Dear Families
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the best of health. I write to you following an unusual week at the academy where we have had two days of closure due to industrial action, two days of transition for our new Year 7 students, Year 11 Graduation, Year 10 examinations and our final Drop Down Day of the year. Alongside this, I’ve spent some time at the Festival of Education in Wellington with colleagues from across our trust listening to some really inspirational and interesting viewpoints on education, technology, AI, politics, assessment and curriculum. Some of which will be finding its way into our future planning for the academy.
Y11 Graduation
On Friday we celebrated with our Year 11s during our annual Graduation Ceremony. Sadly, I missed out on the event but the photographs and recollections from my colleagues have shown me that a good time was had by all and that the new format to the event worked well. Whilst most of Year 11 will return to us in September and join our 6th Form, we know that many will be moving on to pastures new at college, on to apprenticeships and for some the world of work. As I said in my video message to the Year Group, we wish them the very best of luck on the next stage of their educational journey. Thank you to all the families who cheered our graduates in and helped to make their entrance to the ceremony even more memorable. A special mention to Mrs Hrncic and Ms Thomas for organizing the event and seeing the idea of a new type of event through to fruition.
Geography Update
As part of Drop Down Day, the Year 10 students attended a fieldwork trip to Hornsea on the Holderness coast this week. They studied coastal management and looked at how the groynes prevent Longshore Drift on the North East coast.
Year 12 Geographers will head over to Holderness this week as part of their fieldwork. They will be staying overnight and putting their understanding of the practical and theoretical aspects of the course to the test in the field.
Holiday Activity & Food
The Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) Programme for Derby is now open for summer bookings. The HAF programme offers a range of free clubs over the summer holidays for children and young people who are in receipt of benefits related free school meals. Sessions are available right across the city and include a wide range of activities from sports to performing arts, and all sessions will include a free nutritious meal. Parents and carers can view the providers and book onto sessions directly by following this link.
There is also a small fund available for places at holiday clubs for children and young people who may not be eligible for free school meals but are considered to be vulnerable and would benefit from engaging in activities during the summer break. As a school we can apply for these places for you. Please contact your child’s Year manager if you would like us to apply for one of these places on your behalf.
Sleep Workshop – Monday 10th July 2023
A reminder that we have Kerrie Davies from the British Sleep Society coming into Derby Moor and delivering a face to face workshop on sleep this Monday (10th July) at 4 pm. All families and students are welcome to attend the workshop. Please email Mr Reddy if you are interested or would like any further information.
Kenya Trip – Parent Information
Year 8 to 10 have recently attended an assembly about an exciting opportunity to visit Kenya in August 2024. Interested students were given letters to express their interest. Miss Lancaster now invites all interested students and parents to an information evening with Derby County Community Trust and African Adventures on 13th July at 5:30. This will give you information about the trip content, cost and fundraising. Any questions please email Miss Lancaster.
Clarks Shoes – Derby
Clarks Shoe Shop in Derby have asked us to share information about their quiet room that can be booked in advance for young people who may find the hustle and bustle of the retail environment overwhelming: “We offer appointments that make your visit to store a much easier and quicker process, as you’re able to book in advance & turn up at your allocated time slot. We have recently opened our new quiet room, which has our own social story, sensory equipment and will be available to book for 30-minute slots. You’ll be allocated an advanced trained fitter who has recently undergone SEN training & further Autism training, and they will be with you the whole time.”
Ivy House
On Thursday, Ivy House hosted a ‘Reading Picnic’ to celebrate the joint reading partnership between Ivy House and Derby Moor Spencer Academy. This was attended by Year 8 Derby Moor students, who had taken part in the reading project over the last year.
The Reading project has been a way of developing a link with Ivy House school and seeing how we could bring both sets of students together for a common goal. The act of reading is a really powerful way to engage with each other and it was lovely to see how both sets of students interacted with each other through the reading of a story. We are hopeful that the project will be continuing with the new Year 8 students next year.
Principal’s Coffee Morning
This will take place on Tuesday 11th July at 9-10am. If you are able to attend, please come to reception to sign in before the coffee morning. There will be an opportunity to meet with Mr Scott and Mr Doyle and raise questions for discussion.
School Trips Arrangements: Final Week of Term
Details concerning the trips to both Alton Towers and the Natural History Museum will be distributed next week. Please look out for a letter or email with confirmed arrangements.
Sports Day
On Friday 14th July, students have been invited to take part in our annual Sports Day. In a bid to get maximise participation there are multiple different events that they can take part in. The morning will see an opt-in option for anybody wanting to take part in any of the participation events, these include: Basketball, Netball, Rounders, Table Tennis, Football and Badminton. For every event that students participate in they will achieve house points that go towards the final scores. Before lunch, students will have the option to compete in the field events. Finally, in the afternoon we have the more traditional athletic events with the parades, sprints and relays. Students who are taking part in any event on the day are asked to come to school in full PE Kit with their lanyards. All students can sign up to events during their PE lessons. Sports day is a great reminder of the values of our school and we will see our motto ‘Together We Succeed’ in action as we come together to celebrate collective participation and performance.
Careers Update
Job of The Week: This week’s job of the week is a ‘Network Engineer‘.
Derby Moor Dispatch: A reminder that you can also view the Dispatch via the Careers page of the Derby Moor website.
Inspiration Day – Year 8: Last Monday we were delighted to welcome twenty employers from a range of businesses to the academy including representatives from Alstom, Rolls Royce, DHL and PwC, ten of whom were former students of Derby Moor. Our volunteers were an integral part of our second Year 8 Inspiration Day where students were tasked with designing and making a flying machine. The students worked in teams with each student taking on a specific role based on a real job. Our volunteer employers spent the morning assessing the students for their employability skills and in particular focussing on our 4 R’s: Respect (Listening & Speaking) Resilience (Problem-Solving & Staying Positive) Responsibility (Leadership & Aiming High) and Resourcefulness (Creativity & Teamwork). Our employers are working alongside our students and staff to help everyone understand the importance of these employability skills in preparing our students for their future. One former student who helped out and now works at Rolls Royce said of the day: ‘This concept is incredible as it helps students prepare themselves for a future beyond school life’
A special thanks goes to our Enterprise Adviser, Amanda Stevenson-Bate from Alstom. Amanda has been supporting Derby Moor for three years now and has provided invaluable expertise and guidance to enable us to shape our careers provision and ensure our focus is always on what will enable our students to be prepared for future employment in an ever-changing jobs market.
Final Notes
Even amid a disruptive week, there has still been a lot happening at the academy and next week is no different. To name but a few events, we have a Stem residential at Loughborough University, the Geography Holderness coast visit, a BTEC Business presentation on Monday from a local entrepreneur, an NHS visit on Tuesday, a DHL Workshop for Y10 on Tuesday and then Sports Day on Friday to bring the week to a close. We will also be welcoming visitors from the Inclusion Quality Mark to examine the work we do for our learners who require extra support at times to help them continue to be successful. We are hopeful that we will achieve the required standard for the award – having recently been acknowledged as one of only 97 secondary schools in the country to be designated as World Class, to also hold the Inclusion Quality Mark would put us in a unique position. This would reflect both the variety and depth of work that happens each week to support our students to be the best they can be. Together We Succeed.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
Scott Doyle
Principal
