Dear Families,
I hope this week’s update finds you in good health. I am writing this update after wishing our Year 11 Geographers well following their Friday night intervention session in Geography. It was great to see so many students here, going the extra mile to improve their exam technique ahead of the next round of mocks. Their use of specialist vocabulary and understanding of what examiners are looking for was evident in the sessions I observed. I’m sure it will stand them in good stead to improve upon their marks from the last round of assessments. Thanks to all our staff who gave up their time to plan and deliver tonight’s additional session. Together We Succeed.
Geography Update
This week, our Innovation class put normal Geography lesson on hold to concentrate on the recent devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. We learnt all about magnitude, aftershocks and how to strengthen buildings to make them ‘Earthquake proof’. The class was then set a challenge to use their learning to create a free standing structure that would be strong enough to stand up on its own.
Duke of Edinburgh
Consent forms for the upcoming DofE expeditions for Bronze and Silver are due to be returned to either Mrs Burrows or Miss Lancaster by Tuesday next week at the latest. Following that, the equipment issue for Bronzes will take place on Thursday 2nd March after half term.
Year 11 Mock Examinations
A reminder that the Year 11 Mock Examinations begin immediately after the half term break. They have been working hard both in lessons and after school during the interventions and are putting themselves in a good place to secure a really pleasing set of results this summer. The schedule for half term revision sessions was sent on last week’s email. If you are unsure about which sessions are on or need help or advice about the mocks, please contact the Year 11 team for assistance.
YES Project – Derbyshire Fire and Rescue
Last week a number of students from Year 9 attended a week long experience with the Derbyshire and Fire Rescue services. They enjoyed a full week of training and had the opportunity to experience a day in the life of a firefighter. At the end of the week all students were presented with a BTEC qualification in fire safety and were congratulated on their dedication and participation in the course. The overall feedback from the team has been really positive and our students certainly seemed to value the experience.
Computing Update
This week the computing department led a number of whole school activities around Internet Safety as part of Safer Internet Day. Following the global theme of “want to talk about it” students from years 7-11 were given an opportunity to address any issues or concerns regarding their activities online. For those students who wished to ask questions anonymously, a number of well placed speech bubbles were provided for students to post their queries or concerns. The Computing staff will work towards answering all these questions during tutor time next week. The volume of student engagement has been exceptional with many older students acting as ambassadors for the day. Students were able to take away a number of information leaflets regarding popular social media apps to reflect on with their families.
Thinking of Teaching?
Are you considering a career change? There are two Teacher Training Recruitment Events being held across Derby and Derbyshire over the coming months if you would like to meet providers and discuss course content or options. There is a flyer attached to the email version of this update with details. The Derby Event is at Landau Forte College on Tuesday 28th February between 4.30 and 7pm.
Derby Moor’s Got Talent
On Tuesday Evening the curtain was raised on our 2023 edition of Derby Moor’s Got Talent. The bar was high following last year’s inaugural event but our performers raised the standard to a whole new level his year. There was a huge variety of performances from gymnastics to magic, drama to dance and a whole host of acts in-between. The sell-out audience were wowed throughout and participated at every given opportunity, either spurring the acts on, showing their appreciation for the performance or voicing their dissatisfaction at a certain, somewhat grumpy, judge. In a closely run contest, this year’s winners were the dance trio LMA Elite. Congratulations to LB, MA and ADM for an absolutely stunning performance and to all our participants for the dedication and hard work leading up to the event. I must also pay tribute to the staff team and student volunteers who have spent countless hours supporting students, planning the event and then finally, making it happen in such spectacular style.
Vacancies
At this time of year we begin planning for the next academic year and will begin recruiting for both teaching and support roles. We currently have adverts and applications open for a Teacher of English and Teacher of Maths and will have a number of support roles over the next few weeks and months. If you would like to see the vacancies across our Trust, you can see their boards here.
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a ‘Osteopath’.
Derby Moor Dispatch: Our Derby Moor Dispatch has gone out to all students in Year 11, 12 and 13 and will continue to go out every Monday. This contains a wide range of opportunities for work experience, summer schools, careers related webinars and so on. Please do have a look at the latest edition. The Dispatch is emailed to the students school email address so it is important that they check this regularly on a Monday.
Discover creative careers: This week saw a launch event promoting careers in the creative industries. You can follow this link to their website showcasing the variety of different careers that young people can follow in a range of creative industries.
Discover Dentistry: This week a number of our students in Year 11 and post 16 had the chance to take part in a virtual session entitled ‘Discover Dentistry’ run by the University of Sheffield’.
DHL Foundation and the Outward Bound Trust: On Tuesday over thirty Year 10 students took part in a selection day for a chance to participate in a residential experience with DHL UK Foundation’s partnership with The Outward Bound Trust. They were challenged to a wide range of activities and tasks including interviews, presentations and problem solving. The day gave the students a real insight into the employability skills required in the world of work. Twenty four lucky students were selected to take part in a one week residential in May and a number of follow on workshops to develop their employability skills further.
Assemblies: Over the last two weeks students in Years 7, 8, 9 & 10 have seen assemblies led by some of our fantastic post 16 students. The students have stressed the importance of aiming high and pushing yourself but also really thinking about what you enjoy and not being afraid to change your mind. They have also talked about the importance of developing the skills that as you get older help you to be able to demonstrate why you are ready to progress, whether it be to university, on to an apprenticeship or into employment.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal
