Headteacher’s Update
Dear Families
This week we have been celebrating Black History Month through our tutor times. Some interesting facts were shared- for example-
Did you know that people have been migrating to Britain as far back as Roman times?
When Britain was part of the Roman Empire, an African Emperor called Lucius Septimius Severus migrated here. He was born in Libya. He was a highly ranked military man and brought the largest army (50,000 men) in the history of Roman Britain.
Did you know that in Tudor times we had deep see divers?
In the 1540s, a man called Jacques Francis was recruited to salvage Henry VIII’s favourite warship which had sunk in 1545. He was a deep sea diver from the Guinea coast. When his employer, Piero Paulo, was accused of stealing from a different salvage dive, Jacques became the first black person allowed to stand up in court to give evidence.
Who was the first black pilot to serve in the military?
The first black pilot to fly for Britain was a man called Sergeant William Robinson Clarke. He was born in Jamaica, and travelled to England in 1914 to join the Royal Flying Corps. He started as an air mechanic, but wanted to fly, and was accepted for pilot training in 1916. He was promoted to Sergeant in April 1917 when he won his ‘wings’. He flew RE8 biplanes over the Western Front.
There has been a Black History Month Quiz taking place today and we eagerly await the outcome of this. We are always keen to celebrate diversity and equality and to help students to understand more about our culture and society. It is core to us in supporting students to be Excellent People.
We thank Mrs Moseley for putting together a range of activities over the course of week, the students really appreciated it!
Next week is our final week before the October half term break. Attendance has been positive this term and today has seen our top attending forms in non uniform as a reward –
11.3
10.3
9.6
8.6
7.7
I opened my emails on Thursday morning to find we had been sent a National Attendance Award for the summer term of the last academic year, which means the attendance of the school was in the top 25% of schools for the summer term. Whilst this is great to receive, I feel we can and should do more – we are in the top 5% for achievement of students nationally and therefore I feel we should be matching this for attendance. We set a target of 96% for attendance and really want to achieve that. We all know that children being in school means they learn more and achieve better. We also know that there can be some struggles and illnesses that go around, but I would encourage you to send your child into school if this is the case and we will support them and help them. Often when one gets to school the momentum of the day carries young people through and seeing one’s friends really helps with that.
My final message re attendance is that it is the half term break after next week, when there is a week away from school, so let’s make a final push to get everyone in school for this coming week. Please remember, the last week of the term is as important as the first week of term.
With best wishes
Mr S Greiff
Post 16 school and college open events
Please see a list of local school and college sixth form open events – Open Events 2026.
On Thursday evening, at the same time as Year 11 parents evening, we have a number of local schools and colleges in school. They will be located in the study centre. We ask that our Year 11 students (and parents) please do come and visit and speak to the local providers whilst they are here on site with us. It is a great opportunity to get more information about choices for next academic year.
Sparx Maths Student of the Week
We’re delighted to celebrate this week’s Sparx Maths Student of the Week! This recognition is awarded to Sameer of 8.6 who has shown outstanding effort, determination, and commitment to their independent learning on Sparx. Their hard work not only strengthens their mathematical skills but also sets a fantastic example for their peers. Well done – we are very proud of their achievement!
Science, Theatre and Music: A Week of Adventure
Philharmonia Orchestra Project
On Tuesday, many of our musicians participated in a workshop day at Leicester Grammar School, in partnership with Leicestershire Music. The rehearsal workshop was conducted and led by the Philharmonia Orchestra and gave the young people access to side by side playing with the musicians from the professional orchestra.
Our String, Brass, Woodwind and Percussion players joined with the Philharmonia Orchestra and schools across Leicestershire to prepare music for a concert in early 2027 (actual dates for the concert in 2027 are to be confirmed). A great day of music making was had by all.
Curve Theatre Trip – Educating Rita
On Wednesday evening, 30 of our Year 11 Drama and Media students attended the Made at Curve production of Educating Rita. Written by Willy Russell in the early 1980s, the play follows the unlikely friendship between Rita, an ambitious young hairdresser, and Frank, a disillusioned university lecturer, as they navigate issues of education, identity and personal growth.
Performed in the Studio Theatre at Curve, students had the unique opportunity to experience the production up close and appreciate the detailed and realistic set design. The performance was both entertaining and thought-provoking, combining moments of humour with more poignant themes.
