Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the very best of health. We have enjoyed another busy and rewarding week at the Academy, marked by a continued sense of purpose and positivity across our community. On Wednesday we had the pleasure of hosting a colleague from our Trust, who spent time visiting lessons and speaking with our students, gaining first‑hand insight into the ethos and energy that make Derby Moor such a special place to learn. Our Year 13 students have continued through their mock examinations with real determination, while Year 11 have begun to analyse their performance and refine their focus ahead of the summer series. Full details of the Summer Exam schedule will be shared with families in due course.
Easter Holiday Activities
If your child receives benefits-related free school meals, they are entitled to attend Holiday Activities provided by the Local Authority. Follow the instructions in your email from HolidayActivities.com to book. Further details can be found at: www.derby.gov.uk/derbyHAF
Move from Parent Pay to Arbor Pay
After the Easter Break, we will be moving from Parent Pay to Arbor Pay. On Monday the 16th of March you will all have received your logon details to the Arbor Pay system. Please login as soon as you can to familiarise yourself with the system.
If you have any issues logging in to the system, please try and reset your password via this link – https://derby-moor-spencer-academy.uk.arbor.education/
The last day for the use of Parent Pay system will be Friday the 27th of March. From 14:00 please do not attempt to add any funds to your Parent Pay account. The changes to Arbor Pay will be completed over the Easter Break. From Monday the 13th of April Arbor Pay will be in use.
Key Stage 3 Employability Workshop
The recent visit from the Employability Representatives: Ksenjia Andrusenko and Ayesha Rehman to the Computing Department was a standout success, providing our students with a valuable bridge between the Computing classroom experience and the professional world.
They spoke to a range of students at different stages in their school careers from year 7 – 9. The sessions contained a variety of content:
- Informative Content: The presenters provided a clear roadmap of the various career paths available within the tech industry including their own personal journey. This included software development, cybersecurity, and data analysis.
- Insightful Advice: Students gained a deeper understanding of the “soft skills” employers look for, such as problem-solving and teamwork, alongside technical proficiency.
- Engaging Delivery: The session was highly interactive, featuring live demonstrations and Q&A segments that kept the audience focused and curious.
- Infectious Enthusiasm: The energy brought by the representatives was palpable; their genuine passion for their field was clear, and the enthusiasm from the presenters was infectious, sparking a renewed interest in computing for many.
The event was thoroughly enjoyed by our KS3 students, most of whom left the room feeling inspired and more confident about their future career choices.
Key Stage 3 Update
Positivity Week at Derby Moor: This week, our KS3 students took will take part in Positivity Week, a celebration focused on kindness, wellbeing and community spirit. Throughout the week, students are welcome to engage in a range of uplifting activities, including:
- Live DJ sessions at school to bring energy and positivity to social times
- Positive Postcards, where a student who inspired positivity in their lessons will be entered into a draw to win vouchers.
- Positive Pebbles, decorating stones with motivational quotes and artwork to be displayed around school
- A visit from a magician, who performed interactive shows that were a huge hit with our students
The Importance of Attendance: As we move through the term, we would like to take this opportunity to remind families about the vital importance of good attendance.
Being in school every day ensures that students:
- Make consistent progress in all of their subjects
- Develop strong routines and learning habits
- Build positive relationships with staff and peers
- Fully benefit from the wider experiences and opportunities we offer
Even small amounts of absence can have a significant impact on learning, so we appreciate your continued support in helping your child attend school daily and on time.
Year 9 Update
Options: All students have received their options form which should be brought home and shared with parents/carers. A total of 4 subjects should be selected in order of preferred choice (1 – first choice, 2 – 2nd choice etc). The form will then need to be signed by parent/carer, it will not be accepted in school without this signature. The completed form should be returned to the form tutor on Tuesday 24th March, students will then be asked to sign the tutor sheet to confirm the form has been returned. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Year Team.
Year 11 Update
Year 11 parents evening: Year 11 Parents Evening will be held on March 25th, offering an opportunity to receive an update on your child’s progress in their mock exams and gain advice on how to best support them leading up to their exams in May. Appointment bookings opened on March 12th and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so please let us know if you need assistance with booking. Our Sixth Form team, as well as Careers’ advice service Luminate, will also be available to answer any questions following the release of the Sixth Form conditional offers. We look forward to seeing you there!
Easter & May half term revision sessions: We will be sharing our intervention plans for Easter and the May half-term during the parents evening, hence, we highly encourage your attendance to plan this together with our staff team and your child.
Exams start and finish date: The summer exam schedule will be shared with you shortly. Some GCSE exams, such as the language speaking exams, will begin right after the Easter holidays and will continue until June 26th. While some students may finish before this date, we do not recommend planning any holidays before then. There is always a ‘contingency day’ at the end of the series that is used for any exam cancellations – once we have this date confirmed, we will share it and holidays etc. can then be booked accordingly.
Submission for Next Zine: Belonging
Going into the Easter holidays a reminder that submissions remain open for the next issue of the DMSA zine. Last term, we saw some wonderful submissions on the themes of New Beginnings and students reflected on the new year, Spring and other transformative events in their lives. Reminder that this can be found in the library and at this website “New Beginnings: Issue #1 DMSA E-zine”
This term’s theme is all on “Belonging” something that our DMSA community prides itself on. Please encourage students at home (whatever year group) to use their Easter holidays creatively and bring some writing or artwork back from their Easter break. The deadline is 8th May and submissions can be made to awright@derbymoorspencer.org.uk, their English teacher, or posted in the submission box in So21.
Students wishing to get involved in the creative, editing and publishing processes are invited to join “Zine Making” club on Monday lunchtimes in So21.
Student Leadership Update
This week, the Student Leadership Team has been busy preparing for our upcoming Eid celebrations, which will take place on 23rd March. Students can look forward to a samosa sale at lunchtime from the Shed (50p, payable via biometric – no cash), as well as a warm welcome into school with sweets and chocolate. There will also be a range of activities available at lunchtime, including an opportunity for henna.
In addition, our Mental Health Ambassadors have been working closely with the Student Voice team and are now ready to launch “Talk Tuesdays.” Each Tuesday, our trained Sixth Form team will be available for students who would like to talk about mental health in a supportive and welcoming environment.
Looking ahead, we will also be marking Vaisakhi. Next week, members of the Student Leadership Team will be delivering assemblies to share the significance of this important celebration. On 14th April, we will be hosting further Vaisakhi celebrations, including food and a variety of activities for students to enjoy.
Library Update
This week has seen more students access the ever-popular book fair. We have exceeded our target of books sold and will be able to purchase new and exciting titles for students to enjoy with the reward points. It has been great to feel the buzz around the Learning Hub during lunchtime as our students peruse the books and take part in the activities linked with World Book Day.
We would like to thank families for their ongoing support with our “book drive”, we are still happy to accept donations of books of any genre – fiction, comics, non-fiction and revision guides. They will all be added to the library collection.
Sports Update
The Year 7 boys football team won their game 5-4 against Da Vinci Academy this week. Despite the score being 4-2 to Da Vinci at half time, the boys fought back to secure the win. A hat-trick from CN and some heroic defending from Captain OH made the difference. A great result for the team!
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a “Wildlife Rehabilitator”
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.
Final notes
We have been made aware of a concerning issue involving a gel‑filled “stress ball” product commonly known as a Needoh. Some videos circulating on social media encourage freezing or microwaving these toys, which alters the gel inside and can cause the ball to burst. This poses a risk of chemical burns. Please be vigilant if your child owns one of these items and support us by ensuring they are not brought into school.
Finally, to all students and families in our community who celebrated Eid last week, Eid Mubarak! We hope the day was filled with peace, joy and time spent with loved ones.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,
Scott Doyle
Principal