Headteacher’s Update
Dear Parents
As we reach the conclusion of our first half term, I find myself reflecting on the progress we’ve seen across various areas of school during this time. Time has passed quickly, but much has been achieved during this period.
September saw our awards evening. This celebration not only acknowledged the academic accomplishments of our pupils but also highlighted the human values in which they excel. It served as a testament to our commitment to developing well-rounded individuals who have excellent character as well as excellent academic abilities.
During this half term, we have made significant strides in enhancing our SEND provision. The implementation of new structures in this department has led to us beig in a position, after training staff in this half term, to launch targeted interventions for pupils over the past week. We are totally dedicated to ensuring that every pupil receives the support necessary to thrive academically and personally. This is a journey we are on, but we are determined to make this work and to do the very best for our learners.
Last week, we distributed iPads to our Year 8 and 9 cohorts, and it has been immensely encouraging to observe their use in classroom settings and speak to students about the use of these and how it has already made their lessons easier and more interactive. This initiative will extend to our Year 7 pupils on Monday, 28th October, further enriching their learning experience. Year 7 parents should make sure they have signed the home-school contract by the end of half term. The vast majority have, but there are a few outstanding. https://forms.office.com/e/sBTdYf5Szk
As we approach our half-term break, which began for our pupils today, whilst staff have a training day I would like to remind you of their return on Monday, 28th October..
I thank you for your continued support and engagement as we work together to provide the best possible opportunities for children in our community. I wish all members of our school community a peaceful half-term break.
Mr S Greiff
Year 10 and 11 PPE Timetables November 2024
SEND Update
Following on from the information shared last academic year regarding interventions for students requiring additional support, we are pleased to inform you that interventions are now being facilitated by our new Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs), Mr. Hings and Miss Ayres.
These intervention sessions began on Monday the 14th of October. In the first session the students are meeting the other students in their group, completing a baseline assessment and be given information about their intervention sessions.
Individual information for parents about the interventions will be shared with parents/carer next week, this has been delayed due to the IT issues we have been experiencing.
Please be advised that intervention slots cannot be changed for alternative days or times and will continue until further notice. If you have any questions or require further information, please contact form tutors in the first instance, who will liaise with the SEND department where necessary.
We have recently been made aware that emails sent from the SEND inbox by Mrs. Isherwood have not been reaching their intended recipients. We sincerely apologise if you have been expecting an email from the SEND team that you have not received. We are working to identify who may have been affected by this issue. If you are waiting for a response, please do not hesitate to contact the SEND team or your child’s form tutor.
MFL News
It has been an exciting half term in MFL!
In September, the department celebrated the European Day of Languages, which is observed across Europe on 26th September every year and is an opportunity for the school to champion the wonderful diversity of languages and cultures within our school, as well as the languages delivered through our curriculum, French and Spanish.
We kicked off the week with a fabulous House Competition, with students in Years 7, 8 and 9 developing their teamwork and thinking skills by building an Eiffel Tower from nothing but paper straws and cellotape!
On the day itself, tutor groups competed in a general knowledge quiz to broaden their cultural horizons and explore languages spoken all over the world. In addition, our wonderful catering team prepared delicious Albóndigas and Ratatouille for our students to try at lunchtime.
The department also launched its “Porteek” Club (Greek and Portuguese), which is led by our native Greek speaker, Mrs Prinou and our native Portuguese speaker, Miss Patel. So far this half term, students have had the opportunity to learn basic Greek and Portuguese greetings and to sample some delicious Portuguese and Greek food prepared from scratch by Mrs Prinou and Miss Patel. Next half term, students will look at festivals including how Portuguese people celebrate Halloween. Interested students can attend every Thursday lunchtime in room 16.
Next half term, Y11 French and Spanish speaking PPEs will be running from Monday 28th October to Friday 1st November; these are worth 25% of students’ overall grades so it is vital that students return from half term well prepared. Teachers have provided students with their individual dates and speaking times and detailed revision has been placed on ClassCharts for all students. We wish our Year 11 students every success in what will be their first PPE of the autumn term!
Finally, the department is extremely excited to launch its annual foreign residential, this time to the French Riviera! The trip will run from 24th to 27th June and activities will include:
– A boat cruise from Cap de Nice to the Promenade des Anglais, passing through the famed Villefranche Bay
– A chocolate shop tour
– A visit to Parc Phoenix
– A cooking class to prepare local Provençal dishes
– A guided walking tour of Nice, including the old town and the famous flower market
– A day trip to Aquasplash water park near Antibes: https://www.aquasplash.fr/?utm_id=GMBtraffic&utm_medium=OrganicGMB&utm_source=google
- A trip to the beach and opportunities for souvenir shopping.
All Y9 and 10 students have received an information letter about the trip this week via email. Currently, Y9 and 10 French students can make a deposit payment of £150 on School Gateway, which is due by Monday 28th October. Y9 and 10 Spanish students can register an expression of interest on School Gateway and, should the 40 places not be filled by French students, we will contact interested Spanish students for a deposit payment.
We wish all of our students a restful half term!
Attendance Matters
Why is excellent attendance important?
Excellent attendance and punctuality are vital for success at school, and to establish positive life habits that are necessary for future success.
Through attending regularly, pupils can:
- Build friendships and develop social groups.
- Develop life skills.
- Engage in essential learning and other school social events.
- Achieve to their full potential.
- Minimise the risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour.
What YOU must do:
- Try to telephone the school before 8.30am each day of your child’s absence.
- Tell the school in advance, of any medical appointments and bring in appointment cards/letters.
- If you are not sure whether your child is well enough to attend school, send them in anyway as they often perk up on arrival.
- Have a backup plan for if your child misses transport, call on a family member, neighbour or friend.
- If you and your child are experiencing difficulties with school attendance then talk to us as a first step so we can help!
What WE will do:
- Check your child’s attendance every day.
- Phone home to discuss your child’s attendance with you.
- Invite you into school for attendance meetings if we are concerned.
- If we cannot establish a reason for absence, then we may make a welfare home visit.
PE Notice
We have been very impressed with the engagement in lessons from our students, even despite the inclement weather. We have seen a decline in weather over the last couple of weeks, and we want our students to stay as dry as possible. We have mentioned to all students that they should bring spare shoes and socks in case they get their feet wet in PE lessons. We also suggest the purchase of a waterproof jacket. We are mindful of cost for parents and therefore are not going to provide a more expensive branded option- some suggestions are below. We are more than happy for students to wear these.
Gelert | Waterproof Packaway Jacket | Waterproof Jackets | SportsDirect.com
Regatta | Stormbreaker Jacket | Waterproof Jackets | SportsDirect.com
Regatta | Laiyah Ld99 | Waterproof Jackets | SportsDirect.com
Gelert | Packaway Ladies Jacket | Waterproof Jackets | SportsDirect.com
Regatta | Kids Stormbreak Waterproof Jacket | Waterproof Jackets | SportsDirect.com
Rugby and Hockey start for years 7,8 and 9 on the week commencing 4th November, it is essential students have mouthguards for these activities, please see below an example reasonably priced mouthguard.
Sondico | Ergo Fit Fusion Mouthguard | Mouthguards | SportsDirect.com
At £5 these are great value and should last the life of their time here at Manor!
Science Club
Science club has started up again and our year 7s are impressing us with their lab skills! This week they chose some leaves from school grounds and tested them for starch.
Pictured below are some in-progress photos where the leaves are being prepared before placing them on tiles and pipetting iodine on them. The blue/black colour is a positive result! We’re excited to see what wonderful things they get up to this year!
If you are interested in joining the Science Club and in year 7, please contact Miss Thompson, it is every Monday in Lab 5 between 3:15pm and 4pm
Alumni
We are reaching out to any past students of our school who may be willing to inspire our current students. We are looking for people to share their experiences of life after Manor High School all the way to the world of work. If you think you have a family member or even friend who was a Manor High School student and could possibly help us with this please get them to email at: admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk (FAO Mr Croucher). Many thanks.
Year 10 Art Photography Farm Visit
Year 10 Art and Design students explored working on site with plein-air sketching and photographing the animals and landscape on a local Leicestershire farm.
These photographs will be used later in workshops to work-over the photographs and mono printing.
Year 7 Art London Gallery Trip
Some of our Year 7 Art students enjoyed a day in London soaking up local art and culture. Students spent the morning on short train journey to the National Gallery to do some sketches and Photography.
After lunch in Covent Garden watching the street performers and a visit to Trafalgar Square, students then spent the afternoon watching the West End’s Wicked the Musical. After a quick food stop they finished the day by a walk back by Buckingham Palace and Green Park.
Year 11 – Post 16
We have created a list of open events at local Post 16 providers (schools and colleges). Please note this list covers a lot of providers but not all of them. We advised that all students should look at a range of different providers to help them make a more informed decision about where they will apply next year. We have sent this list of open events to students via class charts as well. Please click the link below to view the information.
We will be in touch in the next few weeks about the Post 16 application process.
Year 11 – Positive Steps 16 Site (PS16)
Year 11 students have been sent their log in details to the PS16 website. These were sent this morning to students’ school email accounts. This is the site students use to make applications to schools and colleges in Leicester and Leicestershire.
We have also shown our students a simple guide of what to do once logged in to the site. We showed this during assembly. This has also been shared on ClassCharts so that students, parents and carers can refer to it (it is a Power Point).
Please ensure that students keep their log in details safe. Students can now start using this site as set out on the Power Point – ensuring their personal details etc as well as personal statements are up to date on the system.
Leicester High School for Girls
We will communicate more about the times for the event next week but please keep the date in your diary. This is an opportunity for our Year 11 students to interact with these providers, ask questions and help gain more information re their Post 16 choices. However, we cannot stress enough the importance of visiting providers too (please see attached list of open events at local providers.
Leicester High School for Girls have emailed us sharing their open events. These are as follows: Sixth Form Taster Day and Information Evening on Tuesday 5th November for any girls who might be interested. Please see the link below.
Safeguarding Update
Safeguarding and Mental Health Support Outside of School
Healthy Start
Do you work with families and young children? yes? keep reading, this could make a real difference!
Financially, times are tough right now so why not find out more about the Healthy Start scheme that could support families who are eligible to buy fresh food and milk! If families have a child under the age of 4 or are more than 10 weeks pregnant, they may be entitled to money towards buying healthy food and milk .
There are two briefings you can attend to find out more…
Mon, 4th Nov 2024, 13:00 – 14:00
Come along to find out more and ask questions.
Do it today, book a place following the link below-
https://www.leicestershirehealthytots.org.uk/training-and-events
Self Harm and Suicide Awareness Training for Parents/Carers
Please click here for some information about a training and awareness event around self-harm and suicide aimed at parents and carers of children and young people . Although the face-to-face sessions will be in Leicester City, there are online sessions available. Some information about a training and awareness event around self-harm and suicide aimed at parents and carers of children and young people . Although the face-to-face sessions will be in Leicester City, there are online sessions available.
Mind Mental Well-being Workshops
Mind are delivering a range of webinars to promote positive mental well-being during October including managing stress, menopause and mental health, mental health awareness, mindfulness and self-care. Please click here for more details.
Online Safety Newsletter
Please click this link to view our online safety newsletter.
Extra Curricular Activities
Toilet Passes
Please be aware that toilet passes are only issued to the few students who have a medical need to have free access to the toilets, ensuring they are able to go at any point during the lesson. Medical evidence will be required.