Headteacher’s Update
Dear Parents
There has been a real sense of purpose around school this week and many things are beginning to come together.
Of particular note is the progress we have witnessed with our Sports Hall construction. We have seized this opportunity to broaden our pupils’ careers knowledge, collaborating with SMD, our contractors, to provide invaluable insights into the career paths available within the construction industry. Beyond the traditional roles we might associate with this sector, our pupils have discussed the array of opportunities, ranging from accountancy to environmental analysis to bricklaying and groundworkers.
We extend our sincere gratitude to SMD for their generosity in dedicating time to engage with our pupils. Whilst the weather at the start of the week meant the postponement of a planned site visit, we are committed to rescheduling this crucial part of the programme.
I would like to draw your attention to two forthcoming events that promise to showcase the talents and dedication of our pupils. Firstly, our Christmas Concert, scheduled for 11th December, presents an excellent opportunity for you to witness the tireless efforts of the students.
Their preparation for this event exemplifies our core value of Resilience, and I encourage you to attend and support if possible. Year 11 students will be selling refreshments in order to raise money for their Year 11 Prom in June. (Details further down the newsletter)
Secondly, we are actively seeking entries for our Trust Christmas Card Competition. We welcome entries from pupils across all year groups and in any artistic form as outlined by the poster.
The prospect of seeing one’s creative efforts transformed into a printed card is exciting, and we hope we will attract a wide range of entries from across the year groups.
Last evening marked our Year 9 parents’ evening, an event that was exceptionally well-attended. The partnership between school and home that this event showed is crucial to our collective success. We are hugely grateful for your support in ensuring that we can provide the best possible opportunities for your children. Your ongoing support and engagement is invaluable. Unless we work together, we will achieve little.
With best wishes
Mr S Greiff
Stay Safe Cycling In Winter
We are now deep in to the months where it is dark arriving and leaving the school. We would like to remind students that cycle into school to wear appropriate reflective clothing whilst cycling to allow drivers and pedestrians to see you.
Year 11 Parents
As you are aware, Year 11 students have been working diligently on their post-16 applications and Pre-Public Examinations (PPE). We are delighted with their effort and determination in this crucial final year at Manor High School.
To support their preparation for the summer GCSE exams, we aim to recreate the experience of receiving results in August. With this in mind, we are pleased to invite students and family members to the PPE Results Evening on Thursday, 12th December, at the following times:
| Start Time | End Time | Houses |
| 5:30 PM | 6:10 PM | Bradgate / Clarendon |
| 6:15 PM | 6:55 PM | Knighton / Watermead |
The event will begin promptly at the stated times with a presentation in the main school hall, providing information to further support students in achieving success. Following the presentation, students and their families will meet with a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), who will share additional information and distribute the results envelopes. These envelopes will include:
- PPE results
- A copy of the summer exam timetable
- A letter from the Headteacher
We anticipate the evening will last approximately 40 minutes.
We hope this event will help foster a sense of pride and confidence in our students as they continue to build strong independent study habits. Senior Leaders and House Managers will also be available throughout the evening to provide support, particularly regarding student wellbeing.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s Year 11 tutor through the usual channels. Additionally, following the second round of PPEs in February, we will host a face-to-face Year 11 Parents’ Evening on Thursday, 20th March.
Due to limited capacity, we humbly request for students to be accompanied by one family member. Your support is greatly appreciated in helping us make this event a meaningful and authentic experience. This evening marks an important milestone in our shared goal of ensuring GCSE success for every student.
Lastly, the PPE Results Evening provides an opportunity to support the Oadby Food Bank. If possible, please consider bringing donation items such as non-perishable foods or toiletries. A list of needed items can be found on our website, and your contributions will be deeply appreciated.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you on 12th December.
Yours sincerely,
Dilip Karavadra
Assistant Headteacher
Careers Opportunity
On Monday and Tuesday we had over 80 students work with SMD Construction.
Our students were able to learn about the construction industry (including architecture, engineering, 3D modelling) and interact with people who are currently working in this industry.
The session included routes into construction, the range of jobs in the industry, demand for female workers, employability skills (teamwork, communication, attention to detail, problem solving, multi-tasking) and also the differences between the commercial and residential construction industries. The smd team were great and students had the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the team. We have attached some pictures.
Due to the weather over the weekend the site was not suitable for student visitors. We will work with the SMD team to re book the site visits for students.
Immunisation for All Years
Flu immunisation will take place on 12th December 2024. Parents have had communication outlining the details for the immunisation. Please find information below on how to provide consent and the contact details for the immunisation team.
