Curriculum Enrichment Week 2025

Curriculum Enrichment Week (CEW) saw students in Years 8 to 10 take part in activities they may not previously have experienced and concentrated on creating opportunities for them to extend their learning through a selection of artistic, sporting, educational and adventurous attractions. They were encouraged to take on new personal challenges, develop teamwork, communication and social skills, whilst having fun.

Students learnt correct finger placement on the trigger, how to steady their breathing, clear their mind and focus on taking the shot at the Crackshot Airgun Centre and Indoor Range. 

The Scuba Diving at Tinside experience saw students work toward achieving their SSI Open Water Diver qualification which is an internationally recognised standard that will open up a whole new world of underwater adventures for them.

Students had an introduction to powerboating techniques, everyday boat handling, the use of safety equipment and the rules of the road whilst working toward their Power Boating RYA Level 1 /Level 2 certificate.

At Timbervault, students had fun working together to break codes and escape and for more physical fun, had a go at throwing real axes!

Students played together in VR Escape Rooms, had Xbox competitions and raced against one another in VR racing simulators at Player Reality Virtual Reality Gaming.

At DHSB, students spent time learning the art of Basketball and how to improve their game and took part in a Fencing workshop where they learnt to fence with real swords, improve their co-ordination and fitness and develop confidence whilst having a bit of fun.

Students who joined the Fotonow workshop at Mount Edgcumbe had an immersive experience combining nature exploration with learning essential photography techniques. They took a guided walk through the park's woodlands, gardens, and coastal scenery and learnt about framing, lighting, and capturing nature’s textures and colours. 

Students experienced exhilaration on England’s longest and fastest Zip wire 97 meters above ground, at Hangloose, Eden Project. They also released their inner stunt-man on the airbag drop and took to the high ropes; swinging and soaring through the trees!

Fun was had at the John Nike Ski and Snowboard Centre where students had a ski/snowboard lesson, enjoyed tobogganing and sno-tubing. 

Students took wakeboarding/ kneeboarding tuition and had super fun playing on the giant inflatables in the aqua park at North Devon Wake Park.

A trip to the National Marine Aquarium saw students become scientists for the day. They learnt about electricity generation through scientific models and demos and working in teams, they carried out experiments to demonstrate how carbon dioxide affects the

ocean and its inhabitants. 

Students spent the day at Supertramp having fun playing Dodgeball, Volleyball, Basketball and Free Bounce.

Students enjoyed numerous workshops at the Arts University Plymouth. These included Painting, Drawing, Printmaking and Animation.

Students had the opportunity to improve their golf skills at China Fleet Country Club

Surfs Up! Lands End was the destination for some students who spent a few days camping and enjoying messing around in the sea and playing on the beach. They enjoyed body boarding, surf lessons, tug of war on the beach and camp fires with smores!

Students on the Black Forest trip travelled by coach and ferry to the Black Forest, Germany. They visited Strasbourg and took a tour of a chocolate factory and enjoyed a boat trip,  spent a day at Europa Park, experienced breathtaking views on the Schauinsland Cable Car and ride which is Germany's longest loop cable car and explored Freiburg and visited the Triberg waterfalls and the Black Forest Open Air Museum. 

Students visiting Iceland saw the Secret Lagoon, the powerful, tiered Gullfoss waterfall known for its golden hue on sunny days, and its dramatic plunge into a canyon. They visited Geysir, a geothermal area with geysers, including the frequently erupting Strokkur, which shoots boiling water high into the air. They had an interesting visit at the Lava Centre and took a glacier walk on Solheimajökull. They also enjoyed traditional Icelandic food consisting of smoked pork, dried fish, liver pate, and flatbread!

The Football Tour to Barcelona saw students visit Espanyol Stadium, explore Barcelona, attend football training sessions, take part in fixtures and have fun at a waterpark.

Students visiting Malaga to attend Mercado de Atarazanas Language School also visited Malaga’s Football Stadium the “Rosaleda”, took a tour of Malaga and visited the Picasso Museum, the Alcazaba (Medieval Moorish Castle and Palaces) and Roman Amphi-Theatre. They also spent a day at Aqualand Water Park and enjoyed Tapas and churros!

The Italy trips saw the students stroll the streets of Venice, take a guided tour of the Fiorano track & Viale Enzo Ferrari museum, make pasta in Bologna and take in the Lamborghini Museum. They also had time to go karting!

Year 7 students enjoyed a bushcraft adventure staying in beautiful woodland in Gloucestershire. They experienced a wide range of outdoor activities designed to enhance social and personal development, whilst having fun and learning new skills. Activities included fire lighting, shelter building, camouflage, archery, tomahawk throwing and many more! They tried their hand at wilderness cookery and challenged themselves with a bushtucker trial!

It isn't just the students that have been having fun...

Meanwhile…

Year 12 student Bailey completed a work shadowing experience at the Bank of England this week! What a fantastic opportunity to learn about finance! And, Victor, Elliot and Josh spent their work experience week @fugro and using the simulator to control remote vessels!

During CEW,  Year 10 and 12 students have the opportunity to undertake an additional work experience placement. Work experience offers students a first hand look into diverse industries, providing insights into requisite skills and attitudes for successful careers. It encourages personal growth, cultivates essential soft and hard skills, enhances employability and empowers students to align their education with their passions and career goals. This exposure fosters a responsible and adaptable workforce, ensuring students step into the professional realm with confidence and competence, well-prepared to navigate the demands of their chosen fields.

And, Mrs Flack and Mr Ames spent their time creating the latest Honour Board. They made the 'Headteacher', 'Governors' and 'Staff' boards in the E Block corridor during lockdown in 2021 but have struggled to find the time to work on the new 25yr+ 'Staff' board until now and have finally managed it! Mr Ames makes all the boards from scratch (and has made three more spare boards for the future) and Mrs Flack works on the vinyl lettering. There are only two names on the new board... current staff Kathy Johns (Receptionist) and Julie Wilkinson (Deputy Head of Sixth Form / Media) who both started in 1998.

DHSB Chess Report 2024-25

Our plan for this season was to run two sides in different divisions of the Torbay Chess League so that we could give an opportunity to our most experienced players whilst being able to bring in a few newcomers. It was a long hard season from October through to May  (with one match even called off for snow!). In both divisions we reached the final match with the possibility of finishing level with the top side however, exam season had its say with availability and both teams had to be satisfied with third place.

The division matches are for four player teams, while the league’s knockout competition featured six. We had high hopes of reaching the final, but our semi-final clashed with Year 12 exams so, with our top two team members missing, defeat by 1.5-4.5 was to be expected although James Trenam-Nash pulled off the individual result of the season against our friends at Plymouth. We also played some shorter games in the Rapidplay Division, which the boys seemed to enjoy.

In the Schools Knock-out, the team again reached the Regional Final – essentially, a county championship – but came up against Exeter Mathematical School, a post-GCSE only establishment. We had beaten them in qualifying before Christmas, but they fielded two players who had represented us in the previous season and we failed to reach the National Finals. So, we had another go in an online repechage event scoring a very creditable 50% against very tough competition. We returned with medals for two of our teams from the Torquay Boys’ county-wide team challenge.

In individual competition, James Allen won the school Summer Rapidplay and Caleb Caleshu continued to shine, retaining his title as adult city champion and this year adding the knockout competition to his achievements. He also scored 5/5 for our league side and also turned out for the Devon team.

Over the course of the season, 13 boys and one young lady from DHSG represented the school, four of whom made their debuts. We are hoping for a good turn-out at the 3rd Plymouth Schools Competition on 5 July – full details are available on the Plymouth Chess Club website.

Post Exam Adventure

Year 13 student Finlay, flew out to the USA after completing his A-Levels to work as a Bunk Counsellor at a Camp Wigwam for Boys in the foothills of the White Mountains, southwestern Maine. He is spending nine weeks at the camp which has been creating unforgettable adventures and lifelong friendships since 1910, looking after a group of 14 year olds, as well as running Camp Craft sessions and helping out with Rocketry. He has been getting involved with other camp activities, especially ball games. Once the camp has finished, Finlay will have up to four weeks to travel around the USA.  At the moment, he hopes to spend time in Washington DC and New York and plans to visit Disney World in Florida.

More medals!

Last Saturday Ethan competed in Walsall at Naga. After having no one in his bracket (Intermediate), he was moved up to the Expert bracket and took home Silver in Gi and Bronze in No Gi.

On Sunday, Ethan competed for the first time as a Green Belt at the West Country Green Belt and Under Championship in Kingsley and after winning all four of his matches, Ethan proudly took home Gold. Well done, Ethan!