Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the very best of health. Winter is definitely upon us and we’ve had some cold but sunny wintery days this week. With that comes a reminder that students need a warm coat for break and lunchtime as well as the journey to and from school. I have a slightly shorter update for you following a slightly shorter school week this week.
Year 11 Parents Evening
Thank you to all the families who attended our Year 11 Parents Evening on Wednesday night. It was great to connect with each other again and have some really valuable conversations about student performance, the summer examinations and the route to success for our individual students. There is something nice about the face to face contact that comes with these events in school – we know that a virtual event has its benefits and will survey your opinion on this later in the year after a round of face to face events.
Family Support Drop In Session
Thank you to the parents who showed an interest in or attended the family support drop in session with Mrs Steans and Louise Bieluch from the STePS team. It was real success and great to see engagement from families across our community. Mrs Steans is planning to run some follow up sessions in the future and will confirm the dates for these in due course. It is hoped that we will be able to support further by inviting additional agencies and supporting parents in learning more about their child’s needs.
Computing Update
Our computing team have provided an e-safety reminder this week about the dangers of Airdrop and Nearby Share. Airdrop uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transmit files to nearby devices, automatically detecting nearby supported devices within a maximum distance of 30 feet. When a receiver of content is selected, they will be notified and offered the option to accept or decline the incoming file. To avoid being the recipient of unwanted images or files you should check that your child knows how to hide their device on Airdrop and Nearby Share and how to decline an incoming image or turn off Bluetooth. If they need help with this, they can see their computing teacher for further advice.
Self Feeding Pillow Warning
We have been asked to share the following health warning about baby self-feeding pillows. Baby self-feeding pillow products are designed to be attached to a bottle so that the baby may be positioned on its back to self-feed without the assistance of a caregiver holding the bottle and controlling the feed. This is inconsistent with NHS guidance in relation to safe bottle feeding and has led to an urgent safety alert for families as they can lead to immediate, serious harm, death from choking or aspiration pneumonia. Anyone with one of these products is urged to cease usage and dispose of them carefully.
Principal’s Coffee Morning
The first coffee morning of the academic year took place this morning in our Flexible Learning Centre. Families were able to hear updates about the academy from myself and Mr Scott and ask any questions they have about the school and our plans moving forwards. Again, it was nice to connect with families and I would like to say thanks to those who gave up their time to attend and for the feedback given. We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting, scheduled for Friday 3rd February at 10am..
Awards Evening
The Derby Moor Spencer Academy Awards evening takes place at Pride Park on Wednesday 7th September. Award winners have been notified by letter and email (please check your emails to ensure that you haven’t missed an invite due to the postal strike). Guests should aim to arrive from 6pm and enjoy a buffet so we can be ready for a 6.30pm start. We are looking forward to a wonderful evening, celebrating our students success during last year.
STEM Roadshow
On Thursday we welcomed guests from BAE Systems in partnership with the Royal Navy and RAF as part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Roadshow. The team delivered a lively, engaging theatre performance to our Year 7 and 8 students. The theme was Magnetism and explained the integration of magnets, magnetism and electromagnetism in our everyday life. The feedback from students was very positive and we look forward to working with the team again in the near future. Thanks to Mr Blakemore for coordinating the event.
Sports Update
Girls football: It was a difficult set of results for the Y8/9 girls team this week, taking one point from three games at their second of three tournaments at Lees Brook on Wednesday night. In the first game of the evening was very open, with chances at both ends. A number of good saves from West Park’s goal keeper kept EA from putting Derby Moor ahead. Unfortunately the deadlock was broken with just under a minute to go, when West Park took advantage of a corner to put themselves in front, the game ending 1-0 to West Park. Derby Moor then came across a very strong Da Vinci team, eventually losing 5-0, however, a spirited performance continued to create chances up until the final whistle. In the final game of the evening, the girls were held to a draw by Derby High in another end to end game. It was EA again who came closest to putting Derby Moor in front, but it wasn’t to be and the game finished 0-0. With one more set of fixtures, the Y8/9 girls still have it all to play for. Player of the Tournament was JLT.
Cross Country: Students from the Derby Moor Cross Country Club are attending a Residential County Training Weekend at Lea Green, organised by Derbyshire Athletics Association tomorrow. They will be coached by international athletes and elite runners and will be looking forward to using some of the training techniques they learn in future Friday evening sessions at the Derby Moor Running Club. Congratulations to JG, MG, AL, HR and JC on securing places.
BTEC Sport University Trip: On Wednesday, all Year 12 and 13 BTEC Sport Students visited the Sport Science Department at Nottingham Trent University. Here, they took part in a number of different physiology and human movement sessions, with the aim of furthering their understanding of concepts in practical settings. As part of the physiology sessions, students were collecting expired air samples from participants at rest, sub-maximal and maximal exercise, which they were analysing for oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration and thinking about the effects this had on performance and fitness. Later on, students took part in a human movement session, in which they were using reflective markers and 3D motion cameras to capture movement and relate this to technical analysis and injury prevention. Students were also able to tour and visit different parts of the campus, which gave them an insight into University life.
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a ‘Cartographer’.
We started this week with an Inset Day, focussing on the integration of employability into our taught curriculum. As part of an innovative project we were grateful to have engagement from a huge range of employers who came to school to evaluate and collaborate on the activities we are designing for our students. Each activity is designed to develop and assess employability skills, much like our Inspiration Day last year. The insight from our partners in industry has been valuable and we are excited about the prospect of working together on the project to give our students the opportunity to present to, and engage with real audiences from a range of industries.
BBC Share Your Story Visit: As part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations, we were delighted to welcome the BBC back to Derby Moor for the second time this term, to host their ‘Share Your Story Careers’ sessions with Years 7-9. Each year group heard from a panel that included Gemma Mcharg, Digital Marketing for Logic Barn, Brian Buller, a BBC Researcher and the CEO of Greendog – Digital Solutions & Mobile App Development. The panel answered some great questions from our students about their time at school, their favourite subjects and their option choices at points along their career journeys. The visitors from the BBC said that they felt incredibly welcome in our school and commended our pupils for the way that they conducted themselves. This opportunity has already had an immediate impact upon our pupils, and already some great work has been taking place in English following the first visit. Our visitors also encouraged our students to make use of the exceptional BBC Bitesize Careers. There is a wealth of information and activities to be found here.
Final Thoughts
As another week draws to a close I do wonder how we are into December already. The weeks do fly by. With the colder weather, we have noticed a number of students with sniffles and colds recently and we have had a number of staff absences this week too due to illness. In a post-covid world I think we can all be a little jumpy around our health but we must encourage you to send children in to school if you feel they are well enough. We will encourage them to ‘battle through’ and will contact home if they appear unable to carry on.
We have another busy week ahead of us next week with Quad workshops, Rolls Royce Apprenticeship sessions, Awards Evening and the start of the Year 13 Mock Examinations coming up alongside all the usual day to day lessons and extra-curricular activities. There is rarely a quiet week at Derby Moor, but it’s the variety, the energy and the community that make our school such a wonderful place to work and to learn. Together We Succeed.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal
