South West LGBTQ Event at Exeter University

"Myself, and the other LGBT+ representatives of DHSB, arrived at Exeter University at around 9 o'clock. When there, we immediately launched into discussions with the representatives of schools from across the South-West of England, both regarding the LGBT+ community and the furthering of its cause within our schools, and general subjects pertaining to our lives and education. In these topical conversations, us LGBT+ representatives of DHSB not only gained valuable ideas and suggestions which could help ensure the comfort and safety of the community within our school, but also formed strong links with fellow young people and deepened connections between South-Western schools. In addition, we also completed several surveys detailing methods in which the LGBT+ community could be serviced within schools and the current standing of young people and schools; this information collected could prove valuable as it may be used to better understanding in our communities and continue the process of accepting LGBT+ people into society. 

We also conducted several factual and fun workshops where we considered creativity and the role (and suppression) of LGBT+ people throughout creative history; discussions between schools continued throughout this time. Workshops surrounding the creative arts both helped to act as icebreakers between schools and provide a comfortable, fun-filled environment. 

Big thanks to Mrs Luing-Holmes and Ms Iles for taking us on this trip and to everyone involved at the University of Exeter; this was a valuable experience which helped deepen connections within the South-West and its schools."

FS

DHSB Student

The Latest from Key Stage 5

It has been a busy and diverse fortnight of enrichment for our Sixth Form students, with sessions ranging from specialist medical mentorship to vital community and personal health education.

Medical Mentorship and the Science of Obesity Our potential medical and dental students were privileged to learn from Dr. Ollie Burton, a Foundation Neurosurgeon, who gave up 2 hours of his time to share insights into medical school admissions, the UCAT, and life within the NHS. Following this, a small group engaged in an oracy exercise on whether obesity should be classified as a disease, exploring the "5 As of Obesity" and drawing on research from the BBC’s The Hunger Game.  The rest of the Tuesday medic society evaluated their peers' oracy and listening skills in this exercise. 

• Explore more: Ollie Burton’s Medical YouTube Channel 

Brain Health and Dementia Awareness We were lucky once again to hear from Shania Osborne from Memory Matters CIC for an insightful session on dementia and brain health. Students explored neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself—and how dementia affects short-term, long-term, and emotional memory differently. A key takeaway was the importance of compassion: learning to join a person’s individual reality rather than "testing" their recall to reduce anxiety and fear. Shania encouraged us all to visit the ‘Moments’ cafe too (as a NfP organisation all profits from the sale of cake support the community) Please go!

• Visit the website: Memory Matters

Health, Fertility, and Future Choices As part of the PSHE curriculum, students investigated fertility and various routes to parenthood, including adoption and fostering. These sessions highlighted how lifestyle factors can impact fertility and provided practical advice on maintaining pelvic floor health. A significant focus was placed on the HIMfertility campaign, founded by Rhod Gilbert, which aims to break the silence surrounding male infertility and signpost men to better support.

• Learn about the campaign: HIMfertility

Celebrating Individuality and Success Beyond health and careers, Mr Adams delivered an outstanding assembly titled "Celebrating Individuality," exploring the psychological roots of tribalism and the importance of guarding against prejudice. This thought provoking film featured too. 

• DNA journey- Let’s open our world

The previous week we had considered Virtue theory too so a significant focus on kindness and shaping goodness in society. We also celebrated the fantastic achievements of our students including Ten Tors success for Harry McCulloch, Tom Rickard, Dan Lindsey, and Toby Stell, and Duke of Edinburgh successes for Rohan Linden, Josh Daniel, and Dan Lindsay. Additionally, we congratulated our CanSat team, the "DHSB Gravityhackers," on their recent Engineering Excellence award.

This week’s program has successfully provided our students with a well-rounded perspective on professional career paths, personal wellbeing, and the importance of kindness and resilience within our community.

Mrs Davidson

Assistant Head – Post 16

The Bake Off Competition Final at Plymouth City College

The boys didn't win, however they represented the school fantastically well. Feedback from the judges said that they worked really well as a team, were clean and organised in the kitchen and their cake had great flavour. I think they learned a lot from the experience and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Miss Franklin

Teacher of Food Preparation and Nutrition

DHSB represented at the Regional Careers Conference, Exeter

Devonport High School for Boys was proud to share its approach to careers education and employer engagement at this year’s Careers Leaders Conference, held at Westpoint Exeter on Tuesday.

The annual event, organised by the Careers & Enterprise Company alongside the Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Careers Hub, brought together Careers Leaders, school staff, employers and education professionals from across the region to share effective practice and explore the future of careers education.

Representing DHSB, Mr Scott, Leader of Careers & PSHE, delivered a one-hour keynote workshop entitled “Employer Engagement - how our school has developed stronger partnerships.”  The session explored the school’s journey in building a large and sustainable employer network and how those relationships are being used to create meaningful opportunities for students.

The presentation highlighted how careers education at DHSB extends far beyond traditional careers talks.  Delegates heard about the school’s strategic approach to developing employer partnerships, embedding careers across the curriculum, and creating progressive employer encounters from Year 7 through to Sixth Form.

Examples shared included:

• The development of a network of over 700 employers across sectors including engineering, marine, finance, creative industries, healthcare and public services.

• The success of the DHSB Careerousel, giving students regular opportunities to choose and attend careers sessions matched to their interests.

• Large-scale careers events and employer encounters designed around meaningful interaction and student reflection.

• The school’s approach to work experience and its ambition to create a scalable model that other schools could adopt.

• The use of alumni, local businesses and community partnerships to expand opportunities for students.

• Innovative approaches to recognising employer and curriculum engagement through Gatsby Benchmark award programmes.

The workshop also explored how employer encounters can move beyond one-off events and become genuinely meaningful experiences that help students develop skills, confidence and a clearer understanding of future pathways.

The session was extremely well received by delegates, generating highly positive feedback throughout the day.  In particular, Director of Education Nicola Hall described the presentation as “the highlight of the day” - recognition of the significant work being undertaken at Devonport High School for Boys to provide exceptional careers education for its students.

Reflecting on the event, the wider message shared with colleagues across the region was clear: careers education has the greatest impact when it is embedded across school life, built on strong relationships, and focused on creating meaningful opportunities for every student.

DHSB looks forward to continuing to develop its employer partnerships and sharing practice with schools across the South West as careers education continues to evolve.

Lovely feedback was received from the Enterprise Coordinator at the Devon, Plymouth & Torbay Careers Hub "...a huge thanks for your session yesterday. I’ve lost count of the number of my career leads that came up to me to say how amazingly helpful your session was yesterday and how many ideas this has sparked for them!

Thank you, Mr Scott.

Cybersecurity Defence Workshop for Year 12

This week Mrs Parkes and I welcomed representatives from Avon and Somerset Police's CyberProtect and CyberPrevent Team to work with our Year 12 A-level Computer Science students.

During an engaging cybersecurity workshop, students worked collaboratively in teams to investigate a fictional workplace scenario, identifying individuals whose actions may have breached the Computer Misuse Act 1990.  This provided an excellent opportunity for students to apply their understanding of computing legislation to a realistic, real-world context.

The workshop challenged students to think critically about cybersecurity, professional responsibilities, and the legal implications of technology use in the workplace.

A huge thank you to the Cyber Protect and Prevent Team for giving our students this fantastic opportunity and for sharing their expertise and insights into this increasingly important area of computing.

Mr Scott

Head of Computer Science

Cybersecurity Attack Workshop for KS4

On Wednesday, our Year 9 and Year 10 GCSE Computer Science students had the exciting opportunity to take part in an engaging and hands-on cybersecurity workshop delivered by lecturers Tomek Bergier and Grant Sewell from City College Plymouth.

The session introduced students to the fascinating world of offensive cybersecurity, focusing on the role of a ‘Red Team’ - specialists who simulate cyberattacks to test and strengthen an organisation’s digital defences.  Through a combination of discussion, live demonstration, and practical activities, students explored how ethical hackers identify vulnerabilities and help organisations become more secure.

A highlight of the workshop was the opportunity for students to observe and carry out an SQL Injection attack within a controlled learning environment.  This gave students first-hand experience of how attackers can exploit weaknesses in databases and, importantly, how these vulnerabilities can be prevented through secure system design and good cybersecurity practices.

The workshop linked directly to the students’ current Computer Science learning on defending computer networks, bringing classroom theory to life through a real-world application of cybersecurity concepts.

Alongside developing technical understanding, the event also supported our careers education programme and contributed towards achieving Gatsby Benchmark 4 (Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers) and Gatsby Benchmark 7 (Encounters with Further and Higher Education).  Students were able to explore pathways into the cybersecurity industry and learn more about T-level Computing courses at City College Plymouth, helping them make informed decisions about future study and career opportunities.

Experiences like this help students understand the rapidly growing field of cybersecurity and the wide range of opportunities available within the technology sector.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Tomek and Grant for delivering such an engaging and memorable workshop and for giving our students valuable insight into real-world cyber defence and ethical hacking.

