Big Congratulations to our PTFA Art Competition Winners

First place goes to Theo Andreas (11F) for his stunning photo titled ‘Sunrise at DHSB.’

Second place goes to Dylan Lindsey-Leake (12JN) for his wonderful dog photo and third place to Neythen Powell-Jones (7S) for his stunning vista image.

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive Amazon vouchers.

The standard was so high that we couldn’t just have three winners so Miss Hicks selected five more highly commended ones who will receive a chocolate treat.

Our congratulations to Oscar Westbury (10F), Joshua Roobottom 8W), Tom Jane (12NGW), Otto Malm (12CMC) and Luke Madgett 11S.

Thank you to everyone who entered - the standard was phenomenal - I didn’t envy Miss Hicks, Teacher of Art and Design, who had the difficult task of judging them. A big thank you to Miss Hicks for doing this.

Mrs Kinsella

PTFA Liaison

Championing DHSB School Food

This year, I have had the pleasure of helping a small team of 'school food champions' who have been working with Bite Back for schools; a charity that helps improve the school food dining experience. 

We are lucky at DHSB that as our canteen is already following all of the school food standards, the team has not been focusing on banning unhealthy foods, but has instead surveyed all of our students to find out what they wanted or what parts of the dining experience they weren't happy with.

The team identified that the menu could have improved visibility and also that many students were not aware of the fantastic home cooked food being produced by our great team of chefs.  Students also wanted more choice of pudding, so we had a meeting with the chef team and found out some interesting facts and points to consider:

• All of our meals are made fresh every day using British ingredients

• Mr Austin makes all his own bread and as the guidelines state most sauces, like ketchup, are unhealthy - he makes his own!

• As salt is not allowed, Mr Austin works hard on adding herbs and spices to make the food extra tasty

• The introduction of a salad bar has proved very popular with students and can help Refuel focus on ensuring zero food goes to waste.

  
  

The students were really fascinated with the intricacies of running a catering service with overhead costs such as staff and packaging, and balancing it all with what they feel might sell every day and the constraints of the DfE guidelines.

We are hopeful to continue our work into next year, but for now we will leave you with some of the outcomes that our team are putting in place:

• A no churn home made ice-cream with 50% fruit to be added to the menu

• Menus to be printed and displayed in windows and made available on chromebooks for students to check for daily specials appearing on tutor notices

• More advertising to promote the amazing canteen we have and the different options available, whilst working to the DfE guidelines

  Mrs Parkes

  Director of Learning Commons

  & Initial Teacher Training

  
  

KS5 Enrichment Activity

Mr Macleod expertly presented the context for Question time today using images of the Ukrainian drone attack on Russian bombers,  news headlines about the incident and statistics on spending priorities and  NATO defence spending . Students from year 12 had preparatory reading in advance of the contributions of 4 super students who stepped up  to the panel  and  courageously discussed the questions below :

Keir Starmer this week…

‘We are moving to War fighting readiness’

With the increasing threat to world peace should the UK increase spending on defence & a Nuclear deterrent?

Opportunity Cost: 

Should the UK be spending an extra £13.4 billion a year on defence at a time of expanding Russian and Chinese power and an America First USA determined not to defend Europe?

Or

Would it be better spending money on other areas e.g. Green issues or social spending with restoration of winter fuel allowance for pensioners, scrapping of family farm inheritance tax, restoring VAT exemption for Private  schools , funding of Higher education or increased overseas aid to help the poorest? 

Several Year 12 students made significant contributions to the whole discussion and the outcome seems to indicate a preference to continue to support the Ukraine even if it means drawing the UK into conflicts whilst not  being supported by the USA . 

Separate from  the discussions  about Politics and Economics , students also explored the first of 3 health lessons on Fertility, Pregnancy outcomes and choices as well as awareness of Menopause . 

Thank you to all students for their considered and mature engagement in these important areas . 

Mrs Davidson

Assistant Head - Post 16

Exploring Landscapes and Identities

Our recent Year 12 A-Level Geography fieldwork provided an intensive and rewarding exploration of diverse geographical concepts, spanning both physical and human environments. This experience allowed students to engage directly with real-world examples, deepening their understanding and honing essential geographical skills in preparation for their Non-Examined Assessment (Coursework!).

Our journey began at Braunton Burrows, a dynamic coastal dune system in North Devon. Here, we investigated psammosere succession, observing the progressive stages of plant colonisation from the mobile foredunes to the more stable dune slacks. This firsthand examination provided invaluable insight into ecological processes and the delicate balance of coastal ecosystems.

