DHSB was well represented at the South West Academic Trust (SWAT) Conference held at the University of Exeter yesterday.

We are very proud of Mr Roberts who led the keynote address on ‘Being Brave in a Climate of Change’.

Mr Roberts, Headteacher Designate, will share some of his thoughts in the next edition of DHSB Today which will be published before the end of term.

Equally inspiring were Year 12 students Vikram Thirupathirajan and Cian Kinsella who introduced their research project on ‘Challenging the Most Able’. They spoke eloquently and ably fielded some difficult questions from the teacher audience.

Cian and Vikram

Mr Butcher, Ms Everett-Lindsay and Mr Forte also led workshops which were widely appreciated by the 200+ delegates from southwest schools.

Mr Butcher spoke about the Pupil Premium (from flagship policy to local provision)

Ms Everett-Lindsay led a session on using action research to support the teaching of grammar at KS3

Mr Forte led his audience through the process of developing a Learning Commons (changing a traditional library into a technology enhanced learning space).

He said it all starts with considering the atmosphere of the venue, the behaviour of students and the culture of the school.

Mr Forte is now preparing for the physical build during the summer and you can read more in his latest newsletter which explains what the Learning Commons will look like when it opens in September.

Two Year 7 students from Smeaton recently had the chance to get involved in filming for a CBBC programme called ‘Junior Vets’.

Eddie Fox and Samarth Basavapatna, pictured here, had very different experiences but both enjoyed taking part.

Eddie and Samarth

Eddie said, “I had a very exciting day traveling from St Germans for a day of filming. This involved the team of vets looking after a wildlife park. We met animals of all shapes and sizes! There is one more day of filming to come and the show is likely to be aired next year. I was really pleased to have been given this amazing opportunity by the school.” Samarth added, “‘When I was at Junior Vets, I had a great and fun time. It was also an amazing experience to take care of the animals. This show has shown me that even animals have their aches and pains and so need to get regular health check-ups. I never knew the amount of effort that went into making the TV shows that we enjoy every day. It was also a great learning experience”.

Samarth on location