Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you in good health and high spirits. It has been a busy week at Derby Moor and I have a number of key points to clear up this week:
Covid -19
We have had a new confirmed case of C19 in school this week and have communicated with those families affected by this to alert them of possible contacts. We are conscious that the numbers in school are low in comparison to last year but we remain vigilant and will not compromise the safety of our community by relaxing our procedures. With rising numbers across Derby and the UK we ask that you remain vigilant as families too and do all we can together to limit the spread and keep our community safe. The home testing on Sunday and Wednesday helps with this. If you could continue to encourage your child to complete the LFD tests and report any positives to school and NHS.
Covid Trial and questionnaire
You will be aware that we have taken part in a piece of research for the Department of Health and Social Care, looking into the spread of C19. As part of this study they have been collecting data on cases and variants as well as mass testing and attendance. They are interested in how LFD testing is going and have asked if families could complete the anonymous survey on the link below to help with the research:
Questionnaire on mass testing.
Year 11 and 13 Grades
We have been very busy this week submitting final grades for our students in Years 11 and 13. As you can imagine this has been a painstaking process of entering data, checking, re-checking and then transferring to exam board portals. If you follow the media you may know that there have been some issues with exam board websites that have caused additional challenges for us but I can reassure you that, as I type this update, all our grades have now been submitted and officially signed off. It leaves us with a strange feeling that is very different to the usual end of an examination period. We are, however, confident that our processes have given our students the best possible chance of being successful and our quality assurance has given a robustness and integrity to the grades awarded. You will find our parents’ guide to TAGS attached to the email version of this update for any families that missed the document when it was first circulated.
Graduation
We are still working towards holding our graduation for Year 11 students. We know that many schools have had to cancel proms due to the change in government guidance but we feel we are able to accommodate a version of our graduation that allows our students to say farewell whilst remaining Covid secure. The date for your diaries remains as 29th June, please be understanding that the final details are needing to be amended as we respond to the guidance update this week.
Transition
For those of you with younger children in Year 6 you may have heard the news that we will no longer be able to offer the 3 day transition programme that normally operates across the city. This is in response to guidance from the DfE. We are aiming to provide an experience for our main feeders where students will come to Derby Moor for a morning or afternoon session. More information will follow in due course.
Sixth Form Induction Week
Our Sixth Form induction week commences on 21 June, the week is structured to enable students to experience what life is like as a Sixth Form student here at Derby Moor. The aim is to allow students to develop their intellectual curiosity and academic excellence by attending lessons in their chosen courses. Students will also have the opportunity to meet our Sixth Form student leadership team who can offer guidance and support with the transition from Year 11 to the Sixth Form. We strongly encourage all who have secured a place to attend.
Website update
Our website will be undergoing a refresh at the weekend to give it a new look and to make key items easier to find. We have aimed to make it more user friendly but this has meant that there are less headings than you may have been used to. All the key information will still be accessible from the home page including the links to Show My Homework, Email, Hegarty Maths and so on. We hope you find it easy to navigate and accessible. Do let school know if you are having particular issues with an aspect of it or can’t find something you require.
Best wishes,
Scott Doyle
Principal
