It really has been a beautiful week at Derby High, with the sunshine matched by a genuine sense of warmth and positivity across the school. Weeks like this remind us just how special this community is.
Today, we turned our attention to Year 11 as they prepare to head off on study leave. It was a joyful and reflective occasion, giving us the opportunity to recognise them as a year group and to mark this important moment in their journey through the school. They are a cohort defined by their steadiness and their sense of community. They support one another, they approach school life with good humour, and they contribute in ways that are both meaningful and lasting. They have been a positive presence within the school and have much to be proud of as they now move into this next phase.
As is tradition, the day also included their much-anticipated Top of the Pops performance at lunch time. As ever, it was full of energy, creativity and laughter, and it was wonderful to see them come together in this way.
We also had the privilege of hearing from our Year 13 students, who delivered their final assembly ahead of beginning their study leave next week. It was a thoughtful, humorous and moving reflection on their time at Derby High, full of memories, gratitude and a clear sense of how much the school, and the people within it, have meant to them. It served as a powerful reminder of the journey they have each been on.

To read all of this week’s Senior High Notes, please click here.