Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the best of health. Half Term Four has started well with our Year 11 settling back into their mock examination period well. I have had the chance to meet Years 7-10 with individual year group assemblies and we have refreshed their understanding of our high expectations, the link to employability and how this works across the academy.
Year 9 Parents’ Evening
We are pleased to announce that our Year 9 Parents’ Evening will take place on Wednesday 12th March 2025. This is an important opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and options for the year ahead. Appointments can be booked via School Cloud, and we encourage early booking to secure your preferred times. We look forward to welcoming you to the academy that evening and supporting your child’s continued success.
Year 11 Update
Mock Exams: Year 11 students have successfully completed the first week of their mock exams. With the number of mock papers increased this time, their resilience has been impressive, and their commitment has been outstanding. Please encourage them to keep up with their revision and make full use of the resources on Class Charts – these have been carefully selected to help them prepare for each exam.
Revision Materials on Parent Pay: We have been collaborating with the Heads of each department to identify key revision materials for each subject, which are now available for purchase via Parent Pay. These resources come highly recommended, but please only buy materials for the subjects your child is studying. Once purchased, these materials will be available for collection during Parents’ evening on 26th March. The deadline for orders is 12th March. If you need any assistance with the process or have any questions, please contact Mrs. Hrncic.
Year 11 Parents’ Evening: Year 11 Parents Evening will take place on March 26th, where you can receive an update on your child’s progress in their mock exams and get advice on how to best support them in the lead-up to their exams in May. Appointment bookings will open the week of March 10th, so please keep an eye out for an email with the details.
Year 8 choices
Year 8 students will shortly be given the opportunity to make some decisions about the subjects they will study in Year 9 and possibly later in Key Stage 4 for GCSE. These choices will be made in Creative Arts, Technology and Human Development. This early personalisation of the curriculum gives them a feel for how the Year 9 Options Process will work and allows more opportunity for enhanced subject depth and enrichment. Students have had an assembly this week and tutors have guided students through the process, looking at subject videos on what each subject entails. You can find a link to the Year 8 Choices Booklet here. During this week, students will receive a mock version of the choices form to help them practice the completion of it, in readiness for the final one which will be issued to them on Friday 7th March.
Sparx Reader Club
We would like to remind families about Sparx Reader, where students complete weekly reading assignments at sparxreader.com (using their Sparx Maths login). Sparx Reader Club runs Tuesdays at lunchtime (Room SO20), where students can bring lunch and a friend for support. Homework Club is also available in the Learning Hub (Mon–Thu until 4:00pm, Fri until 3:45pm). Please encourage your child to attend and discuss their reading. More details are on the Parent Portal (via Sparx Maths email), or contact Ms. Bowker.
Year 10 Art
As a collaborator in QUADs Schools In Residence Program, QUAD warmly invite the students and families to join them for a special Young Person’s Preview of the FORMAT25 Launch, which includes exhibits from Derby Moor Year 10 students. During the evening, you will meet QUAD’s Schools in Residence team for a special introduction and celebration of Young FORMAT25. The event takes place on Thursday 13th March 4.00 – 5.00pm in QUAD, Market Place, Derby, DE1 3AS. To RSVP onto the Young Person’s Preview, please contact: mandym@derbyquad.co.uk
Sports Update
Year 9 Football Team Tournament: The Year 9 football team recently participated in a tournament at John Port School, showcasing some fantastic effort throughout the day. The team started well, with a brilliant 1-0 win over Woodlands, thanks to an incredible goal from TH, setting a positive tone for the day. However, the following three matches proved to be tough battles, each resulting in narrow 1-0 losses. Despite these losses, the team displayed great skill and determination, with plenty of opportunities in each match. The performance showed that the team can compete at a high level, and with a little more luck, the results could have been different. Looking ahead, the team will be preparing for one more tournament next week.
PEEA Extra Curricular Clubs: We have a number of exciting Expressive Arts extra-curricular clubs being added to the program in PEEA that have started this week:
Drama Club – Mondays 3.05-4.05 in the Drama Studio
Girls football – Mondays 3:05-4:05
Trampolining Club – Tuesdays 3:05-4:05
Fitness Suite – Tuesdays 3:05-4:05
Y9/10 boys’ football – Tuesdays 3:05-4:05
Y7/8 Dance Club – Tuesdays 3:05-4:05
Fitness suite – Thursdays 3:05-4:05
Y7/8 Boys Football Club – Thursdays 3:05-4:05
Production Club – Thursdays 3:05-4:05
Cheerleading – Friday 3:05-4:05
Cross Country – Friday 3:05-4:05
You can find the timetable including next week’s fixtures here.
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 be used to purchase selected books for £1 (see the list on the back of the token).
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a housing officer.
Future Skills Questionnaire – Year 9: Over the next two weeks our Year 9 students will be completing the Future Skills Questionnaire (FSQ) during their IT lessons. This will help us evaluate the school’s careers programme, plan future careers activities and target learners who may need additional support. Students complete the 15-minute questionnaire which asks questions on their career related knowledge and skills. This should be an enjoyable activity and encourage them to begin thinking about future careers and next steps. We use a third-party tool called Compass+ to administer the questionnaire. All learner data is processed in compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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 notes
Many of our community will begin a period of fasting this weekend as they begin observing the holy month of Ramadan. There will be some adjustments to lunchtime arrangements in line with previous years to accommodate those young people who are fasting. I hope this month brings a period of spiritual growth and self-reflection to those who are observing and that it inspires them to practice kindness and generosity.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal