Devonport High School for Girls

If your daughter is the kind of girl who listens hard, then can't wait to talk an idea through, Devonport High has a way of life that will feel made for her. It is a selective grammar for girls aged 11 to 18 in the Peverell area of Plymouth, with a mixed sixth form, and a place where pupils are trusted to get on. The school has a long memory, founded in 1908, and girls join in Year 7 after sitting the eleven-plus in English and maths. Its aim is put plainly: a wide range of opportunities in a supportive setting.

What parents tend to notice is the warmth alongside the work. Inspectors who visited described girls who listen attentively in class and then burst into animated discussion, and who learn to think and write in scholarly ways. The curriculum is broad and a little distinctive, with languages that include Chinese and the chance to take classics. Sport and the arts run through a rich extra-curricular programme, netball and cricket among them, alongside student-led groups. There is high trust between staff and pupils, and a support space the girls themselves describe as somewhere we listen and don't judge.

This is a school for an academically able, curious girl who will enjoy a stretching curriculum within a caring community, and whose family is happy with a state grammar in Plymouth. It has been led since January 2022 by headteacher Mr Lee Sargeant. The feel of the place is relaxed but purposeful, and it suits a girl who wants to be stretched while still feeling looked after.