Mr Scott

Head of Computer Science

Leader of Careers & PSHE

Year 7 Natural Hazard Dioramas

This week, Year 7 students impressed us with a fantastic collection of great Natural Hazard dioramas, bringing volcanoes and earthquakes to life through creativity and geographical understanding. 

Using paper mâché, clay, LEGO, and even 3D printing, students created detailed models that demonstrated tectonic processes in action. Several dioramas were interactive, including a motorised earthquake model and the classic bicarbonate of soda volcano eruptions.

The project showcased the enthusiasm, effort, and ingenuity of our young geographers. I am incredibly proud of what they have achieved and look forward to displaying their excellent work in my classroom next year.

Miss Taylor

Teacher of Geography

Chemistry Society Session

Here are some of our budding Scientists taking part in a session run by three of our Chemistry Ambassadors, Magnus, Ben and Maruf. The boys were finding out about natural indicators from a selection of different vegetables. The fantastic session was fun, informative and the boys enjoyed hearing about chemicals in our life and seeing the array of colours produced by these with the natural indicator they made from red cabbage and red onion.

Mr O'Hara

Head of Chemistry

Creative Arts News

Summer Recital Evening 18th June

This is a truly stunning Music celebration evening where we celebrate our students who have worked extremely hard on their own instrument in the styles of Classical, Jazz or Musical Theatre. It takes place in the beautiful Stoke Damerel Church, and tickets bought include a glass of bubbly and canapes made by our own DT students. This can be enjoyed from 6-7pm where we have relaxed performances, and then at 7pm we have a seated recital hour. A truly memorable and enjoyable evening.

For tickets, please follow this link.

LAMDA returns to DHSB!!

We are very lucky to have an experienced LAMDA teacher joining us in September. This is speech and Drama lessons for all ages, and exams are able to be used as UCAS points. LAMDA is a prestigious mark of achievement on students portfolios and particularly impactful for those doing GCSE Drama or Music from year 9 in September, and for university auditions. Here is a link to the incredible positive impact of LAMDA on all academic studies and here is a link to an expression of interest form - please return by Friday 19th June.

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.

Congratulations!

"Last week, I traveled to La Molina, Spain, to compete in the European Continental Downhill Mountain Bike Series. It was an excellent opportunity to race on a very technical and demanding track against some of the top Under 17 riders from across Europe.

After an intense weekend of adjusting to the steep and challenging terrain during practice sessions and a typical mountain thunderstorm, everything came together during my final race run, where I managed to secure 4th place overall.

Since downhill mountain biking recognizes the top five competitors on the podium, I was incredibly pleased to step up and bring home a trophy from such a competitive international event. It was a fantastic experience competing at this level, and I look forward to carrying this positive momentum into my upcoming races."

Year 10 Student, Ruben

PTFA Summer Disco Tickets on Sale!

We’re very excited as it is PTFA Summer Disco time! Years 7, 8 & 9 of DHSB, DHSG and PHSG plus guests - follow link for full details! Post-purchase you will immediately receive a link to the consent form (check spam/junk folder if you do not see it before contacting us) - PLEASE SUBMIT THE FORM TO US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, Thanks.

DHSB Shop

Fantasy Football 25/26 Results

The football season has come to a close which means, it is time to celebrate the School Fantasy Football League champions!

There has been disappointment and injury but they have overcome it. The winners of the various leagues and cups are pictured below.

Well done to Ewan, our overall School League winner and to Mr Campbell who has topped the Staff League for the second consecutive year!

Thank you for organising this popular competition, Mr Webb.

Year 7 & 8 Tennis

Huge congratulations to our Year 7 and 8 tennis teams for a fantastic debut in the LTA Schools competition on Monday at Ivybridge! Standing tall in their first appearance, the boys swept victories against both Ivybridge and Kingsbridge to secure their spot in the next round.

Under 15 Tennis

There were some very competitive games with some great tennis played by all at the Under 15 Central Venue tennis game versus Heles on Tuesday.

Softball

Huge congratulations to both of our teams for winning their individual groups at Tuesday’s U15 Softball Cricket competition at Ivybridge Community College.  This set up an all-DHSB final playoff, with the A team ultimately taking the win. There was brilliant effort and sportsmanship from everyone who competed.

Well done!

Football

Massive congratulation to the Year 8 DHSB Football Team who beat Torquay Academy on penalties in what was a brilliant Devon Cup final, to become Devon Champions! There were great performances from both teams.

Well done to all the students involved - an amazing achievement!

Basketball

The new Basketball kit has arrived! A huge thank you goes to the DHSB PTFA who provided 15 kits, 10 training bibs, a new scoreboard and four new match balls in readiness for the 2026/27 Season. Let's go!