Dear Families
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the very best of health. I have a packed update for you this week following another eventful week at the Academy. On Monday this week I had the pleasure of meeting a group of students for a “Principals Lunch.” This was an opportunity for students from across each Year Group to talk to me about all things school related and for me to get a feel for their thoughts and views on a range of topics. On Tuesday I met with a number of prospective students’ families for a tour of the academy – more on that later in the update.
Year 12 Open Evening
Our Year 12 Open Evening took place on Wednesday, and what a sensational evening it was. We were pleased to connect with so many prospective students and to see our current Sixth Formers and staff showcase what our Post 16 provision has to offer. The evening was incredibly well attended with visitors having a chance to hear from former and current students, our Post 16 team as well as subject staff. For those who are looking to apply, a reminder that this must be done using the online link and that the deadline is 9th January 2026. You can find out more information on our website here.
Year 6 to 7 Applications
A reminder for parents of Year 6 that applications are now open and must be completed via the Derby City Portal. The closing date for applications is the 31st October 2025 for September 2026 places.
Climate Action Plan
A reminder that as part of our Climate Action Plan, we are going to be phasing out single use water bottles in school. We are working to achieve this by October half term. Students will need to bring a reusable bottle to school, which can be filled up at one of the water fountains. Additionally, they will continue to have access to the juice machines in the dining room at break or lunchtime, the token will be part of the meal-deal. Please help us to achieve this small step to sustainability by providing your child with a refillable bottle for drinks within the school day. Bottles can be purchased in school for £1.50, payable via ParentPay. Bottled water will not be available to buy in school after the half term holiday.
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair has taken place this week and has been a resounding success. Students have purchased over £640 worth of literature, showing the love of reading that exists amongst our students. Students were so enthusiastic about the selection of books that Scholastic offered. In response to this, we now have a Scholastic leaflet available in the library, so students can purchase books in-between fairs. The book fair will return in March 2026. The writing competitions winners were –
1st place –
“Always returned crooked and closer” by AK (Year 7)
“The Ally” by CP (Year 10)
“The Figure” – EF (Year 10)
2nd place –
“Shadows of her disappearance” by HSK (Year 7)
3rd place –
“Ravens Gate” by EM (Year 8)
A big thank you to all of the student librarians who have supported the event.
Year 11 Textiles
This week, our Year 11 Textiles students have continued to take part in an exciting collaborative project called Farm to Fashion, working alongside Derby Museums and the iconic British knitwear brand John Smedley. This week they attended 2 British businesses, British Wool HQ and Laxton’s Spinning Mill.
Founded in 1950, British Wool HQ is the last remaining marketing organisation governed by the Agricultural Marketing Act 1958. British Wool is a farmers’ organisation built on cooperative principles. It represents around 30,000 registered wool producers across the UK, working to collect, grade, promote, and sell their fleece wool to the global textile industry for use in flooring, furnishings, and apparel.
In the morning, the students engaged well and were able to take a range of samples of the wool from the 6 different categories that the sheep produce. This was a hands-on experience and the students enjoyed collecting their samples. From here the students saw how the wool was bagged up and weighed ready for auction. Once the wool has been sold it is washed and scoured ready for spinning.
In the afternoon we attended Laxton’s spinning mill, again, the students were enthusiastic and excited to see the spinning process. They saw how the yarn arrives at the factory in its natural form, how yarn is separated and counted for the yarn count, followed by the dying and spinning process. Finally, the students will now take this new information and apply this to their design ideas for the school jumper they are creating in collaboration with John Smedley. We will visit John Smedley’s factory in November to see the operation and the start of their jumpers being made.
Student Leadership Team Update
National Library Week: As part of National Library Week, students have had the opportunity to take part in a writing competition, with entries showcasing brilliant creativity and storytelling skills. The ongoing book sale in the FLC has also been a great success, encouraging students to explore new reading materials and enjoy the benefits of getting lost in a good book.
Black History Month: This week also marks our continued celebration of Black History Month. During form time, students have been learning about the powerful work and influence of Black artists, sparking discussions and inspiration throughout the school. We’re encouraging any students who feel creatively inspired to enter the Inktober Art Competition. All entries can be submitted to the FLC Library – we’re excited to see your artwork!
Next Week – Diwali Celebrations: Looking ahead to next week, we are thrilled to be celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Students will have multiple opportunities to take part in a range of activities:
· Monday: Traditional sweets will be handed out at the entrance doors in the morning, and there will be an Origami session in MFL7 during lunchtime.
· Tuesday: Join us for Henna art and take part in our Lucky Dip competition in MFL7.
· Wednesday: We will round off our Diwali celebrations with a food sale at lunchtime, featuring Samosas, Spring Rolls, and Jalebi at the outside shack. We’ll also have traditional music playing to create a festive atmosphere.
PEEA Update
Music Trip: The future makers music trip is an amazing opportunity for our students to listen to inspirational live performances by musicians their age and be inspired by what they have created.
Student visit the Royal Albert Hall in London, and at the event they will listen to up-and-coming Music performances by musicians aged 14-19 from across the UK will perform their original music from various genres in front of a panel of industry experts and a lively audience of Key Stage 2 and 3 students. The performers are in for the chance to win a year of tailored music industry support as they get their careers off the ground. Students who are interested, should see Mr Beaven in the PE office for more information. This trip is on a first come first served basis.
Netball: The Year 9 netball team played in a tournament at Murray Park school last Thursday. They played well and were extremely motivated, they enjoyed every game and worked together as a team. The girls won 2 out of 5 games, with players showing great skill on the court. DM made some outstanding interceptions, LR showed endless energy and both AK & AM defended tirelessly, making it easy for JW to use the width of the court to outwit her opponent.
This week was the turn of Year 7 & 8, who attended a mixed development tournament. Our students represented the school and demonstrated our motto os together we succeed. They showed respect and resilience and coming away with amazing results. Overall, we came second as a school and enjoyed every minute.
Sport & PE half term update: Next week marks the start of our latest Interhouse Sports Events, with students set to take part in football, handball, or netball competitions. These events are always a highlight in the PE calendar, giving students an opportunity to represent their houses, showcase teamwork, and build a sense of pride and belonging within the school community.
The purpose of our Interhouse events goes far beyond just physical activity — they aim to develop leadership, teamwork, communication, and resilience among students. They also help to promote healthy competition in a supportive and inclusive environment. Whether students win or lose, every participant contributes to their house’s overall standing and gains valuable experience in sportsmanship and collaboration.
Our extracurricular clubs continue to go from strength to strength, with fantastic levels of participation across all year groups. This week’s netball club saw an impressive 44 students attending at lunch, while 26 girls took part in football club. The commitment and enthusiasm shown by our students has been excellent and reflects the positive culture we’re building around sport at Derby Moor.
The netball fixture which took place on Thursday is another exciting opportunity for our teams to put their training into practice. Early performances from the team have shown real promise, and we’re confident that this fixture will continue to demonstrate the skill and teamwork developed through regular practice.
In addition to netball and football, our Friday badminton sessions regularly attract over 35 students, basketball is attended strongly across Y7-13, while gym club maintains highly attendance with more than 25 students each session. It’s fantastic to see such a wide range of activities thriving, with students engaging in sport for fun, fitness, and friendship
As we approach the end of this half term, boys’ football will be coming to a close for the winter period. Over the past six weeks, our teams have proudly represented Derby Moor in numerous tournaments and fixtures across Derby, demonstrating both skill and sportsmanship throughout.
Every student who has represented the school has earned extracurricular points and has been a credit to Derby Moor, displaying the school’s values both on and off the pitch. Regardless of results, the students have shown outstanding resilience, determination, and grit, and we are incredibly proud of their commitment and attitude.
Boys’ football will return in the Easter term, where we will once again take part in city tournaments and begin Year 7 full 9-a-side fixtures.
Looking ahead, after half term our focus will shift towards girls’ football fixtures, as well as the potential introduction of basketball fixtures and participation in other city-wide sporting events. With so many opportunities on offer, there’s something for everyone to get involved in, and we look forward to seeing even more students representing Derby Moor in the weeks ahead.
Year 7 & 8 Update
Following positivity week, students in Years 7&8 have again, shown their ability to ‘be a Derby Moor student’ and shown positivity and resilience in lessons. As we get closer to half term, end of half term tests have started or will start this week. Most subjects will be testing KS3 students to see what they have learnt since the start of the year. This is especially important for our Year 7 students, as this is their first set of tests and data since starting DMSA. Please remind them of the importance of revising and attending extra revision sessions / homework clubs that their subject staff will be putting on. Please ask students to speak to subject staff about this. Revising and getting into the habit of quality revision practices in lower school is proven to have a positive impact on their time at GCSE and when it comes to the end of Y11 exams. This seems like a long way off, but it is a great routine to get into now.
Year 11 Update
We have had another positive week for Year 11 this week, each student has had the opportunity to take part in the JCB Mock Assessment Centre. During this workshop, students were able to experience what an assessment centre entails and opportunities were given to build student’s skills to ensure that they can be successful in this setting in the future. The key focus was around the skills of teamwork, leadership, speaking and listening all of which are part of our 4Rs curriculum at Derby Moor. To find out more about JCB click on this link and search careers.
This week some of our Year 11 students were selected to take part in one of the first, key, after-school intervention sessions, an English Language Walking-Talking Mock. This event took place in the Assembly Hall and was delivered by a Subject Trust Director, we would like to thank the students for their impeccable attitude and fantastic effort they applied throughout. On the back of this successful event, our Maths department will be running a Waking-Talking Mock for selected Year 11 Students on Tuesday 21st October, please look out for an email and letter from Miss Hill regarding this if your child has been selected
Looking towards next week, Students have the opportunity to take part in our Mock Interviews on Thursday 23rd October, all students will receive an interview slot, and this will be taking place with one of our external visitors. All students have the chance, during Tutor Time, to discuss the questions they will be asked and begin to process the answers they may give to these interview questions. Students will need to ensure their Record of Achievement folder is up to date, including a recent CV – any support you can provide to ensure your child has their CV ready would be greatly appreciated.
Careers update
This week’s job of the week is an “astronomer”
Derby Moor Dispatch: The Derby Moor Dispatch goes out weekly 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. 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. All Year 11 students will be receiving a helpful booklet produced by Luminate Careers about Post 16 Options shortly.
Tuesday Tours of the Academy
It was nice to connect with families of Year 6 and show them the academy at work during the school day on Tuesday this week. It is always interesting to note the reactions of visitors when they see a secondary school during lesson time – it isn’t quite like it was when they were at school. Our visitors noted how calm and focussed lessons were, how big the site is but how modern and clean it feels. They saw our Teaching and Learning framework in action and managed to take in lessons from across the full suite of faculties we have. The next tour is scheduled for Tuesday 21st October. It will start at 9.00am and end by 10.00 am. I must stress that we will begin at 9.05am promptly, following a short briefing. Anyone arriving after this time will not be able to join late. Spaces are limited for the tours, so please reserve your place as soon as possible by emailing info@derbymoorspencer.org.uk. An email will be sent to you to confirm your place and to provide further information.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Scott Doyle