Next, we ventured to the starkly beautiful landscapes of Dartmoor National Park. Our focus here shifted to peatlands, critically examining their formation, unique characteristics, and vital role as carbon sinks. Students engaged in practical techniques to assess peat depth and composition, furthering their understanding of this globally significant environmental asset.

Transitioning to human geography, we explored the urban fabric of Stoke, Plymouth, to delve into the concept of placemaking. Through observation, mapping, and qualitative data collection, students analysed how different groups contribute to and interact with the identity of this distinct neighbourhood. This practical application allowed for a nuanced understanding of social and cultural geographies.

Our final stop took us to the vibrant and ever-evolving district of King's Cross, London. Here, we investigated "Changing Places," critically analysing the forces of regeneration, gentrification, and shifting identities within this iconic urban area. This provided a compelling case study of large-scale urban transformation and its impacts on diverse communities.

To conclude our academically rich fieldwork, we immersed ourselves in the cultural tapestry of Brick Lane, enjoying a well-deserved curry! This provided a reflective opportunity to discuss the day's learning and appreciate the diverse cultural landscapes that shape our understanding of place.

Miss Green

Head of Geography

Excellent Work

Miss Wills shared that this week, 16 students from Years 7 and 8 took part in the Junior Kangaroo which is the follow on round for the UK Maths Trust Junior Maths Challenge. Students are invited to take part if they do particularly well in the JMC so we are proud of them all!

Well done, we look forward to finding out the results soon!

Well done

On Sunday 8th June, Zac Adams (8S) and Charlie Cleland (8W) competed in their first triathlon event of the season at the Shoreline Junior Triathlon held at Summerleaze Downs, Bude.

The event which is completely off-road, sees the participants swim various distances in the 100m long open seawater pool, cycle 2km and 1.2km around the closely cut firm grassy surface of Summerleaze Downs.

In their age group Zac won gold, and Charlie silver. Well done to both of you!

DofE Update

The Silver DofE teams are taking part in their qualifying expedition this weekend. This is a three day self sufficient expedition and we have five teams walking on Exmoor, and one team cycling from DHSB to Ilfracombe in North Devon. Good luck to all of them!

National Thank a Teacher Day

Wednesday 18th June is National Thank a Teacher day, sponsored by Pearson Teaching and we are celebrating in school with staff coffee and sharing all the messages of thanks that our amazing body of staff get from our internal 'Thank a Teacher' scheme.

If you would like to add your support and send a message of thanks, please do use the national portal here and make someone's day.  

https://www.teachingawards.com/about-us/thank-a-teacher/

This is also the day we find out if DHSB has gone on to win a silver National Teaching Award for Transformational Use of Digital Technology.  We will keep you posted!

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!

PTFA News

Wow what a busy week we have had! We provided refreshments at the two 11+ Familiarisation events (a big thank you Joanna, Tracey, Isa, Rachel, Lianne, Sarah, Archie and Bill). The great British weather meant there was a run on cold drinks on Tuesday and hot chocolate on Wednesday!

Wednesday evening also saw our last PTFA meeting of the year. It was lovely to meet a new parent whose son is starting at DHSB September. We look forward to meeting more at our first meeting on the 17th September.

The popular Summer Disco was the hot topic! Don’t forget to buy your tickets, they’re selling fast! You can buy your ticket here.

There weren't any grant requests to consider this time but we were very excited to share the winners of our photography competition. Thank you to everyone who entered.

Finally, keep an eye on our Facebook and X feeds for all PTFA news and forthcoming events. If you have any questions please send me a message at ptfa@dhsb.org.

Mrs Kinsella

PTFA Liaison

Sports News and Results

DHSB U13 Cricket - Monday 9 June

DHSB U13 cricket team beat Churston Ferrers Grammar School by 30 runs to make it through to the Devon Cup semi final.

DHSB U13 Cricket - West Devon Tournament Wednesday 11 June

Mr Orkney shared that DHSB U13 cricket team beat Millbay Academy at home to qualify for the Devon finals later this term. 

DHSB Year 7 Cricket - Wednesday 11 June

Mr Manley shared that our Year 7 cricket team beat Mount Kelly in an away game for a place in the Semi Final. A special mention goes to Oliver Hulbert who scored 48 not out and took 5 wickets including a brilliant hatrick. We are awaiting the result of the other Quarter final to find out who we will face in the Semi final.