We are proud of the wonderful students leaving school and leaving us in 2026. It has been a delight to work with these exciting and capable students and to travel with them as they've journeyed this far to becoming the kind, hopeful and connected young people they are known to be. 

Our parting messages are for them to be brave, empowered, to take risks, invest in their networks, embrace the imperfections of being human and the opportunities to grow through empathy, kindness and sustaining connections (with real people) throughout their lives.

We wish them success and luck too, for their hard work throughout May and June. 

Mrs Davidson

Head of Sixth Form

Farewell Year 11

Although not quite the end of their time here at DHSB, our Year 11 students enjoyed their final assembly together on Wednesday before the start of their exams on Thursday.

Our Year 11s had a busy last day with a number of the cohort involved in GCSE PE moderation. At the end of period 4, the students joined Mr Carpenter and Mr Manley in the theatre where they enjoyed a bacon / veggie roll, had the opportunity to sign shirts and watch a photo montage of memories of their time at DHSB. It was wonderful to see our fantastic Year 11s in such high spirits for their final assembly before exams began on Thursday.  

The assembly, hosted by Mr Manley, kicked off with the annual leavers Rock, Paper, Scissors Championship which was won by Lorenzo in 11A. Mr Carpenter gave some thank you's to the tutor team for their support over the past 3 years, and thanked the students before sharing some final words of reflection of the last four and a half years and giving some tips for the coming weeks.

Students were presented with some light hearted 'Most likely to...' awards that the students had made nominations for and Mr Manley gave a few closing words before one final prize was awarded to Zach in 11A, for almost guessing the total number of lessons year 11 have had at DHSB since starting in September 2021. Finally, the students headed to the lower playground for more shirt signing and ice cream before leaving site.

It was a lovely chance to look back on their time with us and tell them how immensely proud we are of everything they’ve achieved. The students conducted themselves excellently throughout the day, as they have during their time here at DHSB, and we wish them all the best for their exams and beyond.

Mr Manley, Assistant Headteacher - Behaviour and Student Support &

Mr Carpenter, Head or Year 11

Ten Tors 2026

Ten Tors is an annual challenge held by the Army on Dartmoor and open to the teenagers of the South West of England and it is taking place this weekend. The Ten Tors Challenge sees four hundred teams of six teenagers (that’s 2400!) hiking 35, 45 or 55 miles over the rough terrain of Dartmoor in  under two days. They must be self-sufficient and carry all that they need to complete their route and stay out overnight safely, and visit ten nominated tors / check points. The weather can be very changeable and to be successful, the team will have to work together and put into practice all they have learnt during their training. 

This year, DHSB has two teams of six, entered for the 45-mile Challenge. If you would like to follow the progress of DHSB's Ten Tors teams, you will need to find their route and team ID on the Ten Tors Results page. The Ten Tors event starts at 07:00 Saturday through to 17:00 Sunday. You can also follow their progress on instagram using @DHSBOutdoor and @armytentors. This year's teams are:

Year 10 DHSB-B code VM (Team M on ROUTE V)

• Alex

• Ed

• Felix

• Oak

• Will H

• Will L

  
  

Year 12 DHSB-A code SL (Team L on ROUTE S)

• Dan

• Harry

• Jake

• Owen

• Tamsyn*

• Toby

• Tom

  
  

45 miles is quite a long way, but we are confident they are capable of completing the challenge to get all six members of each team across the finish line by the deadline of 5 p.m. Sunday ("6 by 5" has been a saying in Ten Tors for decades before more recent obsessions with various pairs of numbers!).

Special mention should be made of Tamsyn who has volunteered to accept the very special role of Reserve. She has completed all of the training and will see the team at the start but, as only six team members are allowed to start the challenge and substitutions are not allowed thereafter, most likely won't get to take part.

To everyone mentioned above and the many more DHSB students in years 9 to 12 who are participating in Ten Tors in teams run by other establishments, including Scout and Cadet groups, and Charities such as Dartmoor Plodders and Tavistock Outdoor Education Forum, we wish you good luck and hope that you enjoy the experience. 

Dr Colvile

Ten Tors Team Manager

Creative arts News

Theatre Royal Plymouth - School Performance of 'The Animals'

A massive well done to the students who were involved in the National Theatre Connections project, performing in the Theatre Royal Plymouth on Saturday 2 May. This play was gritty, and required the actors to really step outside their normal comfort zone to play roles that were quite alien to most. The students absolutely did the school community proud and the performance was outstanding as echoed by many people that watched it. 

Music Exam News 

As part of our instrumental lesson programme, students receive the opportunity to take grades on their instruments. The grades, as they get higher, can be used toward UCAS points. The students below have all passed with flying colours, requiring lots of commitment to practicing in their own time to achieve these excellent results.

Well done to all! 

Dan Grade 4 Drums - Merit

Gabriel Grade 6 Bass - Distinction

Alex Grade 3 Bass - Merit

Gabriel Grade 6 Drums - Merit

Leo Grade 5 Drums - Distinction

Frazer Grade 7 Drums - Merit

Thomas Grade 1 Guitar - Merit

Drew Grade 2 Drums - Distinction

Frazer Grade 6 Drums – Distinction

At DHSB we offer a wide range of very popular instrumental lessons that are taught during the school day. Students have the opportunity to learn an instrument 1:1 with a teacher and we offer these lessons in E Guitar, Bass, Drum kit, Strings, Brass, Woodwind, Voice and Piano. To enquire about lessons, please fill in this form as soon as possible as it will close next week. A teacher will respond to your expression of interest with further details.

Summer Recital Concert - Thursday 18th June 6-8pm

A date to reserve is our fantastic Summer Recital Evening, a delightful array of our finest Classical, Jazz and Musical Theatre performances in Stoke Damerel Church, with the addition of our Year 9 catering Food Technology students providing beautiful canapes, and a glass of fizz! Ticket entry only, auditions for the performers will take place before half term. 

Mrs Luing-Holmes

Director of Creative and Performing Arts

House Assemblies

It has been a truly inspiring week in our House assembly series, as our House Captains and Vice Captains took to the stage to explore a core value that defines the spirit of our school: Determination.

Rather than just defining the word, our student leadership teams brought the concept to life with a mix of global perspectives and deeply personal stories. We heard well-researched accounts of world-renowned figures who refused to quit in the face of adversity, but perhaps more movingly, our captains shared their own moments. From overcoming sporting setbacks to the grit required during challenging academic cycles, their honesty served as a powerful reminder that determination isn't a superpower, t’s a choice we make every day.

The week's assemblies also marked a key date in our Attenborough House assembly. Today, we celebrate a milestone that feels almost legendary: Sir David Attenborough has turned 100.

Sir David is a supreme example of determination. Over a career spanning eight decades, he has remained steadfast in his mission to be a voice for the natural world. Even as the challenges facing our planet have grown, his resolve has never wavered. Our student speakers highlighted that Sir David’s secret isn't just his knowledge, but his tenacity, the determination to keep showing up, keep speaking out, and keep inspiring new generations to care.

As we head into the weekend, we hope all our students take a leaf out of Sir David’s book (and our Captains' speeches). Whether you are facing exams, masterclasses, or personal goals, remember that talent will get you started, but determination is what gets you there.

Happy 100th Birthday, Sir David, and well done to all our House leaders for a stellar week of assemblies!

Miss Cunningham

Head of Houses & Community

Year 10 Bake Off

Following an invitation from City College for a Year 10 team to take part in their 'Bake Off' event on 4 June, and the overwhelming interest, we had to carry out our own 'Bake Off' challenge. Six teams entered for the opportunity to represent the school.

The team chosen to go through to the City College competition, produced a cake that fulfilled the brief of ‘Food Illusion’. Their cake included different flavours and buttercream and was perfectly baked. They also demonstrated complex technical skill in their presentation, were organised and worked well as a team. Well done John, Jason and Corban for your ‘Pot of Stew’.

There were some fabulous designs and notable good 'food illusions' from Harry, Will and Jack who created a fantastic 'Burger and Chips' cake, and a 'Banana' which was a banana cake by Jereon, Jayden and Noah.

