Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the very best of health. We have a number of updates following another busy week at the academy. One in particular that families will need to take note of is the move from ParentPay to Arbor Pay. More details on this below.
Library Update
After interviewing over 30 students, Miss Jones and the Student Librarians made their final selections, appointing 5 new members to the Student Librarian Team. They will be trained and will join in with decorating the library for spring, supporting upcoming events and helping with the day to day running of the library. Every student who applied will receive a certificate to say thank you for their efforts.
Key Stage 3 Update
This week, students across Key Stage 3 have taken part in assemblies designed to support their personal development and future career awareness. These sessions form an important part of our commitment to helping students understand the skills and qualities they will need to succeed both in school and beyond.
Both Year 7 and Year 8 students recently attended a careers assembly delivered by representatives from Balfour Beatty, giving students valuable insight into careers within the engineering and construction sector. The assembly introduced students to the wide range of roles available, including engineering, design, project management, and technical support, as well as the different pathways into the industry, such as apprenticeships, college routes, and university study.
The session was closely linked to our four R’s of employability: resourceful, responsibility, resilience, and respect. Students were encouraged to think about how being resourceful helps them solve problems and adapt to challenges, while taking responsibility for their learning and future choices. The importance of resilience was highlighted through examples of overcoming setbacks and learning from mistakes, and respect was reinforced through teamwork, communication, and professional conduct within the workplace.
By hearing directly from a real-world employer, students were able to make clear connections between their learning in school and future career opportunities. Research supports the importance of this approach; a longitudinal study by Hooley et al. (2015) found that early, meaningful engagement with employers is linked to improved motivation, higher aspirations, and better long-term employment outcomes for young people.
Year 10 Update
Y10 History Trip to the Thackray Medicine Museum – On Tuesday, 3rd February, 75 Y10 History students visited the Thackray Medicine Museum in Leeds. The students have been studying ‘Medicine in Britain, 1250-1500’ as part of their GCSE History course so the visit to the museum provided an opportunity to reinforce key knowledge that they have studied in school. Whilst at the museum, the students enjoyed a workshop on surgery in Victorian Britain. This took place in a 19th Century operating theatre, demonstrating how surgery would have taken place during that period and exposing students to some of the sights (and smells) typical of the time. Following that, students visited the various galleries, learning about the story of the fight against infectious diseases, the development of public health and aspects of modern surgery. There was also a chance to tour a reconstruction of a typical inner city Victorian street with its associated dangers to human health. After a smooth return journey, the students arrived home in good spirits and with their knowledge enhanced. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and the students were a credit to the school.
Year 11 Update
We have had another fantastic week of interventions in Year 11 this week, starting with a Walking-Talking Mock in Maths for those students currently aiming for grade 4 and followed by a Late-Night Intervention for selected Geography and History Students. Please do continue to keep an eye out of any letters your child may receive regarding additional intervention sessions outside of those that take place ordinarily on a weekly basis.
We have a number of planned intervention sessions taking place during the February Half Term, Easter Holidays and May Half Term. You will find a copy of the latest booklet providing an overview of the intervention sessions that are taking place over the holidays here. You and your child will receive a personalised letter next week detailing any interventions your child has been invited to attend.
Sixth Form Update
This week, our Year 13 students each took part in an online mock interview, where they discussed the skills they have developed and their future plans. The event was designed to help prepare students for virtual interviews in the future. We were grateful to have volunteers from a wide range of employers, including DHL, JCB and DJH, to name a few, who dedicated their time to conducting interviews and providing valuable feedback. We were impressed by how confidently and professionally students approached the experience, and they did a fantastic job engaging with employers and responding to questions.
Additionally, this week we launched the Work Experience (WEX) week for Year 12 students, which will take place this Thursday and Friday. The process for securing work experience placements will be shared via ClassCharts, and we will provide ongoing support to students to help them navigate this process successfully.
Alongside the mock interviews, interviews for our prospective Year 12 students have been in full swing. There have been some really impressive interviews, and it has been wonderful to hear how much students value the Derby Moor community and how excited they are about pursuing their chosen subjects at Sixth Form. Once the interview process is complete, offers will be sent to students via the email address provided on their application form.
Parent Pay is transferring to Arbor Pay
There is some big news around the corner with regards to how you fund your child’s account for making purchases in school. After the Easter/Spring Break we will be moving from Parent Pay to Arbor Pay. Arbor is our new Information Management System and it allows us to integrate more features into one platform. We will soon be sharing how you can access Arbor to see more information about school. Before then, on Monday the 16th of March you will all receive logon details to the Arbor Pay system. Please do log in as soon as possible to familiarise yourself with the platform. The last day for the use of Parent Pay system will be Friday the 27th March as the changes to Arbor Pay will be completed over the Easter/Spring Break. It is therefore essential that you have logged in to Arbor Pay before school starts after Easter. More information on this change will be provided in the coming weeks.
Duke of Edinburgh Update
This week students completing Bronze and Silver learnt their Trangia safety and how to safely use the stove. They made hot chocolate which was a perfect end to a rainy cold day.
The session on Thursday 12th February is cancelled to all due to staff availability. DofE will re commence on Thursday 26th February and students will be sampling food suitable for expeditions – food will be provided there is no need to purchase anything for this session.
PE and Expressive Arts Update
Matilda – Rehearsals for Matilda are in full swing, and the energy across the cast has been fantastic. We’re especially excited to showcase the incredible work happening in rehearsals and to celebrate the performances from our Band and Dance groups at this week’s Expressive Arts Showcase. Their creativity, commitment, and teamwork are really bringing the production to life, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Year 7 Girls Football – The final tournament for our Year 7 girls football team saw our students take their football to another level. They were strong in defence and a few shots on target meant we came away with two draws and one loss. The girls have been committed, motivated and a joy to work with. They have continually worked hard as a team and did our academy proud.
Spring Showcase – On Wednesday evening the Expressive Arts team held their Spring Showcase. We welcomed families and friends of those performing for over 30 students from across all year groups to share their performances of work they have produced during lessons and extra-curricular clubs. All students performed to a high standard and were professional throughout the evening. We had a range of performances including singing, dancing, playing instruments in the school band and a sneak peek at 2 scenes from the upcoming Matilda show. Special thanks to sixth form students LA and LJ and yr10 BB and TB for helping with set up and backstage.
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a “model maker”
Derby Moor Dispatch: The Derby Moor Dispatch goes out weekly to all students in Year 11, 12 and 13. The Dispatch contains a wide range of opportunities for work experience, summer schools, careers related webinars and so on. Please do have a look at the latest edition. The Dispatch is emailed to the students’ school email address, so it is important that they check this regularly on a Monday. You can also view the Dispatch via the Careers page of the Derby Moor website. Please take a look at the website as there is a wealth of useful information including a specific page for parents.
Luminate Careers: Our independent and impartial Careers Advisers from Luminate Careers have an excellent website with a wealth of useful information Please have a look at these links designed for parents/carers about careers conversation starters and Post 16 Options.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
Scott Doyle
Principal