Year 7
The fresh voices of our new Year 7 students provide a wonderful insight into life at Plymouth High, and the feedback gathered this term paints an overwhelmingly positive picture of their experience so far. Students spoke enthusiastically about their transition from primary to secondary school, highlighting how quickly they have settled, made new friendships and become part of our friendly school community.
A recurring theme in the feedback was a strong sense of belonging. Students describe Plymouth High as a welcoming and inclusive environment where they feel supported by both staff and their peers. Many reflected on the confidence they have gained since joining the school and spoke positively about the kindness shown by teachers and fellow students.
Students also shared their appreciation for the breadth of opportunities available to them, including clubs, extracurricular activities, specialist teaching spaces and the chance to study a wide range of subjects. Drama, Food Technology, PE, History, Science and Modern Foreign Languages were frequently mentioned as subjects that students particularly enjoy, with many commenting on how exciting it has been to experience new areas of learning.
Encouragingly, students feel they are making strong progress across the curriculum and value the challenge presented by their lessons. They spoke positively about learning new skills, developing greater independence and growing in confidence as learners. Many recognised the significant personal growth they have experienced in a relatively short period of time.
Our House system was also praised for helping students build friendships, develop a sense of identity and feel part of something bigger.
Perhaps most importantly, our Year 7 students described themselves as happy, welcomed and valued members of the Plymouth High community. Their reflections demonstrate the strength of our inclusive culture and the success of the transition process in helping every student make a positive start to their secondary school journey. We are incredibly proud of the way our newest students have embraced the opportunities available to them and look forward to supporting them as they continue to flourish.
Year 12
And welcome also to our brand new Year 12 cohort who have settled well into Sixth Form life!
Students choose Plymouth High for a variety of personal reasons, but overwhelmingly we hear that it is down to our strong reputation, positive atmosphere, and high-quality teaching with teachers that students know and trust. Both internal and external applicants have praised the Sixth Form team for the Taster Day, Induction day and the support they receive both before and since joining.
"I had wanted to join Plymouth High since Year 9 but there were no spaces, so when the opportunity arose to join Year 12, I took it!"
The transition process was felt to be smooth and well-organised, with students quickly make new friendships and feeling part of the school community. External students were particularly positive about the warm welcome and clear communication from staff before the start of term.
"It was a little scary thinking about joining a new school, but the team-building event on the first day helped me make new friends".
"I have felt 100% included. It's a really friendly and welcoming school".
Students felt workloads this term have been manageable and enjoyable, especially as they are now studying subjects they have chosen and feel passionate about. They have described being well-supported in learning new routines and developing their organisational skills, knowing where to access help and guidance whenever needed.
"You can't remember everything when it's given to you all at once, so having key information repeated before and during the term has been very useful".
It's been wonderful hearing our new students speaking so enthusiastically about their school experience, describing themselves as happy, settled and excited for the opportunities ahead. As one student summed up:
"I love this school...I'm really, really happy!"
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