Dear Families
I hope this update finds you and your family in good health. It’s been a somewhat different week at the academy this week with the natural rhythm of the school day changing due to the re-alignment of break and lunch across the school. Our students have adapted really well to this and seem to be enjoying the additional spaces we have been able to open up outside. In addition to the changes to breaks we’ve also seen a large proportion of our community celebrating Eid this week resulting in reduced numbers on site. Eid Mubarak to all who were celebrating.
Uniform
The recent warm weather has now passed and we will return to full school uniform next week. As such, we will expect all students who are in school to arrive fully equipped and with their blazers on throughout next week. Some students are on visits on Monday, they should follow the advice given by the trip leaders in their letters but by Tuesday our whole student body will be back in blazers. I thank you in anticipation of your support with this.
In preparation for the new school year, families have been sent a letter with reminders about school uniform. Please also see here the price lists for Morleys and Uniform Direct. If you have any queries about school uniform, please contact your child’s Year Manager.
Vape Awareness Week
All secondary schools across Derby were united with the council’s public health department last week in the city’s first ever Vape Awareness Week. You can view the full article here. As with all school and families, we are concerned about the unknown effects of vaping on children’s health and the unregulated nature of many illegal vapes that are widely available to young people. Given the recent news article by the BBC about the high levels of metals in vapes and how they can affect brain development, it is vital that we are all clear with young people about the dangers both short and long term about using vapes.
Sleep Workshop – Monday 10th July 2023
On Monday 10th July 2023 at 4 pm, Kerrie Davies from the British Sleep Society will be coming into Derby Moor and delivering a face to face workshop on sleep. Sleep is essential for teenagers because it plays an important role in their physical and mental development. Most teens should get between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately, research indicates that many teens get far less sleep than they need. The workshop is intended to improve the knowledge families have around sleep to help them to make a plan for improving sleep habits. This can be beneficial in managing their mood, mental health and academic performance.
All families and students are welcome to attend the workshop. Please email Mr Reddy if you are interested or would like any further information.
Transition Days
Our transition days for Year 6 students will be taking place on Tuesday and Thursday this week with an evening event for families on Tuesday. A letter has been sent home containing all the relevant information regarding this but if you have not received it, please contact school reception. Year 6 students will have the chance to experience lessons across the school site in a range of subject areas on both days, they will meet their form tutors and will have a taster of how school life will be from September. I look forward to meeting families on Tuesday evening.
Year 12 Induction
Friday 30th June 2023 was our Year 12 induction day, forming the first part of their transition from Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5. We welcomed lots of new students from other local schools to the academy along with many familiar faces from our Year 11 cohort. There was a lovely moment this morning as they gathered at the front of school ready to start the day – the looked ever so smart in their business wear, really grown up and ready for the independence and academic challenge that post 16 study entails. It was great to see them so excited and ready for the next phase in their journey.
Teen Tech National Finals
Five of our students are currently at the IET in London today, having been shortlisted for the National Final of Teen Tech’s Global Challenge. NS, RK and SC from Year 12 have devised an innovative way of diagnosing various skin conditions more accurately and speedily on non-white skins and TT from Year 9 has devised a wide range of potential solutions to reduce the negative impact of medical interventions on patients’ Mental Health. Additionally, DS has the honour of having been selected from the thousands of participants this year to compere the Final Ceremony. There will be an update on results next week.
Duke of Edinburgh – Year 8
The Parents Information Evening for Year 8 takes place this week on Thursday 6th July. Interested families should attend with their child as the information is relevant to both children and adults. Students who have registered and interest in DofE have been sent an email with further details, if
you think you should have received an email but haven’t, please contact dofe@derbymoor.derby.sch.uk and an invite will be sent out to you.
Ivy House Summer Fayre
Our neighbours at Ivy House will be hosting their annual Summer Fayre on Saturday 8th July from 11-3. All are welcome to attend and they can promise a raffle, BBQ, food, ice cream, music and more.
Ronald Pope Sculpture
On Thursday 22nd June, we were delighted to welcome the Ripley U3A Art Appreciation Group to the Academy to look at the Ronald Pope Sculpture we are lucky enough to have on site. His daughter was amongst the guests and she has written a few words about her father’s work:
Ronald Pope was commissioned by the Borough Architect’s Department of Derby Council in 1966 to design and provide a water sculpture for the internal courtyard at the school. Pope’s original notes state “This is essentially a quiet area and the sound of falling water helps relaxation. The basis of the design grew from the use of verticals (growth) and balancing horizontals (rest) to create a unity of rhythm and harmony.” The sculpture is 11 ft in height in phosphor bronze bar, rod and sheet – cut, beaten and welded. It was renovated and re-sited in 2012 as the new building was constructed.
If you would like to see other works of Art by Ronald Pope, you can visit the Art UK website here. The school has a rich history and we know how lucky we are to have such a piece of art on our site along with numerous artefacts documenting the school’s history all the way back to 1160.
National School Sports Week
Last week saw the school take part in the national school sports week. Our PE team organised clubs each morning, lunch and after school throughout the week. The aim was to encourage all pupils to be active for 60 minutes a day. Over 400 students took part in a range of sports across the week. There were a variety of new activities on offer for students including footgolf, golf and yoga. We had a number of students who attended more than 6 clubs over the week and JG in Year 7 was our lucky winner in the prize draw. Following the successful week, the PE team will now look to continue with morning clubs each day for all students.
Sports Update
Last week, Y12 BTEC Sport students supported the PE Department in Inter-house activities, assisted in National School Sports Week and have begun to add their own lunch time activities to the already extensive Extra-Curricular programme. Students have been showcasing valuable leadership, communication and teamwork skills amongst many others.
In addition to this, students visited the University of Derby on Monday where they were involved in campus and accommodation tours, visiting the state of the art sports facilities and taking in a sports specific talk about the courses and opportunities available at the University. They got a great insight in to next steps in the sports sector and what the University has to offer.
On Wednesday students helped out as sports leaders at Ridgeway Primary School to deliver some fun and engaging activities to the students as part of their whole school Sports Day. The Y12 students led relays and egg and spoon races, amongst other activities. Well done to all involved for both developing their employability skills and also strengthening our Primary School links in the local community.
Careers Update
Job of The Week: This week’s job of the week is a ‘Market Research Analyst’.
Armitage Juniors Programme: “Planting the seed of inspiration.” This week a number of our Year 8 students have started on the Armitage Juniors Programme. Armitage Juniors is a programme designed specifically for students in years 8 and 9 and it comprises of 6-7 sessions featuring a mix of fun, practical and theory-based training. Topics covered include communication skills; ethics; respiration; radiology; cardiology; advice on next steps and GCSE options.
Derby Moor Dispatch: A reminder that you can view this week’s Dispatch via the Careers page of the Derby Moor website. It contains a wealth of opportunities for work experience, summer schools, careers related webinars and so on.
Final Notes
It’s been another busy week at the academy this week and we have an equally busy week coming up. There are a number of trips planned for Monday, please ensure your child is aware of their arrival time and is equipped with what they need for the day. Our transition days will then be taking place on Tuesday and Thursday – this is always a key event in our calendar as our next cohort of Derby Moor students experience their first taste of secondary school life. The Year 11 Graduation will take place on Friday too, this is always a glamorous event and a fitting way to say well done and farewell to the class of 2023. Dissecting the week, we have two days of industrial action on Wednesday and Friday. A separate email has been sent regarding this. Effectively, school will be closed to all Year Groups with the exception of Years 10 and 12 who will attend lessons as normal.
Scott Doyle
Principal
