Newsletter 30.01.2026 - Manor High School

Headteacher’s Update

Dear Families

This week has seen a real focus on learning. As usual I have been visiting classrooms to look at not only engagement of learners but also the quality of that learning and I have been really impressed with both. Students are receiving a good classroom experience.

Recently we sent out a survey to parents, students and staff about lesson length at Manor High School, as we begin to plan for the next academic year 2026-27.

In response to this survey, 64% of parents felt that lessons were too long. 77% of students that responded felt the same. In addition, 75% of staff that responded to the survey felt that lessons should not remain at 100 mins in length next year and should be shorter.

There is no doubt that the current length of lessons has meant less movement time around the site, therefore less learning time lost. It also means less items to remember to bring to school, less books etc to pack into bags- this is largely irrelevant from next year as the entire school will have moved to 1-2-1 devices. It also gives opportunities for students to delve deeply into learning. It has also served us well in terms of generating some excellent outcomes for learners- being in the top 10% of school nationally for performance every year is not achieved by chance. One of the factors- the main one- is the quality of learning that takes place- this can be the same regardless of lesson length.

We will begin to plan to have 4 x 75 minute lessons next year instead of the 3 x 100 mins. We have thought long and hard about this, and gathered feedback because we want to try to make sure we are still able to have lessons where students can delve a little deeper- for example in food, science and PE. At the same time students often learn better in some subjects with slightly smaller chunks. This is certainly the case in Maths and Languages where there is research that supports seeing students more often can impact outcomes positively- so seeing the students more often than currently will be beneficial in these areas. We hope this will strike a balance for students. Obviously we will evaluate this and talk to stakeholders as next year progresses. To change lesson lengths is a significant change within a school, and change management requires careful planning. This means curriculum planning needs adaptation as a result of different lengths of learning sequences and also the work of planning subject curriculum allocations and timetabling for next year will now begin. Once we have more information around the structure of the day we will inform you. At this stage we do not anticipate having to change the start and end times of the day. If this should change then we would follow official government guidelines for doing this which would include a formal consultation.

With best wishes

Mr S Greiff

Manor High Students Take on the Italian Dolomites

Last week, 42 Manor High students enjoyed an unforgettable trip to the Italian Dolomites, spending a full week skiing every day in one of Europe’s most breathtaking mountain regions. Beyond the slopes, evenings were packed with exciting activities including ice-skating, sledging, and visits to the local mountain village of Folgaria.

Our students demonstrated incredible resilience and determination throughout the week. By the final day, every student was confidently skiing full runs across the resort—an especially impressive achievement given that the majority were complete beginners at the start of the trip.

The week was filled with new skills, long days in the mountains, and plenty of opportunities to build friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. It was a truly rewarding experience for all involved and a fantastic example of our students rising to a challenge.

The week was packed full of new skills, full days in the mountains and building new friendships.

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 Aisha of 7.4 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

Year 11 Post 16 applications

Students will be hearing back from the schools and colleges they have applied to.

Your applications will say ‘sent’ next to them. This may change to ‘processing’ and / or ‘acknowledged’. This is normal.

Some schools and colleges will contact quickly, others may be nearer the month of March.

Please ensure students check in on PS16 for any messages etc from schools and colleges. Students must respond to any requests for meetings / interviews and we ask that our students accept all offers they receive. By holding as many offers as possible our students can then make the decision that is best for them on results day in August.

Some students may receive offers before others – please try not to worry and be mindful that the schools and colleges are working their way through a number of applications and they will get to you soon.

Keep checking in on PS16 as well as checking your emails. Ensure you respond to any requests for meetings / interviews etc and let your tutor know about these.

Attendance

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

Our attendance figures as of 3pm last Friday were as follows:

Year 11 – 93.7%

Year 10 – 91.8%

Year 9 – 93.9%

Year 8 – 94.6%

Year 7 – 96.1%

Cycling to school

Please can we remind all students of the following for everyone’s safety:

When riding a bike to school we strongly recommend wearing a helmet.
Lights / high visibility clothing is also recommended in darker weather.
We also strongly recommend not having earphones or airpods on as you need to be aware of the sounds around you.
Please do not ride your bike over the school car park. This is dangerous. You should walk your bike along the pedestrian entrance at the beginning and end of school.
When cycling on the roads you need to keep to the left and not cycle in the middle of the road.
If cycling with friends you should cycle in line and not side by side.

Club Timetable Week Beginning 2nd February 2026

Student Leadership Book Swap – 6 February

Please see attached for the poster with details of our book swap event, organised by our student leaders. This will take place on 6^th February, at lunch time in the Study Centre. Students are encouraged to bring a book to swap with another, to get us all reading something new. Please note that all swaps are final and students are reminded that they should only bring books that they are happy to part with and that are in good, readable condition. This event is open to all students. We look forward to seeing you there!

All students are welcome to take part. Come along, get involved, and help us promote sustainability and a love of learning through reading.

Safeguarding Update

This term our focus is around Extremism and Terrorism and protecting students from this either face to face or online. The link below offers some great advice to parents about how to support your child in talking to them about extremism.

https://www.educateagainsthate.com/parents/

Discover some of the fantastic support services for parents and carers of secondary school aged young people offered by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and other agencies across the local area.

Support for Parents & Carers across Leicester

Support for Parents & Carers across Leicestershire & Rutland