Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in good health. Many of our community will be celebrating Eid Al Adha this weekend, we hope it brings them joy and positivity. Eid Mubarak. There are a number of updates this week including information about the expected high temperatures, our drop down day, sports day, out of school achievements and our careers update.
Derby Moor PTFA: Uniform, PE kit and textbook appeal
If you are renewing your child’s uniform and do not have anyone to pass your old uniform on to, we would love you to donate it to our Parents/Teachers/Friends Association (PTFA). We are looking for donations of good quality uniform clothing including PE kits. We would also be grateful for any old textbooks, kit bags and stationery etc. All donations can be dropped off at the school reception either the last week of this school year or the first of next. Al donations will be recycled to provide affordable solutions for families in need.
High Temperatures
The Met Office are predicting high temperatures across our region for the start of next week. As such, we will relax our expectation around blazers and encourage students to leave them at home. Please remind them to check their pockets so they remember their lanyards and stationary. Students should bring a water bottle and will be given opportunity to fill these during breaks and lunch as you would expect. It is advisable for those walking to and from school to apply sun cream. There is plenty shaded space in out courtyard for students to relax in during free time but we expect UV levels to be high from the start to the end of the day.
We will review the situation on Tuesday and expect students to be back in blazers on Wednesday. If the high temperatures are persisting, we will send out a further notification.
Drop Down Day
Students took part in our final Drop Down Day of the year on Monday, again benefitting from the expertise of visitors on a number of important topics which could affect the decisions they make in the future. They learnt about topics ranging from Money Management to Youth Offending, FGM to exploring Black Heritage and a multitude of topics in between. Some students visited the local churches, others learned the joy of reading. We had a visit to Twycross zoo as part of the ‘Animals and Habitats’ topic for Innovation students. The group saw giant tortoises, meerkats, leopards and the huge variety of primates at the zoo. Thanks to all staff and visitors who helped to make the day happen.
Transition Days
Year 6 enjoyed their 3 transition days this week, spending Tuesday to Thursday on site, meeting their form tutors and fellow new starters. They experienced the breadth of lessons they will enjoy next year and got used to moving around our site and finding their way between lessons. One student commented at the end of the day “there are a lot of stairs at Derby Moor.” He is right, and there were a lot of tired young people at the end of the day Thursday. That said, they enjoyed their experience and I’m sure they are looking forward to becoming part of our community at Derby Moor in September. We are very much looking forward to welcoming them back. For families of Year 6s, please use the transition section of our website for further information our contact school with any queries you may have.
Sports Day
Our annual Sports Day took place in school on Friday, this year with a Commonwealth Games theme and an extended programme of events. Competitors represented their house in a range of events including Basketball, Netball, Table Tennis, Football and Rounders alongside the usual track and field events. The day built up to a parade in front of the rest of the school cohort before the final races and relays of the day. Well done to everyone who took part in an event and to those who showed their support throughout the day. A big thank you to all the staff involved in organising the day and ensuring that the whole event ran smoothly – it was quite an undertaking to have so many competitive activities taking place in a single day.
Derby City Football League achievements
Our very own Deputy Youth Mayor of Derby presented the end of season awards this week alongside officials from Derby City Football League and Derbyshire Junior Football League. We are proud to share that a number of Derby Moor students were in receipt of awards including SA who won Best Sportswoman award under 12s, her brother MA and KG who were part of the under 14s Derby City League Winners and DG who won under 16s Best Sportsman award. A number of our students also performed in front of the 400 attendees as part of their dance group through Nadia Jane Performing Arts.
Parking on Moorway Lane
A gentle reminder to families who pick up children at the end of the day to use our turning circle instead of parking on Moorway Lane. Other road users are frustrated by those who park there as it narrows, what is already a busy street, down to one lane and slows the transit of everyone else. Please use the turning circle.
Careers Update
This week the job of the week is an ‘Volunteer Coordinator.’ You can watch the video here.
Year 12 completed a highly successful virtual work experience programme between Monday and Thursday this week. A huge thanks to our business partners: Alstom; HSBS; Cooper Parry; DCCT; Morrisons Flowerworld and Derbion who set our students some challenging project briefs to develop their employability skills. The students worked in teams and had to present to a panel of employers on their findings and recommendations. The feedback from the employers was really positive and have already offered many of our students a work experience opportunity. The theme of preparation for work has continued for Year 12 students thanks to E4E who organised 17 volunteers to give every Year 12 student a one to one employability mentoring session and to help prepare them for applications and interviews which will be important in Year 13 and beyond.
The Year 10 students who took part in the Outward Bound Residential to North Wales in May spent a morning this week with the volunteers from DHL who organised the residential. They took part in an employability workshop and CV and interview skills workshop. We are delighted to learn that the DHL Foundation are offering Derby Moor Spencer Academy the chance to send another group of Year 10 students on the Outward Bound Residential next year.
As part of the ‘Go Teach’ programme led by the DHL Foundation we had some DHL volunteers running an employability workshop this week with a number Year 9 students. This forms part of a piece of research to look at the impact that encounters with employers can have on young people.
Inspiration Day: It was wonderful to welcome employers from Alstom and Rolls Royce as well as a number of our alumni back from university to support our Year 8 Inspiration Day on Monday. Following on from the Inspiration week students were tasked with designing and making a flying vehicle from scratch. Our employers spent the morning assessing the students for their employability skills and in particular focussing on the 4 R’s: Resilience; Responsibility: Respect and Resourcefulness. The best team from each form were then selected for the final before the top three teams and the overall winners were presented with a trophy by Amanda Stevenson-Bate from Alstom. Amanda said: “An amazing day! Thank you for inviting me to be part of this – an Inspirational Day in an Inspirational School.”
Final Thoughts
Another busy week at Derby Moor this week as we enter the final fortnight of the academic year. The school year has a natural cycle to it and, as we have said goodbye to our students in Years 11 and 13, we welcome new cohorts into our community as Year 7 and 12 students. This time of year is often one of celebration and reflection, many of our families will be celebrating this weekend and we as a community will reflect on the academic year over the next fortnight. We have achieved a lot this year. I have also been looking forward. Nothing stands still in education and we are constantly looking at ways to move the school forward to provide the best possible education for our students. As such, I have spent some time out of school recently. This week I was at the Festival of Education where a whole host of speakers descended on Wellington to share their experiences and insights into education. Whilst I have a lot to take away from that, there were three presentations in particular that resonated with me and our mission at Derby Moor. Firstly I listened to Sir Tim Brighouse and Professor Mick Waters talk about educational policy and what needs to happen across our country to help young people meet tomorrow’s needs. Following that, Professor David Olusoga, author of ‘Black and British: A short essential history,’ told his story of growing up in the North East of England and how important it is for our youngsters to have an understanding of their history and heritage if they are to become successful young adults. Finally, Hashi Mohammad plotted his journey from being a nine year old Somali refugee to becoming a successful barrister, broadcaster and author – a heart breaking but inspirational story of social mobility.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal
