Name of Head of Department
Dr D Parry, BSc, MSc, PhD, PGCE
Introduction to the department
Students at Devonport High School for Girls are well cared for by a dedicated pastoral support team. All students join one of four Houses; the Form Tutors support students on a daily basis through Years 7–11, whilst the Heads of House monitor their progress and welfare, celebrate their achievements and provide additional support when required. We aim to get to know each student individually so that we can develop the academic and inter-personal skills required to make a successful transition to post-16 study and life beyond school.
Our pastoral support begins after Easter with transitional visits to students' primary schools, an induction day and after school sports for Year 6 students. New Year 7 students are integrated into life at Devonport High School for Girls with the help of Transition buddies, who are Year 8 students, while specially trained Sixth Form academic and pastoral mentors are also available. Year 7 students also take part in a team building activity in September at Escot Park.
Key stage 3 (Year 7 and 8)
All students follow a diverse range of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHEE) and Citizenship topics that develop through Years 7–11 to promote British values:
Year 7
PSHEE: Transition, health education, need for rules, time management, clubs and hobbies, friendship issues, peer pressure, anti-bullying, study skills, rights and responsibilities, charity work, economic awareness, safety, self-awareness and employability skills through PiXL edge.
Citizenship: Role of good citizens, charities, democracy, refugees and immigration, development gap, environmental issues.
Year 8
PSHEE: Stereotypes, economic awareness, Learning styles and revision strategies, Healthy lifestyles and sex education, GCSE options.
Citizenship: Rights, conflict resolution, human rights, media, responsibilities of citizens.
Students are also encouraged to participate in school and community-based activities and demonstrate personal and group responsibilities in their attitudes to themselves and others.
Key stage 4 (Year 9, 10 and 11)
Year 9
Careers: Work experience applications
Study skills: Revision and examination techniques.
PSHEE: Healthy lifestyles, teenage years, sex education, mental wellbeing and anti-bullying.
Citizenship: rights, responsibilities and duties of citizens, role of the voluntary sector, forms of government, provisions of public services and the criminal and legal systems.
Year 10
World of Work including Work Experience, Study skills, Money matters, Health matters.
Year 11
Careers Education and Guidance including Sixth Form Options, Study skills, Health Education, Records of Achievement.
Students are also encouraged to participate in school and community-based activities and demonstrate personal and group responsibilities in their attitudes to themselves and others.
Curriculum Programmes of Study
|
Year |
Cycle | Content |
|---|---|---|
|
Year 7 |
Cycle 1 |
Time management and home learning |
|
Cycle 2 |
Benefits of clubs and hobbies |
|
|
Cycle 3 |
Effects of smoking and vaping |
|
|
Year 8
|
Cycle 1 |
Setting new routines |
|
Cycle 2 |
Skin care |
|
|
Cycle 3 |
Sexting |
|
|
Year 9 |
Cycle 1 |
Expectations of GCSE study |
|
Cycle 2 |
The value of diversity |
|
|
Cycle 3 |
Grooming |
|
|
Year 10 |
Cycle 1 |
Work Experience applications |
|
Cycle 2 |
Contraception |
|
|
Cycle 3
|
Sexual orientation |
|
|
Year 11
|
Cycle 1 |
Organ donation |
|
Cycle 2 |
Organ donation |
|
|
Cycle 3 |
Post-16 Intentions (Unifrog) |
Extra-curricular activities
- Year 7 Teambuilding trip to Escot Park
- Year 7 Fundraising for LEPRA
- Year 8 Extended Project (EP8) and presentations
- Year 9 Residential activities week in Bude
- Year 10 trip to the University of Plymouth Open Day and Skills South West
- Year 10 Work Experience
- Year 11 Matters - study skills, stress management, sex education
- Charity Week - All years
