Dear Families
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the best of health. This will be the final update of the academic year and I’ve waited until school has ended to share it with you rather than sending on the final Friday. The intention was to distribute this yesterday but, as is often the case for teachers at the end of a term, I’ve been a little unwell these past couple of days so it’s taken until now to publish this. Apologies.
The end of the academic year is always bittersweet in some ways. Whilst both students and staff will look forward to some time away from the Academy to relax and recharge their batteries with family and friends, it is also tinged with a little sadness. I believe this stems from the fact that we will not be connected with each other for a number of weeks and that we say farewell to some staff and some students who move on to pastures new. That said, we have the Post 16 and GCSE results days to look forward to when we will reconnect with our students in examination years and, hopefully, celebrate their successes.
September always marks a period of renewal within the Academy where we will refresh some of our policy and practices, our structures within the school and look forward to another year of refining what we do together to challenge social injustice and raise aspirations. There will be a lot of work taking place over the summer, not just on site but also in terms of planning and reviewing so we are ready to hit the ground running in September. I’ve tried to capture some of the key developments below along with the essential information for September.
Start and End of Term
You will be aware that school ended on Tuesday with a slightly earlier finish than normal. It came to light in the morning that a small number of families had not received the email with the final details about this. Please accept our apologies for this, we are unable to explain why most received it and others did not but we know that it is likely to be as a result of different pieces of software not talking to each other since our IT migration. Thankfully, most of our families were aware and students were able to end the term as planned.
September starts with two staff training days and then a staggered introduction for students. Effectively, Years 7, 11, 12 and 13 will begin on Wednesday 4th September, followed by Years 8, 9 and 10 who start on the 5th. The day will begin as normal with doors opening at 8.30 and students in form time for 8.40. You can find the letter for families here. Year 7 will muster and enter through the MFL entrance near the car park, Year 8 will come in through the sports entrance, Year 9 through the assembly hall door and Years 10 and 11 through the main entrance. Sixth Form will use the side entrance near to our disabled parking bays.
For parents of new Year 7, is quite normal for them to be a little anxious in the final few days before they start with us. Please rest, assured that the first few days are geared around settling them in and building up their confidence. They will be tired but I’m sure they will have a positive start to the next chapter in their personal development.
ICT Update
As eluded to above, we continue to face some challenges with our provision on this front. The good news is that we have the summer to upgrade more of our infrastructure and to iron out some of the niggles between different pieces of software and third parties. When things are working well, they are a significant improvement upon how things were at the start of this year so I’m excited about the prospect of a state-of-the-art system aligned with an innovative strategy to develop the digital fluency of our learners.
Inclusion building
Following a term of ground works, the first modules of our new Centre of Excellence for Inclusion have arrived on site. This project has been a number of years in the making so we are excited to see it coming to fruition and providing modern, purpose-built accommodation to align with our exceptional practice around meeting the needs of all learners. We will try to update you on the progress of the build on the website and our Twitter account.
Science labs
As part of our rolling programme of investment, we are refurbishing two more science labs this summer. You will be aware that we refurbished two labs last summer and have taken feedback from staff and students upon that to inform the layout of the two new rooms. Science is one of our most popular subjects across the curriculum, so it is nice to be able to invest in this area and provide another modern, purpose-built space for our staff and students to utilise.
Summer building works
It is going to be a busy summer for our site team with the Inclusion Building and the Science Labs as major projects to complete. As if this weren’t enough, there are further IT works and associated re-wiring to install, new carpeting throughout Spirit floor, some landscaping outdoors to widen access paths and the installation of a new fire alarm system. There are some internal works planned for our refocus room and maths rooms too although these may take place beyond the summer holidays.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Carts
On Friday 12th, the school buzzed with excitement as Year 8 students gathered for an unforgettable day of STEM exploration, where the thrilling world of go-karts collided with the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Guided by passionate mentors, students embarked on a hands-on journey to design, build, and race their own go-karts. Working in teams, they tackled real-world engineering challenges, applying principles of physics and mechanics to optimize their vehicles for speed and control. The event ignited their imagination, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they fine-tuned their designs. The day came to a close with students racing their karts, showcasing their ingenuity and embracing the thrill of STEM. We hope the event made an indelible mark on young minds, fuelling their passion for STEM and inspiring future innovators.
Data Point (end of year report)
You should by now have received an email explaining that we have been unable to distribute the end of year Data Point before the summer break. Whilst the data is on our system, we are currently unable to run the reports and mail them in the usual way. This is an example of software not quite communicating correctly as a result of our migration. We require specialist technical assistance to correct this over the summer and hope that we will be able to distribute them shortly. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
Uniform
A reminder that you can find our uniform requirements on our website to help you prepare your child for a positive start in September. You can find details about our uniform suppliers here. I would encourage you to take a copy of our webpage with you to ensure that trousers, skirts and shoes fit the requirements stated on the website. These tend to be the items that tend to require the most attention when purchasing new items.
Sports Update
Sports Day 2024: Last Thursday we hosted our annual sports day. After last year’s event was shortened due to poor weather conditions, it was a relief to finally see perfect weather this year. The morning started off with lots of participation and throwing events where over 500 students signed up to take part. There was everything from rounders to netball to badminton and table tennis and it was amazing to see so many students active and participating for their houses. Participation took the overall lead in the morning events, but it was a close race with honour and solidarity just behind them.
In the afternoon we invited the whole school out to watch the sprints and relays, whilst cheering on their houses. The events were fantastic spectacle and we saw some absolutely incredible races, individual athleticism and sportsmanship throughout the events. It all came down to the final few races where it was Honour who took the most victories in the afternoon and were crowned sports day champions 2024. Although winning is nice, sports day is about the togetherness and participation we embrace here at Derby Moor and so, it was fantastic to see so many students active throughout the day. Thank you to all staff and especially the PEEA team who helped to make the whole event a reality.
Final notes
We have enjoyed another successful year at the academy this year. As always with school life there have been some challenges and many causes for celebration. I always ask for more or better, it is part of leading a large, high performing school like ours that there will always be aspects to share and celebrate as well as things that can be improved. We will be looking to consult on some of this in the next academic year as we re-shape certain aspects of our provision. For now though, I would like to say thank you to all of our school community. I have a job like no other in a school like no other, but it is made that way by the people, our students, our staff, our families and our wider community. It is a genuine privilege to work with such a diverse and dedicated community. Together We Succeed.
Wishing you a relaxing summer break.
Scott Doyle
Principal
