Headteacher’s Update
Dear Families
We have celebrated the many successes of our students this week. It is a week that I look forward to immensely. It is the week where we reflect upon our last year and reward students at our annual awards evening. So many of our students do the right thing every single day and we are delighted to reward them for doing so well. We were so pleased to be able to hand out 100 awards to students last night Our awards evening doesn’t just celebrate those that have achieved the highest standards, it rewards those that have excelled in various ways. We acknowledged students who consistently demonstrate exceptional character as well as being able to highlight achievements across various discipline and recognising students who embody our school’s core values.
In our vision to develop good citizens that have an understanding of the world around them, we are hosting our Culture Day on 7th November. This is always a great day where students get to wear their own traditional cultural dress. This day really aids students’ understanding about different cultures and it is a day that our students love to engage with. Whilst lessons will take an approach to an element of culture we are also keen to put on some workshops and special events around widening awareness about the vast range of cultures and backgrounds there are here at Manor High. If you have any information about groups in the community that may be able to assist us do please email the school.
As a point of information we have had some really organised parents ask us about our term dates for the NEXT academic year. We appreciate parents asking this before booking holidays as this supports our expectations around students being at school every single day and we thank you for your support. The dates for the next academic year are now on our website. Attendance at school is crucial so we are thankful of your asking us before you booked. Data shows that students with 95+% attendance have around an 81% chance of achieving 5 GCSE passes including English and Maths. When attendance drops only a little into the 90-94.9% bracket, the chances drop hugely, to 50%. Attendance at school makes a huge difference. As the weather starts to turn and the nights start to draw in, please make sure your child attends school, even with a slight cough or cold, they should be here whenever possible.
With best wishes
Mr S Greiff
Year 11 Updates
We are very proud of our Year 11 students for starting the term so well. Their effort and commitment will help them achieve their goals beyond Manor High School. Below are some key updates.
Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs)
Year 11 will sit two sets of mock exams this year:
| PPEs | Dates | Results Distribution |
| Autumn | Mon 10 Nov – Fri 21 Nov 2025 | Results Evening – Thu 11 Dec 2025 |
| Spring | Mon 9 Feb – Fri 6 Mar 2026 | Parents’ Evening – Thu 20 Mar 2026 |
PPEs are important because they:
- Get students into the right exam mindset
- Provide structured revision practice
- Highlight mistakes and knowledge gaps
- Build confidence and resilience under pressure
- Inform predicted grades used for Post-16 applications
Please encourage your child to give their best effort, as the results will show where further revision is needed before the final exams.
PPE Timetable & Equipment
The PPE timetable will be shared with students soon via their tutors. Please ensure your child comes fully prepared with the correct equipment so they can focus without distractions:
- Clear pencil case
- Several black pens
- Pencil and eraser
- Ruler
- Calculator
- Any subject-specific equipment (e.g. geometry set, highlighters)
- Water bottle (label-free)
Exam Conditions
Students have been reminded of the rules for exams. Please talk to your child about the importance of following these rules and ensure they do not bring prohibited items such as mobile phones or other digital devices into school.
Progress Reports & Parents’ Evening
Teachers are currently preparing progress reports, which will include:
- Working at Grade (WAG): The grade your child is currently achieving
- Autumn GCSE Prediction: A predicted grade based on evidence so far, including:
- Class assessments
- PPE (mock exam) results and internal tests
- Coursework / non-exam assessments
- Classwork and homework
We have worked with Year 11 students to ensure they understand their reports and what actions they need to take to make further progress.
Parents’ Evening
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday 16 October for Parents’ Evening. Parents will need to book appointments with subject teachers. This is an important chance to:
- Review your child’s progress
- Ask questions about performance and revision strategies
- Learn about resources and support for final exam preparation
Interventions
Many subject teachers are running lunchtime and after-school intervention sessions. These are targeted for students who need extra support. Teachers will contact parents directly if a student is invited. Please encourage your child to attend if they are invited, as these sessions offer tailored help beyond normal lessons.
| Day | Year 11 Interventions 2025 – 2026 [Week A and B] | ||
| Morning | Lunch | Afterschool | |
| Monday | English [SG: R9, CL: R11, SD: R9a, MJ: R12, AH: R10, EW: R3a]
Music [EJ: MR2] |
P.E. [OK: R4]
Drama [BW: DS] Geography [TS: R1, AM: R3, CB: R6] History [CP: R8, HJ: R5] |
|
| Tuesday | Food [MH: DTA1]
History [CP: R8] |
History [SC: R7]
French [AP: R13, SRM: R14] Spanish [PRD: R15, MRO: R17, KWE: RM 16] |
|
| Wednesday | Hospitality [MH: DTA1]
Media [MMJ: R12] |
Maths [BP: R22, CB: 22, JL: R20, FP: R21, UG: R21] | |
| Thursday | Business [AM: R27, CB: R26]
ART [BWa: DTA4] Drama [BW: DS] |
Science
D&T [RP: DTA3] |
|
| Friday | History [CP: R8] | Computer Science [BA: R4] | Creative iMedia [CB: R26] |
Extra Academic Support
We are committed to supporting Year 11 as they prepare for their exams. To help, we have invited Maximize Your Potential to deliver a study skills seminar on Monday 06.10.25. This session will focus on:
- Setting clear academic goals
- Understanding the steps to achieve them
- Managing time effectively
- Reducing stress and building confidence
Please encourage your child to make use of the study resources available, including creating and following a personal revision timetable.
Attendance & Progress
Thank you for supporting your child’s daily attendance. Being in school every day is vital, especially with exams approaching, as it ensures they receive full teaching and support.
Research shows a strong link between attendance and achievement. Students with 100% attendance make, on average, a grade and a half more progress than those with lower attendance. We regularly share this message with Year 11 students to remind them of the importance of being in school every day.
Support Initiatives
To help Year 11 with revision, we’ve shared some key study strategies that you may also find useful when supporting your child at home:
- Create a Revision Timetable – Plan set times for each subject to cover all topics
- Use Active Recall – Try flashcards, summarising notes, or explaining topics to others
- Practise with Past Papers – Get used to exam formats, timings, and question styles
- Work in Study Groups – Revise with friends to tackle difficult topics and test each other
- Stay Healthy – Eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep to keep the brain working well
- Use Technology Wisely – Explore apps and online resources to support learning
We hope these strategies are helpful. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like more guidance on how best to support your child with their studies.
Post 16 events
We have emailed the attached P16 Provider Open Events document to our Year 11 students and parents via class charts. However, it is useful for all our students. Please encourage students (especially in Years 10 and 11) to look at schools / colleges from a Post 16 point of view as visiting them will help to make informed choices. We always encourage our students to make at least 2 applications for their post 16 education but you can make as many as you want. It is always good to have a range of options including back up options.
We have also invited a number of schools/colleges into Manor High School on the evening of the 16th October alongside our Year 11 parents evening. More information about this will be out soon.
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 Akira of 8.5 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 Club
Unfortunately, there will be no Science Club on Monday, 6th October. The club will resume as normal from Monday, 13th October.
If you would like to join Science Club, we’d love to have you! Come along on Mondays after school in Lab 3.
Year 7
Thank you to all of our students for making a great start to the term. Let’s continue to be in school and make good efforts whilst we are here – you are doing brilliantly.
We have decided to change our adapted Year 7 timings to further support Year 7 in their transition. Our aim is for Year 7 to be fully in line with the whole school timings after half term (we are monitoring this).
From next Monday (6th October) the timings for Year 7 will be:
- Year 7 break time will no longer be early. Break time is now 10:40am as with the rest of the school
- Year 7 lunchtime will continue to start at 12:30pm (10 minutes earlier than everyone else)
- Year 7 will finish the school day at the same time as everyone else 3:05pm
At all points teaching staff will walk out with Year 7 and stay with them until duty staff arrive for break / lunch. At the end of the school day, teaching staff will walk year 7 to the front of school.
Lunch queues
Our students have queued really well this week. Please keep it up. Can parents continue to remind our students that they need their QR codes ready before they get to the till as this will help to speed up our queues.
Please also reinforce that students must queue in the following way:
- Queue calmly and respectfully
- Queue in pairs (no more than two across)
- Ensure we are not pushing up to the pair in front of us
- Ensure we do not push and ensure we do not try to pass someone who is in front of us
- Listen to staff instructions
- Step into the serving area only when a member of staff asks us to do so
Students should only queue once – they should not queue, buy some food and then return later to get something else. Please get everything in one go – this will help others get their food more quickly. Please also note that the queues are only for people purchasing food or drink. Please do not wait in the queue just to stand with a friend who is buying food.
🌎 Reading Around the World Challenge🌍
Pack your imagination and get ready to travel across continents—through books! Each story will be your passport to new cultures, voices, and adventures.
Get ready to pack your imagination and set off on a global adventure—through books! From the snowy peaks of the Himalayas to the bustling streets of New York, from African folktales to Japanese manga, every story will be a new passport stamp in our reading journey.
Join us for “Reading Around the World Challenge”, where we will explore stories from different corners of the globe:
Books to Begin Your Journey:
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Brazil)
- My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (Corfu)
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan)
- A Song of Comfortable Chairs by Alexander McCall Smith (England)
- Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (Japan)
- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Mexico)
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan)
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (Korea/Japan)
- Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes (Spain)
- Disgrace by John M Coetzee (South Africa)
- The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse (Swiss)
- The Crow Eaters by Bapsi Sidhwa (Pakistan)
- Detective by Carter Brown (Australia)
What to Expect:
- Book recommendations from every continent 🌍
- Fun activities to track your reading journey ✨
- Opportunities to share your favourite discoveries 📚
- Students who visit the most countries will be rewarded!
Starts Monday 6th October
Let’s travel the world 🌎
Safeguarding Update
Attached is a great resource about keeping your child safe online. It provides some practical tips to support you as parents – Parent Factsheet
Below is a recording to the online safety parent session that we shared.
Online Safety Parent Session Oct 2025 – Knowsley City Learning Centres
If you didn’t manage to attend, hopefully you will find the details supportive.
Anger Management in Children – NSPCC
Every year many thousands of children are referred to Childline for anger issues. Anger management in children is one of the top mental health concerns in childcare. Anger and the ability to control it are key skills of adulthood. Violent thoughts frequently bubble underneath human interactions. Anger is the quickest way for those thoughts to become reality. For this reason it is tightly regulated in our society. Children must learn to overcome anger so that they do not fall a foul of strict controls on violent conduct. However, this is difficult for children to learn to manage since anger is remarkably powerful. Yet as parents and teachers there is no choice but to teach them to reign these emotions in. This can be hard knowledge to impart, but the NSPCC has produced helpful resources to aid you in that vital mission. If interested, please follow the link below:
