Derby Moor Spencer open brand-new Inclusion Centre of Excellence
Derby Moor Spencer Academy are thrilled to announce the official opening of their brand-new, state-of-the-art Inclusion Centre of Excellence this week.
The school welcomed MP Baggy Shanker, alongside Local Councillor, and former student, Gurkiran Kaur, who cut the ribbon to formally unveil the new building. Staff, students, local politicians, governors and guests from the Spencer Academies Trust were also in attendance on the day.
The centre will add capacity to Derby Moor’s existing additional inclusive provision, which was recently recognised as a ‘beacon of light’ in the school’s recent Inclusion Quality Mark review and will provide a bespoke and modern learning environment for its students, ensuring that everyone has access to a nurturing, safe and therapeutic space in which they can flourish.
The new building also includes a range of meeting rooms, as well as providing a base for the schools highly regarded Multi-Disciplinary Team including school-based family workers, a youth worker, counsellors, behaviour mentors and specialist teaching assistants.
The planning underpinning the build placed a strong focus on sustainability and eco-friendly solutions, resulting in a building equipped with a 3kW solar system, heat source heat pumps, and extensive insulation. The school also chose to upcycle the internal furniture and fencing in order to minimise waste going to landfill. These features will significantly reduce the schools carbon footprint compared to the previous building.
The building’s heating system also features highly efficient heat pumps that transfer heat rather than generating it, thereby reducing electricity use for heating by up to 75% compared to traditional systems. It will also operate without a gas supply, relying solely on electricity supported by the solar installation on the roof, further reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Principal, Scott Doyle, said "This project has been part of our vision for the academy for a number of years, so we are thrilled to finally open the doors and begin supporting our students in modern, purpose-built accommodation. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do at the academy so having a building like this, where students can access our additional services, is key to ensuring that our students have every opportunity to be successful, no matter what personal challenges they may face."
Spencer Academies Trust Director of Secondary Education, Fraser Mitchell, said: "I'm incredibly proud that Derby Moor Spencer has a state-of-the-art centre to match the high-quality inclusive provision it provides for its young people."
Chief Executive Officer, Paul West, said: “The centre stands as a testament to Derby Moor’s commitment to providing a safe and inspiring environment for its young people to thrive and grow. We would like to thank everyone who helped bring this vision to life.”
