summer Recital
A big thank you to staff and students who produced such an amazing summer recital yesterday evening.
We've received many compliments including this lovely comment.
"The talent and commitment to music and such excellent performances, collective and solo, made for a much enjoyed evening. Great to see also the confidence and maturity of the students clearly well supported by your committed staff".
Student News
Rudi Gibbs 13CLJ has had significant roles in our recent productions of Beauty and the Beast and Les Mis and had the opportunity to take to a new stage last week when he performed at the Drum Theatre at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal.
Rudi took part in the 24 Hour Plays project, acting in a piece called FLOTSAM.
This is a summary of the project that TRP has put together.
Rudi has had a great couple of weeks as he was also selected as a finalist in the Arts and Culture category of this year's Plymouth Youth Awards, organised by the YMCA. This category recognises young people who have made a positive impact on their community through the use of art.
The grand final was held at the Crowne Plaza on Wednesday evening and we are delighted that Rudi won the silver award.
Liz Bell, from the YMCA, said, "Rudi, your story and success is so inspiring. Thank you for sharing it with Plymouth. You can be very proud of all your achievements".
Devon Secondary Schools Battle of the Bands
Thank you to Devon and Torbay Music Education Hubs who coordinated this year’s Devon Secondary Schools Battle of the Bands.
They said, "Bands and aspiring artists from secondary schools across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay can apply to join us at one of our regional heats, where they will get feedback on their performance from music industry professionals".
Our Year 9 band, Speed of Sound (also known as SOS), were selected to play at the regional heat and have made it through to the grand final - huge congratulations!
Student News
Congratulations to Jack Stewart 10N who has been named as a full time member on the England Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Programme for 2024 and will be attending training camps at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire.
Well done Jack, we look forward to hearing more.
Year 11 Celebration
Mr Manley and Mr Weymouth said our Year 11 students had a fantastic day yesterday celebrating the end of their GCSE exams.
Thank you to the team at Plymouth Karting for organising such a brilliant event!
Excellent Work
Congratulations to Daniel Bott 9P, a remarkable student who has taken his passion for coding to the next level by creating a sophisticated battleship game in Python.
Not only has Daniel met all the user requirements, but he has also surpassed them by integrating an advanced AI component, allowing players to challenge the computer.
His dedication and ingenuity have resulted in a game that stands out for its complexity and creativity, demonstrating his exceptional talent and potential in the world of programming.
Well done, Daniel. Your hard work and innovation are truly inspiring!
Mr Scott
Head of Computer Science
DofE Update
Congratulations to all our Silver Duke of Edinburgh teams who successfully completed their qualifying expedition last weekend.
This is a three-day, two-night expedition in wild country, with students carrying all their food and equipment so that they are self-sufficient.
Five teams were walking on Exmoor, battling through extreme weather at times but the instructors from Dynamic Adventures were very impressed with their positive attitude!
Another team set off from DHSB and cycled to Ilfracombe, camping en route. They were ‘a credit to the school and to themselves’.
Well done to them all.
Mrs Wills
UKMT Junior Kangaroo
Congratulations to all six of our students who took part in the Junior Kangaroo earlier this month. This is an online maths competition hosted by the United Kingdom Maths Trust, which they were invited to sit after scoring highly in the Junior Maths Challenge.
Well done to all and special mention to Ollie Sargeant (Best in School) and Angus Fielding (Best in Year) who also received merit certificates.
Year 7
Vincenzo Cojoc 7E
Arlo Morgan 7W
Ollie Sargeant 7E
Year 8
Andrew Banciu 8E
Alex Duddy 8E
Angus Fielding 8W
DHSB Partners with Marjons for ITT Programme
We're thrilled to report a recent collaboration with the Plymouth Marjon University (Marjons) to support their Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme.
Last week Marjons visited DHSB and filmed short teaching episodes across a range of lessons. This exciting project will provide valuable resources for Marjons' ITT students, showcasing effective teaching practices in a real-world secondary school setting.
The filmed episodes will serve a dual purpose:
Internal Training: They will be used for professional development within DHSB, allowing our teachers to share their expertise and inspire colleagues.
Marjons ITT Programme: These resources will equip future teachers with practical insights into classroom dynamics and effective teaching techniques.
We are incredibly proud to be part of this initiative. It reflects our commitment to excellence in education and our dedication to supporting the next generation of talented teachers.
Mr Winstone
Sixth Form Enrichment and Tutorial
This week, in tutorial sessions, our Sixth Form students have been learning about how fertility changes over time and about the different routes to becoming a parent.
The session started by focusing on fertility rates and what can change this, from age to lifestyle factors. The discussion then moved on to healthy pregnancies and pelvic health.
Finally students looked at different family scenarios and discussed where the best places might be to go for support in each situation. Next week's session will move into more detail about healthy pregnancies.
This morning, a group of students interested in pursuing a career in law attended a special Plymouth Law Clinic at the University of Plymouth.
Mr Nick Emmerson, the national president of the Law Society, was in attendance to meet with university and school students who have an interest in law. They were provided with an insight as to what working in law is all about and were given an opportunity to ask questions about such a career.
We were really grateful to be invited and it was a fantastic opportunity for our students.
This week we have also said a sad and fond farewell to Mrs Marsh from the Sixth Form office. She will be very missed by both staff and students and we wish her all the best in her new job.
Mrs Briars-Delve
Sparx Maths and Sparx Reader
Each week we celebrate our highest performers in both Sparx Maths and Sparx Reader, two of our core homework platforms. We are proud of all of our students who complete their homework each week to such a high standard but these students deserve a special mention.
Well done!
PTFA News
It's been a busy year but, just like that, it's our last meeting of the year!
Please join us if you can on Tuesday 25 June at 6:30pm in the Conference Room.
We'd love to meet you and refreshments will be supplied.
Keep an eye on our Facebook and X feeds for all PTFA news and forthcoming events.
X: @DHSBPTFA
Please check out our school lottery too, you could win a £1,000 Amazon voucher just for signing up before 29 June 2024.
We are always looking for more volunteers (this could be just an hour at one event). Please get in touch if you are interested or have any questions - ptfa@dhsb.org
Thank you.
Beverley Kinsella
PTFA Liaison
Sports Update
Cricket
Massive congratulations to the Year 8 cricket team who came runners up in the West Devon U13s county finals tournament on Tuesday.
The team came top of the group and narrowly lost to Ivybridge in the final.
Well done to all involved.
Mr Bunney said, "A great day of cricket in sunny Exeter for the U14 cricket team who finished in fourth place at the U15 Devon schools softball cricket finals day".
Congratuations!
Athletics
Well done to the Year 8 team who took part in the Plymouth schools athletics competition on Thursday.
Mr Strang says we are still waiting for the overall results to come in but are confident following a number of outstanding performances.
Well done to all those involved.
