Secondary Transfer FAQs

Below are some of the questions we often get asked at our Open Evenings and Open Mornings. We hope we have answered any queries you have but if you have an additional question, please email it to: admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk 

Admission Process

You can apply for Manor High through your local authority (links below). You need to put your application in by midnight on Saturday 31st October 2020.

We welcome applications from county and city.Children from a wide area have been able to secure a place at Manor High.Distance and feeder schools do provide extra strength to applications but this should not discourage applications.If you would like a place at our school, you should apply, as long as you use your other options for contingency.

If you don’t name us you definitely will not get a place. So, make sure you put us as a preference on your application!

If you name us, you stand as good a chance as everyone else. We take students from numerous primary schools, from as far away as Great Glen, Glenfield and Blaby. And as the saying goes, “You have to be in it to win it!”

As a sibling link is the second criteria on our oversubscription list (OSL) then it is very likely that you would be offered a place at Manor High for your child.

You will automatically be added to our waitlist, in the order of our oversubscription list (OSL) which ranks every application by:

  1. Looked after children
  2. Siblings
  3. Attending a traditional feeder school
  4. Attending an emerging feeder school
  5. Distance

The local authority will allocate you one of your other choices of schools. Our waitlist runs until the end of the autumn term in 2021.

We are happy to offer help and support if you have been unsuccessful in your application as to the next steps you can take.

We do manage our waitlist well, to ensure that if any places become available (for example, if a family move away from the area or gain a place a private school), they are filled quickly.

Both you and the school will find out who has been allocated a place at Manor High School on Monday 1 March 2021. This is by email, via the email you have used to register on the admissions application portal. The local authority often also writes to parents too.

We, and the local authority, always recommend you use all your preferences for schools. If you are unsuccessful in getting your first choice they will look to your second, and so on. If you have no second choice then they may allocate you any school in the city or county. This could be a school that is located many miles from your home address. It is sensible to have a backup option.

a. No, this is not true. You can put any schools you choose on your application. We recommend you use all your choices.

School Transport

We plan our school bus route every year based on those who wish to use the service. We survey our parents in the spring term (around April) and then plan the route, which we release to parents at the end of the summer term (June/July).

We currently run two buses:

  • Route 1: Wigston – Knighton – Manor High
  • Route 2: Evington – Hamilton – Thurnby – Manor High

The bus route in 2020 is very similar to 2019, with only a few minor tweaks. So, although it is not 100% certain where the route will go, we would anticipate it to be similar to our current routes.

We run the service as a non-profit service, so we only charge to parents the cost we incur from the bus company. As a guide, in 2020, our full year bus pass costs £608 but this can be paid termly.

We plan the route based on where our students live. We do our best to ensure children are not expected to walk an excessive distance. We aim for the walking distance between home and the bus stop is no more than 1.5 miles, however, it is often significantly less. Wherever possible, we will use public bus stops that are covered or have a pull in, to maximise safety.

Uniform

As you will see if you visit the school, our students wear the Manor High uniform with pride. We believe strongly in the importance of uniform in schools. It supports greater safety through quick recognition both inside and outside school, it creates a sense of identity and a sense of togetherness. Our smart uniform is a key part of the #ManorHighWay.

Manor High School uniform is available to purchase from our local schoolwear shop:

Schoolwear Solutions
64 London Road
Oadby
LE2 5DH

For those who prefer to order online, please visit their website.

Yes, students are required to wear appropriate PE kit at all times as we want them to be comfortable during PE lessons both inside and out. During winter months, students will be allowed to wear under armour in the form of long-sleeved skin-tight tops and sports leggings under their polo shirts and shorts in the colours indicated above.

No tracksuits or fleeces are allowed to be worn indoors. However, specific adaptations to the PE kit are permitted for religious requirements.

Support and SEND Provision

As each SEN student has their own specific needs, we would recommend you contact our SENDCo, Mrs Mehta, via email: SEND@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk and arrange a meeting or call to discuss your own personal circumstances.

Manor High School is a happy and friendly school with a strong sense of ethos. Our core values of Excellence, Inspiration, Resilience and Respect underpin all that happens in the school. We are fully-inclusive and celebrate the diversity of the Manor High community. We are proud of the cultures and values which combine to create the “Manor High Way” of learning and excellence.

We are a very academic and high achieving school. We ensure that learning is fun. When children enjoy themselves and are creative, the learning does not seem like hard work and this leads to outstanding results. The arts and sport are very important to our school. Traditionally, there are many opportunities for enrichment and to learn outside the classroom through plenty of after school activities and residential trips to enhance the learning experience.

Ensuring the safety and well-being of students at Manor High School is our top priority and therefore we have policies and procedures which surround the issue of safeguarding young people.

We know that happy, healthy children will be more able and willing learners. We do all we can to ensure that our students have the support they need to be able to achieve and succeed through our House system, peer support and staff being on hand throughout the day.

Every child in the school is in one of our four vertical houses: Bradgate, Clarendon, Knighton or Watermead. We have four House Managers who oversee all the children in their house. They are non-teaching staff so are dedicated to offering care and support to their house members and are available throughout the day.

In addition to our House Managers, each child has a Tutor who they see daily (or they will, once the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted). They are a good conduit between school and home so will be very interested in knowing about the achievements of your child both inside and outside school and is also there to support them if they have any worries or concerns.

For any academic support, students or parents can speak to the class teacher or the Curriculum Leader in that subject area. Our staff are always happy to help and are keen to ensure that our students are able to enjoy their learning, advance their knowledge and be inspired be their subjects.

a. Our class sizes are generally around 29-30 students. There is some variation, for example, in subjects where they are set by ability. Our top sets will often have slightly more students so lower set have more personalised support. Other subjects may be limited to size by their practical nature. An example of this would be design technology.

At GCSE, class sizes vary in option groups based on the number of students selecting the subject.

Tutor groups are generally around 25-26 students, made up of those in Year 7 to Year 10. Our Year 11’s are put into tutor groups that allow additional intervention and support in core and EBacc subjects, depending on their needs throughout the year.

The behaviour at Manor High is so good that we have expectations rather than rules. These expectations are based upon our four core values which underpin all aspects of life in our school. These are Excellence, Inspiration, Resilience and Respect.

Our students come to school because they want to do well.They respect and care for each other. People often comment when visiting the school, on how calm and relaxed the classrooms are during lessons.

We like to celebrate good behaviour, good work and displaying examples our core values. Students can gain house points for all these areas, as well as for competing in house competitions.

We refer to the Manor High Way. This is an integrated framework of expectations, marginal gains and strategies all focused upon the relentless pursuit of excellence.We want to ensure the success and well-being each student. To achieve this, we set the highest aspirations and expectations, starting in the classroom. By setting clear and consistent routines in the classroom first, we expect all of our children to reach their potential. You will be introduced to these routines at the beginning of term.

We have the highest expectations of our students in terms of their conduct both in and out of school. Manor High School is committed to excellent behavioural standards built around our core values. Those who fall short of these standards will face sanctions in line with the severity of the transgression and within the school’s behavioural policy.

We have many, many different clubs and trips on offer throughout the year. Each curriculum area runs clubs; some clubs run for the whole year or some just for a term, to maximise options and variety. Sporting clubs may change throughout the year to match the seasons, i.e. cricket and athletics will be in the summer.

We offer day trips to a variety of educational locations, as well as residential trips, such as language trips or skiing. You will always get good notice of trips so you have time to book. If trips are oversubscribed we will choose names out of a hat to be fair to all.

Results and GCSE’s

Yes. We are very proud of our results over the last two years and the spectacular achievement of our students. We are currently the top school in Leicestershire and the locality for progress. This is because we support and challenge each individual to achieve their full potential.

You can view our official results on the government website that is set up to allow comparisons between schools and local authorities:  https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Students at Manor High School generally study nine GCSEs. We focus on the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which is a set of subjects at GCSE that keeps young people’s options open for further study and future careers.

The EBacc is made up of:

  • English language and literature
  • maths
  • the sciences
  • geography or history
  • a language

In addition to these subjects, your child can pick options based on their own strengths and interests. You can view our current GCSE options here.

a. After GCSEs students can opt to go to a sixth form college, go to a further education (FE) college, or join a work-based training provider. The majority of Manor High students opt to student A Levels at one of the many local sixth form colleges.

With their results and progress being so high, Manor High students have their pick of sixth form destinations. All our students went to their chosen sixth form destinations this year.

We will help our students through the application process and support them in writing the personal statements and getting their applications in on time.