Headteacher’s Update
Dear Families
As we approach the half-term break, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable achievements that have characterised our recent weeks at Manor High School. Time has passed quickly, yet our students and staff have maintained their commitment to our core values of excellence, inspiration, resilience, and respect.
We have had several visits from professionals at other schools this half term who have been keen to look at our classrooms to glean the best practice for their own schools. All have commented positively on the atmosphere and culture around the school. I too have the pleasure every day of walking the corridors, talking to students and visiting lessons. During my learning walks this week, I have been consistently impressed by the level of engagement and productivity evident in our classrooms. The integration of one-to-one iPad usage has significantly accelerated the pace of knowledge acquisition. I encourage parents to explore the impressive work our students have produced using this technology in their Showbie accounts on their iPad. It is worth noting, however, that a stylus is an essential tool for optimal iPad utilisation, and I kindly request that all students are equipped with one.
Our commitment to fostering creativity alongside academic achievement was exemplified this week as our Year 9 and 10 Design and Technology pupils participated in the Rotary Club’s Design and Technology Challenge at Leicester Grammar School. It gives me great pleasure to announce that our Year 9 team secured an admirable third place in their category, while our Year 10 team emerged victorious in theirs. More information is below. This achievement is a testament to the dedication of Mr Parker and the pupils involved, who embodied our values of excellence and inspiration through their collaborative approach as a team. It is so true that ‘together we achieve more’.
Year 11 continue to demonstrate their resilience and excellence through the relentless conveyor belt of Pre Public Examinations (Mocks). These continue after half term and are the last opportunity for them to demonstrate what they know and where their gaps are that teachers need to fill before the final exams start. It should be noted that we deliberately put a half term break in the middle of their PPEs- not because we are cruel, but because this replicates the final exam series in May and June and they need to be able to manage continuing to revise whilst on a half term break. We are grateful for the parental support and the nudges this will require from home to keep students motivated!
As we celebrate these accomplishments, I would like to mention a key staff member. Today, we bid farewell to Mrs Bee, one of our Teaching Assistants who has devoted an impressive 30 years to Manor High School. Her kindness and caring nature has left its mark on countless students, including, perhaps, some current parents who attended Manor High during her time with us. While we are saddened by her departure, we are heartened to know that Mrs Bee will continue to contribute to our school community by assisting with our after-school homework clubs. We wish her all the very best in her well earned retirement.
I wish all a very lovely half term break and look forward to seeing our students fully rested and recuperated on Monday 24th Feb, at the usual time.
With best wishes
Mr S Greiff
Travel Survey
Manor High School is currently looking at how we can reduce our carbon footprint however, in order for us to establish what this is we are currently gathering data from different areas of the school. Can I kindly ask that the attached one question survey is completed over half term so that we can look at how students get to and from Manor High School: Travel Survey
Many thanks
Mr S Tweed
School Business Leader
Rotary Club Competition
This week Manor High School had the opportunity to attend to attend a Design & Technology event at Leicester grammar school in which 36 teams took part in an engineering challenge. The challenge was for teams to design and make a rocket launcher from a set of given materials. They had to make the launcher reach a certain height but also land within a certain area to gain points.
The competition had representatives from all the top schools in the area including Oadby Beauchamp, Gartree, Crown hills and Leicester grammar. The event was split into 3 categories for foundation KS3, intermediate KS4 and higher KS5. We took one group of four Year 9 D & T students to represent the school in the foundation section. I am very pleased to say they did a fantastic job and came 3rd in their category.
We also took four D & T Year 10 students and I am delighted to say that they won the intermediate section after creating a fantastic design and also creating an outstanding portfolio of work explaining their thought process. The event was great fun and a great experience for the students who had the opportunity to work as a team. Well done to all the students who represented the school
College Applications & PS16
Some students will be receiving invites to attend offers holding events / offers events at schools/colleges they have applied to. We can not let students offsite during the school day unless we have had consent from a parent / carer in the same way a students would need consent to attend a medical appointment etc. If you know that your child has been invited to an event during the school day you must contact the school in the same way you would for a medical appointment and also advise whether your child will be making their way to the school/college themselves or whether a parent / carer will be collecting them.
Many thanks
Leicester College Applications
If you have applied to Leicester College through Post16 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.
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.
Year 11 Update
We are very proud of our Year 11 students. Their hard work and dedication towards their studies will indeed help them reach their aspirations beyond Manor High School. We hope you find the key updates useful.
PPEs
Students have been working diligently during their Pre-Public Examinations (PPE) / mock exams this week. Students know the importance of PPEs.
- Mock exams get students in the right mindset
- Mocks exams provide an opportunity for structured revision
- Mock exams help students to spot errors and knowledge gaps
- Mocks ensure students feel prepared for actual exams
- Mock exams help students cope with pressure
- Mock results are used to determine predictions
Please continue encouraging your child to try their very best in the remaining PPEs as the results will give them and us a good indication of any remaining knowledge gaps, and revision to focus upon ahead of the final exams.
Our exams officer Mrs Hulbert communicated the PPE timetable and reminder about necessary equipment required for exams. Kindly remind your child to be come to school prepared with equipment. This will help ensure that they can focus on doing their best during their exams without any avoidable distractions. It is essential that you make sure your child has the following items:
- Clear pencil case
- Several black pens
- A pencil and eraser
- A ruler
- A calculator
- Any subject-specific equipment (e.g., geometry set, highlighters, etc.)
- A water bottle (with no labels or logos)
We have also shared details with students about exam conditions we expect all students to adhere to during PPEs. Please do talk to your child about the importance of adhering to exam conditions and make sure they do not bring to school prohibited items such as a mobile phone or any other digital devices.
Interventions and Easter School
Subject teachers are hosting lunchtime and afterschool intervention sessions. Students who require support are invited to attend these sessions. Please do talk to your child about the importance of attending interventions they are invited to as it will enable teachers to provide bespoke support in addition to lessons.
We will also be hosting Easter School during the first week of the Easter break. Details for this will be shared closer to time. Please do speak to subject teachers during Parents Evening on Thursday 20th March about this.
Study Skills and Revision
We are committed to providing as much academic support as possible for our Year 11 students. To enhance their preparation for exams, we invited an external company, Maximize Your Potential, to deliver a seminar on essential study skills. This session aimed to help students set clear academic goals and understand the steps needed to achieve them. It emphasized effective time management, enabling students to take control of their learning and reduce stress. Students provided positive feedback, highlighting key takeaways they could apply to their revision.
In addition, we have arranged tailored sessions for smaller groups through Elevate Education to offer further support. We have subscribed to a comprehensive support package for students, teachers, and parents. Elevate also hosts live webinars for parents, offering guidance on how to best support their child before and during exams. These webinars are free, and the next series is scheduled as follows:
- 11th March, 6:00-7:00pm: How You Can Help Your Child Prepare for Exams
- 25th March, 6:00-7:00pm: How You Can Support Your Child During Exams
Visit https://go.elevateeducation.com/ukparentwebinar for further information and register for upcoming webinars.
Students have also been given a link to access additional resources to support their study skills. These can all be found here: https://ukstudent.elevateeducation.com/
Please encourage your child to access the wealth of information and resources to help them ahead of their final exams. This also includes information about revision timetable, which students should have in place.
Attendance and Progress
Thank you for encouraging your child to attend school every day. Consistent attendance is essential for learning, as it allows teachers to provide the necessary support. With final exams approaching, it is crucial for Year 11 students to be in school daily. Research shows a clear link between attendance and academic progress. We have been sharing the impact of attendance on progress with Year 11 students each week. The graph below illustrates that students with 100% attendance achieve nearly a grade and a half more progress compared to those with lower attendance.
We hope this information helps you understand our school’s efforts to support your child. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need guidance on how to further assist your child during final few months.
Mr Karavadra
First Aid at School
We are experiencing a number of students deciding to walk to reception if they feel unwell. As a result, we have mapped out the following expectations for students to follow if they feel unwell during lessons or at the start of a lesson. We have communicated this with staff. Please can you remind our students as well. Many thanks.
Please can we ensure we all follow these expectations re first aid / illness.
– If a child has a minor injury before school or during break/lunch they should go straight to reception and ask for first aid.
– If they are feeling unwell during a lesson / need medical assistance during a lesson they must tell the class teacher and stay in class. The teacher will then contact first aid if it is needed.
– Students should not be leaving lessons. First aid will come to them (unless they have an underlying health condition the school is aware of ).
– If you are not sure about any of the above, please speak to your tutor who can reassure you.
Please note, in the event of a serious medical emergency, staff are aware of what is needed to be done.
Leicester Riders Ticket Offer
Manor High School have been given the offer of 50% off tickets for the next few home games. Simply use promo code ‘OAK50‘ at checkout to claim your discount.
Click here to view the Leicester Riders Basketball website
If you haven’t been before, we would recommend giving it a try. Basketball is a fast paced game, full of excitement, that is easy to follow. Great for whole families!
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
Please see attached list of contacts for Mental Health support for out of school hours – Mental Health Support Out Of School Contact Information
Manipulative marketing in games
Children are increasingly becoming major components in the online games industry. Many games are deceptively pay to play, whilst claiming to be free. For most of these apps the download is free but most of the gameplay is locked. Free in the context of apps is a highly flexible term. Online gaming firms use the ‘free’ label to draw in players, whom when talking about minors may be attractive due solely to that quality. Money making tactics such as these, can be hard to detect even for adults. Their use of bright colours, distracting music and other methods can be highly persuasive in gaining players. Better Internet for Kids has crafted a learning module designed to explore digital marketing tactics. You will learn why companies use these tactics and how they can impact your child and their rights. You will also learn how you can support your child to spot and avoid these issues, as well as where you can seek help and support. If interested, please follow the link below:
https://better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/learning-corner/parents-and-caregivers/marketing-games
NHS Mental Health Drop-ins
