On Monday we were delighted to open our new Visitor Reception in the Guard House.

Our site team, led by Mr McConnell, Estate Manager, has done a fantastic job converting and refurbishing the building which has been used as an electricity substation since DHSB was established on this site.

A waiting area and meeting room are included in the new reception area and we are planning a celebratory official opening later this year.

A reminder that all visitors to school should contact our reception team via the intercom at the main gates and then report to the visitor reception to sign-in.

We no longer have specific Covid-19 visitor protocols but visitors may wish to bring a face covering to use in indoor spaces.

Alumni News

Many congratulations to former student Dave King who got through to his first ever global championship final on Sunday at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade (60m hurdles).

We’re very proud of Dave who took sixth place in the final, a great result.

Link to results

Calling Recent DHSB Alumni

Are you free on Friday 8 April 2022 from approximately 9.00am to 11.00am?

Ms Moreton is looking for recent alumni to give a brief talk (five mins or less) to current students about their life since leaving DHSB. This could include university, an apprenticeship and/or employment.

If this applies to you and you are available then we’d love to see you!

Please contact Ms Moreton at sue.moreton@dhsb.org if you can help.

Excellent Work

Our Excellent Work this week is from Mrs Pearson and her Year 9 Chemistry class.

Mrs Pearson said, “These students made excellent Buckminster fullerene models in less than ten minutes! They contain 60 carbon atoms and are arranged in both hexagons and pentagons so it is all rather fiddly and complicated”.

Well done 9b5.

House Competition

Mr Huq led our House assembly and student activity on Wednesday this week.

Students worked across year groups to design a new House logo.

The designs will be judged and selected by our House captains and used in all future House information and materials.

Sixth Form Enrichment and Tutorial

On Wednesday, KS5 form groups enjoyed a games tutorial with tutors to help everyone relax a bit more and share smiles

This morning Year 12 students started their 'Next step planning' with tutors and were able to build ideas and steered towards links to help with decision making.

Year 13 students who were not in mock exams explored debt and borrowing with tutors

Potential Oxbridge and medical students were signposted to referees and study leads and students interested in medicine were able to gain in-person insight from former DHSB student Gavin Ball, currently in his fourth year at Manchester.

Students from Israel (accompanied by Jane Woodford from Friends of Israel) gave an overview of the Middle East in terms of the place, the productivity, the past, the people and the present to increase students’ understanding, to help them appreciate the complexities of some of the issues and to highlight the relevance and importance of the region to us in the UK.

Also, Mr Macleod arranged for Lord Norton to come online and talk to Politics students about the role of the House of Lords

Congratulations on next steps

Very well done to Eva Moffatt 13CMC who has secured a degree apprenticeship with Deloitte following a very competition application process.

Thanks are due to Moses Foote, currently completing a degree apprenticeship with PwC in Manchester, who came back to DHSB to talk to Year 13 students about career opportunities. Moses offered further advice and guidance to individual students too.

Thanks also to Nat Watson-Coe 13KRB who supported Eva with her application following his own offer of a degree apprenticeship with Ernst & Young.

Mr Alsop said, “This is a really good news story with students inspiring and helping others”.

Ms Davidson

PSHEE Activities

Well this has been a glorious week weather wise, and it is really beginning to feel as if the summer term could be on the horizon after a very long winter!

Still two more weeks before Easter, of course, and this week two year groups were finishing off activities from earlier in the term or year.

Year 7 students continued with their initial research into apprenticeships by completing an introductory workbook giving them at least an initial idea of opportunities when they are older. They will of course return to this topic over their time at DHSB as well as receiving lots of advice and guidance on the more traditional route of A levels and university.

Year 9 were the second year group completing a long project today, with the feedback and judging from two of the three companies involved in this year's Employer Challenge. Princess Yachts and Bailey Partnership have now received and critiqued the student presentations, and via a virtual meeting they used the lesson this week to give feedback and advise which groups they had judged as the winners.

Successful groups received a chocolate prize, as well as the invaluable industry input and encouragement for all. Before the pandemic students would have visited these workplaces and met a wider variety of employees, but the activity they have managed to complete has nevertheless been very worthwhile.

The final company who supported us this year, Babcock, will be giving their feedback next Friday.

A massive thanks to all three of these local employers who have enabled our students to experience local labour market information and to begin to understand what a work-based problem solving project might look like.

So to back track to Year 8 students who have looked at the relatively new phenomenon that is influencer marketing. They investigated what this is, how to spot specific instances, and also how it can be possible to earn a living by marketing, although also potentially very time consuming!

Year 10 students have had the first of two SRE lessons covering safe and healthy relationships. They discussed what makes a healthy relationship, and how to spot warning signs for yourself and others. They also considered how they could support a friend, or seek help themselves in these sorts of situations. Their next SRE lesson after Easter will cover STIs and contraception, hopefully to be led by school nurses.

So finally to Year 11 students. Some had a Food Nutrition exam (with Business Studies and Design Technology later in the day) which then completed this sequence of mock GCSE exams.

Those not sitting an exam looked at various different tips and tricks for time management, a skill which will become ever more important over the coming weeks.

I also want to mention the Year 10 business mentoring sessions which were completed this week. A group of Year 10 students have been mentored by Dr Ralph Rizk, our Enterprise Co-ordinator.

Dr Rizk, formerly from Babcock, is now working in a new role with an American Marine Systems Technology company, but hopes to continue in his role here working to help us prepare strategic careers plans and to develop employability skills and confidence with small groups of students.

Ms Moreton

Sports Update

Football

Well done to the Year 9 football team who are through to the Devon Cup semifinals after beating Exmouth 2 - 1 in the quarterfinal.

Rugby

DHSB hosted the Year 8 central venue rugby competition this week with a total of approximately 50 students enjoying their matches in the sun.

Mr Strang said, “The DHSB squad played some attractive rugby and remained undefeated”.

Plymouth Schools Football Fixtures

This week Sam Lord, Charlie Menear and Sam Pearson played for the U14 team which continued an unbeaten streak to top the group in the SW competition.

The team beat Taunton away 5 - 0 to take three from three with previous wins over West Cornwall (2 - 1) and Somerset (4 - 1). Congratulations.

Well done also to Ethan Wright, Joel Sullivan and Gene Price who played for the U15 Plymouth team this week, winning 3 - 0 against Mid Somerset.

Link to match report