Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the best of health. You will see from the update below that it has been an eventful week this week and we have more to look forward to as we enter December and the final three weeks of the term. This week began with a staff training day where we heard about Mr Hall’s experience in China and how we are moving forward with our global links. Other colleagues established links closer to home visiting schools within the region to share ideas on best practice. We have welcomed QUAD to the academy today, have a number of potential medicine students off-site at a conference, welcomed Rolls Royce and the RAF in for a STEM event and hosted a JCB assessment centre event. Looking ahead we have the Year 11 Parents’ Evening next week, the awards evening on the horizon as we bring the term to a close for the winter break. There has been a clear change in the weather this week and, whilst it has been settled, it has also been very cold and we expect snow flurries over the weekend and low temperatures at the start of next week. Please do ask you child to check the weather and equip them with a warm coat or additional layers to help them with the journey to and from school.
QUAD – Workshops Art & Textiles Students
On Friday, Year 10 Art and Textile students enjoyed the first of 2 workshops led by our partnership with QUAD. The Art Gallery, based in Derby will be visiting with two photography artists to lead on a workshop using cameras and Photoshop. The skills the students will be taught will be showcased in their coursework folders and contribute to a piece of work which will be displayed in the gallery in Derby early 2024. This is an amazing opportunity for our students to produce and exhibit artwork in a public gallery space.
Year 11 Parents Evening
Please be aware that on Wednesday 6 December, we are inviting all year 11 parents to meet class teachers for the first of two reviews this year. This event will be a great opportunity for teachers to discuss progress and more importantly provide specific skills and techniques following the November Mock exams. All parents will receive all mock grades during this evening and will therefore be able to unpick from this how their child is progressing towards target grades. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sixth form Update
Medicine mock interviews: This afternoon, our year 13 Medical applicants had the privilege of participating in a mock Multi Mini Interview event at Portland Spencer Academy. This event brought together medical applicants from across the trust, providing our students with a valuable opportunity to hone their interview skills. Throughout the session, our pupils faced a series of challenging questions, delving into topics ranging from current affairs to data and ethics. Additionally, they engaged in an intriguing role-play task, further testing their adaptability and critical thinking abilities. The experience proved highly beneficial for all participants, allowing them to identify areas for improvement before their upcoming interviews for Medicine – some of which are scheduled prior to Christmas. Well done to all involved, we are proud that you showcased your talent and wish you the best in the upcoming interviews.
Year 13 PwC Visit: Last Wednesday 40 students from Year 13 traveled to PriceWaterhouseCooper’s East Midlands branch at East Midlands Airport to participate in a New World, New Skills initiative. The students spent time looking at the structure and hierarchy of the Big 4 business, looking at the various pathways and industries that PwC offers, and took part in two activities aimed at building on some of the essential skills deemed compulsory for employees to succeed in the 21st century. It was an opportunity for some students who don’t often get the chance to take on leadership roles, showcase the excellent skills that they can offer an organisation like PwC, whilst other students discovered new avenues for them to explore, be it degree apprenticeships, advance apprenticeships, or the Flying Start programme. They even met an ex Derby Moor student, Balwinder Singh, who showed them the ropes.
Year 13 Virtual Mock Interviews: Last Thursday the Year 13 cohort took part in a virtual mock interview session testing their online interview skills with volunteer employers from across the region. Employers from the likes of Alstom, Rolls Royce, Natwest, Trelleborg and the NHS were very impressed with the students’ abilities to present themselves in a purposeful and confident manner, and felt that any one of them would be ready to be accepted into the world of work. Virtual interviews are now more commonplace, including for university offers, so this was the perfect opportunity for them to hone their skills as they look forward to carving out their post-18 paths.
Sports Update
BTEC Sport and Exercise Science Visit to Derby University: On Thursday the Y12/13 BTEC Sport Extended Diploma students attended a trip to the University of Derby, where they had the opportunity to understand Sports Biomechanics in a state-of-the-art laboratory. Linking to their current unit studied in School, students were given a brief introduction, before stepping onto the sprinting track. Here, they were able to analyse the performance of their peers with a focus on Linear Kinematics. The students each made their way through the timing gates and recorded the results. They worked out velocity and acceleration through each stage of the sprint. They were then able to observe the varying angles at the ankle, knee and hip joint through a piece of specialised software, drawing conclusions from this. They all came back to school in a positive mindset, eager to learn more.
Year 8 and Year 9 Girls Football: On Wednesday, our Y8/Y9 girls football team competed in a tournament held at Murray Park. Despite the freezing conditions, the team showed fantastic effort and determination, as well as some very pleasing performances and results. They competed in 4 games overall, winning 2, drawing 1 and losing the other. In the first game, EA and IC both scored as we drew 2-2 with Derby High, in a game which DMSA dominated. The second game saw us lose 3-0 to a strong Woodlands side.
However, it was in the third game that we started to play our best football; we beat Littleover 5-2, with IC again on the scoresheet and both FC and MB scoring 2 each. The team were full of confidence heading into our fourth game, in a close encounter they managed to overcome Murray Park 2-0 with EA and FC both on target. Also worth mentioning was the team spirit and togetherness shown throughout. The girls supported each other and were all happy to rotate, allowing the full squad to play a part.
