Devonport High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2026

Introduction

Devonport High School for Girls (DHSG) is a selective grammar school for girls, with a co-educational Sixth Form. It was founded in 1908 and is located in the centre of Plymouth. While proud of its history, DHSG is a forward-looking school that prepares young people for adult life in the 21st century.

DHSG has high academic standards. In 2025, 69.7% of GCSE grades were in the 9-7 range, and 64.5% of A-level grades were in the A*-B range. Many school leavers go on to study at Russell Group universities, including the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

There is a wealth of extra-curricular opportunities at DHSG, as the school wants all pupils to develop holistically. Available activities include basketball, dance, cheerleading and orchestra. Additionally, DHSG holds Enrichment Days and an Enrichment Week, during which all pupils are off timetable to participate in a range of events.

Pastoral care at DHSG is excellent, with the 2025 Ofsted report describing it as ‘exceptionally strong’. Positive relationships between staff and pupils mean pupils feel comfortable sharing their worries, and there is a counselling service to support those most in need.
For details on applying for a Year 7 place for your daughter, please read on.

Devonport High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Admissions

An open evening is held in June to give your family the opportunity to find out more about DHSG and meet its staff and pupils. You should attend when your daughter is in Year 4 or 5. Alternatively, if you are unavailable for the open evening, you can contact the school to book yourself onto a tour.

If you feel that DHSG is the right school for your daughter, the next step is to complete the 11+ registration form. It will go live on the school website towards the end of April and close at the end of August, when your daughter is in Year 5.

The 11+ examination will then take place on two consecutive Saturdays in September of Year 6, with an English assessment on one Saturday and a maths assessment on the other. 

Please note that you should not register with DHSG and Plymouth High School for Girls for the 11+ examination, because both schools use the same assessments on the same days. You can apply for either or both schools regardless of which one your daughter takes the 11+ exam at.  

Your daughter’s 11+ results will be sent to you via email around the middle of October, helping you decide which schools to name on your local authority’s common application form (CAF).

If your local authority is Plymouth City Council, the CAF must be submitted before the end of October of Year 6. If you have a different local authority, you should check the deadline, although it is likely to be the same.

At the beginning of March, you will learn from your local authority which school your daughter has a place at. 

Please note that the school’s oversubscription criteria will be applied if there are more applicants than places available, which is highly likely. Once candidates with qualifying scores in the 11+ exam who have an EHCP which names DHSG have been allocated places, priority will be given to the following:

1. Candidates with an adjusted qualifying score who are looked after or were previously looked after.
2. Up to 12 candidates with an adjusted qualifying score who are eligible for free school meals or were eligible at all in the last six years. If this applies to your daughter, please complete the supplementary information form, which will be available in the school’s Admissions Policy.
3. Candidates based on their 11+ scores, with higher-scoring candidates given priority.

You can read the school’s Admissions Policy for more details about the admissions criteria, and click here for information about a mock 11+ test that the school holds.   

For more information about the 11+ examination, please read the section below.

How to Prepare for the Devonport High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Exam?

We hope you find the following tips helpful: 

1. Start preparation early: Starting the preparation process many months before the 11+ examination means there is no need for stressful last-minute cramming sessions. Instead, you can take a ‘little and often’ approach. 
   
2. Revise Year 5 topics: Your daughter will be assessed on what she has learnt at school in English and maths, meaning it is crucial she revises. Writing out key information on flashcards can be helpful.  
   
3. Adopt a growth mindset: It is important for your daughter to know that when she is struggling, it is not because she cannot do something; it just means her brain is learning. Praising her for her efforts, not just correct answers, will help her become resilient, seeing mistakes as part of the journey to improving.
   
4. Prioritise wellbeing: A tired or stressed brain does not work at its best. Ensure your daughter gets enough sleep, eats well and has plenty of time to relax and do things she enjoys. Breaks are not wasted time: they will help your daughter return to her studies feeling refreshed and positive.
   
5. Make learning fun: Preparation can be enjoyable. You can play games and puzzles with your daughter that will boost her skills without her even realising it. Scrabble is a great way to broaden her vocabulary, and Yahtzee is good for arithmetic skills. 
   
6. Promote regular reading: Reading regularly will help your daughter build her vocabulary and enhance her comprehension skills. A variety of texts will expose her to different writing styles and ideas. Ask her questions about what she has read to encourage a deeper understanding. 
   
7. Use practice tests: Using our DHSG Quest practice tests will allow your daughter to get used to the question types that will come up in the 11+ examination. As she works through the tests, she will get better at working quickly and accurately. She will also learn from her mistakes using the answers and explanations provided. By the time she sits the English and maths Quests assessments, she will be ready to excel. 

The section below outlines our highly researched and recommended resources for the 11+ examination at Devonport High School for Girls.elf.

Devonport High School For Girls 11 Plus (11+) Practice Exam Papers

English

12 Products

To help your child successfully prepare for the Devonport High School for Girls 11 plus exam, we highly recommend the following 11+ practice tests.

Practice Papers

11+ English (Grammar Schools) Pack 1

11+ English (Grammar Schools) Pack 2

11+ English (Grammar Schools) Pack 3

11+ English (Grammar Schools) Pack 4

11+ English (Grammar Schools) Pack 5

11+ English: Spelling Pack 3

11+ English: Punctuation

11+ English: Sentence Completion

11+ English (Grammar Schools) Comprehension Pack 1

11+ English (Grammar Schools) Comprehension Pack 2

11+ English: Inference Skills Pack 1

11+ English: Inference Skills Pack 2

Plymouth 11+ English Bundle

You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the English section of the Plymouth 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more.

View Bundle

Mathematics

25 Products

To help your child successfully prepare for the Devonport High School for Girls 11 plus exam, we highly recommend the following 11+ practice tests.

Practice Papers

11+ Mathematics (Grammar Schools) Pack 1

11+ Mathematics (Grammar Schools) Pack 2

11+ Mathematics (Grammar Schools) Pack 3

11+ Mathematics (Grammar Schools) Pack 4

11+ Mathematics: Algebra (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Angles & Degrees (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: BODMAS (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Estimation & Place Value (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Factors & Multiples (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Fractions, Decimals & Percentages (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Measurements (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Money (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Operations (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Perimeter, Area & Volume (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Position & Direction (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Probability (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Problem Solving (Grammar Schools) Pack 1

11+ Mathematics: Problem Solving (Grammar Schools) Pack 2

11+ Mathematics: Properties of Shapes (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Ratio & Proportion (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Sequences (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Special Numbers (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Speed, Distance & Time (Grammar Schools)

11+ Mathematics: Statistics (Grammar Schools)

Plymouth 11+ Mathematics Bundle

You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Mathematics section of the Plymouth 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more.

View Bundle

Please do contact us if you have any questions about our resources. We will do our best to help you. We want to take this opportunity to wish your daughter all the best in her 11+ examination for entry to Devonport High School for Girls.

The information provided about DHSG was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware that there may be future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you need clarification on anything. School contact details are provided within the post.

Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of the Quest paper assessments or any other test publisher.