Happy 130th Birthday DHSB!

DHSB turned 130 years old on the 16th January. We celebrated this milestone birthday with a reunion event for former staff and pupils on the 28th March. Over 150 came together in Refuel to enjoy an afternoon of reminiscing. They came from far and wide! The Cayman Islands to Millbridge! Some hadn’t seen each other for over 50 years!

After getting a drink and being welcomed by headteacher, and barman for the afternoon, Mr Roberts, they enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch, prepared by Refuel, before making their way to Edgcumbe Theatre to be entertained by the Junior Choir, followed by Mr Riggs’ interesting talk on ‘The History of DHSB.’ Mr Riggs attended DHSB himself so he is very qualified to tell us all about it!

School tours were next - this was the highlight for many! Terry Blackler (started at DHSB in 1948) couldn’t resist proclaiming on a class whiteboard ‘T C Blackler was educated here and burnt his finger in an A Level Chemistry exam in 1956!’ Terry remembers the buildings being adapted from a hospital to a school during his time here. When he was late for school one day, he had to write out 25 times, ‘Punctuality is a virtue which I must endeavour to cultivate’ - this is indelibly etched in his memory!

Our oldest visitor was Jim Carnell, at 96 years young! It was a family affair as Jim came with his two daughters, one of whom, Joanne, attended Sixth Form at DHSB and his son-in-law Grenville Hillman who also attended DHSB. Jim was delighted to spot himself in one of our whole school panoramic photographs. He brought along a photo to show us too - the 1945/46 2nd XV Rugby team - Jim is sitting in the front row, on the left hand side, next to the teacher.

Some proudly wore their DHSB hats, ties and scarves! Tony Otter brought along his French vocabulary book and talked about the teachers he remembered - some more fondly than others :)

Bill Higginson, Year 10, was our roving reporter for the afternoon - he chatted to the alumni researching a piece for the annual School Magazine. Photo shows him with former Plymouth Argyle chairman Paul Stapleton.

We were delighted to welcome back former staff members Ted Attewell, Martyn Moon, Ron Faulkner, Dave Jones, Linda Witchell, Sandy Bowden and the legend that is John Bowden! John is one of our alumni too.

My thanks to former staff members Geoff Davis and Sarah Nicholson for coming out of retirement to come along to help.

A big thank you to our current staff for helping: Dan Roberts,Paul Scott, Tracy Downes, Emma Luing-Holmes, Jo Weaver, Noah Evans, Oli Roberts, Isa Hitter and Gary Loveridge: Sharon Davidson and Dave Adams for helping with school tours and Rick Orkney.

All too soon the afternoon was over - some were already talking about the next reunion in 2031!

Mrs Kinsella

Alumni Archives & Engagement

School Development Plan

As this term draws to a close I’d like to share with you the progress we’ve made towards the school development priorities.

Please take a moment to read through our update by following this link.

Eggcellent Effort

Once again a fantastic effort from students to decorate an egg as a Historic character.

Prizes go to Max in 8A for Egglizabeth 1, Alfie in 7A for his Roman Caesars, James in 10F for Negson and the winner is Stanley in 7L for Heggry VIII and his six wives.

Prizes, commendations and house points will be awarded in the first week after Easter.

Well done to all who entered.

Mrs Mintoft

Head of History

Revision@DHSB - Upcoming Exams for Year 7,8,9 and 12

With end of year exams for year 7,8,9 and 12 coming in the Summer Term we wanted to again bring revision into focus with a remainder of one of our core sources of support and guidance. More detail about each exam series will be shared via a letter from the Head of Year which will outline the dates when all exam information can be expected to be available on Google Classroom.

Revision then will be essential for all year groups to embed the knowledge and understanding required to perform well, and it’s advisable that good study skills start as early as possible. We know that all students want to do well in their tests and exams, and in order to do so, you must revise – and the earlier you establish effective habits of revision and independent learning, the better.

However, some students aren’t always sure how to get started with revision or how to organise it effectively. To guide you and help you succeed, we have produced our Revision Revolution website — a dedicated area where you’ll find everything revision-related: helpful techniques, resources, subject-specific guidance, and much more. Many students have been using this resource for a while now but we thought it would be a helpful reminder for existing students and to also introduce it for students new to the school this academic year.

