28th November 2025
Dear Parent Carers,
Weekly Update: 28/11/25
I hope this update finds you well. Next week, we are stepping in to December and the last three weeks of the Autumn Term There are a number of parental events taking place over the next few weeks, including our Christmas Winter Wondershow and Christmas Market. It would be great if families were able to attend one of them!
Christmas Market
We are opening our Christmas Market at 2:30pm on Tuesday 16th December! We hope that the later start will mean that more families are able to attend. Students who are not going to the market will go home as usual at 2:30pm – there will be an opportunity for them to browse the market before going home. Students who attend the market with family will also need to be taken home by them. We cannot amend the transport provision for any students. More information on the Market and how to get tickets is included further in the update
We are aware that parking on site can be quite busy, and so we request that if you are planning to attend from 2:30pm, please arrive on site by 2:10pm and park in the overflow carpark. Feel free to park off-site too and walk on to the school site if you are concerned about parking. We want all attendees to be able to have a great time!
Winter Wondershow
This will take place on Tuesday 16th December at 9:30am. We were hoping to secure use of the Theatre at Noel Baker so that the Winter Wondershow could be attended by all but could not do so. Due to the smaller capacity of the St Martins theatre, this means that you may only attend this event in our Theatre if your child/young person is taking part. Tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis for up to two guests per student – apologies for any disappointment this may cause Further information will be shared about how to obtain tickets soon
Use of old text messaging system – Iris
The MyEd app is no longer used by St Martins School. Please do not try to send messages via this app as we no longer have an active subscription and messages are not received. Parent Carers may use the Arbor App for getting in touch with school, as well as phone and email.
Toni Beardmore Headteacher
St Martins School, The Derwent Campus, Bracknell Drive, Alvaston, Derby, DE24 0BT Tel: 01332 571151 Email: admin@stmartins.set.org Online: www.stmartinsschoolderby.co.uk
Uniform Reminder and Updates
I thought it would also be helpful to remind our community about our school uniform policy. At St Martins School, we do our upmost to ensure all students are dressed correctly as we believe that it promotes pride, self-confidence, and a feeling of belonging within the student body.
We do not want to encourage an environment where students are competing in terms of their appearance and aim for all students to feel comfortable in themselves and focus fully on their education and personal development. We are always happy to work with parents and families to ensure our approach is accessible to all (e.g. sensory needs).
Boys:
• White or black polo shirt or round neck shirt
• Plain black round necked sweatshirt or a St Martins logoed hoodie, no embroidered sweatshirts e.g. Nike/Adidas
• Plain black trousers/jogging bottoms or plain black shorts – No jeans
• All black shoes/trainers – No other colours to be on the shoes/trainers
Girls:
• White or black polo shirt or round neck shirt
• Plain black round necked sweatshirt or a St Martins logoed hoodie - No embroidered sweatshirts e.g. Nike/Adidas
• Plain black trousers/jogging bottoms, black/grey skirt or black knee length shorts – No jeans
• Plain black or grey tights/leggings
• All black shoes/trainers – No other colours to be on the shoes/trainers
More details regarding uniform, including our stockist, Uniform Direct, can be found here on our website: https://www.stmartinsschoolderby.co.uk/parents/uniform-andpe-kit
Shoes and False Nails
As part of our school uniform, students are to wear all black shoes or trainers. Sandals, Crocs, and sliders are not suitable for school. These types of shoes do not provide enough support or protection during activities such as walking around school, PE lessons, or emergency drills. We recommend closed-toe shoes with secure fastenings for safety.
Toni Beardmore Headteacher
St Martins School, The Derwent Campus, Bracknell Drive, Alvaston, Derby, DE24 0BT Tel: 01332 571151 Email: admin@stmartins.set.org Online: www.stmartinsschoolderby.co.uk
Long false nails or extensions should not be worn in school. They can pose a risk during practical lessons, sports, and everyday tasks, and may lead to accidental injury.
Thank you for your support with this.
Congratulations
We’d like to extend our congratulations to Sammy Thompson and family as they have welcomed baby Billie into the world! Billie was born last weekend, weighing in at 7lbs 15oz. We can’t wait to meet her!
Thank you and Farewell
Jennie Hawksworth, one of our fantastic Teaching Assistants is leaving St Martins today to move closer to family. Jennie has been part of our team since 2021, initially working at the main school site before moving to support our older students at Horizons 6th Form. We want to thank Jennie for her commitment to our students and wish her all the best for this next step.
Best wishes,
Toni Beardmore Headteacher
Toni Beardmore Headteacher
St Martins School, The Derwent Campus, Bracknell Drive, Alvaston, Derby, DE24 0BT Tel: 01332 571151 Email: admin@stmartins.set.org Online: www.stmartinsschoolderby.co.uk
Dates for your Diaries:
Date Event Details
Thursday 11th December
Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day
Tuesday 16th December time TBC Winter Wonder Show
Tuesday 16th December from 2:30pm-3:30pm
Christmas Market
Information to follow.
Information to follow.
Information shared this week.
Wednesday 17th December Christmas Dinner for students Information to follow.
Term Dates 2025/2026
Autumn Term 2025
School Starts Back – Monday 3rd November
School Breaks up for Christmas – Friday 19th December
Spring Term 2026
INSET Day – Monday 5th January 2026
School Starts Back – Tuesday 6th January
School Breaks up for Half Term – Friday 13th February
School Starts Back – Monday 23rd February
School Breaks up for Easter – Friday 27th March
Summer Term 2026
School Starts Back – Monday 13th April
INSET Day – Friday 1st May
Bank Holiday – Monday 4th May
School Breaks up for Half Term – Friday 22nd May
School Starts Back – Monday 1st June
School Breaks up for Summer – Wednesday 22nd July
INSET Day – Thursday 23rd July
St Martins follows Derby City Council’s term dates. Dates for next year can be found on their website – please follow the link for these - https://derby.gov.uk/educationand-learning/schools-and-colleges/term-holiday-dates/#
Social Media Links
Facebook - St. Martins School Facebook Instagram - St. Martins School Instagram
Toni Beardmore Headteacher
St Martins School, The Derwent Campus, Bracknell Drive, Alvaston, Derby, DE24 0BT
Tel: 01332 571151 Email: admin@stmartins.set.org Online: www.stmartinsschoolderby.co.uk