It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage with a live theatre production and see a well-known text brought to life on stage. We are delighted to have been able to provide this enriching cultural experience for our students.
Space Futures event at the National Space Centre
Triple Science students represented Manor High School at the Space Futures event at the National Space Centre this week, alongside more than 3,000 participants from across the country joining the hybrid event online.
Students worked with professionals from the space sector before taking part in a team challenge, presenting their ideas to industry judges. Testament to our students excellence, two of the three winning teams included Manor High School students, whose presentations were of an exceptional standard.
The event concluded with a careers fair, where students discovered more about the space industry, including how diamonds can be formed in space from methane and hydrogen, and how plasma bullets can be created and have a range of uses in space.
It was an inspiring experience, and we hope it has sparked an interest in the space scientists and engineers of the future!
School Clubs
Modern Languages Clubs
Our Friday lunchtime clubs are growing in popularity and, last week in Polyglots Club, we looked at Otsukimi, the Japanese Moon Festival. Students learnt about how the festival is celebrated, the story of the rabbit on the moon and some key vocabulary associated with the festival. Students tried their hand at creating the Kanji characters for rabbit, autumn and Tsukimi as well as making origami Tsukimi rabbits.
Don’t forget, we also run German club on A-week Fridays in addition to our B-week Polyglots club. We look forward to seeing you there!
Manor High School visit to Nice, 2027
On Monday 12th October, Year 9 and 10 French students will be receiving a letter about our upcoming visit to Nice in June 2027. We hope to see lots of students signing up for this exciting opportunity! If places are not filled by 26th October, we will release spaces for students in Year 8 who study French. Please follow the link below to see all of the incredible experiences that will be had by participating students: Nice Trip 2025
Brookside Primary School – Open Days
Local Sports Opportunities
We are pleased to share a selection of local sports clubs and activities available in the Oadby, Wigston and Leicester area for students who are looking to continue being active outside of school.
Taking part in sport outside of school is a great way for students to stay active, develop new skills and improve their sporting abilities. There are opportunities available for a range of ages, abilities and interests, whether your child is new to a sport or already has experience.
Please take a look at the posters for more information, including session times, locations and contact details. We encourage parents/carers to contact the clubs directly before attending to confirm current arrangements and availability.
Safeguarding Update
Please see the link below for some great ideas around supporting your child’s digital wellbeing:
knowsleyclcs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Digital-Wellbeing-Oct-2026.mp4
This has been provided by a safeguarding partner that we work with.
If you have any concerns about your child’s online safety, please refer these to your child’s form tutor in the first instance.
Attendance
Let’s have a great last week of the half term. We have rewards assemblies and a fun event on Friday 16th October. Be in school!
Attendance is fundamental to student success. Research consistently demonstrates that students who attend school regularly achieve better academic outcomes than their peers with lower attendance. By being in school every day, students benefit from high-quality teaching, develop their knowledge and skills, make sustained progress, and are far more likely to reach their full potential.
However, the importance of attendance extends far beyond academic achievement. Regular attendance provides students with opportunities to build positive relationships with peers and staff, develop essential social and communication skills, and participate fully in the wider life of the school. Face-to-face interactions help foster a sense of belonging, confidence and resilience, all of which contribute positively to students’ mental health and wellbeing.
Good attendance also promotes routine, responsibility and self-discipline, preparing students for future education, employment and life beyond school. Every day in school matters, and ensuring students attend regularly gives them the best possible chance to succeed both academically and personally.
Our attendance figures for the week ending 2nd October
| Year group | Year to date | Weekly attendance | Comparison to previous wk |
| 7 | 97.2% (same) | 96.75% | Up from 96.7% |
| 8 | 95.4% (down 0.1) | 95.14% | Up from 94.82% |
| 9 | 94.5% (up 0.2%) | 94.85% | Up from 92.88% |
| 10 | 95.4% (same) | 95.39% | Up from 92.5% |
| 11 | 93.8% (down 0.2%) | 92.70% | Same |
| Wole School to date | 95.29% | 95.03 | Up from 94.06% |
We want all of our students to be achieving at least 96% attendance. We can do this!
SEND Dept
T: 0116 2729791 (or 0116 2714941 ext. 791)
E: SEND@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk
Lead Operational DSL & Senior Mental Health Lead Ashma Ghani
T: 0116 2729760 (or 0116 2714941 ext. 760)
E: AGhani@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk
