- Devonport High School for Girls
-
Devonport High School for Girls Motto Sine Labe Decus Established 1911 Type Grammar Headmistress Mrs Hemsi Specialism Languages Location Lyndhurst Road
Peverell, Plymouth
Devon
PL2 3DL
EnglandLocal authority Plymouth City Council DfE URN 113531 Ofsted Reports Students 820 Gender Girls Ages 11–18 Website www.devonportgirls.plymouth.sch.uk Coordinates: 50°23′34″N 4°09′06″W / 50.3927°N 4.1518°W
Devonport High School for Girls is a traditional state selective girls' secondary school (ages 11–18) in Plymouth, England.
Contents
History
In September 1908 Devonport High School for Girls was the first school in Plymouth to be recognised as a girls secondary school. It was originally located at Paradise Road, Stoke in Plymouth, and known as Devonport Municipal Secondary School for Girls. It was established approximately 15 years after its sibling Devonport High School for Boys. The school moved to its current location which overlooks the Plymouth Argyle football ground, Home Park, on September 10, 1937, from its original location on Paradise Road. The school was divided into four houses- St.Joan, St.Margaret, St.Monica and St.Ursula. Today the house system still exists but are now named-Falcon, Kestrel, Hawk and Eagle.
During World War II the girls were evacuated to Tiverton grammar school, whilst the DHSG building was initially used by the fire service who were drafted in from across England to fight fires created by the aerial bombardment. It was also used as a machine shop for the dockyard during this period. The building suffered bomb damage during the war. The tennis and netball courts added in 1952 can now be seen at a lower level than the playing field due to a crater an exploded mine had left.
Honour boards which hang at the back of the main hall were paid for by the money each of the pupils received to mark the Coronation. In 1971 DHSG started to accept girls from all areas of Plymouth and by the 1980s girls were coming from outside of Plymouth. In 2005 DHSG acquired Specialist Language College status bringing with it funding to provide better facilities, not just in building updating and expansion but in technology also. The new Learning Centre constructed in 2005 housed a modern library, new language laboratories and two fully equipped computer rooms.
Academics
DHSG is a grammar school, catering for students purported to be at the top end of the academic ability range. These students are selected by means of the 11-plus entrance exam, which test potential students on verbal reasoning and mathematics. In 2010 it was ranked 158 of 164 grammar schools. Governors have now voted not to release examination results to the press[citation needed].
In 2006 it has some 820 pupils, of whom around 200 were sixth form students. The school has now obtained Specialist Language College status, and has introduced Chinese into the curriculum from Sept 2006
Each school year from 7-11 is split into four tutor groups. These tutor groups originally formed the school 'houses'. The forms the students are put in in year 7 are the forms they will stay in until year 11 .
DHSG is a specialist language school and has this year(2011) acquired Academy Trust Status allowing it to operate as a company and have better control over its funding.
References
External links
Categories:- Plymouth, Devon
- Educational institutions established in 1911
- Grammar schools in Devon
- Girls' schools in Devon
- Language Colleges in England
- 1911 establishments in England
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
