Celebrating Our Green Tree Schools Bronze Award!

We are delighted to announce that our school has been awarded the Bronze Green Tree Schools Award by the Woodland Trust!

This achievement recognises the commitment of both students and staff to caring for the environment and promoting sustainability across our school community. The students have been taking part in nature-based activities and learning more about how we can protect our planet, our students have shown fantastic enthusiasm and creativity every step of the way.  The Year 7 students designed their own 'Tree Champions' too!

A huge thank you goes to all the staff who supported these projects and to every student who got involved - your teamwork and dedication have made this award possible.

But we’re not stopping here! Our next goal is to achieve the Silver Award, and plans are already in motion to build on the brilliant work we’ve started. With continued effort, imagination, and passion, we’re confident we can reach the next stage in making our school an even greener, more sustainable place to learn and grow.

Well done, everyone - this award is something we can all be proud of!

Mr Scott

European Day of Languages

The European Day of Languages is celebrated every year on 26th September. It was created to show how important languages are in our everyday lives. The day encourages people to learn new languages, value linguistic diversity, and understand other cultures better. Today in tutorial, students have been celebrating with a Kahoot quiz and class discussion on the following questions: Which language would you most like to learn, and why? Is it better to learn one language really well, or lots of languages a little bit? Should everyone try to learn the basics (like hello, thank you) in every country they visit?

In addition, we have asked staff to try and use other languages in their lessons today. 7J impressed us with their knowledge of the numbers 1-15 in Irish thanks to Mr Scott, and we look forward to hearing how else languages have been incorporated into lessons across the school today.

Mrs Brooking, Head of Modern Foreign Languages

History Club is back!

Mrs Mintoft, Head of History, shared that History Club has got off to a great start with over 50 students watching and listening to a presentation by Luke.

Also running on the top floor of C block are Amnesty Club and Latin Club. All are welcome. Please check the clubs and activities info for dates and times.

Sailing Success

Harry Mills (Y12), a sponsored athlete who competes in sailing events nationally and internationally, a qualified sailing instructor and safety boat driver, recently competed at the 45th edition of the J/24 World Championships held in Plymouth. The J/24 is a 24-foot, one-design, fixed keel, performance-oriented boat and is typically sailed with a crew of five.

Following the J/24 World Championships, Harry was invited by the Royal Yachting Association to attend a selection weekend for their Olympic pathway programme. After taking part in intensive sessions on the water, an afternoon of sports science and undergoing a number of physical tests and measurements, he was selected into the British Sailing Talent Academy.

The Olympic pathway programme is designed to enable the best British sailors to develop their racing skills so that they can succeed on the international stage and aimed at sailors with the potential for world-class performance. Well done and good luck Harry!

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!

Sports News and Results

Rugby

U17's

Last Wednesday our U17 rugby side played Plymouth College at Delganey. The school played very well in challenging conditions and were winning until the last play of the game when the College scored to secure victory.

Y10/11's

Year 10 rugby team were in action at the Y10/11 central venue rugby matches on Wednesday. There were some good tough games against Coombe Dean and Stoke Damerel and great effort from all the students involved.

Football

DHSB v Duchy College

Our first XI made a brilliant start to the season by beating Duchy College in the Devon Wednesday Football League on Wednesday. Well done!

Year 9 Football DHSB v Marine Academy Plymouth

What a game! Huge congratulations to the Year 9 team who battled hard to secure a thrilling 4-3 victory in the first round of the National Cup on Thursday. They overcame a tough challenge from Marine Academy to progress!

Y7 Football Tournament

It was great to see 80+ students take part in the Year 7 football tournament with Sir John Hunt school on Thursday. Competitive games were played in great spirit!

Secondary Inclusion Football

A team from DHSB took part in the Secondary Inclusion Football event on Wednesday and had a great time.

Alumni News

On this day in 1942, whilst the school was evacuated to Penzance, which ironically was carried out hoping to ensure safety of the boys after the 1941 blitz events in Plymouth, there was a terrible incident in which headmaster Mr Buckley feared the worst after six boys were in a shelter which took a direct hit from the Germans. 

From ‘A Torch in Flame’ by Henry Whitfeld (the history of DHSB), I will let you read Mr Buckley’s own words, there’s an amusing end to what could’ve been a terrible disaster:

‘The worst experience occurred in the very early morning of September 26th 1942, when enemy planes made a deliberate and prolonged attack on one of our school hostels and, after ringing it with bombs, finally scored a direct hit. Six boys were missing and we could not hope that they were alive since the shelter which they had occupied had collapsed. The inevitable conclusion was that they were buried under the debris. I shall not easily forget the courage of the mud-stained and blood-stained survivors, or the coolness and resource of the Hostel.

Master, and Messrs. H. and R. Ferraro who were very close to the hostel when the incident occurred. A rescue party was quickly at work, digging for the missing boys, and the survivors were transferred to other quarters for the night. As, after seeing them comfortably housed, some of us trudged back to the devastated hostel in that eerie silence which succeeds a blitz, and which all Plymothians know so well, my heart was indeed heavy. I dreaded having to break the news to the parents of the missing boys, and I feared the effect of the raid on the fortunes of the School I had come to love .. What a tremendous relief it was, therefore, when a shout came out of the silence:

"The six boys are safe." And safe they were. On the collapse of the shelter, they had managed to crawl out of the debris, to cross one or two fields and to find cover in a nearby and well-known institution. There, as I was told by the Principal the next morning, they were enthusiastically welcomed by the residents. I need scarcely add that, being intelligent D.H.S.boys, they had chosen as their place of refuge a girls' boarding-school!"’

One of these ‘boys’ I am delighted to say, celebrated his 100th birthday last year! 

Mrs Kinsella,

Alumni Engagement and Archives

PTFA News

We have had a great time providing refreshments at the last two Saturday mornings for the 11+ events.  A big thank you to Joanna for leading this and to Melanie, Katie, Josanne, Leanne and Anna for helping.  

If you may be able to help us at one of our events, please submit this form, it is much appreciated.

Our next meeting is on the 12th November, please join us if you can - we’d love to meet you 

Any questions, please email ptfa@dhsb.org.

Mrs Kinsella, PTFA Liaison