Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the best of health. We have now begun the final half term of the academic year. This is always a significant point in the calendar as it marks the end of a chapter for students in Year 11 and 13, we also have key events that mark transition points such as the end of year examinations, the Year 11 Graduation, Sixth Form Induction Day, Year 6 Transition Days, Year 13 Leavers Assembly and so on.
Year 11 update
Early Morning Breakfast & Revision Sessions: As we enter the final stages of the Year 11 examination series students have been offered a greater level of flexibility in their studies. A letter was distributed on Friday with all of the details and the remaining revision sessions on offer. A reminder that there will be a breakfast revision session for Year 11 on Wednesday June 11th ahead of the Maths exam.
Year 11 Graduation: A further reminder that students who plan on attending our graduation on the 27th June must confirm their attendance via the Class Charts announcement from Mrs Hrncic. A space will not be reserved for them if they do not do this in time.
Year 12 Induction Day
Year 11 Students who have successfully applied to the Sixth Form have been invited to an Induction Day on Monday 30th June. The students have been emailed directly; there’s a link in the email which they need to click to then RSVP. If your child is attending, can you please remind them to confirm their attendance by Friday 13th June.
We look forward to welcoming them into Sixth Form and supporting their transition to Post 16 study.
PEEA Update
The Music Department in partnership with MLC (Music Learning Collective) are very excited to be taking new enquiries for instrumental music lessons at Derby Moor during the school day. If you would like to sign your child up for lessons, please use this link and fill out the short online enquiry form. There is a poster explaining the provision on this link.
Y12 BTEC Sport Work Experience: Our Year 12 BTEC Sport students are gaining valuable experience this half term by supporting PE lessons at Ridgeway Infant School. As part of the vocational side of their course, they’re developing key skills in leadership and communication, supporting PE staff at the school during their curriculum lessons. Their placement will also involve supporting the running of Ridgeway’s Sports Day on 26th June.
Derby University BTEC Sport Visit: Our Year 12 Extended Diploma and National Diploma BTEC Sport students are due to visit Derby University on 20th June for their Schools and Colleges Open Day. The day is designed to give Year 12 and 13 students a comprehensive understanding of what the University of Derby has to offer. Students will be able to talk to experienced academics and current students to gain valuable insights and answer any questions they may have. Students will take part in 2 subject taster sessions, where they can talk to teaching staff about their course of interest; and explore the facilities they’ll potentially be using as a student.
Year 10 DHL Residential
A group of 12 Year 10 students took part in the DHL/Outward Bound residential trip at the end of the last half term. The students were selected following an application and then a robust selection process similar to that run to recruit potential employees. The successful students travelled from school down to the Outward-Bound Centre at Aberdovey on the Monday morning, where the week started with a customary dip in the sea! The following four days were packed full with activities intended to push the students to their limits and way out of their comfort zones. The group took part in a 10km hike, an outdoor camp under the stars (with no tents), a half day Dragons Den type activity which involved building, costing and selling a raft with time afterwards to actually build the raft and get it onto the water. There was also a session of rock climbing, lots of self-evaluation, team building and peer support. There may have been an ice cream or two enjoyed along the way. On the final day, the students delivered a presentation to the rest of the visitors at the centre to showcase what they had learned and how they would take their new skills and confidence forward into their school and home lives. Overall, it was a challenging week, but the students have grown personally and enjoyed the experience. DHL will continue to work with and support these students in school as part of the extended programme they offer.
Library Update
As students in Years 11 and 13 come towards the end of their time with us, they are reminded to return and borrowed library books as soon as possible.
Vaccinations update
Any students who were not in school for the recent HPV Vaccinations or Meningitis/Teenage Booster will be able to receive their vaccination in school on 16th June 2025. If you have already given your consent for this there is no further action required.
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.
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a UX designer.
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.
Final notes
I wanted to sign this week’s update off with two notes. First of all Eid Mubarak to all of our community who are celebrating today. I hope the day is filled with happiness for you and your family. As you will note above, we will celebrate as a community on Monday as many of our students and staff spent today with their family. That is, except for our Year 11s, the geographers in particular, who had key examinations today.
I wanted to reference how great our Year 11s have been throughout this examination period. Their commitment to success has shone throughout, they have shown maturity and are clearly appreciative of the extra hours that our staff teams have put in. This was shown really clearly in my highlight of the week on Friday, when, after the English exam, the geographers filled our lecture theatre up for a final, pre-exam revision session with Mr. Hall and Miss Gooderham. They got their rewards too and saw the value of these sessions with a number of the topics covered appearing on the examination. To quote a couple of students who spoke to me after the exam – “I can’t believe it.” “That session has made all the difference” and “The topics we covered came up, I’ve definitely done better than I thought I would.” It makes it all worthwhile to see how made up our young people are when they enjoy success. It also highlights how important it is that they continue to attend the sessions right up until the end of the examination period.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal