Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the best of health. It has been another busy and purposeful week at the Academy, marked by strong partnerships with families and local services, impressive student effort, and a continued sense of momentum across all year groups. From our well‑attended Year 9 Parents and Pathways Evening to the dedication shown by Year 11 and 13 during the mock exams, it has been a week that reflects both the ambition and community spirit that define Derby Moor.
Year 9 Vaccinations
Electronic permission forms have been issued for the Teenage Booster (Tetanus, Diphtheria & Polio) and Meningitis ACWY vaccines. The form will close on Monday 30th March. All students will be seen on 13th April 2026, so please complete the form in advance to avoid nurses needing to contact you during the day.
Move to Arbor pay
After the Easter/Spring Break we will be moving from Parent Pay to Arbor Pay. On Monday the 16th of March you will all receive logon details to the Arbor Pay system. Please login as soon as you can to familiarise yourself with the system. The last day for the use of Parent Pay system will be Friday the 27th of March. From 14:00 please do not attempt to add any funds to your Parent Pay account. The changes to Arbor Pay will be completed over the Easter/Spring Break. From Monday the 13th of March Arbor Pay will be in use.
Duke of Edinburgh
Bronze students were absolute superstars on Thursday’s session. They spent the time putting up tents in the gym ensuring that their equipment would be suitable for expedition. Huge thanks go to SW-C and AE for outstanding efforts putting up multiple tents during the session and being super helpful with packing away – Miss Lancaster really appreciated the help. Bronze and Silver will have a session next week – Thursday 19th March
Year 11 Textiles
Our Year 11 Textiles students took part in their final session of the project ‘From field to fashion’ collaborating with The Derby Museum and John Smedley. Wednesday was an exciting day as they were given their final finished outcome and had these photographed by a team of professionals that included a social media content creator and a photographer.
The students had a short presentation from James Gregory Campeau, Head of Marketing at John Smedley. From this the students had planned in their groups where they wanted their photoshoot to take place in the school and what props they wished to use. The students planned these really well and the photographer was extremely impressed by how much they wanted to get involved with lighting and placement in their photos.
See below their final finished products – all of the school jumpers that they have created include the school’s logo or the schools’ colours.
From this, the students work will be shown in an exhibition at the Museum of Making in Derby. All the students have been invited to the private viewing on 23rd April. We have also received some exciting news from Jess Maguire Dudley, CEO of John Smedley. She has organised that the student’s designs will go forward to a panel comprising of Jess, Kirsty Macregor from Vogue, Caroline Issa from Tank and Rachel Walker from LLUK – the embroidery company who are adding the school logo detail to the jumpers. This panel will provide positive feedback to the students on the jumpers and choose elements from some or all of the jumpers in order for John Smedley to make their own branded version for prototype.
This is a really exciting event and opportunity for our students to see all their hard work come to life and be appreciated in exhibition here in Derby. More information about the exhibition will follow shortly.
Post 16 Update
On Tuesday, some of our Year 12 cohort took part in a trip with other SPIRES students as part of the Spencer Trust SPIRES Programme, which supports young people who are considering applying to aspirational higher education institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge. The group visited St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford, where they enjoyed learning more about the Oxbridge application process. During the visit, students participated in taster subject sessions delivered by Oxford tutors in both Maths and Humanities. They also had the opportunity to explore the beautiful city of Oxford with university ambassadors as the tour guides. It was an inspiring and informative experience for everyone involved.
On Wednesday evening, we welcomed over 100 students to our Sixth Form Interview Evening for external candidates. We have now made all of our offers for Sixth Form places and are excited to invite our next cohort of Year 12 students to join us in September. An induction day will take place in July for students who will be joining us. If you have received an offer, please ensure you accept it by 13 April. If you have any questions about your application please email Mrs LeFranc at jlefrance@derbymoorspencer.org.uk Once again, we have seen an exceptionally high number of applications this year, reflecting the continued popularity and success of our Sixth Form. We know our consistently strong results year after year are a key reason for this demand and the sense of community that our current student share with their peers from other schools.
Year 11 Update
Year 11 Parents Evening will be taking place on Wednesday 25th March from 3:00pm. This is a fantastic opportunity to have a final conversation with your child’s teachers regarding their recent mock scores and the things they can be doing in these final weeks before their live examinations. All parents have received an email containing information regarding booking appointments on School Cloud. Should you have any queries in relation to this, please do speak with Miss A Hill, or alternatively email at ahill@derbymoorspencer.org.uk.
All parents have received an email indicating the after-school intervention sessions your child has been selected for in these final weeks prior to their live exams. Intervention is a great opportunity for students to work with subject specialists on their revision skills or key topics that they will require in order to achieve in their examinations. Please do encourage your child to attend these intervention sessions.
Finally, we have once again shared information to Year 11 pupils regarding their passport to graduation. Year 11 Graduation is due to take place on Friday 26th June, but in order for them to attend they must have reached a certain number of points (to be confirmed shortly). These points are obtained from our usual rewards system in school for positive behaviours, but also attendance, punctuality, attendance at interventions, parents evenings and half term holiday interventions. Any negative points received are also taken into account when calculating their total points. Students are then updated on their points weekly during Tutor Time.
