Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you all in the best of health. I’ve said before in these updates that there is rarely a ‘normal’ week at Derby Moor – this week has been another example of how rich and varied our students’ experiences are, both within and beyond the classroom.
Derby Moor’s Got Talent
We held our inaugural Derby Moor’s Got Talent show last night after being rearranged from earlier in the year. The quality of the performances, organisation of the event and the community feel from the audience all combined to make this an exceptional experience. Our performers were first class and showcased a variety of talents from dance and gymnastics to magic and music. There had clearly been a lot of preparation in advance of the event as that level of performance only comes from weeks of dedication and practice. Well done to all of our performers. Myself and 3 colleagues were tasked as the judges with Mr Hall holding the coveted Golden Buzzer. It was a tough call to choose an overall winner but the BeatBox Duo came out on top with their hugely original and impressive medley of beatboxing.
Spencer Superstar Day
Today we celebrated Spencer Superstar Day across all of our Spencer Academy Trust Schools. There was a carnival atmosphere in our amphitheatre at lunch and after school with a range of activities, vendors and performances taking place. The day time events were organised and run by our impressive student leaders whilst our newly formed Parent-Teacher Association organised the evening event. It was a lovely way to round off the week with students, families and staff enjoying some of the performances with an ice cream in the evening sun.
Year 8 Parents Evening
Our year 8 families experienced their first face to face parents evening at the academy on Wednesday evening. Attendance at the event was excellent and it was great to have families in the building once again talking about learning, progress and rebuilding those relationships that are so vital in underpinning the success of our young people.
Year 10 Trip to Aberdovey
A selection of Year 10s have spent this week on an outward bound adventure in Aberdovey, Wales. I will have a greater summary on this next week but the brief updates we have received from the team so far are that it has been an amazing week in some of the UK’s most beautiful surroundings. Students have experienced both physical and mental challenges during the activities and have been an absolute credit to the academy throughout the week.
Careers Update
This week the job of the week is an ‘Furniture Designer.’ You can watch the video here.
Our Year 11 students continue to meet with one of our Careers advisers Kat Garland or Jessica Townsend from Luminate Careers and they are really keen to support any student who is still unsure about their plan for September. If your child would like some support, please encourage them to ask their tutor, Mrs. Hrncic or Mr. Kilgour to arrange them an appointment. Please also see Luminate’s latest newsletter packed full of useful ideas and links to support students considering their next steps. Luminate also have an excellent website with a wealth of useful information. Please have a look at the link: https://luminatecareersandcoaching.co.uk/
For our post 16 and Year 11 students we are pleased to introduce the ‘The Derby Moor Dispatch’ that Mr. Telford our Post 16 Pastoral Leader has produced. This is emailed every Friday to all students in Years 11-13 and contains a wealth of opportunities ranging from work experience, real apprenticeships, summer schools and more. Please ask your child about it this weekend.
Exam Season and Revision Sessions
The Summer exam season is now upon with many students in year 11 and 13 having taken units already this week. The bigger exams begin next week and will continue from there through to June. There are a number of revision sessions running that students have been informed about, most notable in Year 11 where we will be collapsing some of their normal timetabled lessons to provide an intensive revision session with subject specialists the day before a key examination. This may mean that their usual end times will be different as their after school intervention sessions will be replaced by the revision sessions.
Wishing you a restful weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal
