Headteacher’s Update
Dear Families
Year 11 come to the conclusion of their PPE examinations this week, which marks the start of a period of marking and moderation for staff, as well as questions such as “Miss have you marked our papers yet?” (!) In amongst this though we must not neglect the other year groups in the school who are equally as important. Our run of tutor evenings continue with both Year 9 and Year 8 coming up in the weeks ahead. Do keep your eye out for the email with the booking instructions. This evening is also a little more relaxed than a subject evening where you are rushing to see different teachers. It is an opportunity for a face to face meeting with your child’s tutor.
This week has been a week of celebrations. We started the week with Diwali taking place and we wish all of our families that were celebrating the very best of wishes. The central message of Diwali is around the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. Regardless of religious beliefs I don’t think anyone can argue with these key moral beliefs. We are a community of great diversity and this is to be celebrated and highlighted. It is also something that is to be understood, because with understanding we have less ignorance. Students talk about their beliefs and their cultures and this is important as they can share experiences and have others understand more. Ultimately the message of Diwali is one we can all understand. It reminds us to be kind, spread happiness, overcome challenges and choose what is right.
Additionally it is the time of year that we mark Remembrance. We have done this through Mr Parpworth delivering assemblies this week on the topic of Remembrance. We also marked the 11th day with an impeccably observed 2 minute silence at 11.11am. Remembrance is a time to reflect upon all conflict and all of the people that have lost their lives in conflict across the world. Indeed if we did remind each other to be kind a little more often, and to spread happiness then maybe historically there wouldn’t have been so many lives lost in conflicts over the years.
It is important to make sure that we work together to support children to be well rounded, tolerant, informed and truly excellent young people that understand each other’s cultures and backgrounds. Assemblies since the last half term have supported the concept that we are all different, and that is to be celebrated, accepted and understood.
With best wishes
Mr S Greiff
Wanted – Volunteer Student Litter Pickers
We are asking tutors to see if any students would like to volunteer for a 10 minute stint of litter picking for one day per week up to the Christmas break. We had such a good response during Green Careers Week and we would love for this to continue. It is amazing to have students take active pride in our site and this positively reinforces good actions to other students.
Volunteering shows amazing commitment and a willingness to be involved with community projects. This can be used on CV’s, school/college applications, university applications and of course job applications.
After Christmas, we will seek to do the same.
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 Boris of 8.1 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!
Study Centre
We are really excited to announce that our Study Centre is now open at lunch time for Year 11 students. There will be thirty spaces available for each session, on a first come, first serve basis. To enter, you must use the English corridor doors, present your e-card and provide your name/tutor group on the sign up sheet. The Study Centre is to be used for quiet, focused revision. This is not a ‘hang-out’ space and failure to meet expectations will result in you being asked to leave. Thank you for your patience in waiting for this space to be available and we look forward to supporting your studies.
PE Kit
Students at Manor High school have made an outstanding start to the new year with the vast majority in exemplary kit. To help students continue to enjoy PE and wear the correct uniform please see the visual below. If students have lessons on the fields, we expect students to wear the correct trainers to school but also have a pair of studded boots to change into.
Post 16 school and college open events
Students have now had their usernames and passwords for the PS16 site. These were sent to their school email addresses. Students need to keep their log in details safe and must log in and ensure their profile is set up fully. Students were shown how to do this on Tuesday this week and I have shared the information with students and parents/carers on class charts.
Please see a list of local school and college sixth form open events – Open Events 2026.
Year 10 work experience
Information has been sent to parents and carers separately via class charts. Please do refer to the information.
Safeguarding Update
This half term our safeguarding topics are on mental health and anti-bullying. Anti-bullying week is approaching, and more resources and activities will be shared with students in due course. This week I have spoken to staff regarding supporting students with their mental health, and I wanted to share this with you as parent’s, so you are able to have positive conversations with your child about mental health:
Parents Mental Health Support | Advice for Your Child | Young Minds
Winter Wellbeing Pack
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust have developed a workbook for children and young people with fun activities and advice on how to look after their health during the winter break, as well as helpful links and resources.
To download the pack, visit: Winter Pack 26
Attendance
Research consistently demonstrates that students who attend school regularly achieve better academic outcomes than their peers with lower attendance. By being in school every day, students benefit from high-quality teaching, develop their knowledge and skills, make sustained progress, and are far more likely to reach their full potential.
However, the importance of attendance extends far beyond academic achievement. Regular attendance provides students with opportunities to build positive relationships with peers and staff, develop essential social and communication skills, and participate fully in the wider life of the school. Face-to-face interactions help foster a sense of belonging, confidence and resilience, all of which contribute positively to students’ mental health and wellbeing.
Good attendance also promotes routine, responsibility and self-discipline, preparing students for future education, employment and life beyond school. Every day in school matters, and ensuring students attend regularly gives them the best possible chance to succeed both academically and personally.
Our attendance figures for the week ending 6th Nov:
| Year group | Year to date | Weekly attendance | Comparison to previous wk | |
| 7 | 97% (same) | 96.65% | Up | |
| 8 | 95.5% (down 0.2%) | 93.73% | Down | |
| 9 | 94.1% (down 0.1%) | 93.55% | Down | |
| 10 | 94.8% (down 0.2%) | 93.37% | Down | |
| 11 | 93.4% (up 0.1%) | 93.50% | Up | |
| Wole School to date | 95% (down 0.1%) | 94.21% | Down |
We want all of our students to be achieving at least 96% attendance. We can do this!
SEND Dept
T: 0116 2729791 (or 0116 2714941 ext. 791)
E: SEND@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk
Lead Operational DSL & Senior Mental Health Lead Ashma Ghani
T: 0116 2729760 (or 0116 2714941 ext. 760)
E: AGhani@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk
