Headteacher’s Update
Dear Families
Firstly I would like to wish all families that are celebrating a very happy Eid and we hope that you enjoy your celebrations.
In school we have focussed this week upon Careers Week, there have been several opportunities for students to engage in enriching careers assemblies in addition to our usual assembly offer.
We have focussed a lot of our time this week looking at Respect and reminding students what our expectations are.
Many of you will be aware of the Netflix Series ‘Adolescence’. I would strongly suggest you watch it. It depicts the stark realism of the situation in society today and the challenges teenagers face. It is significant time since most of us were teenagers and it is important that we are all aware of the risks our teenagers face.
The series highlights various issues. Knife Crime is highlighted and the disturbing rise in incidents amongst young people. Bullying is addressed and the severe impact this has upon mental health. In addition the series highlights how online platforms can influence young minds leading to dangerous ideologies and online radicalisation alongside misogyny.
We all have a responsibility in working with young people and whether we like what we see or not, we all have a responsibility to address this.
In school we do the following-
- We provide a bespoke and responsive PHSE programme to address safety and well-being explicitly. We also ‘stop the clock’ and amend our curriculum content in response to prevalent local and national issues.
- Assemblies follow themes around school and British Values. Respect is core to this and we regularly remind students what we expect in school from them, and what happens when they fall short of that expectation.
- We have a clear behaviour and anti bullying policy in place and reward students for their excellence and level of respect they show and sanction those that fall below our expected standards. We expect parental support with this, not parental challenge. This sends the wrong messages to our young people.
- We provide clear channels for reporting any issues that arise and we work very closely with external agencies such as the Police and Social Services.
You as parents can keep yourselves safe by-
- Monitoring your child’s social media use online to manage the risk of online radicalisation, or cyberbullying. You can ensure your child gets enough sleep and exercise and does not spend too much time, alone in their bedrooms with no monitoring from the adults in the family.
- You must also be alert to any changes in behaviours, language used, secrecy or extremist language.
- You should also have honest conversations about the dangers and legal consequences about the use of or carrying weapons.
- Be aware of our behaviour policy and what the expectations of school actually are.
What is most important is that we work together. As a school we are proud of our partnerships between parents and school. It is the cornerstone of a successful school. Even when things are challenging, working together is the best thing we can do to support children. This includes supporting teachers in applying the behaviour policy when students make mistakes and being mindful of not inadvertently undermining colleagues and therefore the school when there are areas of difficulty.
Working together we can address the issues and support children with the challenges they face today.
For more information about the Netflix Series, please see here Raising Boys: What ‘Adolescence’ (Netflix) Reveals – Happy Families
With best wishes
Mr S Greiff
French Play
This week, 150 Year 9 and 10 students had the opportunity to watch Prendre Sa Revanche by Onatti Productions. The play was performed by French native speakers and aimed at students of 13-16 years learning French as a foreign language. There was lots of audience participation and four Year 10 students in particular absolutely stole the show, performing live and spontaneously for their peers and showing great character and resilience! In June, Onatti Productions will visit again, this time to perform a Spanish play for our Y9 and 10 Spanish students – we can’t wait!
Tabla Drumming Demonstration
Last Thursday the Performing Arts department hosted a Tabla drumming demonstration and workshop delivered by Bill Waiwala, one of the finest Tabla exponents in the UK. Bill works for Leicestershire Music Service and has over 15 years teaching experience. He is a very talented and inspiring performer and we thoroughly enjoyed hearing him play. Bill would like to start offering small group Tabla lessons here at Manor High. Please let us know if this is something your child would be interested in.
Supporting Your Child’s Final GCSE Mathematics Preparation: Virtual Workshop for Parents of Students in Year 11
As the GCSE Mathematics exams draw closer, we know many of our students and their families are feeling the pressure of the final preparations. To help ensure that your child has the best possible support during this critical time, we are pleased to invite parents and guardians to a Virtual Workshop focused on how you can assist your child in their revision and exam preparations.
Workshop Overview: The workshop will provide practical advice and strategies for supporting your child through these final weeks of GCSE Mathematics preparation. Topics will include:
- Effective Revision and Examination Techniques
- Revision Resources
- Time Management Tips
Workshop Details:
- Date: Tuesday 8th April
- Time: 4.30pm
A link to access the workshop will be emailed to all parents of students in year 11 closer to the time.
This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the Maths department and gain valuable insights into how you can best support your child during this challenging but important period.
We hope you can join us for this session and look forward to partnering with you to ensure your child is as best prepared and confident as possible heading into their GCSE Mathematics exams.
Year 11 Easter 2025 Intervention Sessions
Staff remain fully committed to supporting Year 11 students. Targeted intervention sessions will be held during the first week of the Easter break. Please find below a programme for week commencing Monday, 14th April 2025:
| Session | Time | Monday 14.04.25 | Tuesday 15.04.25 | Wednesday 16.04.25 | Thursday 17.04.25 | Friday 18.04.25 |
| 1 | 09:00 – 10:40 | English X
Maths W |
Geography
History |
Science
|
Food
Creative iMedia Enterprise and Marketing
|
Bank Holiday |
| Break | 10:40 – 11:00 | |||||
| 2 | 11:00 – 12:40 | Maths X
English W |
Computer Science
Business Studies Drama
|
Science
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Creative iMedia
Enterprise and Marketing
|
|
| Lunch | 12:40 – 13:00 | |||||
| 3
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13:00 – 15:00 | Media | Business Studies
Music |
|||
Parents will have received invitation emails for students who would benefit from intervention sessions in different subjects. Please complete the linked proforma, giving permission for your child to attend. The session will be tailored to help your child with revision in preparation for their final exams.
Please note:
- Uniform: Students will not need to be required to wear school uniform; however, they must wear clothing and shoes that are appropriate for a school environment.
- Ready to Learn: Students will be expected to bring in their school bag, with their knowledge organiser, equipment, and any additional resources specific to the subjects they study.
- Refreshments: Students are welcome to bring a snack and a drink should they wish to as the school dining facilities will not be in operation.
- Behaviour: Students will be expected to respect our school standards and routines, follow instructions, and stay focussed on task during all intervention sessions. Same behaviour expectations apply as any other school day, and this includes bringing and using a mobile phone.
- Safeguarding: Students who are invited must attend and staff will need to contact home should they not attend. Please ensure students have a safe means of getting to school and returning home once finished.
Students are at an important stage in their studies, and these intervention sessions are aimed at helping them reach their full potential. As our staff dedicate their time to providing this additional support, it is only fair that invited students attend and actively participate to gain the most from these sessions.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Mr Karavadra
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.
School and college offers meetings – important dates
Thursday 1st May – Beauchamp City Sixth Form will come into school to meet with any students who are holding offers with their school (same as Beauchamp College but the date is to be confirmed).
Year 11 – Positive Steps 16 site (PS16)
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.
Leicester College Applications
If you have applied to Leicester College through Post 16 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.
Pathways at Post 16 (all years)
It is always good to plan ahead. As a result we have started talking to our Year 9 and 10 students about different options available to them in Post 16 education after Manor High School.
On Tuesday our Year 9 students had an additional assembly that was led by Gateway College. The assembly highlighted the different routes available to students in Post 16 education (including A Levels, BTECs and T Levels all available at Gateway). On Thursday our students in Year 10 heard from Leicester College about the pathways they offer (including Apprenticeships and T Levels)
It is important for all students to be aware of pathways available to them. We have attached a presentation from Gateway and the following links take you to various areas they showed:
A video of their facilities – https://www.youtube.com/@GatewayCollegeLeics
Their home page for open events – https://gateway.ac.uk/
For all students and parents/carers it is never too late to start looking at the different schools/colleges available and thinking about possible routes after Manor High School.
| Here are some explanations of key terms that may help when looking at Post 16 course – it is never too early to start looking 😊
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| Level 3
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The next stage of qualification after GCSEs. A levels are a Level 3 course. BTECs and T Levels run Level 3 courses too. |
| Level 2 | GCSE passes (grades 4 and above) are Level 2 qualifications. At post 16 a Level 2 qualification holds the same weighting as a GCSE pass. These courses may be suitable for students who need to retake a GCSE (E.G. English or Maths) and they then open the doorway to Level 3 qualifications. There are BTECs run at Level 2 and some colleges also offer Foundation T Levels which are Level 2 |
| Level 1 | A qualification that is equivalent to a GCSE grade of 1-4. These qualifications are suitable for students who may need a more accessible course to help them move towards higher levels. There are a range of vocational subjects that are at Level 1. |
| T Levels | A vocational qualification that is linked directly to a career. They are 80% coursework and 20% work in experience in the career area. T Levels are a Level 3 course that are equivalent in weighting to 3 A Levels. Some colleges do offer Level 2 foundation T Levels that bridge the gap into the Level 3 courses. |
| BTEC | A vocational course that is linked to an employment sector or area. BTECs are split into units and these are completed as coursework. There is usually an examined unit too but the majority of a student’s grade comes from the coursework. BTECs do run from Level 1. Some BTECs are worth more in terms of weighting than others e.g. L3 EXTENDED/ADVANCED Diploma – 3 ‘A’ levels, L3 Diploma (National/Technical) = 2 ‘A’ levels, L3 Extended Certificate = 1 ‘A’ Level. |
| Apprenticeships | These are courses that involve a large placement for paid work within an employment sector. The student then also attends college in order to learn more about the sector and gain qualifications. Apprenticeships run from Level 2 all the way to Degree Level. |
| A Level | An academic course. These are set up in the same way as GCSEs but are clearly harder (being Level 3). They are assessed at the end of a two year course via an exam. Some A Levels do have smaller elements of coursework too such as PE, Music etc. They are offered for the same subject areas as GCSE subjects as well as some more additional subjects too. |
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 Expectations for Students
Our after school expectations are that all students should leave the site unless they:
- are waiting to be picked up (these students should wait in the study centre only and must not be wandering around the site etc)
- attending an intervention session (students must head straight to their intervention session, not leaving site briefly and then returning)
- attending a detention (students must head straight to detention)
- attending an extra-curricular club (students must head straight to their club)
- students should not be waiting around for friends to be let out of class, or for friends to come out of detention etc
- Lastly, we cannot have students staying after school to play recreational sport on the ball courts as this is not supervised.
Thanks for your support with this.
Safeguarding Update
Please read the attached Online Safety Newsletter
