Devonport High School for Boys A GSG School
- Devonport High School for Boys
Paradise Road
Stoke
Plymouth
PL1 5QP - Head: Dan Roberts
- T 01752 208787
- F 01752 208788
- E headteacher@dhsb.org
- W www.dhsb.org
- A state school for boys aged from 11 to 18.
- Read about the best schools in Devon
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Plymouth
- Pupils: 1,238; sixth formers: 346 (269 boys; 77 girls)
- Religion: Non-denominational
- Open days: Please check our website for details
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
-
Ofsted:
- Latest Overall effectiveness Good 1
- 16-19 study programmes Outstanding 1
- Outcomes for children and learners Good 1
- Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1
- Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1
- Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 1
- 1 Full inspection 17th October 2023
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
The main building is a huge grey stone grade 2 listed building, which served as a prison during the Napoleonic wars and as a hospital during WW2. Inside, it’s spacious; high ceilings and wide corridors. And grey with a hefty amount of blue paint everywhere else. Basic and functional, no soft touches, very much a boys' school. Built on traditional foundations, this boys’ city grammar school has a great reputation for science and engineering. With his own passion for science, and expertise in IT, the head has been building on this. There are now so many more…
What the school says...
A message from the Headteacher
Devonport High School for Boys is proud of its reputation for academic excellence and for developing the skills our students need to be happy, successful 21st century citizens. Since 1896, students have entered DHSB on individual merit; our reputation has been earned by their endeavour and the professionalism of our staff.
We attract and appoint high calibre professionals to lead and support student learning.
The school is supported by a strong Governing body which brings a wealth of expertise and experience in guiding the school towards its priorities.
Everyone Succeeds
Students achieve the highest academic standards
All staff seek to become even better
Leadership at all levels
Collaboration and community
Creative and entrepreneurial spirit
Ofsted acknowledged the governance of the school as being Outstanding in the 2007 inspection.
Another Outstanding aspect of our provision is our commitment to personal development and well-being, our students have: a very clear sense of right and wrong and are eager to contribute to the life of the school and wider community. They are keen to take responsibility and participate enthusiastically in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. (Ofsted 2007).
Under the guidance of a dedicated team of tutors, led by an experienced student support team, our students know where to go when they need help. Our House system creates opportunities for students to compete and to have their achievements celebrated.
Although methods, systems and personalities may change, the fundamental commitment to maximizing students potential remains the same. As headteacher, it is my responsibility to ensure that everyone who works within our community has a challenging, fulfilling time with us and that they enjoy the journey. I take this responsibility very seriously and always welcome opportunities to discuss the work of the school.
Please do take the opportunity to visit our website at www.dhsb.org to gain a broader view of our unique offer and a visual representation of our site and facilities.
Dan Roberts
Headteacher
Entrance examination consists of Maths, English Comprehension and English Composition
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Converted to an academy 2011. ...Read more
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School associations
State grammar school
What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmaster
Since 2015, Dan Roberts (30s). Originally from Manchester, studied a degree in marine biology at Plymouth University before completing his PGCE at University of St Mark and St John. His first teaching jobs, as science teacher, were at Tamarside Community College, now Marine Academy Plymouth, and later at saltash.net school, as head of science. For a complete change of scene he then jetted off to the Seychelles to be head of an international school for two years before returning to Plymouth as deputy at DHSB (moving up to the role of head two years later). Dan has not only won national and international teaching awards, most recently the TES ICT Visionary in Education, he also has a worldwide reputation for IT and consultancy. He still teaches IT and is able to pull on his...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
The school now employs a number of support staff, led by the Mrs Bowden, Deputy Head (Pastoral) and the Individual Needs Coordinator, Mrs Weaver. Together they provide support in and outside the classroom so that all boys who pass the 11+ test can expect to have their particular needs catered for. For example, the school has successfully supported pupils with physical, sight and hearing disabilities, Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD and Tourette's Syndrome.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | |
| Dyspraxia | |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Interpreting catchment maps
The maps show in colour where the pupils at a school came from*. Red = most pupils to Blue = fewest.
Where the map is not coloured we have no record in the previous three years of any pupils being admitted from that location based on the options chosen.
For help and explanation of our catchment maps see: Catchment maps explained
Further reading
If there are more applicants to a school than it has places for, who gets in is determined by which applicants best fulfil the admissions criteria.
Admissions criteria are often complicated, and may change from year to year. The best source of information is usually the relevant local authority website, but once you have set your sights on a school it is a good idea to ask them how they see things panning out for the year that you are interested in.
Many schools admit children based on distance from the school or a fixed catchment area. For such schools, the cut-off distance will vary from year to year, especially if the school give priority to siblings, and the pattern will be of a central core with outliers (who will mostly be siblings). Schools that admit on the basis of academic or religious selection will have a much more scattered pattern.
*The coloured areas outlined in black are Census Output Areas. These are made up of a group of neighbouring postcodes, which accounts for their odd shapes. These provide an indication, but not a precise map, of the school’s catchment: always refer to local authority and school websites for precise information.
The 'hotter' the colour the more children have been admitted.
Children get into the school from here:
regularly
most years
quite often
infrequently
sometimes, but not in this year
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