DCCT Football & Education Programme – 24/25 Applicants: Derby County Community Trust’s Football and Education programme is a county wide programme providing full-time post 16 education to male and female learners across Derbyshire. We are continuing our partnership into the next academic year allowing DMSA students to participate in the programme alongside their studies at Derby Moor 6th Form for 2024/25 applicants. Students will have the option to study A Levels and Level 3 BTEC’s, as well as the Level 3 Sport qualifications on offer our 6th Form. Alongside this they will play in the DMSA Derby County Community Trust team, competing in the EFL’s CEFA League where they play weekly fixtures as well as training three times a week with DCCT professional coaches. DCCT coaches qualifications range from UEFA B, UEFA A and UEFA Pro Licence allowing them to offer the very best football coaching they can, working to a planned syllabus across specific topics relevant to the game. Each learner also receives three reviews a year on their football development using their state of the art tracking and monitoring tool, Commentary Box. If you are interested please identify this on your 6th Form application and also speak to any of the PE Department who will be able to discuss your options with you further.
Kit Reveal Day: Next Thursday around 30 captains, vice captains and representatives of our school sports clubs will be on hand to promote our brand new Derby Moor Team Kits. Students have been asked to come in early and meet the PE team in the Honour Hub, where they will get changed in to the new kit. Students will then spend the day promoting the new kit around school and have pictures taken at lunch. We are looking forward to showing the students the new kits and feeling proud to wear the Derby Moor badge when representing the school on fixtures.
Extra-Curricular Timetable: Please find the PE Extra-Curricular Timetable for next week attached to the email version of this update.
Careers Update
Job of the Week: This week’s job of the week is a ‘Geochemist’.
Visit to the PwC East Midlands Office: As detailed in our 6th Form section, we were invited to take a large group of Year 13 students to the offices of PwC at Castle Donnington. As one of the world’s largest professional services firms, PwC gave our students an insight into the wide range of careers they offer including: accountancy, consultancy; tax, business management and technology. Students heard from a number of apprentices who had started with the firm straight from school and recent university graduates. They explained the range of roles programmes on offer as well as the application process. Students also took part in a number of problem-solving activities, typical of the things PwC undertake for clients. You can find out more about PwC here.
Y13 Virtual Mock Interviews: We had twenty volunteers from a range of employers including Rolls Royce; Alstom; NHS; The Home ice; Lubrizol and Severn Trent. The feedback from the employers was as always, really positive with comments such as: ‘It was wonderful to be part of such a rewarding activity and your students re an absolute credit to the school’. The students coped really well with the virtual format and gave them the chance to experience a format which is increasingly used by employers.
Year 13 Mock Assessment Centre: We were delighted to welcome Neil Fowkes, a former pupil of our school who now heads up the Early Careers at JCB. Neil brought along one of JCB’s current apprentices and they ran a session with a large group of Year 13 students on the application process. This included top tips for completing the online application form, submitting a CV, taking a video interview and taking the various online assessment tests. The final session put the students through an observed group activity where the students were assessed on the way they demonstrate their employability skills. Feedback was given and the students left the session better informed of how to prepare for the selection process that employers typically put applicants through. You can find out more about JCBs careers here.
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.
Staff Spotlight
I’ve been hoping to include a staff spotlight on the weekly update for a while with the intention of highlighting colleagues from across the academy and the roles they play. Our school is not typical and has a huge range and variety of roles to help ensure the academy runs smoothly and students are well catered for. To start things of we shine the Staff Spotlight on our Facilities Manager Mr Cocker:
Q) How long have you worked at Derby Moor Spencer Academy?
A) I have worked at DMSA for 23 Months.
Q) What is your role?
A) Facilities Manager
Q) What does your role entail?
A) A Facilities Manager at a school is responsible for overseeing the physical infrastructure and facilities of the school and site. The role is critical in ensuring a safe, efficient, and comfortable environment for both students and staff.
Key responsibilities are:
- Building maintenance
- Ground Maintenance
- Security and safety
- Space planning
- Budget management
- Environmental sustainability
- Regulatory compliance
- Site Health and Safety advisor to the Principal.
Q) What is your favourite thing about working here?
A) No day is ever the same, working closely with all departments in the school.
Q) Tell us a fact about yourself.
A) I love Racing Motorbikes around the most exciting race track in the world, Nürburgring, Germany.
Q) Who is the person who inspires you most?
A) Valentino Rossi, Nicknamed “The Doctor”.
Q) What other interesting roles or experiences have you had?
A) During my 23-year tenure in the Royal Navy, I served as an Aircraft Handler, undertaking diverse responsibilities that encompassed operating on the flight deck of various aircraft carriers. My duties involved working extensively with a spectrum of aircraft, including the F35, Sea Harrier, GR7/9, and a multitude of MoD helicopters.
In addition to my role as an Aircraft Handler, I assumed the position of Watch Manager at MoD Fire stations. In this capacity, I actively participated in numerous aircraft emergencies and, regrettably, one aircraft crash. These experiences have equipped me with a profound understanding of crisis management and emergency response procedures.
My professional journey has been characterized by a penchant for working in challenging and perilous environments. I thrive on the dynamic nature of such settings, adeptly executing multiple roles to achieve overarching objectives. This commitment to operational excellence underscores my dedication to navigating complex scenarios and contributing effectively to mission success.
Final Thoughts
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Our tree has arrived in the learning hub and has been expertly decorated by students today. The weather has certainly turned a little colder and we remind families to equip their children for the cold weather. With that in mind, should snow be forecast we will keep you up to date via the usual means on twitter and through emails or text. In the unlikely event of heavy snowfall and a school closure we would always text to confirm arrangements. Please ensure your contact details are up to date with school reception to ensure you are receiving all communications from the academy.
Wishing you a relaxing weekend.
Scott Doyle
Principal