Positivity week
On Monday 16 March, we will be running a Magic Mayhem show. The activities will take place at lunchtime under the canopy (weather permitting) as a pre-cursor to Positivity Week. The remainder of the Positivity Week activities will take place during the week beginning 23 March. Further information will be shared nearer the time.
Key Stage 3 Update
Last week, our focus in Key Stage 3 has been on one of the core elements that shapes learning across our school: our routines. Clear, consistent routines help students feel safe, focused, and ready to achieve their best. At the heart of this are our High 5s, which support smooth lesson entry, purposeful learning, and calm, respectful exits.
When students enter a classroom following an established routine, they transition more quickly into a “ready to learn” mindset. Research highlights that predictable structures reduce cognitive load and free up working memory—allowing students to concentrate fully on new ideas rather than on what they should be doing next (Kirschner, Sweller & Clark, 2006). Our lesson-entry expectations, such as settling quickly and beginning with a starter task, help maximise every minute.
Equally important is the way we conclude lessons. A structured exit—packing away calmly, standing behind chairs, listening for dismissal—ensures students leave the room with the same respect and order they entered. This consistency supports behaviour, reduces corridor disruption, and contributes to a positive culture across the school.
Another essential routine is our Call for Attention. This technique allows teachers to secure the full focus of the class within seconds. Studies on classroom management show that rapid attention gaining signals increase instructional time and improve student retention by ensuring the teacher’s voice is heard clearly at key moments (Emmer & Sabornie, 2015). When every student responds immediately and consistently, the whole class benefits from stronger explanations and more effective learning.
We would love for parents and carers to speak to their children this week about our High 5s and the Call for Attention—ask them to explain what these routines look like, why they matter, and how they help them learn.
Year 10 Update
Mock Interview / CV Preparation with JCB: On Tuesday 24 March, students will take part in a mock interview and CV preparation session with JCB. This is in preparation for their mock interviews, which are scheduled for 28 and 30 April. We expect every Year 10 student to have a completed CV ready for their mock interview.
Oxford Chemistry Roadshow: On Friday 27 March, selected students will attend the Oxford Chemistry Roadshow. A list of students will be shared with their teachers next week. This is likely to involve students studying Triple Science
Year 10 Parents’ Evening: Please note that the Year 10 Parents’ Evening will take place on Wednesday 22 April. Further information will be shared nearer the time.
Sports Update
PE Kit Reminder: A reminder to all families that, even when students are excused from PE for medical or injury reasons, they should still bring kit to lessons as they may be asked to take part in other ways.
Year 9 Boys Basketball: Following the teams’ recent successful exploits in several city-wide round robin tournaments this academic year, it was time to test themselves against a single opponent on an away court. Bemrose had mustered a sizeable crowd to watch the game. With full game rules, two officials, free throws for shooting fouls and a large electronic scoreboard, it could potentially have been an environment that could have overwhelmed the team. This was not the case as the players rose to the occasion. Showing some excellent teamwork and resilience, they settled quickly, withstood several momentum shifts in play and an enthusiastic home following to match the opposition in all phases of play. The team really held their own and lost the contest by just a single point. In a game that could have gone either way, this will prove a great learning experience for all and everyone is already looking forward to the rematch. Extra congratulations to talisman and man-of-the-match DH. He led from the front, captained the team and gave an awesome speech at half time which was incredibly inspirational.
Student Leadership Team Update
This week we have been celebrating the success of students who took part in our World Book Day “Cracking the Code” Challenge. It was fantastic to see so many students getting involved, working together to solve the clues. We have now been rewarding those who successfully cracked the code with their well-earned prizes. Congratulations to everyone who took part and especially to our winners.
The excitement around reading has continued as the challenge has led nicely into our school Book Fair, which is now taking place. It’s a great opportunity for students to explore new books, discover different genres, and pick up something they might enjoy reading at home.
Looking ahead, the Student Leadership Team is also busy preparing for our school Eid celebrations on Monday 23rd March. To mark the occasion, we will be selling delicious samosas from the Samosa Shack at lunchtime. Students will be able to purchase these using the usual fingerprint payment system, so there is no need to bring cash into school.
We hope everyone will join us in celebrating and enjoying the day!
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a “Drone Operator”
Derby Moor Dispatch: The Dispatch is emailed to the students’ school email address, so it is important that they check this regularly. 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.
Final thoughts
As we look ahead to the coming week, I want to extend my sincere thanks for your continued support. It has been heartening to see our community come together in so many ways — from the strong engagement at our Year 9 Parents and Pathways Evening, where we enjoyed Iftar, breaking fast together after sunset, the impressive dedication shown by students in Year 11 and 13 as they prepare for the examinations, to our students in sixth form giving up their time to help with interviewing external Post 16 applicants after hours on Wednesday.
With many of our young people, staff and families observing Ramadan, this week also marks the final days of fasting before the celebration of Eid. I know how significant this period is for so many in our community, and I want to wish everyone preparing to celebrate a peaceful and joyous Eid. I hope the celebrations bring time with loved ones, moments of reflection and a refreshed sense of togetherness.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal