Devonport High School for Girls

^{All photos can be viewed in our gallery}

The History Dissertation on "Devonport High School for Girls: How did education for girls change between 1930 and 1950?" was researched and written by Amber Moss in her final year studying BA Hons in History at Bath Spa University, graduating in 2008. A former student of DHSG, she spent considerable time in her final year looking through the archives, talking to staff and contacting former students. We are fortunate that she has agreed to share her dissertation with us and have it included in the school archives. Amber is now happily teaching in a primary school in Bath.

HY6001 History Dissertation - Amber Moss
pdf

1875 - 1912
St Michael's Lodge
A Day and Boarding School at St Michael's Lodge, Devonport Road, Stoke was the first school to be called Devonport High School for Girls. Records show that Miss M Raymond was the Head Mistress in 1905 with 71 students on roll of which 11 were boarders.
1909-37
Devonport Municipal Secondary School for Girls
Devonport Municipal Secondary School for Girls receives formal recognition as a girls’ secondary school by Plymouth City Council -10 girls on the roll (Sept 1908) For the first 27 years the school is accommodated within Devonport Technical School on Paradise Road
1911
Mrs A Hill M.A.
First Headmistress of Devonport Municipal Secondary School for Girls 1911-1918
1916
School House System
The school is divided into 4 houses: St. Joan, St. Ursula, St. Monica and St Margaret
1919
First annual Sports Day
First annual Sports Day is held (1919) Girls entered for Higher examinations in Arts & Sciences, including university examinations (from 1919)
1932-33
Employment during depression
Platform furniture in Assembly Hall is made by skilled craftsmen, providing them with employment during the Depression (1932-33)
1936
Building of New School
New school building opens in Outland Road on Sep. 10th 1937, built in the new Art Deco style
1937
The New School
Devonport High School for Girls in the early 1940s
1940's
The War Years
During the Blitz many girls were evacuated to Tiverton. The school is occupied by MOD for training of dockyard apprentices.
1950's
Trip to Stratford upon Avon
School trip to celebrate the birth/death of William Shakespeare . Students paraded through the streets, laid flowers on his grave and watched a performance of Coriolanus at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
1951
Excursion to the Festival of Britain in London.
240 teachers and students from Devonport High School for Girls left North road station Plymouth, on a 24-hour excursion to the Festival of Britain in London.
1951
Speech Day Booklet 1951
Speech day in 1951 was held at the Central Hall, Plymouth. Distribution of awards and address was made by guest speaker Lady Hillingdon, D.B.E.
1953
Honours Boards
Money which every pupil in the country receives to mark the Coronation in (1953), is used by DHSG to purchase the Honours Boards (now in the Assembly Hall and Reception)
1954
School Choir
School Choir taken in 1954 in the School Hall Conducted by Mrs Pamela Verrall
1977
DHSG Student among the first intake of girls to Trinity Hall
A DHSG student, Jane Anson, is in the first intake of girls to Trinity Hall, Cambridge to read Maths (1977) and where she is also the first female member of the university chess team, winning a Chess Blue. (1979)
2005
The Learning Centre
On 19th October 2005 the Learning Centre was opened housing a brand new library and two new computer suites.
2005
Specialist Languages College
The school is accorded Specialist Languages College status—a Languages Lab is created. (2005) A new state of the art Learning Centre is opened in Oct 2005 in the West Quad housing a Library and two well equipped computer rooms
2014
International activities & Partnerships
The Secretary of State at Dept. of International Development, Justine Greening, visits DHSG to learn about range of international activities & partnerships at DHSG and enjoys presentations by the pupils
2018
Best Practice ISA School
International School Award 2018 - The school receives the International School Award for the 5th time since 2006 and enjoys links with 17 countries globally.
2017-2019
Best state funded school
Devonport High School for Girls named the Best State Funded Secondary School in the Greater Plymouth Area 2017 and 2018 by the Real Schools Guide.