Newsletter 17.04.2026 - Manor High School

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

The first week back following the Easter break has been particularly eventful, it is like we have never been away!

As we approach 22 April, we are mindful that this date marks Stephen Lawrence Day, which commemorates the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence, who tragically died in 1993. This week, we have welcomed members of the Stephen Lawrence Centre from De Montfort University who have engaged with a group of Year 8 students in work centred themes of justice and fairness. These conversations are particularly significant for our community, as we are blessed with vast cultural diversity which we genuinely value and celebrate- it makes Manor High School the place it is. It is important that both school and parents work together to ensure that our young people develop into excellent individuals equipped with the skills and confidence necessary to challenge racism and all forms of discrimination, whilst embracing and promoting inclusion. Our school values, which include Respect at their core, mean it was important that we acknowledge this in advance of Stephen Lawrence Day.

In addition to this, I am delighted to announce the launch of a significant partnership with Market Harborough Building Society. This partnership will provide huge benefit to our current Year 9 students as they progress into Year 10. The Thrive project was formally launched this week through an assembly delivered to all Year 9 students. Thrive is a programme designed specifically for students and will be delivered directly within school. The initiative focuses upon three key areas that we believe are fundamental to our visions of excellent people, excellent results: mental health, through building emotional resilience and wellbeing; employability, through developing confidence, communication skills, and workplace readiness; and financial education, through teaching budgeting, saving, and smart money management. These are all skills needed for later life. Being an excellent person encompasses maintaining positive mental health, developing employability skills, cultivating the confidence to communicate effectively, and acquiring financial literacy. We are genuinely grateful to Market Harborough Building Society for providing our students with this valuable opportunity. Over the course of the next twelve months, various activities will take place as part of this partnership, and we are confident that these experiences will prove genuinely beneficial to our young people over time.

Year 7 have their parents’ evening on 30^th April and we encourage all parents to make appointments with staff, the booking system will go live at 6pm this evening. We look forward to seeing you.

Finally, a quick message about uniform- the weather is starting to warm up, so it is just a quick reminder that we still expect students to wear blazers at school. Please support us in ensuring students do not leave your care in the morning with their blazer stuffed in the bottom of their bags, but that they wear them please. If the weather does warm to a level that is uncomfortably hot, then of course we would relax this rule.

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

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 Serena of 8.6 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!

School Clubs

Meet the Governors

Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing you to the dedicated governors who support and guide Manor High School. Our governing body plays an important role in helping the school provide the very best education and opportunities for our students.

This week, we are pleased to introduce two more governors –

Daniel Thompson, Parent Governor

“I am very proud to be associated with all the exciting work that is currently happening at Manor high School. Education is my passion. Effective learning can enhance life chances, personal happiness and social cohesion. I have been a Leader of Teaching and Learning in schools and colleges in East London and Leicester for over 25 years. I have worked as an Institute of Education PGCE mentor and a consultant for The Learning Trust. During a year away from teaching I worked with AQA examiners to design and run revision skills programmes for A Level students and teachers across the country. One of the many highlights of my career was running Duke of Edinburgh expeditions into the countryside for children from inner city London. I love football, playing the guitar and classic dystopian novels like ‘1984’ and ‘Brave New World’.

More recently I taught in a special school and completed an MSc in Psychology before becoming a SENCo. These insights help me challenge the team at Manor to strive for equality of opportunity for our young people. This is more likely to happen when they walk through the school gates feeling like their voice is heard, their needs are met and their aspirations are raised.”

Charmelle Longe, Staff Governor

“With 17 years of experience teaching across diverse educational sectors, including state, independent, and co‑educational settings, I bring a broad and balanced understanding of how different school environments operate and what helps them thrive. My background has equipped me with insight into curriculum development, pastoral care, and the importance of inclusive, high‑quality provision for every learner.

I am driven by strong values rooted in service, integrity, and community. Throughout my career, I have been committed to ensuring that all young people, regardless of background or starting point, receive the support they need to achieve their potential. I believe deeply in the power of education to change lives and am dedicated to fostering environments where students feel seen, supported, and encouraged to succeed.

My zeal for progress, both academic and personal, guides my approach to governance. I value thoughtful challenge, collaborative problem‑solving, and evidence‑informed decision‑making. As a governor, I aim to contribute positively to strategic planning, uphold high standards, and advocate for individualised support that recognises each pupil’s unique strengths and needs.

Beyond school life, I am committed to serving the community and working with a local Gospel Academy to inspire young people to strive for and achieve excellence. I enjoy singing, music, dance, design, learning languages and love utilising these passions to enhance the learning experience.”

We would like to thank Daniel and Charmelle for their time and dedication given to the school.

Medication Reminder for Parents and Carers

To help us keep all children safe and well in school, we kindly ask for your support with managing any medication your child may require during the school day.

If you have already provided medication for your child, or plan to do so in the future, please ensure that you check the expiry date regularly and replace any items as needed. This is especially important for medications such as EpiPens and inhalers, which must always be within their expiry date to be effective in an emergency.

In addition, please make sure that all medical information for your child is kept up to date. Any changes to medical conditions, medication, or care requirements should be recorded promptly using Arbor so that our records remain accurate and staff can respond appropriately.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe environment for all pupils.

Keeping Our School Community Safe: Thoughtful Parking Matters

As our school community continues to grow, so does the daily activity around drop-off and pick-up times. While these moments are often brief, the way we park and drive during them has a lasting impact on the safety and wellbeing of our children, families, and neighbours.

We would like to remind everyone of the importance of considerate and safe parking around the school and surrounding streets.

Putting Children’s Safety First
Children can be unpredictable, especially at the beginning and end of the school day. Parking too close to crossings, on corners, or in restricted areas can limit visibility for both drivers and pedestrians. Even a quick stop in the wrong place can create a dangerous situation.

Respecting Local Residents
Our school is part of a wider community. Blocking driveways, parking across dropped kerbs, or stopping in front of homes can cause understandable frustration for residents. Being mindful of where we park helps maintain positive relationships with our neighbours.

Working together, we can ensure that our school remains a safe and welcoming place for everyone. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Alumni

We would love former students to come into Manor High School to talk to students (with staff) about their experiences of post 16 education, university, the world of work and more! If you are interested in helping please contact us!

Celebrating success stories

We endeavour to share our students’ positive stories during tutor time and where we can during assemblies. If a student has achieved or accomplished something please do share it with your tutor. Your tutor will be able to celebrate this during in tutor time and share with the relevant Standards and Progress Leader. We can then use some to celebrate with the whole year group in assembly. We have so many amazing students and we want to share as many of their positive stories as we can

Attendance

Following the success of non-uniform day for our top performing tutor groups in February, we are running the same incentive again. Make sure you are in school to try and earn your tutor group a non-uniform day.

Attendance matters – we love seeing our students in school as they are a part of our community and being in school helps them to maintain social interactions and of course progress with their knowledge and understanding in their subject areas. Students are expected to be in school for 190 days per year. Please do avoid taking your child out of school. By being in school students can:

Develop friendships further
Interact positively with peers
Interact positively with staff and learn about developing professional relationships (key future skill)
Develop key life skills (teamwork, cooperation, communication, achieving success, dealing with setbacks to name a few)
Develop and improve their knowledge and understanding in a range of different subjects areas (giving keys skills and knowledge for their future)

We have created a document around our attendance procedures which can be found on our web site here: Attendance procedures – Manor High School This is located in our attendance area on the website which is here: Attendance – Manor High School – Oadby

Our attendance figures as of 3pm on Friday 20^th March were:

Year 11 – 92.7%

Year 10 – 91.2%

Year 9 – 93.4%

Year 8 – 94.5%

Year 7 – 95.6%

Safeguarding Update

This term our focus for safeguarding is on child criminal exploitation and how staff can spot and signs and support students. I wanted to share this with you as parents so you can read and understand what these terms mean and things to look out for. Hopefully this is useful but if you have any concerns or worries about a child, please let a member of the safeguarding team know.

Definitions: child criminal exploitation and sexual exploitation | Barnardo’s

‘What I wish my parents or carers knew…’: a guide for parents and carers on children’s digital lives (Children’s Commissioner)

The Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has published a guide to help parents and carers navigate the challenge of managing children’s everyday online habits. Written with direct input from children and young people, including teenagers consulted in schools and the Commissioner’s Youth Ambassadors. The guide is designed to make difficult conversations easier and more regular.

The guide covers setting boundaries around phone use, talking about harmful content, and building ongoing communication that goes beyond a one-off conversation. The voice of young people runs through it, including this from one teenager: “Don’t be afraid to be firm… If you are worried your child is seeing harmful content and you don’t know what they’re watching and it’s affecting their behaviour, just take it that you know best, they don’t.”

What I wish parent guide