How to give consent for your child to get the flu vaccination
- Make a note of the code for your school and visit www.leicsandrutlandimms.co.uk
The code for Manor High School is LE137120
- Select Seasonal Flu and enter the school code. On the consent declaration page you can consent for either the nasal flu vaccine or the injectable flu vaccine.
- You will receive a confirmation email when the form is submitted.
If you are unable to complete the form online, please call us on 0300 300 0007 or e-mail lpt.sais@nhs.net with your contact details. If you change your mind about your consent decision, please call us on the number above to change it.
Your school will let you know when the flu vaccination session will take place.
The consent system will close one working day before the vaccination session. You will not be able to submit a consent form on the day.
If you’d like to find out more about the nasal flu vaccine, watch our video on YouTube.
Duke of Edinburgh
Another reminder…We are currently in positive communication with the Duke OF Edinburgh team to ensure all of our students from last year’s Bronze and Silver Awards get the certification they deserve. Please ensure that students have updated their eDofE as best they can.
Going forward, we are also looking at how we structure our DofE provision here at Manor High School and have been communicating with the DofE team about this too. Our aim is to absolutely continue running both the Bronze and Silver awards as we have in the past.
We will be in contact with you as soon as we have a launch date set but please rest assured that we really value the DofE and we are fully behind continuing to run it here at Manor High School
Mandarin Club
Please note that Mandarin club will not be running on Tuesday 10th December.
Legends and Icons 11th December 2024
The Performing Arts Department warmly invites you to our Christmas production – Legends and Icons of Stage, Screen and Song. Students in our clubs and ensembles have been working hard all term on a variety of items inspired by iconic figures in music and drama. The performance will take place in the school hall, starting at 6pm on Wednesday 11th December.
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!
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.
Year 11 – Positive Steps 16 Site (PS16)
Deadline dates: the deadline for applications is Monday 16th December. Please note that any year 11 students who have their 1-1 careers talk during the weeks commencing 16/12/24 and 6/1/25 have a slightly later deadline of Monday 13th January. In order for us as a school to process your applications please ensure you have sent your applications off via the PS16 website by these dates.
Year 11 students have been sent their log in details to the PS16 website. These were sent 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.
Year 10 Work Experience
Our aim is for all students to be out on work experience as it is a really valuable experience. Students have been given a copy of both the standard application form and also the self-placement form. We have sent a letter to parents explaining this (the letter is also attached to this newsletter). We have also sent out FAQs related to work experience – please do refer to these (they are also attached).
Please can you ensure applications forms come back to school as soon as possible, the latest date being 29th November (if you have any issues please contact us). Please also find attached the student guide to work experience which is really useful.
Safeguarding Update
Please see the link below to a fantastic website to support young people and families. The Live Safe website gives lots of great tips about staying safe and gives parents lots of great advice on how to support young people in a range of different topics. The link below takes you to the staying safe on line page:
https://livesafe.org.uk/parents-and-carers/staying-safe-online/
Anti-Bullying Ambassadors:
Thank you for supporting our young people to show an interest in anti-bullying. If your child is still interested then please ask them to come and see me at break or lunch.
Young Carers: Who are They and Why do They Need Support? – Action for Children
A young carer is someone 18 years old or under who helps look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. This could be a parent or a sibling. Some children begin giving care from a very young age, and others become carers overnight. Caring for someone can be very isolating, worrying, and stressful. For young carers, this can negatively impact their experience in education. Over a quarter of young carers aged 11-15 regularly miss school. This can have a lasting effect on their life chances. Action for Children have written an excellent article on this vital issue. If interested, please click on the link below:
https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/blog/young-carers-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-impacted/
Please contact Mrs Ghani (Operational Safeguarding Lead) if you need any support or email aghani@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk
Online Parenting Courses – Family Lives
Being a parent has never been easy. There are no manuals for it, and previous generations may not be able to provide the insight you’re looking for. The family unit is more dispersed than ever, with some families existing hundreds of miles from what may be called a ‘core unit’. The rapid pace of societal change in the UK rapidly outstrips the knowledge of the immediate past. The result is that many parents may find themselves lost in a maelstrom of contradictory advice. For adults, time has never been more compacted. Family Lives has produced a series of online parenting courses, to make this challenge a little easier. If interested please follow the link below:
https://www.familylives.org.uk/how-we-can-help/online-parenting-courses
Family Lives offers a confidential and free* helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline). They can be contacted on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. Their website is also a rich source of useful support and advice.
(* Free from landlines and most mobiles)
Newsletters
Please click this link to view our Anxiety newsletter.
Please click this link to view our online safety newsletter.
Food Bank Collection
Manor High School will be collecting food donations for the Oadby Food Bank between now at the 16th December. Please see the attached list for suggested items to support the local community.
Extra Curricular Activities & Other Useful Information
Youth Volunteer Opportunities
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.