The site brings together advice and materials designed to help you take control of your learning and build confidence in preparation for assessments. It’s a valuable tool not only for students but also for parents who want to support effective study habits at home.

You can access the site here Revision@DHSB and also through our school website under School Life.

Let’s make the most of this resource to ensure every student feels supported, confident, and ready for success.

Mr Winstone

Deputy Headteacher - Teaching & Learning

Rising to the Challenge: A Celebration of Year 11 Progress

As we move into the final stretch of the academic year, I am delighted to share great news regarding our Year 11 cohort. Following the recent March mock examinations in Maths and English, the results are in—and they are a testament to the incredible work ethic of our students.

The Power of Persistence

Success is rarely the result of luck; it is the result of persistence. Between the November and March mocks, our students achieved a commendable average improvement of half a grade across the board in both Maths and English Literature.

While a half-grade might sound like a statistic, in reality, it represents hundreds of hours of focused revision and a commitment to independent study.

Standout Successes

The individual leaps in progress have been nothing short of remarkable:

• Maths: 70 students achieved an improvement of one full grade or more.

• English Literature: 36 students achieved an incredible jump of two or more grades.

• English Language: 28 students also saw an improvement of two or more grades.

This progress has been bolstered by the unwavering commitment of our staff. I would like to personally thank the maths and english departments for their targeted after-school sessions and lunchtime interventions as well the tireless marking of extra practice essays to provide students with vital feedback. All of which have been instrumental in bridging gaps and building student confidence.

A Partnership for Success

We also recognise that this success does not happen in isolation. To our parents and carers: thank you. Your support—from encouraging attendance at extra sessions to managing the pressures of the mock season at home—is the foundation upon which these results are built. We truly appreciate our partnership with you.

The Springboard to Summer

These mock exams are more than just practice; They prove to every student that progress is possible and that their effort directly translates into results.

To our Year 11s: Use this momentum. You have shown yourselves what you are capable of achieving. As we look toward the summer exams, do so with your heads held high and the confidence that you are on the path to even greater success.

Mr Winstone

Deputy Headteacher

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!

Year 8 student Neythen Powell-Jones has been very busy recently, having performance lessons with Dr Robert Childs at the Royal Welsh College of Music in Cardiff, competing in the Rotary Young Musician of the Year (reaching the finals for the South West and Wales in Bristol), and competing at the National Youth Championships with St Austell Youth band in Birmingham, helping them win with his solo performance on Euphonium.

Neythen will be joining 50 of the UK's top under 18 Brass players on the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain Easter residential course and concerts in Harrogate, and he will then travel to Manchester to perform with the band at the Royal Northern College of Music.

The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument known for its warm, mellow, and velvety tone. It was developed in the 19 century and its name was derived from the ancient Greek word euphōnos, which means "sweet sounding". The euphonium's traditional home is the British brass band but has also found a home in the concert bands where it provides harmony. It is a common solo instrument as its tone is warm, mellow, and lyrical and it can shift effortlessly between music genres.

Well done Neythen and enjoy your musical Easter!

Three of our students performed with the Devon Youth Orchestra in their Spring concert in Exeter Cathedral last Friday. This was an amazing opportunity for Year 10 student Rowan, Year 9 student Reuben and Year 8 student Henry, to play alongside some of the most talented players in Devon and to tackle some incredible repertoire. The pieces included Holst's Mars, Gabriel's Oboe, Marquez, Sibelius and Brahms: an eclectic mix of high level music. The concert is an annual event with over 200 in the audience to raise money for Children's Hospice South West. 

Well done!

Sports News and Updates

Hockey

Congratulations to the DHSB U14 Hockey team on their impressive performance at the West Area Finals. Finishing as runners-up is a testament to the hard work and commitment these students have shown throughout the competition.

Dodgeball

Great fun was had by Year 7's in Monday’s mini dodgeball tournament vs Plympton!

Flag Football

The first competition of Flag Football for the DHSB team took place on Wednesday. The A team topped their pool and made the final, sadly losing to a strong St James team. They still qualified for the next round though! The B team played great flag all afternoon and finished 5th.

Well done all!