Henry, Kaiwen and Rafferty produced a lovely chocolate orange cake shaped as a pumpkin and Leo, Jake and Otis constructed a wonderful floating m&m cake with gorgeous flavour.

It was a fantastic effort from all of you, hope you had fun!

Miss Franklin

Teacher of Food Preparation and Nutrition

Red House Children’s Book Award at DHSB 

For many years we have been lucky enough to be involved in the Red House Children’s Book Award through our partnership with Libby Allman, of Plymouth Children’s Book Group. This is the only book award for children’s fiction which is voted for and awarded on the basis of children and young people’s votes. 

This year we have had two classes, one in Year 7 and one in Year 8, who have been involved in ‘book testing’ before reading the final three books. Each student reads the final three books for their age group before voting in order of preference for the three. The final award is due to be announced at the Awards Ceremony next month. 

This year’s finalists for this age category were as follows:

‘The Last Dragon on Mars’ by Scott Reintgen

‘Fear Files: Hide and Seek’ by Christopher Edge

‘My Name is Samim’ by Fidan Meikle.

Pictured here are Angus, Isaac and Edward of 7T who were three of our brilliant participants this year. Even from their votes it looks as if the final winner will be too hard to predict!

Mrs Davarian

Teacher of English

Students Awarded Industrial Cadets Gold Award

Tuesday marked the end of a 6 month project for the Industrial Cadet Gold Award students. Over the past 6 months, five year 12 students, in partnership with Schneider Electric, were presented with a real world engineering problem and given an opportunity to find a solution.

The project, titled "Mechanical Design for Automated Screwdriver Application Preventing

Incorrectly Fitted Screws Affecting Power-up of an ITRV (Internet Connected Thermostatic Radiator Valve)", allowed the students to improve current production lines.

During the project, the students identified a problem, pitched ideas to solve this problem, researched equipment, materials and sizes and came up with a solution and a final product. Their research has been very successful and Schneider Electric have confirmed that they will be installing their solution on their production lines.

The students, Benedict, Elizabeth, Maruf, Jakub, and Sebastian have now been awarded their Industrial Cadets Gold Award, a nationally recognised qualification.

Mr Spencer

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Coordinator

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!

Navigating the Digital World Together: A National Consultation

As a school community, we often discuss the incredible opportunities—and the challenges—that the digital world presents to our young people. Managing screen time, navigating social media, and establishing healthy online habits are conversations that happen here regularly and hopefully for you at home too.

The government recently launched a major national consultation titled "Growing up in the online world," and is actively seeking the views of schools, families, and young people themselves.

The consultation is looking for input on several key themes, including:

• Setting a minimum age for children to access social media platforms.

• Restricting "risky" design features that encourage endless scrolling or excessive use.

• Whether the digital age of consent should be raised.

• How age verification technology can be better used to protect young people.

• Whether the current guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools should become statutory law.

• How to better support parents, including providing clearer guidance and simpler parental controls.

Who can take part? There are specific surveys tailored to different groups, so everyone in our community can have their say:

• Parents and Carers (of young people aged 21 and under)

• Children and Young People (aged 10 to 21)

• A General Consultation (for professionals, industry, and the wider public)

Your perspective as parents, carers, and young people is invaluable in shaping how we protect and guide the next generation online.

You can find the details and complete the consultation here: Growing up in the online world: a national consultation - GOV.UK

Please note that the consultation will close on Tuesday, 26 May 2026. 

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and partnership in helping our students navigate the modern world safely.

Mrs Parkes

Director of Learning Commons & Initial Teacher Training

Golf

Four of our students took part in the Devon Schools Golf competition last week at Stover Golf Club.

It was a very competitive day and overall, the boys performed really well and scored excellently. Special mention goes to Mason who finished 3rd and has been selected to represent Devon Schools at the upcoming championships in Dorset.

Good luck Mason!

Football

The Year 11 Plymouth Cup Final took place on Wednesday. The team lost 2-1 but can look back with great pride over the five years of competitions and cup runs they've taken part in during their time at DHSB.