Dear Families
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the best of health. We have reached the end of half term three and the academy will enter a busy phase for students preparing for external examinations in Years 11 and 13, whilst those in Years 8 and 9 will begin looking at and choosing their options after the break. There are updates below relating to this alongside some highlights from another action-packed week at the academy.
Dates for your Diary
Friday 16th February 2024 – Last Day of Half Term 3
Monday 26th February 2024 – First Day of Half Term 4
Monday 26th February 2024 – Year 11 Mock Exams Commence
Monday 26th February 2024 – PTFA School Uniform Shop (3.15 – 4.00 pm)
Wednesday 13th March 2024 – Year 9 Parents Evening
Wednesday 20th March 2024 – Principal’s Coffee Morning
Mock Examinations
Our Year 11 students will begin their mock examination series immediately after half term on February 26th. We have seen them working hard most evenings this week at after school interventions and during lessons. They are in a good position to secure some excellent grades in this round of mocks and then, all being well, in the summer series. With continued commitment and organisation and attendance at our additional sessions, we are confident they will each secure a set of grades they can be proud of in August.
The Year 13 mock window begins on the 11th March for most subjects. There will be minor variations to this for individuals that will be communicated through subject staff. If you have any queries about this, please contact the Sixth Form team.
February Half Term Intervention Sessions – Year 11 and Year 13
Please find the schedule of Half Term intervention sessions for Year 11 and Year 13 attached to the email version of this update. In addition to these sessions, Science and ADT have sent revision packs to students which can be accessed through Class Charts.
Measles
A reminder about the level of concern surrounding the Measles and outbreaks seen in other parts of the country. There have been over 300 cases reported in the West Midlands and it is likely that we will, in time, see cases in Derby having noted some cases in Leicester recently. We would encourage you to carefully read the letter from Dr Dewis which can be accessed here. Measles is a really unpleasant disease and can cause major complications including death for those who contract it. The only protection against this for adults and children is the vaccine as this reduces the spread significantly and stops anyone suffering the symptoms. We strongly advise families to contact their GP and check if they and their children have had the vaccine.
PTFA Uniform Shop
The PTFA uniform shop will be available on Monday 26th February 2024, from 3.15 – 4.00 pm, just inside the Learning Hub near Reception. If you have any items of clothing that you could donate to the PTFA Uniform shop, then please could you place them, in a carrier bag, in the blue container by the side of Reception.
White Ribbon Campaign Competition
Ten Year 8 students’ who produced some brilliant display work were rewarded this week with a tour of Derby County’s Stadium at Pride Park. Their work formed part of the White Ribbon Campaign to show the importance of standing up against domestic violence and abuse against women.
The boys said: “The trip was really good because we got to see where everything is behind the scenes.” “My favourite thing was being pitch side and being able to sit in the dug outs.” “It was really interesting to see the differences between the home and away changing rooms.” “My favourite part of the trip was the Press Conference Room where we had the chance to speak through the microphone and ask and answer questions about football.”
Social Media
Over the past few weeks we have dealt with an increasing number of incidents that have arisen from social media conversations, particularly amongst our younger students. Socials are a difficult medium to navigate for adults, let alone 12-16 year olds, so it would be prudent for families to keep a keen eye on what children are accessing and how they are using social media. This is both for their protection and to limit the inevitable friendship challenges that arise from mis-steps online. The age of your child as well as their developmental stage and maturity can affect their ability to have a safe and positive experience of social media. It is worth noting that most social media services require users to be at least 13 years of age before they can register. The age requirements are there because of data protection laws but don’t always mean the site is appropriate for children to use. Please do consider your child’s current social and emotional skills and their maturity. This will help you to decide if they can deal with the pressures, risks, emotions and unpredictable nature of using social media and use it responsibly. Please contact your child’s Year Team should you have any further questions.
Student Mentoring
When we arrive back, we will be pairing a number of Year 11 students up with Year 12 student mentors. Mr Scott has sent details to these students through the course of the week on Class Charts. There is a meeting with the Year 11 students on the first morning back during registration.
The Library
The school library will now be open at lunchtimes for specific year groups initially:
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday – for Year 9, 10 and 11
- Tuesday and Thursday – for Year 7 and 8
Reading Rampage: The Reading Rampage programme will be starting as soon as we get back. There will be 10 newly written books, which can be borrowed from the library by students. The programme is to encourage students to engage with reading for pleasure. Students need to ‘Read it, Rate it and Pass it on’. Last year ‘Dreadwood’ was the most popular book for Derby Moor Students. There was also a £10 voucher for the student who read and reviewed the most books. The programme will end in June.
Student Librarians: If any student is interested in taking on some additional responsibility and becoming a Student Librarian, then please e-mail Mr Scott.
School Librarian: This is advance notice that we are seeking to appoint a new School Librarian. Further details and a Job Description will be published on the school website.
Ivy House Reading Project
The Ivy House reading project has continued this half term with another cohort of Year 8s going to read with Ivy House students on a Thursday afternoon. It has been really good to see how both sets of students have interacted and built friendships between them. A new cohort of Ivy House readers will be starting their programme after half term. Details will follow from Mr O’Connell.
Principal’s Coffee Morning
This is advance notice that the next coffee morning is scheduled for Wednesday 20th March 2024, starting promptly at 9.40. Attendees should report to school reception ahead of that time and will be guided to the venue.
Severn Trent Water Workshop
On Friday, Leanne Town, the Education Officer for Severn Trent Water ran a workshop on the ‘The Science of Sewage’ with a group of our Year 11 students. The workshop covered the following areas:
- How a healthy sewer contributes to a healthy environment and how we can all help to reduce blockages
- The water cycle, covering both the waste and water treatment processes
- Bioresources and renewable energy
- Careers & apprenticeships at Severn Trent
The session enhanced their understanding of the waste water treatment process which they had also covered this year in Chemistry. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the session and gained an insight into different apprenticeships that they could consider going forwards.
Vacancies
We have a selection of vacancies advertised at the academy at present. These include Technology Technician, Cover Supervisor, Exam Invigilator, Primary First Aider, Assistant Principal and Library Manager. If you are interested in joining our team, please take a look at our vacancies page on the website and contact school if you require further information.
Sports Update
Year 10 / 9 Boys Basketball: Our Year 9/10 Boys Basketball visited John Port for their second away fixture of the year. There was a great overall team performance on both defence and offence with the final result coming in as a 19 v 43 victory to Derby Moor. The players continued to impress with their teamwork, communication and sportsmanship. MVP this week goes to PO.
6th Form Basketball vs Littleover: On Tuesday, our 6th form played in their first competitive basketball match of the year vs Littleover. Having not played together before it took the first quarter to really get used to each other’s playing style but once they found their rhythm is was a great watch. Some great ball control from TT and PO, who controlled the court and got a lot of points for the team. The game finished 28-22 and a re-match is on the cards for next half term. MVP – TT.
Derby County Community Trust – Football Education Program: We have our February Half Term taster session for current Year 11s hoping to join our DCCT program during half term. The session will take place on Tuesday 20th February, 13:00 – 15:00. Students should come to the Out of Hours Entrance and will need sports kit for a training session along with their football boots and shin pads. This will be a practical training session where students for next year can meet DCCT staff as well as other new students and existing students.
Careers Update
Career of the Week: This week’s job of the week is a ‘Palaeontologist’.
Derby Moor Dispatch: The Derby Moor Dispatch goes out every Monday 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.
Staff Spotlight
This week, we shine the Staff Spotlight on Mr Hall:
Q) How long have you worked at Derby Moor Spencer Academy?
A) I joined Derby Moor in September 2016 as Assistant Principal.
Q) What is your role and what does it entail?
A) I am the Assistant Principal leading teaching and learning. This involves researching evidence-based teaching practices and introducing them to the Derby Moor Classroom. I lead whole staff training; including Insets, CPD, ITT teacher training and the Early Career Framework. I also quality assure the teaching practice and share the innovative ideas from the Derby Moor teachers across the whole school. Further to this, I am a Geography teacher currently teaching Yr9, Yr10, Yr11 and Yr13.
Q) What is your favourite thing about working here?
A) The staff and students. There is a real community feel to the school which is unique and makes coming to work a real joy.
Q) Tell us a fact about yourself.
A) Football is my main hobby. I have played amateur football in the local region for 25 years but I don’t have the legs for it anymore. Now, I spend most of my time supporting Derby County as an armchair fan.
Q) Who is the person who inspires you most?
A) Firstly, my brother. I grew up in a single parent family and my big brother has always been my role model and inspiration. In school, it is my Year 13 Geography group. Having been part of their journey throughout school from Yr7 has been amazing. They all have their unique talents and inspire me in every lesson!
It’s been another eventful half term for everyone connected to Derby Moor with a number employers, guest speakers and visitors on site alongside the usual fixtures and in-school events. Next half term sees a period of mock examinations for Year 11 and 13, parents evenings, university trips, options events, mock interviews and workshops all alongside our usual programme of lessons, intervention and extra-curricular activities. There is rarely a dull moment, but, this variety, pace and energy helps to make our academy such an enriching place for our young people to grow and learn.
I hope you manage to spend some quality time with your children over the half term break.
Scott Doyle
Principal
Scott Doyle
Principal