Devonport High School for Boys Review 2026: Selective Excellence in Devon

In 1896, educator Alonzo Rider established this school with a singular purpose: to prepare boys from Devonport and the surrounding region for careers in the Royal Navy, engineering, and the civil service. More than 125 years later, the school occupies the former Stoke Military Hospital on Paradise Road, a Grade II* listed building originally constructed in 1797. Boys in blazers move purposefully between connecting blocks named after Plymouth's famous figures. The school ranks 375th for GCSE results (FindMySchool ranking, top 8% in England), maintaining an exceptional standard that justifies its status as one of the region's most selective state schools. Approximately 1,135 students, ages 11 to 18, compete fiercely for places through a rigorous entrance examination. With a co-educational sixth form and examination results consistently placing it well above national averages, Devonport High School for Boys serves genuinely able students who thrive in a disciplined, academically intensive environment.

At drop-off, the physical setting immediately signals seriousness of purpose. The interconnected blocks, joined by long arcaded colonnades, create a campus that feels both collegiate and purposeful. Boys progress between buildings that carry the names of remarkable Plymouthians: the Astor Block (Biology and Engineering, named after the first female MP); the Brunel Block (Mathematics and Languages, honouring the engineer); the Drake Block (Sciences); and the Cookworthy Block (Classics and Humanities). This deliberate architecture, preserving historical integrity while serving contemporary education, sets a tone of respect for both tradition and intellectual ambition.

Headteacher Dan Roberts has steered the school since the early 2020s, overseeing an institution deeply committed to its stated vision: "Everyone Succeeds." The school maintains visible house structures, currently seven: Turing, Leslie, Windsor, Scott, Attenborough, Fleming, and Johnson, which foster social cohesion and friendly competition throughout the year. Each house competes for the St Levan's Shield, a trophy that carries historical weight back to Cornwall's geography and the school's regional roots.

Behaviour is exceptionally strong. An Ofsted inspection in October 2023 found that students "behave exceptionally well both in lessons and around the school." Parents speak of polite, courteous boys who are proud of their institution. This is not a school where boys coast; the culture is one of visible effort and mutual respect. The uniform remains mandatory, and staff emphasise courtesy and responsibility as central values.

GCSE Performance

In 2024, 53% of grades awarded to students achieved the top tier (9-7), compared to the England average of 54%. The school's average Attainment 8 score of 68.9 sits firmly above the England average of 46%. Progress 8 (measuring growth from age 11 to 16) was +0.3, indicating above-average progress from their starting points. The school ranks 375th in England for GCSE results (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 8%. Locally, it ranks 2nd among Plymouth secondary schools.

Importantly, 26% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the English Baccalaureate (sciences, languages, history/geography), well above the England average of 41%. This signals strong take-up of traditional academic subjects.

A-Level Performance

Sixth form results reflect solid achievement. In 2024, 58% of A-level grades achieved A*-B, compared to the England average of 47%. The school ranks 694th in England (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the typical band (top 26% ). While these results are respectable rather than exceptional, they confirm that sixth form students make solid progress after GCSE entry.

Teaching follows traditional structures with rigorous subject specialism. Classes of approximately 14 at GCSE drop below 10 for some A-level sets, allowing detailed feedback and personalised attention. The school has held specialist Engineering status since 2002, a designation that reflects both the founder's original naval engineering focus and continued commitment to STEM subjects. Physics, chemistry, and biology are taught separately from Year 7, departing from some schools' combined sciences model.

The curriculum is consciously broad. At GCSE, pupils choose from optional subjects including Latin, classical civilisation, computer science, design and technology, and media studies alongside more traditional humanities. At A-level, the school offers over 20 subjects directly and accesses additional options through a consortium with local schools (Devonport High School for Girls, Eggbuckland Community College, and Notre Dame Roman Catholic). This structure ensures that high-ability students can pursue intellectual depth across multiple domains.

Teaching quality was noted in the 2023 Ofsted inspection as good to outstanding across the school. Staff demonstrate expert subject knowledge, and students report receiving clear explanations and appropriate challenge.

Approximately 85% of sixth form leavers progress directly to university, a figure the school achieves through dedicated guidance and support. The careers team, alongside experienced tutors and heads of year, works intensively with Year 12 students to support UCAS applications and navigational decisions.

The school has achieved particular success in securing Oxbridge places. In the most recent measurement period, 6 students were accepted to Oxford and Cambridge from 27 applications, representing a 22% acceptance rate. This success reflects both the academic calibre of the entry cohort and the school's experience in preparing students for highly selective universities. Students also pursue careers in medicine and law at specialist universities, with strong representation across Russell Group institutions.

Beyond the immediate sixth form leaver data, 32% of the 2023-24 cohort proceeded to employment or apprenticeships, indicating that not all sixth form students aspire to university. The school supports this diversity of destination with equal professionalism.

Music: A Defining Strength

Music occupies a distinctive place in the school's identity, rooted in the legacy of Trefor K Farrow, who taught music from 1965 until his retirement in 2006 and shaped the school's musical culture for four decades. The Friday Choir remains the school's flagship ensemble, historically touring internationally. Under Farrow's leadership, the choir travelled to the Brittany residential centre in Uzel, where students performed for local communities. Though that centre closed in 2009 following the recession, the Friday Choir's tradition continues. The Music Suite, housed in the Jervis Block (J Block), provides dedicated facilities for instrumental and ensemble work. Students access a wide range of extracurricular ensembles, from orchestras to smaller chamber groups, and participate in regular concerts and an annual school production.

Drama and Performance

The school's theatrical output has expanded significantly following recent refurbishments. The Edgcumbe Theatre and Studio, created from a complete refurbishment of the former Edgcumbe Hall, provides a purpose-designed performance space with tiered seating for 300 and integrated sound and light engineering facilities. This investment reflects the school's commitment to offering professional-standard production opportunities. Regular plays and musicals are produced throughout the year, involving both cast and significant technical teams. A newly refurbished drama studio provides rehearsal and smaller-scale performance space.

Sports: Breadth and Competitive Excellence

Sport is compulsory, and the school's mantra is "Sport for All", ensuring that participation is valued alongside elite performance. Facilities support a broad sports mix — football and rugby (a traditional strength), cricket and athletics, plus rowing and cross-country, and indoor options such as badminton, swimming, table tennis, gymnastics and fencing; even American football features. Boys compete in local, regional, and national fixtures. Recent years have seen Under 14 badminton teams qualify for Devon Finals, football teams progress through the National Cup, and students selected for city and county representation. In cross-country, Jamie Williams secured a silver medal at the Plymouth Schools championships. The emphasis remains on developing both competitive ambition and gracious participation, the school's ethos frames sport as character-building rather than purely result-driven.

STEM and Engineering

The specialist engineering status shapes available opportunities beyond the curriculum. Computer science is offered as a GCSE and A-level option, and design and technology projects (including product design at A-level) connect to industrial practice. The school facilitates visits and work experience through industry partners, allowing students interested in engineering pathways to see real-world application.

Academic Clubs and Enrichment

Chess features prominently among students' extracurricular interests. The school also organises academic competitions and challenge activities, though details of specific societies beyond the major ensembles are limited by the available source material. International visits feature regularly, a notable example being school-led trips to Malaga where pupils study Spanish in community and college settings, providing immersive language learning.

Leadership and Service

Students have clear pathways to leadership roles. The house system creates vertical structures where older students mentor younger ones. Year 13 students take on formal house positions and pastoral responsibilities. The school emphasises community service and citizenship, positioning leadership as active engagement in school life and the wider community.

Entry to Year 7 requires success in the 11+ entrance examination, administered by the Plymouth grammar schools consortium. The test comprises three components: English reading (GL Assessment multiple-choice), mathematics (GL Assessment multiple-choice, based on Year 5 content but with challenging reasoning questions), and English writing (an internally set paper testing composition and writing fluency). Competition is intense. In the most recent admissions cycle, the school offered 180 Year 7 places but receives well over twice that number of applications.

The school operates without a formal catchment boundary, accepting students solely on merit. However, the catchment area includes southwest Devon, southeast Cornwall, and greater Plymouth, meaning students travel significant distances. Entry through the common application form must occur by 31 October for the relevant year.

To enter sixth form, the minimum Average Points Score (APS) is 6.0 (based on the best eight GCSE grades) plus at least grade 5 in English and Mathematics. The sixth form is co-educational; girls are welcomed from external schools and from internal progression, creating a mixed-gender sixth form attached to the boys' school.

The school operates under what it describes as a "disciplined, caring environment." Each student has a tutor within their house structure, providing consistent pastoral oversight and academic tracking. The school employs support staff including a Deputy Head (Pastoral) and an Individual Needs Coordinator, ensuring that boys with special educational needs or disabilities receive appropriate assistance. The school has successfully supported students with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome — and it has also supported pupils with Asperger’s syndrome.

An Ofsted inspection noted that "pupils state that bullying is extremely rare, but that staff would resolve issues swiftly if they occurred." The school maintains a clear behaviour policy and emphasises that staff support emotional wellbeing through multiple channels. Students report knowing where to go for help, and the overall tone suggests a genuinely supportive environment alongside the academic intensity.

School day runs from 8:50am to 3:20pm. The school is located on Paradise Road, Stoke, Plymouth, with limited on-site parking; visitors and parents are encouraged to use public transport or park in nearby streets. The location is accessible by bus from across the city and surrounding region, though long journey times are a reality for students from the outer reaches of the catchment area (southeast Cornwall, southwest Devon).

Uniform is mandatory and contributes to the formal atmosphere. The school offers standard lunch facilities. There is no boarding provision; all students are day pupils.

Intense entrance competition. With over 1.24 applications per available place and a rigorous entrance examination, securing entry requires genuine academic ability. This is not a fallback option; it demands selective success and represents genuine gatekeeping. For families in the wider catchment but not directly local, long daily travel is inevitable.

Boys-only main school. The majority of teaching is in a boys-only environment until sixth form. Students and families must be comfortable with this structure. The co-educational sixth form provides some mixed-gender interaction but only from age 16 onwards.

Academic intensity is non-negotiable. This is a school for students who are genuinely capable and who will respond positively to high expectations. The pace is fast, and boys who struggle to keep up or who lack intrinsic academic motivation may find the environment stressful. Parents should be realistic about their child's starting ability and engagement.

Limited local scope. While the school draws from a wide area, it is fundamentally a selective grammar school serving the top tier of the ability spectrum. It is not designed to serve diverse learning profiles or those requiring significantly differentiated provision.

Devonport High School for Boys delivers precisely what it promises: rigorous academic education, traditional values, visible discipline, and serious preparation for higher education. The school ranks 375th in England for GCSE results (FindMySchool ranking, top 8%), providing strong evidence of educational quality. For families seeking a selective, academically intensive state school with a sense of tradition and purpose, and for boys who thrive on challenge and structure, this is an exceptional choice. The buildings carry history; the staff are expert; results are strong. The main challenge is not the quality of education, it is securing entry in the first place. Best suited to families within travelling distance of Plymouth who have genuinely able sons and who value traditional academic rigour, competitive sport, and clear discipline.