Newsletter 04.09.2026

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

We are really seeing our students settle into school now. They have coped well with our changing from 3 x 100 min sessions a day to 4 x 75 min sessions. Feedback is positive from students and from staff. Of course 20% of the students know no different anyway as this is their first year with us, which helps! There are a few changes we are making as a result of increased movements in time- for example on Monday we are introducing a one-way system through our foyer area to reduce traffic and bottle necks.

Our Year 7s continue to settle positively. We have distributed iPads and chargers to Year 7s today. It is important they bring those iPads to school charged so that they can be used in lessons. Teachers will gradually start to increase usage in addition to the book work they will do over the coming days and weeks. We have made students aware that as part of our safeguarding procedures the use of these devices is monitored all of the time whether in school or not, and any inappropriate use of the internet, or applications is immediately flagged to a member of our safeguarding team.

In addition to our new students settling in, returning students have also made an excellent start and appear to be ready for the challenges of the year ahead. They are coming to school in their uniforms, on time, and ready to learn and we thank our parents for supporting this.

Finally over the course of this week I have been analysing our GCSE results in detail in order to identify areas where we can make further improvements for our students. As I previously reported to you, our results are very good but I will never allow complacency to set in with either students or staff. One area in particular struck me as something that I should inform parents of is in the table below-

Attendance	Grade 5 + English and Maths
95-99.9%	70.59%
90-94.9%	57.79%
80-89.9%	36.36%

This data is from our students in our school – they aren’t national figures from a central office somewhere, they are figures for your children here at Manor High – so they are extremely relevant. If students attend school for 95+% of the time, the chances of them achieving the Good pass in both English and Maths is significantly higher- higher than most schools. When attendance drops to the 90% level – there is 1 in 2 chance of the student achieving the grades deemed to be passes, and once below 90% there is a very low chance. These numbers serve as a clear reminder to us that attendance at school is crucial. If students are not here, they will not have the grades that open the doors to the next steps for them. Please ensure your child is in school. If they feel a little under the weather, send them to school and often when they are around friends and active they begin to feel better as the day goes on. We have also shared these figures with students as a reminder of the importance of attendance and the impact upon their life chances of absence from school.

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

Year 7

Well done on a great start to your life at Manor High School. We are proud of you and it has been great working with you so far!

To help Year 7 settle we have amended times for the school day slightly. As of the week commencing 7^th September our Year 7 students will end lesson 4 at 3:05pm with the rest of the school.

The timings for Year 7 next week are:

Session 1 – finish at 10:10 (5 minutes earlier than other students). Teaching staff are walking out with Year 7 and this allows them a little extra time to get used to break time.

Session 3 – finish at 12:55pm (10 minutes earlier than other students). Teaching staff are walking out with Year 7 and this allows them a little extra time to get used to lunch time.

Session 4 – finish at 3:05pm (same time as all other students). Teaching staff are walking out with Year 7 to supervise them leaving site and unlocking phone pouches.

We will keep these timings for the next week and we will then review on a weekly basis to decide on whether timings need to stay or revert back.

All Years – lunch queueing times

Please can parents and carers remind students of our queuing times. Staff are reminding students in school. Students should not queue until their allotted time.

Week A:

Year 7 and Year 8 can queue from 13:05 (no other year groups queuing for indoor or outdoor hatches)

Year 9 and 10 can queue from 13:15

Year 11 can use the food hatch near humanities. Year 11 can then join the other queues if needed at 13:20, no earlier!

Week B:

Year 9 and Year 10 can queue from 13:05 (no other year groups queuing for indoor or outdoor hatches)

Year 7 and 8 can queue from 13:15

Year 11 can use the food hatch near humanities. Year 11 can then join the other queues if needed at 13:20, no earlier!

Note – for the immediate meantime, Year 7 are actually out for lunch at 12:55 and are allowed to queue straight away. This will eventually change.

iPads

To ensure that iPads and the software required for lessons runs smoothly, please ensure that iPads are charged and connected to WiFi every night. This allows us to push any required updates through whilst not in use during the school day.

Annual Details Check via Arbor

Could we please ask all parents/carers to review their details and their child’s information on the Arbor app. Please ensure that all parental/guardian contact details are up to date, including telephone numbers and email addresses. We would also appreciate it if you could check that any relevant medical information relating to your child is recorded accurately, so that we have the most current information available in case we need to contact you or support your child effectively.

School Clubs

A Fantastic Start in Science

Our Year 11 science students have made a positive start to the year and have been busy developing their practical skills while learning about rates of reaction. We are incredibly proud of their enthusiasm and commitment. Meanwhile, Year 10 students have also returned with a fantastic attitude and are currently completing their Biology required practicals. We have been especially impressed by the resilience, focus, and positive attitudes shown by both year groups. Well done to all our budding scientists!

Safeguarding Update

We are sharing with you a great document from one of our safeguarding partners regarding online safety and resetting/clearing an algorithm. Please take a look in order to see how to support your child’s safety online: Parent Cheat Sheet

Teaching and learning

This week in assemblies we have been talking through habits we have here at Manor High School. One of those is the call to attention that teachers will use to gather the students attention before the start an explanation.

We know its important for all students to be listening effectively and paying attention in order for them to have the best chance of understanding a topic or concept. Year 7’s and 8’s have even had a full year group practice in assembly and did extremely well with 100% of students completing the task!

Panjabi Language Classes

From September 2026 Panjabi language classes will be available in Oadby. The classes will take place in the evenings, are open to children aged 5+ and cater for all abilities, from complete beginners through to GCSE and A-Level preparation. Students will have the opportunity to develop their speaking, reading and writing skills in Panjabi in a supportive and engaging learning environment.