Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you all in good health. We have welcomed our students back to school this week following the half term break and it has been refreshing to have a greater sense of normality. You will have seen from last week’s update that the requirement for face coverings has been removed and they are now a personal choice. There is some further detail in the covid update section below.
Covid Update
As outlined last week, students no longer need to wear face coverings in and around site. We recommend they wear them in busy areas and on public or shared transport as they will be mixing with a greater number of individuals at that point. We are continuing with our protocols around hygiene with additional cleaning throughout the site and following national guidance around the identification of contacts. This can be found in the email sent to families last week but, in summary:
- Students no longer need to take twice weekly LFD tests;
- Any student with symptoms should stay at home and order a PCR test;
- If they are negative they should return to school, if they are positive they should remain at home and isolate.
- Isolation lasts for at least 6 days from the onset of symptoms. They should take an LFD on day 5 and day 6. If these are both negative, they return to school on day 7. as long as they feel well enough to do so and do not have a temperature. Please inform school of any period of isolation using the covidalert@derbymoor.derby.sch.uk email address.
World Book Day
Each year we celebrate World Book Day by providing students with memorable activities to celebrate reading. This year we inspired students to celebrate story telling, story writing and the origins of many classic stories. On Thursday students heard five instalments of The Landlady by Roald Dahl. This meant students were excited to hear the next instalment in their next lesson and it created a buzz around reading and allowed students to engage with a fabulous story. In addition, students were given a £1 book token to use, the opportunity take part in an Art competition and complete a literary treasure hunt. There was so much excitement to complete the treasure hunt that it was extended further and ended today. Lastly, we gave students an opportunity to see a version of Roald Dahl’s writing chair which inspired a myriad of exceptional stories that have touched the lives of many!
Year 9 Switch Up Workshop
Our Year 9s hosted the Saltmine Theatre Company’s ‘Switch Up’ workshop today. It is an interactive production aimed at engaging with young people about the complex and interrelated issues of knife crime, gang violence and self-identity. The production was both moving and thought provoking and received highly complementary reviews from our students:
‘Great actors, modern day, smartly created performance with a strong message about knife crime.’
‘Absolutely brilliant, captivating production, using modern language to get the message across.’
Our thanks go to the performers and the Year 9 team for making this happen but also to our students for engaging whole heartedly with some challenging scenarios.
Careers Update
On Tuesday 1st March approximately 26 Year 10 students took part in a selection day for a chance to participate in a residential experience with the 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. One of the students said ‘I learnt how to communicate better and be more confident. It taught me to be willing to be brave and to be more resilient.’ Mark Hart from DHL said ‘From the minute I walked on site I was so impressed with scale, culture and vision of the school, and felt at ease and excited at what was my first time at the school. I spent a very enjoyable day experiencing the energy of the students and lots of positivity! For me there was a clear sense of friendship, team work and overall drive to succeed as a collective that was evident within both pupils and teachers alike. It has left me hugely inspired to support the school in any way I can, and I hope to become a very familiar face at Derby Moor Spencer Academy.’
Next week is National Careers Week and we thought you might like to have a go at a careers quiz
We are also looking forward to a number of careers talks from our Derby Moor alumni and will update you about them in next weeks email. If you are a former student and would like to get involved there is now a Linkedin group called ‘Derby Moor (formerly Derby School) Alumni. You are welcome to join the group by following this link. Any former students who are not on Linkedin are also welcome to be join our alumni family and get involved in supporting careers activity with our students. This may include mock interviews, careers talks, mentoring, careers fairs and more. Following the successful launch of the PTFA (Parents, Teachers, Friends Association) I would further like to extend the invite to all parents and carers to get involved in supporting and shaping our careers provision at Derby Moor. Please do email Mr Kilgour at a.kilgour@derbymoor.derby.sch.uk if you would like to offer your support.
Parking and Road Use
I realise this is a regular item on my updates. However, parking on Moorway Lane and dis-courteous use of the local roads and driveways is a continual frustration for our families, our students and local residents. At present, families who park on Moorway reduce it down to one lane which simply is not enough to cope with the demand at the end of the school day. If road users could please use the turning circle to park instead of Moorway Lane it would help traffic to flow in and out of school so much better. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this.
Year 7 Offer Day
Tuesday 1st March was offer day for Year 6 students when they learn about the place they have secured in secondary school for next year. Congratulations to the 300 young people who will be joining us next year. The academy will be in touch shortly to explain how transition works and what activities are on offer to ensure that the move from Primary to Secondary in as smooth as possible. For all the families whose children are on the waiting list, we are sorry that you have not secured a place this year. There is always some movement between now and September with some families relocating and we will be in touch if a place becomes available between now and then.
Spencer Superstars
This academic year represents the 10th anniversary of the Spencer Academies Trust. As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations we have launched a charitable foundation known as the Spencer Superstars. The aim of the foundation is to support children and young people, attending Spencer Academies, to pursue their passions and follow their dreams. The Foundation provides financial gifts directly to children and young people, to support opportunities in one of the following disciplines:
- The Arts
- Sports
- Science & Technology
- Entrepreneurship
- Conservation
- Wellbeing & Healthy Lifestyles
- Community Projects.
It may be that a student is passionate about portraiture, fashion or music. They may be a promising athlete, or have an idea to create a new App to help learning. Perhaps the young person has a blueprint for an ethical start up business for protecting the environment, or for making a contribution to healthy living and volunteering. Whichever discipline a child is passionate about, it is our desire to support their passion by gifting the funds raised to our children and young people to help them fulfil their aspiration. If you think your child may be a potential Spencer Superstar, please contact their Progress Leader to explore eligibility and how to apply.
Wishing you a safe and relaxing weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal
