Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the best of health. As we reach the end of half term three, I’m sure our staff and students are looking forward to a short break, to recharge, although a number of them will be in school next week preparing for the upcoming Year 11 mock examination series.
Youth Alliance Celebration
On Thursday 6th February, Rebecca Perkins, our schools Multi Agency Team Manager, attended and spoke at The Youth Alliance celebrating success and shaping our future event at Pride Park. This was to celebrate and recognise the strong partnership our school has with its wider community and also the positive impact our school’s multi-agency team has on our students and families through its collaboration with the voluntary sector.
The positive recognition and collaboration is acknowledged in their blog post that you can find here.
Student Equipment Items
Student equipment items are now available to purchase through Parent Pay, these include items such as lanyards, ID cards, pencil cases, ties and planners. Items that are purchased must be collected on the next school day from the Student Services Office.
Library Update
Our Library Team have been busy interviewing 33 candidates for the Student Librarian positions. A big thank you to Mr. Kilgour and the current team of Student Librarians for supporting and being a part of the interview process. And a big thank you to all of the students who have applied.
World Book Day is coming up on Thursday 6th March. Our Library manager, Candice Jones, has been working with Mr. Hall and his student leaders to make this an exciting day. They will be advertising two competitions, promoting the design of a National Book Token voucher competition and will be running our own book giveaway competition with a signed copy of Alice Oseman’s ‘Nick and Charlie’ book.
Writer’s Workshops
There are 12 spaces available for some exciting new Writer’s Workshops: 6 places for KS3 students 6 for KS4/5. These workshops will introduce emerging writers within our school to different forms of writing, from poetry, to planning a novel, all in a supportive small group setting. To apply for one of these spaces, students need to submit a poem or short story of no more than 500 words on the theme of “isolation” to Miss Addis (SO13/English hub) by Friday 28th February. Submissions should include the student’s full name and the name(s) of their English teacher(s).
New Clubs
Following the excitement of DMGT last week, the Expressive Arts team are introducing some new clubs starting after the February half term. Details are as follows:
Drama Club – Mondays 3.05-4.05 in the Drama Studio
Choir – Lunchtime (day TBC) in HO27
Production Club – Thursday 3.05-4.05 in HO27
Choreography Club – Tuesday lunchtime in the Dance Studio
Yr7 & 8 Dance Club – Thursday 3.05-4.05 in the Dance Studio
Youth Mayor Success
Congratulations to Maryam Riaz from Year 11 who has been elected to be Derby’s Deputy Youth Mayor. We look forward to supporting Maryam with her priorities for young people in the city when she takes office in May. This year’s election achieved a record-breaking turnout, with 12,024 young people casting their votes across the city. The City Council have praised our school for the enthusiasm and support shown by staff and students: “Your school’s involvement in this democratic process has helped demonstrate that young people in Derby are passionate about having their voices heard and making a difference in their community. The unprecedented level of participation reflects the outstanding work done in encouraging democratic and civic engagement among students.”
Teen Tech Practical Workshop
Our future cities will be in safe hands if the students involved in the practical follow up to the Teen Tech Virtual Workshop are involved in their development. These Year 8 students made prototypes of the ideas they formulated in the Teen Tech Workshop from recycled materials. They will be taking these to De Montfort University in March to be vetted and developed with the help of experts in Architecture, Engineering, Aesthetics, Business and Sustainability. These sector experts will also enlighten them about potential career opportunities for young people with the skill set they have demonstrated throughout their experience.
Year 11 update
With the next round of Year 11 mock exams fast approaching, our staff are working diligently to ensure students are well-prepared. To support their revision, we have scheduled several study sessions during the February half-term break. Personalised letters have been sent to Year 11 students we have identified as needing further input, inviting them to specific sessions. We will be providing similar sessions during Easter and May half terms for which information will be shared closer to the time.
Additionally, teachers have provided valuable revision materials to help students prepare for the mocks on Class Charts. We encourage students to make the most of their time and these resources to enhance their performance.
We would also like to remind you that the Year 11 Parents’ Evening will take place on 26th March. During this event, we aim to provide additional revision resources and strategies to support students in preparing for their exams starting in May.
To assist with revision planning, we have shared recommended resources/revision guides with you on Parent Pay. If you would like us to place an order on your behalf, please complete your purchase by 10th March 2025. All ordered revision guides/resources will be available for collection at the school during Parents’ Evening on 26th March.
Student Leadership Update: World Book Day
This year we will be celebrating world book day in a variety of ways:
National Book Token Competition: Students can design a book voucher based on their favourite stories, quotes, or characters. Winners can receive book tokens ranging from £50 to £300 for themselves and the school.
Book Giveaway: Win a signed copy of Nick and Charles by Alice Oseman. To enter, students must complete three book-themed tasks and provide proof. Further details will be shared during form time.
£1 Book Tokens (Monday 24th):
Student leaders will distribute to all forms £1 book tokens. These tokens can either be used to purchase selected books for £1 (see the list on the back of the token).
Sixth Form Update
We are delighted to share the outstanding results achieved by our students in the Summer 2024 A-Level and Vocational exams. Now that the national data has been validated, we are incredibly proud to announce that we have achieved the 2nd best A-Level results in Derby and the best Vocational results across the city. These results demonstrate that our students are performing above the national average, a testament to their hard work and dedication, as well as the unwavering commitment and expertise of our staff. Congratulations to all our students and a huge thank you to our staff for their exceptional efforts!
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a Geoscientist.
Year 10 Assembly on Apprenticeships with JCB: As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we were lucky to welcome apprentices from JCB to deliver an assembly to all Year 10. The two apprentices shared their career journeys and explained what apprenticeships are and the different levels. It was great that one of the apprentices was a former Derby Moor student and they were both from Derby.
Year 12 Parents Evening Mini – Careers Fair: On Wednesday, we were delighted to welcome delegates from three local universities: Derby, Leicester and Loughborough, as well as our careers advisers from Luminate and two businesses who were able to talk about apprenticeships, DHL and Althaus.
Rolls Royce Advanced Level 3 Apprenticeships: Applications for these are now live. Rolls Royce Level 3 apprenticeships require a minimum of 4 GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade 4, including Maths, English Language, Science (excluding Biology) and one other subject. Rolls-Royce are committed to supporting interested students through the application process as much as possible. You can find their guide to applying online here, advice about preparing your application here and a guide to their assessment centre here. Applications close on March 28th, however, Rolls Royce reserve the right to close applications early, so it is wise to apply early.
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 half term break,
Scott Doyle
Principal