NEWSLETTER
End of Summer Term 2025
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HEADTEACHER'S WELCOME
Dear Students, Parents and Carers,
Welcome to the last newsletter of the school year. This one is packed full of memories and successes from across the year and is a good read.
We have had a wonderful sporting year with a successful swimming gala, fabulous sports day and a thoroughly enjoyable sports award evening. Well done to all our athletes for their determination, effort and performance throughout the year. Whilst on the sporting theme, I would like to thank the PTFA for their financial support of the new Netball dresses. The dresses were designed in house and look amazing.
Our antibullying ambassadors have not only worked hard at school to provide support for antibullying, but they have also been involved in Trust-wide student-led conversations about what more can be done to be proactive in tackling bullying issues. Our ambassadors have been awarded all three Diana Award badges demonstrating their, and our, commitment to antibullying. Winning the Diana Award showcases PHSG’s determination to deal with these challenging issues head on and our ambassadors should be rightly proud of their achievement.
We were delighted to win the South West Regional SWAT (South West Academic Trust) challenge cup this year. Our thinking ambassadors were pitched against student groups from all the other South West Grammar schools, and they emerged victorious. Do read on to find out what they did and how they won.
As is usual for our newsletters, the summer edition is packed with reminders of what we have been up to and is well worth a read. I hope you enjoy it.
I wish you all a restful and enjoyable summer break and look forward to welcoming our students back to school in September.
Very best wishes,
Simon Underdown
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17 Jul 2025
Scarlett, 8L, has gone from strength to strength in her national trampolining career, achieving incredible success at such a young age.
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17 Jul 2025
We’re so proud of Alexandra W (10K) for her fantastic achievement at the Dartmoor Pony Club Area 16 Dressage Qualifications last weekend. 🐴✨
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15 Jul 2025
We are delighted to celebrate Isabel’s (9T) incredible achievements over a very busy and successful weekend!
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15 Jul 2025
We are delighted to share some fantastic news about Harriet, 10K, and her pony, Teddy. Harri and her team from Little Margate Equestrian competed at the Pony Club Mounted Games Southern Zone Final on 5th July and did brilliantly — not only did they win the Tack and Turnout award, but they...
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24 Jun 2025
A huge well done to Isla, 7A, who competed in her first Open Water 1K swim meet this weekend in the Cotswolds – and came home as the Regional Silver Medalist! 🥈Isla’s hard work and commitment to swimming is shining through, and we’re so proud to celebrate her success. What an amaz...
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18 Jun 2025
Congratulations to Isabel, 9T, who has had an outstanding couple of weekends competing in open water swimming events, achieving two remarkable victories!
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04 Jun 2025
A huge congratulations to Ava, 9A, who has qualified for the English National Swimming Championship! 🏅
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13 Jun 2025
Each academic year, our talented Year 7 and 8 students take on a sustained and technically challenging art project. These projects not only help them develop new skills, but also give them the opportunity to draw inspiration from a variety of artists and create their own personal outcomes—star...
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13 Jun 2025
On Thursday 12th June, Year 12 students at Plymouth High School for Girls were treated to a fascinating talk by Iain Ramsey, a Marketing Intelligence Analyst from the Bank of England in London. The event was organised by Mr Jenkins and Miss Carter, and was open to our Year 12 students currently stud...
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21 Jul 2025
Year 8 have been getting creative in English this week, making beautiful Venetian masks as part of their study of Much Ado About Nothing. A fantastic way to bring Shakespeare’s world to life!
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Miss Taylor Shortlisted for Plymouth Laureate of Words
We’re proud to share that our English teacher, Cate Taylor, has been shortlisted for the prestigious role of Plymouth’s Laureate of Words. This two-year position celebrates local literary talent, with the chosen writer representing the city through literary events, workshops, and special commissions.
Starting August 1st, all shortlisted candidates will be featured on the Literature Works website. Each writer, including Miss Taylor, will share a video reading inspired by the people and places of Plymouth.
Public voting opens on August 1st and will close on August 28th. We encourage our school community to show support and cast their votes!
The home for creative writers in the South West - Literature Works
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18 Jun 2025
We are pleased to share that Plymouth High School for Girls recently took part in a regional competition organised by the Buckfast Food Festival, which invited students from local schools to design a book-themed menu.
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21 Jul 2025
A huge congratulations to our Top 10 library borrowers for this academic year! These students have shown a fantastic commitment to reading and made brilliant use of our library resources.
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21 Jul 2025
Here is a round up of the events that have taken place in the library in the Summer Term 2025.
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13 Jun 2025
Reading allows us to step into someone else’s shoes, helping us build empathy and understanding. To mark National Refugee Week (16th–22nd June), we’re highlighting a powerful selection of books inspired by the real-life experiences of people forced to leave their homes. These stori...
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03 Jul 2025
Our Year 12 mathematicians recently had the exciting opportunity to attend a Maths Masterclass at Plymouth University, where they spent the day exploring the power of mathematics in solving real-world problems.
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21 Jul 2025
Our PTFA have been hard at work fundraising this year, and we’re delighted to share one of the fantastic projects they’ve supported – brand-new netball dresses for our teams to wear at fixtures and tournaments.
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16 Jul 2025
Plymouth High School for Girls hosted their sports awards evening this week, celebrating the students' sporting success over the past year.
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15 Jul 2025
Plymouth High School for Girls celebrated another fantastic Sports Day at Brickfields last week, filled with energy, excitement, and incredible house spirit.
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13 Jun 2025
This year’s Swimming Gala at Plymouth College saw over 100 enthusiastic participants take to the pool in what was another hotly contested house competition. The event was packed with energy, talent, and house spirit.
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13 Jun 2025
This week, our A-level Biology students took their learning out of the classroom and into the field with a visit to Wembury Beach. The trip formed part of the practical endorsement for their course, giving students the chance to apply ecological sampling techniques in a real-world setting.
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Celebrating Success in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge Lower Sixth, C3L6
We are incredibly proud to share that fifteen of our Year 12 students recently took part in this year’s C3L6, a highly respected national competition run by chemistry lecturers at Cambridge University. With roughly 15,000 students across the UK taking part, this was a significant challenge, designed to stretch and inspire the most able young chemists. We’re particularly delighted to congratulate Matilda, Saffron, Sanskruti, and Kourin, who each achieved Silver Awards, with six other students also achieving Copper Awards (Bronze equivalent). Competitions like these go beyond the classroom, challenging students to apply their scientific thinking to unfamiliar and complex scenarios. We applaud all students who entered for stepping up to this challenge and embracing the opportunity to stretch themselves academically.
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21 Jul 2025
Earlier this term, our House Competition took on an eco-friendly twist, with students challenged to design and build bug hotels. The event was proudly hosted by our Earth Alliance Group as part of their mission to promote sustainability and care for the planet. 🐞🌿
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18 Jul 2025
Our Head Student Team has been busy leading exciting initiatives this term, including updates from the Student Council, Charity and Wellbeing, inspiring work on Inclusivity and Diversity, and the latest edition of the Hear Me Out student magazine.
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17 Jul 2025
Our recent Channel 4 Countdown inspired competition was a fantastic event, attended by enthusiastic Year 7 students and some year 12s. The atmosphere was electric as participants showcased their impressive word skills and quick thinking with mathematics.
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03 Jul 2025
Plymouth High School's Anti Bullying ambassadors are delighted to announce that we have completed The Diana Award and have been awarded all three of the badges: Community, Well-Being and Diversity and Inclusion.
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27 Jun 2025
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our June Open Evening last night– it was a fantastic event, full of energy, curiosity, and conversation. We loved welcoming so many prospective students and families into our school community.
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27 Jun 2025
Our incredible Greenpower race teams headed to Predannack Airfield yesterday with their racecars, Hummingbird F24 and Xanthus F24+, and did us proud!
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27 Jun 2025
This week, our school proudly took part in TSArTs Week, a Trust-wide celebration of creativity, confidence, and community through the arts. The event was all about giving every child a voice, showcasing talent, and bringing our shared values to life in imaginative, expressive, and joyful ways.
Th...
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26 Jun 2025
We are delighted to share that Plymouth High School for Girls has been awarded first place in this year’s prestigious SWAT Challenge Cup, a competition that brings together grammar schools from across the South West of England to tackle complex, real-world challenges through critical thinking...
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Curriculum Enrichment Week
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21 Jul 2025
During Curriculum Enrichment Week, PHSG’s Fun with Food students welcomed a very special guest into the classroom - virtually. Bestselling author and food stylist Rukmini Iyer joined the group via Teams to share her journey from law graduate to celebrated cookbook writer. She spoke about how h...
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11 Jul 2025
Our Isles of Scilly adventure began with a challenge – no bus! But in true community spirit, our amazing parents and carers came to the rescue, rallying together to get everyone to the ferry terminal on time. It was a tricky start that only made our group feel even more connected and determine...
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Please remember that the PTA has a second-hand uniform shop where good-quality uniforms, including PE kit, can be purchased for a small fee. We also run a swap shop, so if you have an outgrown uniform that is in good condition, we can swap for bigger sizes. We can arrange for collection over the summer holidays, so do get in touch - pta@plymouthhighschoolforgirls.org.uk
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School lottery
Our wonderful and hardworking PTFA have decided that they would like to trial the use of the School Lottery to raise funds for school. Whilst the PTFA does not intend to specifically promote gambling, they have found that many schools have successfully used the School Lottery to raise funds for school for those little extra things. Parents can find out more about the School Lottery here. Of course, there would be no expectation that parents buy lottery tickets, and the option to contribute to school via the usual methods to PTFA remains open. Should parents decide to take part in the school lottery, some of the cost of each ‘ticket’ does go to the School Lottery to cover things like administration costs. However, there are prizes, just like in any lottery, and a share of the ticket money comes directly to school. Should you wish to get involved, please click here.
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Student & Class of the Week
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22 Jul 2025
Class of the week: 7T Tutor Group. ''For their incredible house spirit and support of each other and for Temple and for being the best year 7 tutor group'' Nominated by Mrs Walsh
Khalia, Evie and Emma, Year 9. ''Fantastic rehearsal of a creative performance of a scene with...
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15 Jul 2025
Student of the week: Isla, 7K. ''All of the support she has given to a fellow student who has struggeled with Tec in previous rotations.'' Nominated by Mrs Landsborough. Awarded 10 House Points.
Class of the week: Student Librarians (Anamaria, Aniya, Charlotte B, Charlotte C, Llay...
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03 Jul 2025
Student of the week: Katie W, 9K. ''For picking up rubbish on the courts that was not hers without being asked.'' Nominated by Mrs Roughton. Awarded 10 House Points.
Class of the week: Thinking Leaders, Kate W, Lilly P, Amira H, Ingrid L and Simran M. ''A small group...
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20 Jun 2025
Student of the week: Tegan, 12ILT. ''For producing an excellent Summer Edition of the student magazine, Hear Me Out.'' Nominated by Mr Underdown. Awarded 10 house Points.
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16 Jun 2025
Vethumya, 9A. ''Vethumya's End of Year English Literature essay was incredibly impressive - she joined the school late, therefore only receiving a small portion of the teaching on 'Great Expectations'. Despite this, she tirelessly worked in the lead up to the exams, bringing me m...
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09 Jun 2025
Student of the week: Tilly, 10T. ''For supporting a distressed member of the public and receiving a highly complementary commendation from Plymouth City Bus''. Nominated by Mrs Banks. Awarded 10 House Points.
Class of the week: Year 12 Economics. ''For persevering...
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04 Jun 2025
Students of the week: Maya, Delilah & Ava, 9A. ''For being a fabulous student interview panel for the AIC interviews. They were polite and kind when grilling the candidates and behaved with maturity.'' Nominated by Ms Barker.
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Changes to School Meal Tariffs – Effective 1st September 2025
We are writing to inform you of an upcoming change to the cost of school meals at Plymouth High School for Girls. We have worked hard to keep meal prices as low as possible and have not raised prices since April 2024. However, due to rising food and operational costs, we are no longer able to sustain the current pricing. From 1st September 2025, the standard best value main meal and dessert will increase to £2.90.
Innovate, our new caterer will be introducing a number of nutritious, delicious meal deal offers, all available within the free school meal value of £2.90. The tariff for all items is available on the school website.
If your child is not currently receiving free school meals, but you believe they may be eligible, you can apply through fsm@plymouth.gov.uk.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we make this necessary adjustment. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office.
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PARKING
Please can we ask Parents for consideration when parking near the school, there have been some instances where it has been difficult for our students to walk safely due to the volume of cars.
There have been occasions where students have been late leaving for a sports fixture because parents had parked blocking the minibuses. Students can exit the site via Alton Road, and parents may consider this a convenient pickup point or one of the other streets surrounding the school.
Be reminded that there is NO PARKING allowed on the double yellow lines outside the school main gates.
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STUDENT ABSENCE
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HOME SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
Students may contact staff if they have queries, firstly by visiting them in their department area, and only contacting them using school email system if they really can’t see them in person.
Parents may wish to contact staff. The following outlines what the Headteacher regards as important considerations regarding home/school communication, particularly by email:
¨ All communication must respect the dignity of the recipient.
¨ Within 48 hours: receipt of an email will be acknowledged by school either by the person contacted, or the most appropriate person able to deal with the issue (term time only, not after 5pm nor over a weekend).
¨ Within 5 working days: school will provide a response to the email by telephone or in writing, or e-mail. This may include informing the sender that more time is required to provide a full response. If this is the case, staff should indicate a time frame for a response.
¨ Staff will not be expected to monitor or respond to emails outside their normal working hours (nor at weekends and published school holidays).
Whilst this is extremely rare, if a member of staff receives an e-mail or call which is of an aggressive tone, sets unreasonable demands or could otherwise be interpreted as harassing, they will refer this to a senior line manager in the school, who will decide if consideration needs to be given to dealing with further communication under our Complaints Policy.
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PARKING
Out of respect for our neighbours and for health and safety reasons there is NO PARKING on the school site or for collecting/dropping off students on the double yellow lines outside our school gates.
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STUDENTS LEAVING SCHOOL DURING THE SCHOOL DAY
For safety reasons if your daughter has to leave school during the school day, and you are unable to collect her, she must have a note in her planner with clear instructions that you give permission for her to leave unaccompanied. Without your express instructions to this effect we will not allow any students to leave school unless they are collected by an adult from reception.
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NUT ALLERGY
Please be aware that we have students who are severely allergic to nuts and we would, therefore, appreciate where possible that you try to avoid putting nuts into packed lunches.
Although we are not going completely nut free, we have stopped selling packets of nuts as snacks in the canteen to try to reduce the risk to them and appreciate your support.
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SOCIAL MEDIA & ONLINE SAFETY
Our Children are spending more and more time on their mobile phones. Making them aware of the dangers of social media, and protecting them from these dangers can be very challenging. These are some of the better known sites that pose risks to children—are they on your child’s phone home screen?
To help safeguard your child please regularly take the time to talk to them about the way they use their social media apps:
Do they always know who they are engaging with?
Do they share their passwords?
Do they feel comfortable with what they are seeing and doing?
Do they feel pressure from “friends” to do/say things they don’t want to?
For more information please regarding online safety, please visit our website: www.phsg.org/
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Calendar Term Dates 2025-2026
Term
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Starts
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Ends
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One
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3rd September (Year 7 & 12 only)
4th September (All Year Groups)
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16th October
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| Autumn Half Term |
20th October |
31st October |
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Two
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4th November
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19th December
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| Christmas Holidays |
22nd December |
2nd January |
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Three
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5th January
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13th February
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| Spring Half term |
16th February |
20th February |
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Four
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23rd February
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2nd April
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| Easter Holidays |
3rd April |
17th April |
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Five
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20th April
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22nd May
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| Summer Half term |
25th May |
29th May |
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Six
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1st June
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17th July
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| Summer Holidays |
20th July |
2nd September (Year 7 & 12 only)
3rd September (All Year Groups)
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Curriculum Enrichment Week
6th July - 10th July
Non Pupil Days
1st September
2nd September
17th October
3rd November
4th May 2026 (Bank Holiday).
20th July 2026
21st July 2026
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