Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in good health. I write to you as Half Term 5 draws to and end and we look forward to the final stage of the academic year. For our students in examination years this coming period may well mark the end of their time with us at Derby Moor as they begin the next chapter of their educational career. With that in mind the final half term sees the examination period draw to a close for Year 11 and 13 but the end of year exams begin for others. We have the Graduation and Sixth Form Leavers celebrations to look forward to as well as our Edi Fayre, Sports Day and our Transition Days for the Year 6 students who will be joining our community next year. For now, with the half term break upon us, here are the updates from this week.
Year 11 update
Early Morning Breakfast & Revision Sessions
We are continuing to welcome students into school from 8:00am for breakfast and last-minute revision with their teachers. These early morning sessions will take place on the following dates:
- Wednesday 4th June – Maths
- Friday 6th June – English
- Wednesday 11th June – Maths
Maths Intervention Sessions
To support students ahead of the second Maths paper, we are offering an after-school intervention session on Monday 2nd June, running until 5:30pm. Letters have been sent out to those invited this week. We would greatly appreciate your support in encouraging prompt replies so we can plan accordingly.
Year 11 Graduation
As previously communicated, our annual Year 11 graduation will be held on 27th June, from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Students will be informed this week if they have accumulated enough reward points to attend. Those eligible must confirm their attendance via the Class Charts announcement from Mrs Hrncic. Please note that a failure to respond will be taken as non-attendance and a seat will not be held for them.
The celebration will include speeches, awards, light entertainment, and refreshments.
A separate email has been sent inviting you to share photos of your child from their younger years, which we hope to include in the celebration. If your child is attending and you’d like to participate, please send the photos digitally by 20th June 2025.
Uniform Donations
Our PTA gratefully accepts donations of spare school uniform. If you or your child would like to donate any items, please bring them to school during the week beginning 16th June. We’ll be happy to receive them – there is a blue container by reception where items can be left.
Year 13 Update
Our Year 13 students are currently in the midst of their final A-Level exams, and we are pleased to report that they are doing exceptionally well. The exam series will continue until 20th June and we are confident our students will continue to give their best throughout.
Today, we say farewell to our Year 13s as they officially leave Derby Moor Sixth Form. We would like to take this opportunity to say how incredibly proud we are of each and every one of them. Over the past two years, they have shown resilience, commitment, and a fantastic work ethic. We have shared many wonderful memories, and we hope they leave with fond reflections of their time with us. We look forward to celebrating their achievements properly at the Year 13 Leavers’ Celebration on Monday 23rd June.
For our Year 12 students, preparations are well underway for a significant half term ahead. Their mock exams revision has officially launched and they also have an exciting programme of activities coming up including work experience, Preparation for Work days, UCAS Day and of course, their mock exams.
Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome our prospective Year 11 students to their Sixth Form Induction Day on 30th June. Further details about this important event will be sent via email to students and parents closer to the date.
National Numeracy Day
On Wednesday 21st May 2025, our students enthusiastically took part in a variety of engaging activities to celebrate National Numeracy Day. Throughout the day, numeracy-themed puzzles were incorporated into lessons across all subjects, and a whole-school treasure hunt added an extra element of fun. Students solved clues and searched for staff members wearing specific numbers on their backs. Three students were awarded prizes in recognition of their outstanding problem-solving skills and enthusiastic participation.
During lunch, the fun continued with more numeracy challenges, including a game of Countdown, times tables practice, and an estimation activity where students guessed the number of sweets in a jar. It was a fantastic day of learning and celebration, promoting the importance and enjoyment of numeracy in everyday life. Thanks to Miss Preston and the Maths teams for organising the day.
Duke of Edinburgh
Congratulations to students who completed their Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards over 17-19th May. They were well prepared after their practice expedition and our Thursday after school sessions throughout the year. They had good navigations skills and had team goals varying from spotting different animal species to litter picking during their walk. Miss Lancaster and the DofE team are proud of their achievements and all participants successfully passed. All kit borrowed from school needs to be cleaned, as per instructions given out to participants, and returned on the final DofE meeting of the year on 5th June.
Eid Fayre
We will be celebrating Eid ul-Adha as a community with our Eid Fayre on Monday 9th June. Students will be welcomed with a sweet treat in the morning followed by a range of activities for students of all faiths to enjoy including henna designs, card making, a cultural quiz table, samosas and pakoras available at break time and a lunch menu specially catered for the Eid festival.
Sports update
Extra-Curricular Activities: Our summer sports clubs are up and running with great numbers attending again this week. The extra curricular timetable can be found here. All clubs run from 3.05. until 4.05pm so please unsure your child knows how they are getting home afterwards as reception is only available until 4.15pm for queries.
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a toxicologist.
Apprenticeship Guide: If your child is considering looking at apprenticeships, the following link will take you to a useful guide for both parents and students.
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.
Wishing you a wonderful half term break.
Scott Doyle
Principal