Author: dmuggleton

Mental Health Support – out of school

Summer Well being Newsletter

OAK Trust Newsletter July 2025

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Parents

We are edging toward the end of the academic year, however this does not slow us down. The last few weeks of term are as important as the first few weeks of term. It is imperative that we finish well, our expectations remain the same as they did on the first day of the academic year.

We have had further external scrutiny this week to evaluate progress we have made, with a review of our SEND provision by an external nationally renowned SEND advisor. I am pleased to say that she was impressed with the changes we have made to our approach to SEND over the last 12 months. There have been many changes to how we give support to students and this is showing impact over time. Whilst we are yet to receive the final report, the verbal feedback in the debrief received was positive and I will share snippets in due course. Naturally there are things that we must focus on to be even better, but I would be surprised if there were not, we always want to move forward.

We are preparing for the next academic year now, with student timetables etc. We thank you for your positive comments about the move to a Year Group structure. We feel this will benefit students hugely, and today we have told students who their tutor will be for the next academic year. They will get their first experience of their new group next week with our induction days when we welcome our new Year 7s into school. I remind you also that Tuesday is our Sports Day and we very much look forward to this. Do please keep an eye on the weather. At the moment it looks like it will be a sunny day, therefore we would expect parents to send their children to school with water and sun cream. However, if the weather forecast changes and is looking slightly wetter we would expect you to send your children with a waterproof of some description, so please do continue to check the weather.

In preparation for the new year we have had some meetings with our new catering provider Aspens. We are very excited about improving the food offer here at Manor High. When we speak to students about what could be better at school, they often talk about the food! We have worked together to provide a menu which promises to give more choice and greater innovation for students. Aspens will also be offering a breakfast service (including free porridge) and a breaktime service too. We look forward to the start of the year. We anticipate some teething problems as you may expect, but once through this transition time we have high hopes! We will seek the views of students to see what they think of the food as the new term progresses.

Aspens

Spring-Summer-Menu

Finally from me, some information about the final day of term next Friday 11^th July. We will finish school at 1.30pm that day, we have made arrangements with the school bus company to collect earlier, the buses will depart at 1.45pm at the very latest.

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

Nice Trip

Last week, 40 Manor High School students from Years 7 to 10 spent a memorable four days in beautiful Nice in the South of France.

Students went straight from the airport to Parc Phoenix, where they explored the park and saw a range of wildlife and tropical plants.

If you would like to see this year’s trip to Nice or, indeed, our 2024 Barcelona trip, so that you know what is on offer next summer, please click on the links below:

Nice Trip 2025

Barcelona trip 2024

We hope to see lots of students signing up when we launch our Barcelona trip in September/October 2025.

Attendance During Work Experience Week

We would like to inform you that Year 10 students who are not participating in a work experience placement are expected to attend school as normal during this period.

Please note that any absence from school during this time, without a valid reason, will be recorded as unauthorised.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

SEND Provision Review

Following the review of our SEND provision we appreciate that only a few parents were able to have a conversation with the reviewer. We would like to extend the invitation to other parents of SEN students. Therefore, please watch out for an email from the SEN team, which will include a link to a parent voice form. Which will be reflecting on the last 12 months, as well as looking forward to the next academic year.

Please can parents complete this at their earliest convenience, the form will close on Friday 18th July.

Thanks SEND Team.

Teen Health Lunchtime Drop-ins

Safeguarding and Wellbeing Updates

The next Live Safe Parents/Carers Workshop- Keeping young people safe from knife-related harm is taking place on Tuesday 8^th July 6pm-7pm.

This virtual workshop provides parents and carers with awareness around knife-related harm and how to keep children and young people safe.

This workshop is being run by the Violence Reduction Network and covers the following topics:

Understanding knife-related harm in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.
The impact of knife-related harm on individuals, families, and communities.
The reasons why young people are vulnerable to knife-related harm.
Approaches to preventing knife-related harm.
How parents and carers can keep their children safe.
Help and support.

There will be an opportunity for questions and answers during the workshop.
Parents and carers can remain anonymous if preferred. There is no requirement to use your cameras or microphones unless desired.

Alumni

We are really keen for former Manor High School students to share their experiences of the world of work with our students.

If you, a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please email us via the Admin email (FAO Mr Croucher).

Many thanks.

Group Tabla Lessons

National Space Centre Trip

Over 70 students had the incredible opportunity to visit the National Space Centre last week, and the experience was truly out of this world! It was a day filled with curiosity, discovery, and inspiration—and by all accounts, everyone had an amazing time!

🛰️ Fun Facts About the National Space Centre

🚀 The Rocket Tower is 42 metres tall—taller than 9 double-decker buses stacked on top of each other!
🌌 The Centre houses over 150 interactive exhibits about space, satellites, and astronomy.
🧑‍🚀 You can see real space suits, including one worn by British astronaut Helen Sharman.
🪐 The Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium is the largest in the UK.
🌍 The National Space Centre is located in Leicester and opened in 2001.

Other Useful Information

Online Safety Newsletter Secondary July 2025

Parental Controls booklet 2025

Youth Friends Group

Mental Health Support – out of school

My Self Referral • Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

We have had another week of enrichment opportunities this week, with a number of our students visiting the Big Bang Fair with the Science Department earlier this week, which students enjoyed very much. There are other trips planned for next week as well which promise to be great experiences for students including more Science trips and our annual Languages residential to Nice. We wish them all the best. We have extended our residential trips further next year, adding trips to Berlin and to Iceland. Of course we will continue to run our day trips and hopefully extend these further to allow as many students as possible to access enrichment opportunities at an affordable level.

In addition we are reaching the end of term which will see various reward trips take place, which are always great to see. We are very much advocating students being rewarded for being the best version of themselves over the course of the academic year. So many of our students get things right every minute of every day and it is important that we reward that and ‘catch them being good’.

Our Year 11 students have now left us, after a 6 week examination period and we will welcome them back one more time on Monday afternoon for their Leavers’ Assembly. They celebrated the end to their exam period last night with their prom at Shearsby Bath. Approximately 130 students along with many staff, all of whom had a wonderful time. We are now looking for the next generation of Prom Committee from our Year 10 cohort, and any interested parties should speak to Mrs Muggleton who is a member of our School Support Team.

It has been a very warm week this week, as a result we emailed you regarding some relaxation of some of our uniform rules about the wearing of blazers earlier this week. We will keep those amendments in place for the beginning of next week due to the likelihood of the warm weather continuing. We will update you further should the weather change. We also ask that you ensure your child comes to school with a water bottle whilst it is warm to ensure they can remain rehydrated during the course of the school day, particularly when they have PE lessons.

With the warmest of wishes

Mr S Greiff

Summer Concert

World Music Day – 21st June

World Music Day originated in France and is now celebrated across the globe. This event brings communities together through the power of music, and across the OAK trust we have celebrated this by introducing students to music from different cultures. Here at Manor our year 10 students learned about Calypso Music as part of their GCSE Music course, and used their own instruments to recreate the Calypso song ‘Yellow Bird’.

We hope that families will join in and celebrate their music for World Music Day tomorrow. Got a favourite song that always lifts your spirits? This might be the perfect day to share it with the world!

Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Applications

We would like to share important guidance received from the Local Authority regarding Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications.

If you are considering requesting an EHCP needs assessment for your child, we strongly encourage you speak with the SEND team at Manor High in the first instance. They will be able to advise you about the likelihood of an EHCP being awarded and if the school has the evidence to make or support an application.

To ensure that every child receives a thorough, well-informed, and high-quality EHCP, we strongly advise that no new applications—whether submitted by parents or by the school—are not made between May half term and the start of the new academic year.

This is because, as part of the statutory 20-week EHCP process, professionals such as Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, and other specialists are required to meet with the child and consult with the school typically between weeks 6 and 12. These meetings and assessments are vital for building a full picture of your child’s needs.

If an application is submitted after May half term, this key 6–12 week window falls during the school summer holidays—a time when schools are closed and professionals have very limited availability. As a result, there is a significant risk that the plan may be based on incomplete advice, which would affect its quality and accuracy. We strongly advise you to wait until the start of the new academic year, when full access to the necessary advice and support will be available.

Thank you for your understanding.

Teen Health Lunchtime Drop-ins

Safeguarding Update

Our students’ mental health is always important, and we try to pass on any new tips/services that can support, as soon as we know.

Young people who self-harm can find it difficult to get the support they need due to long waiting lists from service providers.

“My self-referral” is a confidential way to seek help without needing to see a GP or other health professional.

Please see the link below for further information.

Alumni

We are really keen for former Manor High School students to share their experiences of the world of work with our students.

If you, a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please email us via the Admin email (FAO Mr Croucher).

Many thanks.

Year 10 Work Experience

Please can we have signed and completed work experience forms back to school by Friday 20^th June. Please ask your son/daughter to hand these into their form tutor. Many thanks

Langmoor Primary School 70th Anniversary

Other Useful Information

Online Safety Newsletter Secondary June 2025 SECONDARY Manor High Leicester

Mental Health Support – out of school

Teen Health Lunchtime Drop Ins

Uniform – Manor High School – Oadby

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

I have enjoyed speaking to students in lessons this week about what they are learning and how they are learning. The enthusiasm and interest expressed by students in subjects across the board has been delightful to see. Sir Francis Bacon once said ‘Knowledge is Power’ but actually what is equally important is how you use that knowledge and apply it. I have seen students discussing various topics and forming well thought out arguments and opinions on a variety of issues this week. Therefore I prefer to think that whilst Sir Francis Bacon’s quote is indeed correct, and knowledge is power, this is the case only when used correctly. At school we want to provide students with the knowledge they need to be successful and gain the best qualifications they can. Importantly, we want them to be apply that knowledge to different contexts and to use lessons from the past to shape the future. This has been evident in droves in classrooms this week.

Our year 11s move towards the final stages of their examinations next week, with their school prom on Thursday next week at Shearsby Bath and their Leavers’ Assembly the following Monday at 2pm. Unlike some schools, we do not do the Leavers’ Assembly until after the examinations as this changes the mindsets of students to one of having ‘left’ right in the middle of their examinations. Additionally, we do not send the vast majority of our students on study leave. In the main we keep them in school until their very last examination so that they have the opportunity to spend time with our subject experts right until the last minute before their examinations. We very much look forward to these celebratory events coming up over the next week or so, they have very much earned this after a gruelling 6-week schedule of exams. Once they have completed their last examinations next week- which for the majority is Monday or Tuesday, they will be free to depart school. This may be after a morning exam. Should you not wish for your child to depart school after a morning examination do, please let your child’s tutor know. We have sent a separate Year 11 email summarising some key dates to Year 11 parents. Incidentally, our Year 10s need to start forming their Year 11 Prom Committee- if you think your child may be interested, give them a little nudge and tell them to talk to Mrs Muggleton at school or to myself when they see me around the school site.

Summer is very much upon us and the sun is shining. Should the temperature increase even further then we would relax our uniform rules for students. However at the moment we expect students to be in school in their school uniform, wearing ties and blazers. Information about our school uniform can be found here. Uniform – Manor High School – Oadby. Please support the school by ensuring that your child leaves home or gets out of the car wearing their uniform. When they are not, it wastes valuable time for tutors and teachers in addressing this. Further information about uniform from our pastoral team is in the newsletter below.

I wrote to you recently about changes to our pastoral structures and the move away from a vertical structure to a year group structure. My lengthy letter outlined the reasoning for this, and the process we would be going through. I have had a number of positive responses from students and parents about this move. After a thorough recruitment process, we have now appointed our Standards and Progress Leaders for each year group and these are as below-

Year 7 Mr Croucher

Year 8 Miss Hutchinson

Year 9 Mr Barton

Year 10 Mr Daud

Year 11 Miss Booth

As we move towards our induction days for new starters in the last week of term these staff will begin working with their year groups and are very much looking forward to building those relationships that are key to success with school and home.

With the warmest of wishes

Mr S Greiff

School Uniform

Uniform is an important part of a school’s identity. It plays a key role in promoting pride, self-confidence, and a feeling of belonging. These factors contribute to students’ wellbeing, removing the additional pressures of deciding what to wear and added stress of meeting the expectations of peers. School uniforms improve performance by helping students focus on learning rather than fashion and support equality. As we go into the summer term we wanted to remind you of uniform expectations. You can find details of what we expect here:

We believe in maintaining high expectations at all times in school, regardless of the time of year. From Monday we will be greeting all students at the gate and asking students to hand over any non-uniform items. Form tutors and teachers will also be looking for these items. This is not a change in policy, but we wanted to ensure you were clear on our expectations. These include (but not exclusively):

Hoodies
Tracksuit tops
Mobile phones and ear phone/buds that are seen

Should students not comply they receive an RTL detention as per our behaviour policy.

Furthermore, we ask that students where the correct shoes to school. Branded shoe/trainers are not permitted. Shoes such as the Nike Air Force One are neither a shoe or PE trainer, so we should not see these at school at all.

These are not new rules and expectations, but there has been a decline in the standard of the school uniform in some cases and we ask parents to support the school and indeed their child in ensuring they are appropriately dressed for school.

Support for Baby Basics Leicester

At Manor High School, we are always striving to live out our values of respect, inspiration, resilience, and excellence. With this in mind, we are proud to support Baby Basics Leicester, a local charity that helps families facing financial hardship when they welcome a newborn or are raising a young family. The charity operates on a referral basis and provides essential items to those in need.

We are inviting each form to take part by donating new and unopened toiletries, with the aim of filling at least one shoebox per form. This is a simple but powerful way for us, as a school community, to make a meaningful difference.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Miss Chudasama in Room 7.

To learn more about the amazing work Baby Basics Leicester does, please feel free to visit their website.

Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Applications

We would like to share important guidance received from the Local Authority regarding Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications.

Thank you for your understanding.

Teen Health Lunchtime Drop-ins

Safeguarding Update

This term we are focussing on Online Safety and supporting students with making safe decisions.

Online Safety Parent Session May 2025 – Knowsley City Learning Centres

Above is a link with a trusted partner, who have run parent sessions about online safety.

Active Citizenship Update:

This week we have listened to some fantastic pitches from form groups to run their fund raising ideas. All forms have been given the task of creating a fundraising idea to raise money for their House Charity. Bradgate have gone first and done incredibly well! We have been really proud of the work students have done so far and we are looking forward to hearing from the other houses as well.

Bullies Out:

We have had around 20 students today trained by Bullies Out to become Peer Mentors and help make Manor High a safer space. The trained students will support others in school and help create resources and assemblies so that we all understand that Bullying has no place at Manor High School. We are really looking forward to starting to build on the work already started here at Manor and developing our offer.

Alumni

We are really keen for former Manor High School students to share their experiences of the world of work with our students.

If you, a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please email us via the Admin email (FAO Mr Croucher).

Many thanks.

Year 10 Work Experience

Please can we have signed and completed work experience forms back to school by Friday 20^th June. Please ask your son/daughter to hand these into their form tutor. Many thanks

Langmoor Primary School 70th Anniversary

Other Useful Information

Online Safety Newsletter Secondary June 2025 SECONDARY Manor High Leicester

Mental Health Support Out Of School Contact Information

Teen Health Lunchtime Drop Ins

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/online-media-literacy-resources

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

There is much that goes on in a school behind the scenes that we do in order to try to make the school the very best place it can be for our students.

There has been some real progress ‘behind the scenes’ that I would like to share with you.

Firstly, our Governing Body plays a huge role in supporting the strategic direction of the school, and making sure that students are safe in school. Our Governing Body relies upon volunteers giving up their time to get to know the school and we are hugely grateful for their contributions.

It is extremely important that our Governing Body is effective and there is some really positive information within this email that highlights the findings of an external review of governance across OAK Trust Schools.

Also, we completed the signage on the new Sports Centre this week. The Sports Centre has been named “The Simon Cole Sports Centre”. Simon was an ex pupil of Manor High School some years ago. He also served on our Trust Board for a number of years. He was well known for his community work in Oadby and beyond and was involved in volunteer work at Oadby Wyggestonians Rugby Club for a number of years. He also served as Leicestershire Constabulary’s Chief Constable. He was the longest serving Police Constable at the time of his retirement. Simon sadly took his own life on 30 March 2022 a mere 12 days after his retirement at the age of 55. We feel that naming the building after him recognises the contribution he made to the development of the school and trust and also highlights the importance of having a good mental health and how we must make sure we are supported and provide support to others also. We hope that this will be a way of remembering a true advocate for Manor High School and indeed OAK Trust as a whole.

Other matters that go on behind the scenes are ensuring that we have the best possible environment for students to work in. Our site was constructed in 1968 and therefore it is important we have a planned series of site developments in place. We have Site, and indeed Trust Estates Development Plans that we use to make sure our site is regularly updated and kept in a strong state of repair. We have managed to secure in excess of £1 million of funding from the Department of Education’s Conditions Improvement Fund. This money is allocated for us to do some work with the replacement of new roofs and also some work around fire safety. All works were planned to take place over time, but what this means is that we aren’t using funds from our internal budget, which means we can use our funds for other pupil facing projects. Which we are really pleased about. Yes, the quality of the education is the most important aspect for students, but without the environment being the best it can be, that cannot happen. This funding, in addition to the funding received for our Sports Hall, means that we have had in excess of £5million pounds of external funding invested in our school site in the last 12 months!

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

County Athletics Finals

On Thursday the 5th of June, nine Manor High students represented South Leicestershire in the county athletics finals at Loughborough University. To qualify for this event each student had to place first or second in the Area Athletics finals at Saffron Lane earlier this term.

Despite the dark and dreary conditions, the team put in several dazzling performances which helped deliver four medals. Desire and Rahil both scooped bronze medals in the high jump and hurdles respectively, whilst Matilda won silver in the 1200m and Reed also took silver in the discus. Hopefully these are the first steps on each of their athletic journeys.

Support for Baby Basics Leicester

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Miss Chudasama in Room 7.

To learn more about the amazing work Baby Basics Leicester does, please feel free to visit their website.

Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Applications

We would like to share important guidance received from the Local Authority regarding Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications.

Thank you for your understanding.

Teen Health Lunchtime Drop-ins

Safeguarding Update

Please see the link below to support your child with staying safe on line. The page provides a collection of online media literacy resources and events for you to look at and use if you have any concerns.

Alumni

We are really keen for former Manor High School students to share their experiences of the world of work with our students.

If you, a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please email us via the Admin email (FAO Mr Croucher).

Many thanks.

Hygiene packs for students

We work with the Leicester Children’s Holidays (LCH) charity. This year we have been given a number of stationary sets that we have been able to gift to students who need them. We also have a number of hygiene packs that we can gift to students who would like / need them. They include: soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo and deodorant. These are totally free of charge and can be gifted to anyone who needs them.

If a student would like one they just need to discretely speak to Mr Croucher or Mrs Mahomed and we will be able to pass the packs over to students.

Langmoor Primary School 70th Anniversary

Other Useful Information

Online Safety Newsletter Secondary June 2025 SECONDARY Manor High Leicester

Mental Health Support Out Of School Contact Information

Teen Health Lunchtime Drop Ins

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

As we approach the end of this brief but eventful half term, much has been achieved.

It is with great pride that I share the participation of our students in the Leicestershire Area Sports Event, which took place on Wednesday. Our young athletes exhibited remarkable prowess, holding their own amongst the sporting elite of secondary schools in the region. Several of our pupils delivered stellar performances, and it was nice to see all students working as a team.

Last night, we recently hosted our Transition Evening for incoming Year 7 pupils. This event proved to be a delightful and enriching experience, affording us the opportunity to welcome our future cohort into the school environment for the first time. It was lovely to see students so excited about joining us. This was in addition to our current students who were wonderful and so complimentary about their experiences with us.

As we move towards the final term, we enter a busy period. Events such as induction days, rewards trips, Year 11 events, and Year 10 work experience placements, among numerous other engagements. As I repeatedly tell staff and students, it is the additional elements we remember about school, so we ask that all embrace opportunities when they are presented.

I would like to reiterate my thanks for your continued support of your child and the school. These joint efforts are instrumental in creating excellent people with excellent results.

I remind all that we return to school on Monday, 2nd June, at the usual time in full school uniform.

Wishing you all a pleasant half term break.

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

Transition Evening

It was a pleasure to meet our new intake of students and their families on Thursday, 22nd May. We can’t wait for you to start your journey with us at Manor High School!

A big thank you to all of our wonderful current students who helped out on the evening – you were amazing!

Science Club

We would like to inform you that the final session of our afterschool club for this term will take place on Monday, 30th June. The club meets every Monday after school, and we’ve greatly enjoyed having your child take part.

We’re pleased to let you know that the club will continue next year, and we look forward to welcoming your child and any new members back for more fun and learning.

Year 11 Final Exams

Year 11 have demonstrated hard work and dedication towards their exams this half-term, modelling excellence, inspiring others, being resilient and respectful.

We continue to do all we can to support students, this includes:

Timetable – we have changed the whole-school timetable so that each subject lesson takes place directly before its corresponding exam.
Interventions – afterschool targeted intervention sessions are continuing. Please do make sure your child attends as requested by their subject teacher. There is also an intervention session on Saturday 24^th May for Spanish as communicated by our MFL department. These sessions are:

Foundation: 09:00-11:00

Higher: 11:00-1:00

Revision resources – we have invested in many printed revision resource packs, including past exams papers and your child’s teachers will have provided these. Please encourage your child to use the resources and seek support from their teachers should they need to.
Study space and support – study centre remains open every day till 5.30pm. Students are welcome to use this for independent or group study, and staff will be available to support and answer questions.
Pastoral care – Tutors and House Managers continue to provide pastoral care to all students, but are available for individuals who need additional TLC or support.
Revision breakfast – research has shown a direct link between nutrition and focus in studies. We have been providing a free breakfast for all Year 11 students every day of their exams.

We will appreciate your support by:

Ensuring attendance: please make sure your child attends every day, in time for scheduled exams promptly and be prepared.
Promote a calm routine: Help your child maintain a healthy sleep schedule, balanced meals, and regular revision without pressure.
Create a quiet study environment: Support focused revision by minimising distractions at home.
Encourage positive wellbeing: Offer emotional support and encourage breaks, fresh air, and time to relax.
Respect JCQ regulations: A polite reminder that all students must follow JCQ exam guidelines—including rules on mobile phones, watches, conduct, and punctuality—to avoid disqualification. Detailed guidelines can be found here: https://www.manorhigh.leics.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/05/24-25-CANDIDATE-EXAM-HANDBOOK.pdf
Keeping communication open: Stay in touch with school updates and reach out with any concerns or questions.

We hope this information is useful in understanding our school’s effort to support your child. Please do contact us should you have any questions or require guidance on how to further support your child during the exam period.

Have a lovely half-term.

Mr Karavadra

End of Intervention Cycles

Year 7 and 8 Reviews

The current cycle of interventions has now come to an end. We will begin the review process with parents of Year 7 and Year 8 students from Monday 2nd June, following the half-term break.

These reviews will be carried out by either your child’s Form Tutor or a member of the SEND Team, depending on the nature of the support provided.

If you have not been contacted to arrange a review meeting by 15th June, please get in touch with us so we can ensure this is scheduled.

Year 9 Reviews

Interventions for Year 9 students will continue next term, with a focus on supporting a smooth transition into Year 10. These interventions will be shorter, as they are changing Key stages and the focus of interventions will be adapted for this Key stage as needed. Where appropriate, parents may be able to continue supporting these interventions over the summer.

Parent feedback is especially important at this stage. Alongside pupil voice and school data, your insights will help us decide the most effective interventions to support your child as they enter Year 10.

Thank you for working with us to ensure the best possible start to KS4 for our Year 9 learners.

Year 10 Review and Next Steps

The current cycle of interventions for Year 10 students has now ended. Due to the upcoming PPEs (mock exams) and work experience placements, there will be no further interventions running for Year 10 students for the remainder of this academic year.
Instead, the SEND Team will be sharing review information with parents after half term, starting from Monday 2nd June. This will allow you to reflect on the progress made and provide any comments or feedback.

Any comments, feedback, academic grades, and professional knowledge will be used to inform the planning of interventions as they move into Year 11. As this is a key academic year, please note that intervention opportunities will be limited due to the essential constraints of the Year 11 timetable.

Thank you for your continued support as we help prepare students for the challenges of their final school year.

Study Centre

A big thank you to all the parents / students who have already returned their books to the study centre! As we wrap up the half term, we kindly ask that anyone who still has books at home please make an effort to return them as soon as possible.
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated, and it helps keep everything running smoothly for the next term!

Alumni

We are really keen for former Manor High School students to share their experiences of the world of work with our students.

If you, a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please email us via the Admin email (FAO Mr Croucher).

Many thanks.

Hygiene packs for students

If a student would like one they just need to discretely speak to Mr Croucher or Mrs Mahomed and we will be able to pass the packs over to students.

Year 10 Work Experience

Please can parents/carers of Year 10 students check their emails. We emailed you directly on Wednesday 21^st May about the packs/letters Year 10 students will be bringing home in relation to work experience.

Langmoor Primary School 70th Anniversary

Other Useful Information

Mental Health Support Out Of School Contact Information

Mental Health Awareness Week – Tips to get involved with your community

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

This has been a week that has seen our Year 11 cohort really get going with their examinations. Their full cohort exams are very much underway, with more to follow over the coming weeks. Given the hot weather, we decided to treat them yesterday with an ice lolly. Unfortunately the weather was the worst it has been for a while. It is the thought that counts! We are grateful also to the students in the other year groups that have seen routes around the school change as well as some of their classroom lessons. Their resilience and flexibility has been admirable.

Assemblies have been virtual this week, due to large spaces being used for examinations. We have focussed on community cohesion and the acceptance of others regardless of differences. It is the differences that make us who we are, and tolerance and acceptance of this is key to our successes both as people and as a school community. It is our responsibility as a school and indeed as parents to educate students to be understanding and respectful of our differences and to accept that we are not all made the same. Assemblies have focussed around this.

As Maya Angelou the poet and civil rights activist once said,

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their colour.”

Next week we have our new student welcome evening on Thursday 22^nd March next week and we are looking forward to seeing our new cohort in school now that they have finished their SATS. There are many of our current cohort that are looking forward to helping out and talking about our school. It is wonderful to see students so proud of their school and to want to tell others all about it. We are also going ‘on the road’ to visit many of our primary schools. If you have younger children in any of these schools, they may mention seeing us over the next month or so as we prepare for their transition.

Finally, we are looking at our catering provision in school and have being carrying out a tendering process, We would like to know whether there are any changes to our catering provision that you would like to see or indeed anything you would like us to consider as we work with our new provider. If you could spare a few moments we would be grateful for your completion of a survey here- https://www.surveyhero.com/c/cateringoptions

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

Transition Evening – Thursday 22nd May

On Thursday 22^nd May we are welcoming our new Year 6 students to an evening at school. We have asked form tutors to approach a few students from each form to help on the event. If your child has been asked to help they will have been given a letter. Please can we ask that consent forms are fully completed and returned to the tutor by Wednesday 21^st May at the latest. Please note that we often get a lot of request to help at this event but we can only accommodate the students who have been selected. Their will be more opportunities for student helpers on induction days in July.

Iceland Trip 2026

We are delighted to announce that the Science and Geography departments are proposing to run a school trip to Iceland in March 2026, open to students who are currently in Years 7-9. The trip will be an unforgettable, once in a lifetime, opportunity for students to experience the unique wonders of Iceland.

The Iceland trip will give students the opportunity to get up close to a geyser, a glacier, explore volcanoes at The Lava Show, swim the Blue Lagoon, walk between two continents and investigate geothermal energy at the Hellsheidi power plant, visit the capital city Reykjavik – to name just a few highlights of the planned itinerary. We are hopeful that we may get a chance to see the Northern Lights, although this cannot be guaranteed as it is a natural phenomenon.

Deposits can now be paid via school gateway!

Home-School Communication Charter

We would like to draw your attention to our Trust Communication Charter. The detail can be found here: OAK Communications Charter

We have summarised the key information below for you. This gives an indication of what reasonable for you to expect from us with this regard and also what we as a school expect from parents. It is key that school and home work together in a manner that is respectful and tolerant.

We expect this from our students and parents expect this from children, therefore it is important that we all model this, at all times in our interactions.

School Uniform Changes 2025-26

As a school we pride ourselves in having a robust, functional, comfortable and smart school uniform that makes our students look and feel proud to be at Manor High School.

We have listened to feedback from past, current and future parents of students and as a result shall be making some changes to our school uniform. In doing so we have looked to try to reduce the cost of our current uniform and have re aligned our branded items to match the Department for Education’s guidance on limiting branded items.

The overall purpose of these changes is to maintain our student’s pride in wearing the Manor High School Uniform but to also allow parents to have more flexibility regarding where to purchase items that no longer have the school logo at different retailers that may be more cost effective.

These uniform changes are intended to come into effect from the next academic year (August 2025), but as the supplier begins to run down old stock there may be some items that are not available sooner than this. Please note that students may continue wearing the current uniform.

We do have a pre-loved uniform shop in school and anyone can access this via the school Reception. We will continue to stock and sell old uniform from our school pre-loved shop until our stock runs down. This gives all families the opportunity to purchase school uniform at a significantly reduced rate.

If you have any questions about the new uniform, please do email these in to admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk where we aim to respond as quickly as possible, if we see a pattern to the same questions, we will endeavour to add a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section to our website.

A full breakdown of our school uniform is here where any changes have been explained.

Year 11 Prom

Alumni

We are really keen for former Manor High School students to share their experiences of the world of work with our students.

If you, a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please email us via the Admin email (FAO Mr Croucher).

Many thanks.

Hygiene packs for students

If a student would like one they just need to discretely speak to Mr Croucher or Mrs Mahomed and we will be able to pass the packs over to students.

Safeguarding Update

We would like to inform you about an important upcoming workshop focused on knife crime awareness and strategies for keeping young people safe. The session will provide valuable information and practical advice to help you support your child in navigating potential risks in today’s world.

This workshop is being ran by the Violence Reduction Network and covers the following topics:

Understanding knife-related harm in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.
The impact of knife-related harm on individuals, families, and communities.
The reasons why young people are vulnerable to knife-related harm.
Approaches to preventing knife-related harm.
How parents and carers can keep their children safe.
Help and support.

Please follow the link below.

Langmoor Primary School 70th Anniversary

Other Useful Information

Mental Health Support Out Of School Contact Information

Mental Health Awareness Week – Tips to get involved with your community

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

This has been quite a week, only four days long, but a lot has been packed in.

On Tuesday, our students put their STEM skills to the test, competing in the IET Faraday Challenge Day against other local schools. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

At the same time we had some of our year 7 and 8 students being trained to be Digital Leaders in school. With the development and use of iPads going from strength to strength these students will be key in being our digital ambassadors and helping students and staff develop use even further. There are lots of top tips to share and they are raring to go!

Wednesday saw our Trust Art Exhibition, hosted upstairs in our new Sports Centre. This was a huge success and an opportunity for families to see some of the wonderful artwork displayed from not only Manor High, but also from our Trust Primaries, Brookside, Woodland Grange and Overdale Infants and Juniors. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces and proud families from all ages, primary and secondary aged.

We have many other events occurring next week including our first school cricket match of the season- it is great when the cricket season starts and this is the first sign of summer approaching. A further sign is when we manage to open our school field this week, and we hope this can continue. Certainly this week we have been impressed by the responsible use of the space.

Yesterday our GCSE examinations got underway with Drama, and our first Business exam has taken place today, Friday. We have prepared students as best we can over their five years with us, and they are now ready to perform their best. Support at home is crucial to the success of this stage of their development. As a result of their exams, we do restrict access to parts of the school and we do re timetable some lessons to ensure that if they for example, have an English exam in the afternoon, they have an English lesson in the morning to prepare. This causes some changes to timetables in the lower school as a result and we are grateful for students’ patience and understanding as the same thing will happen for them one day! Next week we are back to a five day week and one that will see our first cohort exams with English Literature on Monday morning. We wish all Year 11s good luck with their examinations.

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

School Uniform Changes 2025-26

As a school we pride ourselves in having a robust, functional, comfortable and smart school uniform that makes our students look and feel proud to be at Manor High School.

A full breakdown of our school uniform is here where any changes have been explained.

Year 11 – Positive Steps 16 Site (PS16)

www.ps16.co.uk

Please can all year 11 be aware of these key next steps regarding Post 16 applications. Thank you.

Next steps:

Regularly log into PS16 to see if you have had any offers or messages from schools or colleges. Be patient as different schools/colleges work with different time frames. You should hear back by the end of March latest.
Regularly check your emails (the email address you gave on your PS16 profile e.g. school or personal email) as schools / colleges may email you here
Do not worry if your friends have already heard from a school / college and you have not. This is totally normal.
Accept all offers that are made to you. You can hold multiple offers. Do not ignore an offer whilst waiting for your favourite school/college. Accept any offers you are given. On results day you will choose where you go to (after you have seen the grades you get).
If you wanted to make changes to any of your applications you need to call the school/college and speak to them. If you have any issues come and find Mr Croucher / Mrs Mahomed.

End of Year Art & Design Technology Exhibition

We had an outstanding turnout this week for the End of Year Art & Design Technology Exhibition!

It was an especially exciting evening to welcome the parents and families of selected students from Oak Trust Primary Schools, whose outstanding artwork had been chosen to be showcased as part of the exhibition.

Refreshments and canopies prepared by the talented Year 10 Food Technology students started off the evening while students and family were able to explore the new Sports Centre which we were fortunate enough to use for the first time to exhibit the students work.

After several awards were given to outstanding students in each class the doors were open to the exhibition which was full of diverse projects across various mediums and disciplines. It was inspiring to witness first-hand the remarkable results of these student’s hard work and dedication for the last 2 years.

The evening was also a wonderful opportunity for our Oak Trust young artists to celebrate their own art and be inspired by the work of older students, sparking new ideas and aspirations as they continue their own creative journeys.

Year 11 Prom

Alumni

We are really keen for former Manor High School students to share their experiences of the world of work with our students.

If you, a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please email us via the Admin email (FAO Mr Croucher).

Many thanks.

After School Study Centre and Interventions

Please can you reinforce to students that if they are staying behind at school to use the study centre (either to work or to wait for a parent to collect them) they must not leave site first and then come back. We have had a number of students leave site at the end of the school day, head to the shop and then arrive back at school 15 minutes later saying they need to wait in the study centre. We cannot allow students to just come and go like this as it is not safe and also not fair to staff who are supporting in the study centre.

The same is the case for interventions. If a student has an intervention session after school they must leave session 3, stay on site and then head to their intervention. Some students have been leaving site at the end of the day, heading to the shops and then wanting to be let back onto site 15 minutes later. This is also not acceptable.

Thanks for your support with this.

Safeguarding Update

This workshop is being ran by the Violence Reduction Network and covers the following topics:

Understanding knife-related harm in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.
The impact of knife-related harm on individuals, families, and communities.
The reasons why young people are vulnerable to knife-related harm.
Approaches to preventing knife-related harm.
How parents and carers can keep their children safe.
Help and support.

Please follow the link below.

NHS Mental Health Drop-ins

Other Useful Information

Mental Health Support Out Of School Contact Information

Mental Health Awareness Week – Tips to get involved with your community

Parent Portal and App – Getting started and logging in – Arbor Help Centre

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

We were delighted to welcome back our students after an Easter break. Typically, having had an Easter break of relatively unsettled weather, we returned to very warm weather. Students have coped well given the unseasonable climes. However, as the temperature returns to normal over the Bank Holiday weekend, we will expect full school uniform from Tuesday- without exception.

We managed to finally open our school field at lunchtime, much to the delight of students. We have seen responsible use of that space today. This is pleasing as our assemblies this week have focussed upon respecting each other as well as our surroundings. Students have listened and it was great to see students sat talking with friends, or playing sport on the lovely green spaces we have. We are extremely fortunate to have the fields we have and this really makes our PE department come into its own over the summer months. In addition to this, we have taken ownership of our Sports Hall and will begin to use it with some year groups after half term, once the ‘snagging list’ has been completed. Some professional photos have been taken this week and once I receive copies we will send some out to you.

Our year 11 examinations have started this week with the Language Speaking Exams, and next week sees the first written exams- Drama and Business get underway. Year 11s have been furnished with their exam timetables some time ago, and I hope that these are on fridges in kitchens across Oadby and the surrounding areas! If not, please contact exams@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk

I urge you to read a separate correspondence sent out to you earlier today that contains important information about the next academic year.

Wishing you a lovely Bank Holiday and we will see students back at school on Tuesday next week.

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

YEAR 11 PROM 2025

Arbor Communications

In January we changed our main database for pupil and parent data. The new system is called ‘Arbor’.

From 28^th April 2025, we will be switching over our communications from School Gateway to Arbor. This will allow us as a school to communicate with you more efficiently

Between now and 28^th April 2025 please download the Arbor Parent App and register. It can be found in the app store or google play store. The logo you require is:

Please follow this link to help you get started –

If you experience any issues, please let us know via admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk If you have a child at another school and you currently use Arbor, Manor High School should appear automatically.

At the start of the next academic year we will also be moving from School Gateway to Arbor payments, which will allow you to use one app rather than 2 different apps. This will prevent you having to remember multiple log ins and passwords. During the summer term we will send out communications to support this transfer, but for now you should continue to use School Gateway to pay for services such as meals and trips.

College Applications & PS16

Year 11 – Positive Steps 16 site (PS16)

www.ps16.co.uk

Please can all Year 11 be aware of these key next steps regarding Post 16 applications. Thank you.

Next steps:

Regularly log into PS16 to see if you have had any offers or messages from schools or colleges. Be patient as different schools/colleges work with different time frames. You should hear back by the end of March latest.
Regularly check your emails (the email address you gave on your PS16 profile e.g. school or personal email) as schools / colleges may email you here
Do not worry if your friends have already heard from a school / college and you have not. This is totally normal.
Accept all offers that are made to you. You can hold multiple offers. Do not ignore an offer whilst waiting for your favourite school/college. Accept any offers you are given. On results day you will choose where you go to (after you have seen the grades you get).
If you wanted to make changes to any of your applications you need to call the school/college and speak to them. If you have any issues come and find Mr Croucher / Mrs Mahomed.

Pathways at Post 16 (all years)

It is always good to plan ahead. As a result we have started talking to our Year 9 and 10 students about different options available to them in Post 16 education after Manor High School.

On Tuesday our Year 9 students had an additional assembly that was led by Gateway College. The assembly highlighted the different routes available to students in Post 16 education (including A Levels, BTECs and T Levels all available at Gateway). On Thursday our students in Year 10 heard from Leicester College about the pathways they offer (including Apprenticeships and T Levels)

It is important for all students to be aware of pathways available to them. We have attached a presentation from Gateway and the following links take you to various areas they showed:

A video of their facilities – https://www.youtube.com/@GatewayCollegeLeics

Their home page for open events – https://gateway.ac.uk/

Gateway Sixth Form College

Leicester College 25 26

For all students and parents/carers it is never too late to start looking at the different schools/colleges available and thinking about possible routes after Manor High School.

Here are some explanations of key terms that may help when looking at Post 16 course – it is never too early to start looking 😊
Level 3	The next stage of qualification after GCSEs. A levels are a Level 3 course. BTECs and T Levels run Level 3 courses too.
Level 2	GCSE passes (grades 4 and above) are Level 2 qualifications. At post 16 a Level 2 qualification holds the same weighting as a GCSE pass. These courses may be suitable for students who need to retake a GCSE (E.G. English or Maths) and they then open the doorway to Level 3 qualifications. There are BTECs run at Level 2 and some colleges also offer Foundation T Levels which are Level 2
Level 1	A qualification that is equivalent to a GCSE grade of 1-4. These qualifications are suitable for students who may need a more accessible course to help them move towards higher levels. There are a range of vocational subjects that are at Level 1.
T Levels	A vocational qualification that is linked directly to a career. They are 80% coursework and 20% work in experience in the career area. T Levels are a Level 3 course that are equivalent in weighting to 3 A Levels. Some colleges do offer Level 2 foundation T Levels that bridge the gap into the Level 3 courses.
BTEC	A vocational course that is linked to an employment sector or area. BTECs are split into units and these are completed as coursework. There is usually an examined unit too but the majority of a student’s grade comes from the coursework. BTECs do run from Level 1. Some BTECs are worth more in terms of weighting than others e.g. L3 EXTENDED/ADVANCED Diploma – 3 ‘A’ levels, L3 Diploma (National/Technical) = 2 ‘A’ levels, L3 Extended Certificate = 1 ‘A’ Level.
Apprenticeships	These are courses that involve a large placement for paid work within an employment sector. The student then also attends college in order to learn more about the sector and gain qualifications. Apprenticeships run from Level 2 all the way to Degree Level.
A Level	An academic course. These are set up in the same way as GCSEs but are clearly harder (being Level 3). They are assessed at the end of a two year course via an exam. Some A Levels do have smaller elements of coursework too such as PE, Music etc. They are offered for the same subject areas as GCSE subjects as well as some more additional subjects too.

Alumni

We are really keen for former Manor High School students to share their experiences of the world of work with our students.

If you, a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please email us via the Admin email (FAO Mr Croucher).

Many thanks.

Safeguarding Update

Guide to Emojis

People of all ages use emojis in their digital communications. In addition to adding humour or emphasis to messages, for some communities and peer groups, these symbols can form a language of their own. This is particularly true of young people and teenagers, who sometimes use emojis as a code to disguise their true intentions from adults.

While hidden meanings behind emojis used by young people can be harmless, some may indicate risks including extremism, drugs, sexual interactions and bullying. This was recently brought to life on the Netflix limited series, Adolescence, which depicted the devastating consequences of harmful online interactions, and the warning signs (in the form of emojis) that are easily missed by adults.

To help schools and parents decode potentially harmful messages, we’ve compiled a list of emojis commonly used in dangerous contexts. This includes specific emojis used on the show, and others highlighted by the work of Olivia Brown, Associate Professor in Digital Futures at the University of Bath. Please see attached guide – Guide To Emojis

Understanding the Intimate Behaviour of Teens – Lucy Faithfull Foundation

Every child will develop in their own way. During their teenage years most children will go through puberty, start to have sexual feelings, form different types of relationships and look for sexual experiences. As a parent or a teacher charged with their education, it can feel uncomfortable to think about this and to know how to help for them. Teens get information and ideas about sex and relationships from the media, social media and friends. Needless to say, this is not a particularly conducive to a good knowledge transfer. Indeed, learning in this manner can expose them to unnecessary risks. The Lucy Faithfull Foundation has published an article on these issues over on their website, if you’re interested please follow the link below: https://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk/advice/concerned-about-a-child-or-young-persons-sexual-behaviour/helping-parents-and-carers-understand-the-sexual-behaviour-of-teenagers/

Other Useful Information

Neurodiversity Newsletter – May 2025

Online Safety Newsletter May 2025

Mental Health Support Out Of School Contact Information

Are You Carer Aware Poster FLYER

Parent Portal and App – Getting started and logging in – Arbor Help Centre

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

This term has been long but very eventful. We have had several events occur in school and many parents’ evenings. Last night was our second tutor evening. This is the only event that we still do online. The reason for that is to have every single parent come into school to speak to their child’s tutor would be very busy indeed! We are however committed to the face to face parents’ evenings and have increased the number of interactions parents have with school over the last 12 months. We do feel it is important for you come into school and meet, face to face, with your child’s teachers. Relationships being built positively between home and school are crucial to the successes of children.

We have ended this long term with an eventful ‘Sports Kit’ day. This was requested by the students as they wanted to contribute to equipment for the new Sports Hall. The organising committee will have some conversations with Mr Cox our Head of PE about what we purchase with the money collected. It is wonderful to see our students demonstrate these leadership skills. I have said previously and make no apologies for repeating myself, but I am keen that we do focus on developing character as well as ensuring students get the best qualifications that they can.

With this is mind, I move to discuss Easter for our Year 11 students. A number of parents will have received email communication inviting their child to our Easter Revision Sessions. We are very fortunate that our staff happily donate their time during the Easter holidays to run revision sessions for key students. The timetable is below. If students have been asked to attend and do not do so will we will call home to ensure that they are safe.

I am aware that as the year progresses some items of uniform need to be replaced and that the Easter holidays are an opportunity to refresh various items of school uniform. The link to our school uniform policy is below, and I remind parents to please pay particular attention to this when purchasing key items such as shoes. As the weather warms (finally!) we do still expect students to wear their blazers, of course teachers will allow students to remove them in classrooms if it is too warm but they should be worn for school. Should there be a period of extreme heat towards the end of the year we will contact parents to let them know if this rule is relaxed for a period. Uniform – Manor High School – Oadby

I would like to end by reinforcing the importance of attendance in school. We have a target of 96% attendance for all students- it is so important that children are at school- if they are not here, they cannot learn. This point was clearly evidenced this morning during Year 11 assembly. I handed out Easter Eggs to the current top 10 achievers in year 11 to reward them for their efforts and there was a wonderful celebration and applause from students and staff. Each student collecting their reward had an attendance of more than 96%. The link between achievement and attendance is undeniable. Please support your child by ensuring they attend school so that they can be one of the top achievers.

We wish you a wonderful Easter break and look forward to seeing students back at school on Monday 28^th April 2025.

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

Manor High School Sports Hall

April 25th will mark the culmination of Manor High’s sporting facilities ambition with the completion of the new sports hall and four classrooms.

The Manor project has also been nominated for a National Site Award by the Considerate Constructors Scheme. These awards celebrate construction sites that go above and beyond in respecting the community, caring for the environment, and valuing the workforce

Below are some images of where we are now.

Easter Intervention Sessions

Staff remain fully committed to supporting Year 11 students. Targeted intervention sessions will be held during the first week of the Easter break. Please ensure that you have given permission for your child to attend the Easter Intervention Sessions they were invited to. Please do this by clicking on the link that was emailed to you for different subjects. Please find below a programme for week commencing Monday, 14th April 2025:

Session	Time	Monday 14.04.25	Tuesday 15.04.25	Wednesday 16.04.25	Thursday 17.04.25	Friday 18.04.25
1	09:00 – 10:40	English X Maths W	Geography History	Science	Food Creative iMedia Enterprise and Marketing	Bank Holiday
Break	10:40 – 11:00
2	11:00 – 12:40	Maths X English W	Computer Science Business Studies Drama	Science	Creative iMedia Enterprise and Marketing
Lunch	12:40 – 13:00
3	13:00 – 15:00	Media	Business Studies Music

Parents will have received invitation emails for students who would benefit from intervention sessions in different subjects. Please complete the linked proforma, giving permission for your child to attend. The session will be tailored to help your child with revision in preparation for their final exams.

Please note:

Uniform: Students will not need to be required to wear school uniform; however, they must wear clothing and shoes that are appropriate for a school environment.
Ready to Learn: Students will be expected to bring in their school bag, with their knowledge organiser, equipment, and any additional resources specific to the subjects they study.
Refreshments: Students are welcome to bring a snack and a drink should they wish to as the school dining facilities will not be in operation.
Behaviour: Students will be expected to respect our school standards and routines, follow instructions, and stay focussed on task during all intervention sessions. Same behaviour expectations apply as any other school day, and this includes bringing and using a mobile phone.
Safeguarding: Students who are invited must attend and staff will need to contact home should they not attend. Please ensure students have a safe means of getting to school and returning home once finished.

Students are at an important stage in their studies, and these intervention sessions are aimed at helping them reach their full potential. As our staff dedicate their time to providing this additional support, it is only fair that invited students attend and actively participate to gain the most from these sessions.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Mr Karavadra

IET Faraday Challenge

On the 7th March six Year 8 students were asked to represent the school at the annual IET Faraday Challenge at Thomas Estley Community College. This event provided an exciting opportunity for the Year 8 students to engage in a hands-on engineering challenge, developing their problem-solving, teamwork and creativity skills. Their brief was to produce a device that would support three different age categories for their specific needs. The teams then raced against the clock to solve a real-life engineering problem, putting their engineering and technology knowledge and skills to the test.

The event aims to encourage more young people to study and consider exciting and rewarding careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) by using creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills. We are incredibly proud of these students and represented the school beautifully. The six students have now received an Industrial Cadets Challenger Award for their participation of this event.

Arbor Communications

In January we changed our main database for pupil and parent data. The new system is called ‘Arbor’.

From 28^th April 2025, we will be switching over our communications from School Gateway to Arbor. This will allow us as a school to communicate with you more efficiently

Between now and 28^th April 2025 please download the Arbor Parent App and register. It can be found in the app store or google play store. The logo you require is:

Please follow this link to help you get started –

If you experience any issues, please let us know via admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk If you have a child at another school and you currently use Arbor, Manor High School should appear automatically.

Macbeth – The Little Theatre

There is a production of Macbeth on at the Little Theatre over Easter. This is a great opportunity to experience this GCSE English text as it was intended – as a piece of theatre! The Little Theatre offer £5 tickets on the night to young people.

You can visit their website to book tickets in advance www.thelittletheatre.co.uk, or turn up and buy on the door.

College Applications & PS16

School and college offers meetings – important dates

Thursday 1st May – Beauchamp City Sixth Form will come into school to meet with any students who are holding offers with their school (same as Beauchamp College but the date is to be confirmed).

Year 11 – Positive Steps 16 site (PS16)

www.ps16.co.uk

Please can all Year 11 be aware of these key next steps regarding Post 16 applications. Thank you.

Next steps:

Regularly log into PS16 to see if you have had any offers or messages from schools or colleges. Be patient as different schools/colleges work with different time frames. You should hear back by the end of March latest.
Regularly check your emails (the email address you gave on your PS16 profile e.g. school or personal email) as schools / colleges may email you here
Do not worry if your friends have already heard from a school / college and you have not. This is totally normal.
Accept all offers that are made to you. You can hold multiple offers. Do not ignore an offer whilst waiting for your favourite school/college. Accept any offers you are given. On results day you will choose where you go to (after you have seen the grades you get).
If you wanted to make changes to any of your applications you need to call the school/college and speak to them. If you have any issues come and find Mr Croucher / Mrs Mahomed.

Leicester College Applications

If you have applied to Leicester College through Post 16 they have emailed students (on ps16) to say they will be dealing with your application through their College Learner Hub. Please do not worry! They have said that they will email you information about how to log into the College Learner Hub and how to then manage your application etc. Please check your emails regularly (the emails you sent to them via your profile on PS16) to keep an eye out for their messages. If you have any concerns you must contact Leicester College and then also come and speak to Mr Croucher / Mrs Mahomed.

Simply put this means that Leicester College will manage your application through their College Leaner Hub. Any other schools/colleges you applied to will still be managing your application through Post 16.

Pathways at Post 16 (all years)

It is always good to plan ahead. As a result we have started talking to our Year 9 and 10 students about different options available to them in Post 16 education after Manor High School.

It is important for all students to be aware of pathways available to them. We have attached a presentation from Gateway and the following links take you to various areas they showed:

A video of their facilities – https://www.youtube.com/@GatewayCollegeLeics

Their home page for open events – https://gateway.ac.uk/

Gateway Sixth Form College

Leicester College 25 26

For all students and parents/carers it is never too late to start looking at the different schools/colleges available and thinking about possible routes after Manor High School.

Here are some explanations of key terms that may help when looking at Post 16 course – it is never too early to start looking 😊
Level 3	The next stage of qualification after GCSEs. A levels are a Level 3 course. BTECs and T Levels run Level 3 courses too.
Level 2	GCSE passes (grades 4 and above) are Level 2 qualifications. At post 16 a Level 2 qualification holds the same weighting as a GCSE pass. These courses may be suitable for students who need to retake a GCSE (E.G. English or Maths) and they then open the doorway to Level 3 qualifications. There are BTECs run at Level 2 and some colleges also offer Foundation T Levels which are Level 2
Level 1	A qualification that is equivalent to a GCSE grade of 1-4. These qualifications are suitable for students who may need a more accessible course to help them move towards higher levels. There are a range of vocational subjects that are at Level 1.
T Levels	A vocational qualification that is linked directly to a career. They are 80% coursework and 20% work in experience in the career area. T Levels are a Level 3 course that are equivalent in weighting to 3 A Levels. Some colleges do offer Level 2 foundation T Levels that bridge the gap into the Level 3 courses.
BTEC	A vocational course that is linked to an employment sector or area. BTECs are split into units and these are completed as coursework. There is usually an examined unit too but the majority of a student’s grade comes from the coursework. BTECs do run from Level 1. Some BTECs are worth more in terms of weighting than others e.g. L3 EXTENDED/ADVANCED Diploma – 3 ‘A’ levels, L3 Diploma (National/Technical) = 2 ‘A’ levels, L3 Extended Certificate = 1 ‘A’ Level.
Apprenticeships	These are courses that involve a large placement for paid work within an employment sector. The student then also attends college in order to learn more about the sector and gain qualifications. Apprenticeships run from Level 2 all the way to Degree Level.
A Level	An academic course. These are set up in the same way as GCSEs but are clearly harder (being Level 3). They are assessed at the end of a two year course via an exam. Some A Levels do have smaller elements of coursework too such as PE, Music etc. They are offered for the same subject areas as GCSE subjects as well as some more additional subjects too.

Alumni

We are really keen for former Manor High School students to share their experiences of the world of work with our students.

If you, a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please email us via the Admin email (FAO Mr Croucher).

Many thanks.

LCFC Women’s Football Tickets

It is with great pleasure that we are able to tell you about this exciting offer.

LCFC are giving away 100 free tickets per school for the upcoming match between LCFC Women v Manchester City Women on Sunday 27th April at the King Power Stadium (3pm KO).

Manor High School has been allocated a unique code: SCHOOL-MCFCW134, which allows 50 different people to access two free tickets per transaction. Anyone within your group wishing to purchase additional tickets can do so by adding these to their transaction at a cost of £10 for adults and £4 for under 18s.

All information can be found on the link below:

LCFC Women’s Tickets

Safeguarding Update

Guide to Emojis

Understanding the Intimate Behaviour of Teens – Lucy Faithfull Foundation

Other Useful Information

Trust External Newsletter Spring 2025

Mental Health Support Out Of School Contact Information

Are You Carer Aware Poster FLYER