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Manor High School
Newsletter
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Welcome...To the first newsletter of 2021. This has been another great term where, even with lockdown and online learning, there has been so much going on within school for our students. It is reassuring to know that the #ManorHighWay and #MagicofManor still shine through and are reflected in all we do. |
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10 Feb 2021
In light of the difficulties our GCSE year group face, we organised a Year 11 Motivational Day on Wednesday 10th February.
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01 Feb 2021
To keep our Year 11 students focused in the coming weeks and months, our Curriculum Leaders have all produced videos to talk directly to their students and encourage them to keep going!
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11 Feb 2021
To ensure our students are best prepared for whatever happens with their GCSE exams, we have put in place our Pre-Public Exams (PPEs) for after the half-term break.
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10 Feb 2021
We organised for Jeremy Dry from Maximize Your Potential to run a session for parents, to help support children at home at this time.
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11 Feb 2021
As we cannot go to the theatre, we brought the theatre to Manor High School!
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08 Jan 2021
We have been humbled by the generosity of our local community in recent weeks, with donations of devices to the school to help our children access online learning.
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09 Feb 2021
On Tuesday 9th February Mr Handley hosted a live question and answer session between four Year 13 students from Leicester Grammar School and four of our Year 10s.
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09 Feb 2021
Following the success of our #letsgetmoving initiative back in the first lockdown last year, we recently launched a new House competition to encourage our students to look after their health during this lockdown.
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05 Feb 2021
Our PE department are running house competitions for their groups during online PE lessons. The task is for students to create their own lockdown game.
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 #FriendlyFebruary
Children's Mental Health Week 2021 took place from 1-7 February 2021. This year's theme was Express Yourself. Lots of activities were shared that will help our students to express yourselves. To encourage peer support and happiness, this month we're focusing on reaching out to connect with others and doing our best to be a good friend - #friendlyFebruary. Our acts of kindness and connection ripple out and impact so many more people than we realise - and they also boost our own happy hormones too! In stressful times people around us may be feeling the strain, so let's try to keep calm, take time to listen and show compassion. So, why not join us and take part in with #FriendlyFebruary ? |
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12 Feb 2021
Mr McDermott is calling on all Manor High students to get involved with the Creative Earth art competition for people aged 16 and under from across the UK, run by the UN COP26 Climate Change Conference in collaboration with WWF.
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12 Feb 2021
We are quickly approaching Shrove Tuesday, Pancake day, on the 16th February. How creative are you ready to be on this day?
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Throughout Spring Term 1, students have demonstrated key skills whilst virtually studying a number of texts and topics across KS3/4: - Year 7: Fantastic Creatures + An Introduction to 19th Century Literature
- Year 8: Poetry from Other Cultures
- Year 9: Macbeth
- Year 10: Power and Conflict Poetry
- Year 11: GCSE English Language and Literature revision
We have been overwhelmingly impressed by students’ commitment to their work whilst learning from home. The following students have been selected by teachers across the English department for their resilience, work ethic and dedication to their learning: - Year 7: Dipinder Singh, Ikjot Sandhu, Kaylen Patel, Jack Dixon
- Year 8: Nye Gretton, Ryan Suen
- Year 9: Lauren Franklin, Mohammed Waka, Kayden Grewal
- Year 10: Alexander Magill, Resandu Suraweera, Alexander Lancastle
- Year 11: Shania Takhar, Hamza Dudha, Saarah Dawood
Well done to you all and keep up the good work heading into the next half-term! |
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Half-Term ChallengeIt is important now more than ever to look after your wellbeing. Miss Jordan would like to challenge you to a #Writing4Wellbeing challenge. It may help you to self-regulate, meditate on the present and be mindful of the emotions you are experiencing. All you have to do to enter is spend roughly 30-45 minutes writing a short story, a piece of description, a poem, a short play, a song/rap, or anything else that comes to mind on a topic of your choice. There are prizes available for the best pieces from KS3 and KS4! Send any responses to: Email: mjordan@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk Twitter: @EnManor or @ManorPastoral |
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Word of the Week Our ‘Word of the Week’ initiative has continued this term in order to develop student’s familiarity with key academic vocabulary. Students are challenged to extend their vocabulary through learning and using a specific word each week in all lessons across the school- even whilst online! Students are introduced to a selected word each Monday morning and are expected to learn the spelling, definitions, synonyms and etymology of the word to use throughout the rest of the week. These words are cross-curricular in that they have been recommended by teachers across all subjects. These have been our WotWs so far:
| Sustainability | Component | Abstraction | Pensive | | Obliterate | Adamant | Lacuna | Solitude | | Exhilarating | Tedious | Synergy | Flummox | | Defiance | Insurrection | Retraction | Benevolence |
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Update from the Languages Department |
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 The Modern Languages department would like to congratulate students in all years for your engagement in online learning this term. We miss you all and cannot wait until you return to school when it is safe to do so.
Over the past 6 weeks, students in French and Spanish have been covering the following topics: Students have been describing places in a town and giving opinions about their own town and region. They have also been introduced to the future tense to enable our most ambitious learners to achieve grades 8-9 in the upcoming assessments. In addition, we are starting to look at GCSE photo cards and how to answer this style of question at GCSE; gradually introducing GCSE-style questions throughout KS3 and 4 ensures that our GCSE students are well prepared by the time they reach Y11. Students are exploring the topic of clothes through the medium of shopping, giving them valuable skills for conversing in real-life scenarios in the French-speaking world. In order to further develop their cultural awareness, students are making comparisons between mealtimes in France and the UK and looking at traditional French breakfast foods, using an authentic video made by native speakers to enable students to see how these words are used in context. In preparation for GCSE French Theme 2 from the AQA specification, students are examining healthy and unhealthy lifestyles in French, and further developing their awareness of the Francophone world by taking a closer look at what French professional footballer, Kylian MBape, does to keep fit and be in top form for when he represents the French national team or Paris Saint-Germain FC. Students have completed a study of a French film called Bienvenue chez les Chtis, which examines the stereotypes between the North and South of France and further develops their knowledge of French culture. They have explored GCSE requirements for the speaking examination, which is worth 25% of their overall grade, with some Role Plays and Photocards, ensuring that they will be fully prepared for our mock speaking examinations in the summer term. Students have been learning how to say where they and others live and have been expressing opinions about where they live now and using the conditional tense to say where they would like to live in the future. They have also revisited free time vocabulary and, as beginners this year, are building their confidence moving between present, future and conditional tenses in their writing. Students have been exploring the topic of food and learning how to converse at a market stall. They have also used the same topic to discuss diet and lifestyle in preparation for GCSE when they will revisit healthy and unhealthy living when they cover Theme 2 of the AQA specification. Students have been comparing and contrasting their own diet with the traditional, Mediterranean diet and how mealtimes differ in Spain and the UK and in other Spanish speaking countries. They have also been working on exam technique and looking at the necessary skills needed to successfully answer 90 and 150-word questions on the GCSE higher and foundation tier writing papers. Next half term, we will begin to look at the speaking exam in preparation for students’ first attempt at a full mock speaking exam that will take place in the summer term. Year 11 French and Spanish: Year 11 students are now consolidating all of the knowledge and skills that they have developed throughout KS4 in order to prepare for their GCSE examinations in whatever form they may take this year. A revision guide and supporting video have been sent to all students and parents and additional revision resources uploaded to ShowMyHomework in readiness for the French and Spanish PPEs, which will take place on Thursday 11th March. |
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Year 7 to 8 language options Each year, Year 7 students must decide in the Spring term which language pathway they wish to pursue from Year 8 to Year 11. Students can choose to either continue with French or to take up Spanish in Year 8. Ordinarily, Year 7 students experience taster sessions in Spanish during timetabled language lessons in order to assist them in making an informed choice. Depending upon how long students are asked to continue working from home, we may have to conduct these sessions online. Either way, we will ensure that students have the opportunity to speak to their current Modern Languages teacher to ensure that they make a choice that is right for them and may make recommendations for some students if we feel a particular language choice would be preferable. |
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Second language GCSE entries | |
If you already speak another language at home and would like to be entered for a GCSE in this language whilst at Manor High, don’t forget to email Miss Burghoffer. We have previously entered students for GCSE examinations in Portuguese, German, Turkish, Arabic and many more. |
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Online learning and assessmentIn Modern Languages, we ensure that students receive the necessary resources the night prior to their online lesson so that they can organise themselves effectively; please support your child in reminding them to download the day’s lessons from ShowMyHomework (Satchel:One) prior to logging onto Teams at 08:40am so that we can ensure a prompt start to lessons. We have been delighted with the French and Spanish work produced by students who are working from home and, not to forget, our critical worker students who join us each day in school. Modern Languages teachers remain on Teams throughout the day when students are completing independent work to answer questions and address misconceptions, but we have been delighted by the resilience and independence shown by so many of our students.  Online assessment has been very successful and we have been able to assess students during lockdown in at least 2-3 skills via Microsoft Forms. In addition to live feedback give during Teams lessons, detailed formative feedback has been provided by Modern Languages teachers to improve students’ writing skills and we have already seen application of this feedback in subsequent lessons.
Thanks to our students’ superb engagement on Teams we have been able to continue to develop their speaking skills, something that could be so easily lost during lockdown when we cannot see our students face to face: |
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Cultural experiencesOther Modern Languages students have used their time at home to discover that learning a foreign language encompasses so much more than the language itself, and have discovered more about the music, geography and food of French and Spanish speaking countries; Delicia in Year 8 experimented with French cuisine to make a mouth-watering batch of French macarons, très délicieux! pic.twitter.com/a55kHwZqoL  Manor High School Modern languages department continues to maintain links with schools in other counties in preparation for when we can finally relaunch our immensely popular annual visits to France and Spain; 8wFr1 are currently composing their next letter which will be sent to their pen pals in Yvetot, France before half term.
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Update from Design, Technology and Art |
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Congratulations to all students, parents and carers for continuing with the high standards of work completed during these unprecedented times. The standard of work that we have received from students within this creative area of the curriculum has been great! We encourage all students to actively engage with their live lessons and participate in all interactive activities. Teachers within DTA have been busy setting a range of tasks to enable all students to make the equivalent level of progress. The response and positive feedback have been gratefully received. In between live lessons we have been busy renovating the DT workshop. We have managed to upcycle many of the resources that have been at the school since it was built. We look forward to seeing the student’s reactions when we are all eventually allowed to safely return to school. Please see the below photos for a preview of the workshop renovations. Congratulations to Kareem, Katy and Lauren in Year 9 who will be receiving a praise card for the work submitted online. Mr Tara, Head of Design, Technology and Art 
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Contemporary ArtYear 7 have been exploring the climate crisis of Global Warming. They have looked at its impact on marine wildlife and have enjoyed spending time illustrating fish in a contemporary way. They have also explored coffee painting taking inspiration from the book Alice in Wonderland. 
Year 8 have been producing GloboBot collages using the computer inspired by the artist Joel Kuntz. 
Year 9 have been exploring into life during the pandemic and creating art as social messaging and exploring colour wheel and animal skulls. 
Mrs Watson provided three examples of Key stage 3 work. These are exam pieces that the students have done at home using whatever they can find, in these cases coffee and tea were used. The skull is Year 7 work, the flower is Year 8 work and the portrait is Year 9 work. 
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 Food & Nutrition
Students have continued to show their dedication and enthusiasm to the subject through the work they have completed this term. They have adapted well to the challenging circumstances and have looked at ways to develop/adapt recipes based on the ingredients they have access to. Some outstanding practical outcomes have been produced by students independently, following demonstration videos by Miss Hackfath. - Year 7 have continued to complete their ‘snack chef’ project learning about the essential micro and macro nutrients needed by the body.
- Year 8 have responded with some great ideas within their ‘School meals’ project where they have been learning about a number of well linked topics such as nutritional needs, sustainability and the requirements for Food labelling.
- Year 9 have rounded up their World Food project this term. They have worked hard throughout the rotation look at range of Food provenance and Food choice topics.
- Year 10 have started their ‘Food safety’ chapter this term. Students have engaged well in online learning covering a number of topics such as Microorganisms, Food poisoning and contamination. Student have been strongly encouraged to still take part in the practical elements of lesson where possible. Our most recent practical was a change to see how microorganisms can be used in the production of food products. Below are some outcomes for our ‘Bagel’ practical.
- Year 11 have continued to show their resilience and commitment to their learning. Despite the uncertainty that exists, student have continued to work on their NEA. There has been evidence produced of very successful trial cooks completed at home that demonstrate a range of complex skills. Students will now begin work on their plan for their final menus.
Please look out for a Food competition that will be shared across school and social media platforms very soon!
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It’s been another busy couple of months in the humanities department. The team are now making all student work and learning resources available through MS Teams and this is successfully helping students to manage all their work in one place and also a great platform for students to engage in individual ‘live marking’ direct with their class teacher. We launched our @ManorHumanities weekly TV schedule over on our Twitter channel and we’re setting weekly challenges, riddles, sharing ‘on this day in history’ facts as well as showcasing the excellent student work we are receiving from our hard-working geographers and historians. 
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Geography
Year 7 - Rivers Our Year 7 geographers have been finding out about rivers, why they’re important to people and challenges faced by flooding. At the end of the topic students brought their learning to life with many producing 3D models of the river course and waterfalls. 
Year 8 – Sustainability in SE Asia Investigations have concluded in our Year 8 geography lessons with students looking at the environmental challenges faced by Southeast Asia. Students debated the topic of palm oil and whether large scale plantations should be banned and then rounded off the unit of work by producing coral reef models information guides, advice leaflets on how to protect and manage both rainforest and coral reef ecosystems. 
Year 9 – Global Hazards Year 9’s focus during this second 50-day cycle has been about the ‘Global Hazards’ that we face around the world in the form of tectonic activity and extreme weather. 
Year 10 – Urban Futures/Changing Climate Exam and answer writing skills have been a big focus for our Year 10 geographers as they’ve worked their way through the topics of Urban Futures (how cities around the world deal with population growth and the challenges that follow) and Changing Climate (how the planet’s temperature is increasing and the different human and physical reasons behind). 
Year 11 – UK in the 21st Century and Revision With the main teaching components of the GCSE course almost complete, our Year 11 geographers are now starting to switch their attention to revision; refining knowledge and exam skills. Students have their next PPE in a couple of weeks’ time and it will be Paper 2: People and Society. Despite the challenges of remote learning students have been well engaged and continue to work hard. Students have also been learning how to maximise their revision time through the Seneca and GCSEpod platforms. |
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HistoryThis term in History, we have seen some amazing online work completed on GCSE topics that will really prepare our students for this term and the coming year. 
In Year 7, we have been studying Warwick Castle and students have had the opportunity to do extensive research on the historical site and have produced some great leaflets. 
We have been practising source skills and learning about WWI in Year 8 and there have been some really insightful discussions on the causes and how they link together, really testing the students' analytical skills. 
In Year 9, there have been some very creative pieces of work submitted online, one being revision aids focusing on a 'Nazi Street.' The task was to think of how the lives of workers, women and children changed throughout the rule and present them as a street that moved through the time 1933-45. There were some excellent pieces of work produced showing an exceptional standard of learning. 
At Key Stage 4, students have been working hard to revise for their exams and assessments and live marking has allowed the teachers to secure understanding of exam technique. |
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Maths Student of the Day has proven to be very popular within every year group and a highly competitive atmosphere has developed as a result of students wish to receive this certificate. An abundance of Maths post cards for excellent behaviour, effort and achievement have also been sent via post and our reward Christmas card was also given to those in Year 7 who have made a wonderful start to their five year GCSE journey. Our students are really embracing their online learning, and this is what the different year groups have been studying recently. Our Year 7 pupils have settled in brilliantly and before the Christmas break completed their second assessment with us. They have adapted to the secondary Maths ethos and are enjoying tackling the new challenging algebra topics that Key Stage Three offers. Through our revised schemes of learning, we have been able to balance the challenges of secondary level Maths, with the transition from Key Stage Two to our five-year GCSE pathway, which is seamlessly embedded in class work, homework and assessments. Later this academic year we hope to be completing the UK Junior Maths Challenge with selected students. More details will follow closer to the time. Year 7 and Year 8 students alike have embraced the home learning MS Teams lessons that have occurred throughout the term and adapted wonderfully to the use of these and for those who required it, the blended learning. The Diagnostic Questions website continues to be an invaluable tool that allows us to check and assess work that is completed at home and all students should be now have followed the step-by-step guides published on Show My Homework to create accounts. Year 9 students are now one and half terms into their GCSE three-year programme of study. They have navigated the challenges of home learning brilliantly and seamlessly transitioned from classroom learning to online platforms when the need arose. The students have started the academic year with great engagement and successfully completed an online assessment this term. Students have also been able to make effective use of the Diagnostic Questions platform and are able to attempt GCSE style questions and past paper problems at home whilst still being given the opportunity to develop their thinking skills through explanatory responses and instant feedback. Selected Year 9 students were also given the opportunity to participate in the Intermediate UKMT Maths Challenge online and we eagerly await the results. Year 10 students have continued to work through their GCSE curriculum at pace. The levels of challenge may have increased but student aspirations have matched this and we continue to see some excellent outcomes. The first term has also seen the start of the optional GCSE Statistics course, so the pace of learning has not diminished despite the disruption at the end of Year 9. Students are now working through the newly reconfigured Year 10 GCSE programme of study that has supported students to review the topics that were covered since the school closure in March. Integration of key Year 9 concepts has given students the opportunity to consolidate these topic areas whilst working at pace through the Year 10 curriculum. A focus on algebra as a key component of GCSE Mathematics has led to all Year 10 students being offered the opportunity to consolidate this area with a Christmas home learning booklet. This has been followed up with a focus on application of these skills to contextualised questions and an opportunity to further develop assessment objectives for the AQA competencies. All students will be issued with the relevant materials through Show My Homework and it will support students to return with the confidence and prerequisite knowledge required to tackle further challenging aspects of this area. All Year 10 students have also recently completed a GCSE online Maths assessment and we have continued to be impressed with their commitment to new challenges, new technology and the rapid changes that have occurred since the start of the academic year. Selected Year 10 students from set one were also given the opportunity to participate in the Intermediate UKMT Maths Challenge online and we eagerly await the results. Year 11 students returned in August with an abundance of questions concerning how their Maths GCSE examinations would unfold. Despite the changing times and the challenges that this has brought about, they have been, in many cases, confident in sitting their most recent online Pre-Public Examinations. Careful and considered restructuring of the GCSE pathway and topic arrangement has meant that students were able to revisit and further consolidate and build upon the topics studied during the home learning period at the end of Year 10. A home learning pack given to students allowed them to revise and prepare in a structured and efficient way. We have seen how students embrace this style of revision and, as such, issued every Year 11 student with a Christmas home learning pack to support organisation, time management and effective revision strategies. This has been followed up with a further revision pack which is available via Show My Homework and will enable students to reflect upon their understanding, apply their skills and prepare for the next series of Pre-Public Examinations. All Year 11 students should now have received this and emails have been sent with further details. A huge well done to Year 11 for their resilience in difficult times, whilst maintaining their drive and determination to succeed. They have embraced the fact that every lesson counts and we would encourage them to continue to seek support from their Maths teachers in the same way as they would in class.  A special mention goes to...
We have continued to be delighted with the way in which students have embraced the rapid changes that have occurred throughout the academic year and particularly since the start of 2021. A special mention to the following pupils who have excelled: |
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Year 7 - Marley Reid
- Kimi Dhillon
- Paul Nwankwo
- Peter Nwankwo
- Jack Westgate
- Eesaa Bhayat
- Fatimah Din
Year 8- Sophie Rees
- Aiden Thomas
- Veer Shoker
- Amaar Fiyazuddin
- Yahya Mussa
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Year 9- Mariam Ibrahim
- Riya Choudhury
Year 10Year 11- Zainab Alfred
- Raul Basi
- Reema Morjaria
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Computer Science and Business |
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Tuesday 9th February marked this year’s Safer Internet Day 2021. Safer Internet Day is a global campaign to promote the safe and responsible use of technology, which calls on young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies, policymakers, and more to join together in helping to create a better Internet. Using the Internet safely and positively is a key message that we promote at Manor High School and focusing on Safer Internet Day is a great opportunity for us to re-emphasise the online safety messages we deliver throughout the year. Over the last week, all students have been shown an assembly aimed at ensuring that we are able to clearly identify false information when researching on the Internet, something which is critical in the current global climate. We would be grateful if you could join us in continuing the message of the day by continuing the conversation at home. To help you with this, you may be interested in downloading the free Safer Internet Day Education Pack for Parents and Carers which is available at: saferinternet.org.uk/sid-parents. There are also top tips, a quiz and films which you can use at home with your child. Some other resources which you may find helpful in supporting your child online are: - Advice for parents and carers from Childnet
- Tips, advice and guides for parents and carers from the UK Safer Internet Centre
- Guides on popular apps and games from NetAware
- Reviews and information about games, apps, TV shows and websites from Common Sense Media
- Help on using parental controls and privacy settings from Internet Matters
- Information and reporting of online grooming or abuse from CEOP
Online safety is an important issue which as a school we’re committed to teaching our students about. Mr Mehta |
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Please click on the links below to find out what each year group has been up to this term. WOW!!! What a year it’s been so far for Year 7.  The students have been keeping themselves busy this half term learning about particles and the earth’s structure. They have had the opportunity to take part in many experiments including investigating how to separate materials using scientific equipment and separating colours using chromatography. The later part of the subject has been delivered through live online lessons and we are all very impressed by their enthusiasm and engagement and have received some fantastic work from them.
In fact, we have been so impressed, the Science teachers have been sending out postcards - so watch this space, you could be next! As part of their online learning, Mrs Mulla’s classes having been developing their research skills further by exploring chemistry concepts and presenting them to their teacher- the students have been encouraged to speak and think like a Scientist! Following the end of the chemistry content, our students have recently completed an online hybrid test in biology and chemistry. We are now looking forward to moving onto Forces and Energy.  During this half term, Year 8 students have studied Biology. They have been fascinated by the complexities of the human body, learning about processes such as respiration, digestion and circulation, as well as learning about the structure of DNA and its role in inheritance. Students have also studied ecology, in which they learnt about the functioning and importance of plants and animals in an ecosystem.
Students completed an assessment in which they were asked to recall information they had learnt last term in physics, as well as application of biology knowledge. Miss Vaghela asked her class to complete a story or poster to explain how a cheese sandwich is digested. Here is an example of some work produced by Melinda in 8x1. Melinda included a lot of scientific detail, as well as including her own creativity in this. Amazing work and efforts by all our Year 9 students.  We started learning physics content this half term and have nearly completed. It has been a challenging unit as there have been lots of equations to learn and practice. However, Year 9’s have done really well in accomplishing tasks set by their science teacher during online lessons.
The Year 9 cohort has done exceptionally well when it comes to adapting to the online styles of learning and assessment and have continued to show resilience in overcoming all challenges. Challenge: Ask a family member to test you on your physics equations Year 10 have been getting familiar with online learning and online assessments. The cohort has done exceptionally well when it comes to adapting to the online styles of learning and assessment. This has been an excellent opportunity to explore online and digital resources. One example is the gathering and analysis of results using browser based 'experimental simulations'.  Shown is the analysis of the optimum pH of digestive enzymes. This experiment allowed for live plotting of data for analysis and further investigation. Another experiment involved analysing the variables that affect photosynthesis; students manipulate the experiment and gather their results for analysis.
The science department are very impressed with the dedication of students and the high quality work that is being turned in for marking and feedback by class teachers. Please ensure you keep up the good work and email your class teacher if you need any help with anything. We appreciate things are really tough at the minute so Miss Thompson has recorded a video message to motivate and inspire year 11 students as we enter the last term of the academic year! Please continue to support your child to engage in the online learning and continue to submit their work to their teacher. Every lesson for our Year 11s really does count as we draw closer to the end of their school years. Thank you for all your support this half term. Year 11 intervention after school sessions continue after the holiday and it is important that your child attends these sessions if their teacher has invited him/her to do so. Year 11 - Combined Science Year 11 Combined Science students have continued to work hard on their chemistry content and revising for the upcoming science PPE exams. They are currently covering the "chemical analysis" topic before moving on to study "organic chemistry" and "using resources".  These last few topics will link what students learn in the classroom to the wider world and students will have an enhanced understanding of the impact of humans on things like the Earth's atmosphere and global warming.
Students will have been taught all the content for the science course by the Easter holidays, meaning that they can thoroughly revise and prepare for any assessments that may need sitting after Easter. Some important PPE dates for year 11 combined science students are: - Monday 22nd February - Biology paper 1
- Tuesday 2nd March - Chemistry paper 1
- Wednesday 3rd March - Physics paper 1 and Biology paper 2
Class teachers will have provided revision resources on SMHW to support all students with their independent revision for these exams. Year 11 - Separate Sciences Year 11 Separate Science students have now finished the course content and will be preparing for their upcoming PPE exams. After these, students will have plenty of time to revise content from both years 10 and 11 in preparation for any exams/assessments they may need to sit this academic year. Some important PPE dates for Year 11 Separate Science students are: - Monday 22nd February - Biology paper 1, Chemistry paper 2
- Tuesday 2nd March - Chemistry paper 1, Physics paper 2
- Wednesday 3rd March - Physics paper 1
Class teachers will have provided revision resources on SMHW to support all students with their independent revision for these exams. Daniel in 11B physics has been spending his home learning time very productively. As well as completing all his class work to a very high standard, he has also completed the calculations for a model of the solar system on the school field.  Daniel calculated all the distances and diameters of planets to scale - this will certainly be useful when teaching about the solar system in the future, since class teachers will be able to make a student model based on his work!
 Daniel has also extended his learning from the "specific heat capacity" lesson and produced a fantastic graph using the Focus e-learning software that shows the specific heat capacity for different materials. Mr Loweth and Dr Kellett were very impressed with his efforts!
 The Year 11 astronomy students are nearing the end of the Edexcel GCSE astronomy course.
They are currently delivering weekly lessons to each other that they have been planning over the last few weeks and months. Sadia and Shailee have both delivered their lessons, which were informative, engaging and covered all of the key learning... Dr Kellett was so impressed she's going to be keeping their lessons to re-use in years to come! Jacob will be delivering his lesson after the half term break, and they will all be submitting their coursework before the Easter holidays. Dr Kellett is blown away by the dedication and motivation of the astronomy students! They all did incredibly well in the recent paper 1 mock exam they sat and they will be sitting a paper 2 mock exam in March after the course has finished. |
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 Bradgate House
Hi everyone! Here we are at the end of another very strange term. I know it has been very challenging for some of you and want to congratulate you all for continuing with fantastic engagement to all lessons. I know that working online has its own difficulties for everyone. Please do remember that school is now running as a ‘virtual school’ and your attendance to every session is compulsory and is being monitored daily. I am really pleased to see so many of you taking part in the numerous competitions that are being sent out. I was so pleased to see Sayful and Izzy winning second place in the competitions they entered; that’s a whopping 600 points gained for Bradgate House! Well done both of you! Entering competitions are a great way to earn lots of points for Bradgate House. I would really encourage you all to try and take part - you have to be in it to win it! As a house we need to try and gain as many points as possible as we are currently sitting in third place in the House Cup Competition. I know we can get back up to the top spot with hard work and determination. Finally, I would just like to take this opportunity to say that I cannot wait to see you all back in school, but for now if you need anything you can email myself or your tutors for any support. Please stay safe and enjoy the half term break making sure that you take some time out for yourself to relax, ready to start the new term feeling refreshed. Miss Booth |
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 Clarendon House
Firstly, I would like to say well done to all of you for continuing to embrace learning from home. Traditionally, this week's assembly would allow me to rewards students for their achievements over the term. Many congratulations to those of you who have 100% attendance for on-line learning. In addition, many of you have taken time to participate in the numerous competitions that have been organised by your teachers. Clarendon have submitted many entries, and we have had winning pieces from Sophie Rees and Carlos Thompson, both of whom submitted entries for the History Holocaust Memorial competition and achieved first and third place. Eisha Sodha achieved first place for her amazing entry to #letsgethealthy, she created a beautiful cake to celebrate her birthday! Well done to you all, you amassed 1000 points between you. Entering the competitions is a fabulous way to have some time for yourself to relax and enjoy time away from your electronic devices, in addition you will contribute to Clarendon's ambition to win the house cup. I want to remind you that attending all online lessons every day and being punctual is essential. This is the expectation whether you are physically in school or at home. To be actively involved with your learning puts you in the strongest position for your assessments throughout the year and for your future. Remember that if you have any questions please contact your teacher, tutor or me. While we are expecting you to continue with your home learning please take some time to get outside into the fresh air. The day light hours are lasting longer and although it may be cold, being outside playing, walking or running are all effective ways to re-energise yourselves. Finally, I would like to share with you some words from Dr Seuss that seem to be apt for life today: “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” Enjoy half term, take time to relax and rejuvenate, ready to return to learning after half term. I look forward to seeing you all soon. Take care and stay safe. Mrs Wale |
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 Knighton House
Thank you, Knighton House, for your attendance and engagement in online lessons this term. As always it is paramount that you are ready to learn from 8:30am onwards and to remain punctual and engaged in all sessions during the day. This is to ensure that you are supported to maintain the focus and routine, essential for your progress in all subject areas. I am very proud to see the majority of you recognised in the February rewards assembly. Equally do take your breaks, go outdoors for some fresh air daily, drink plenty of water and take that time to do something you enjoy. Your communication with friends and family will help to alleviate any worries and remember to contact your form tutor or myself if you need any support with your wellbeing. We are here regardless of how big or small your concern is. I am impressed to learn that siblings Isa, Adam and Layla have continued to volunteer at the local stables, tending to the horses and cleaning out their areas. Well done to all of you for doing this and being excellent citizens by supporting the local community. Working together outdoors promotes good mental health too! Our fundraising for the annual British Heart Foundation Dechox is an outstanding £862.00 so far! During these challenging times your fundraising achievements are especially praiseworthy. The money you have raised will provide equipment and assist with research in our hospitals. Thank you to all those who took part including students from the Clarendon and Watermead Houses. We will celebrate this on your return to school. Our recent competition winners Riya Choudhury (Year 9) and Faisal Mulla (Year 7) contributed an additional 300 points to our house total helping us to stay in top position! Every entry is making a difference, please keep sending them in and look out for the #SendaHug competition after half term. Enjoy your break and be ready to make those five weeks count before Easter! The best of luck to our Year 11 students in their PPE’s, you can do this and deserve the every success. Take care and stay safe, Mrs Ghani |
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 Watermead
As we approach the February half term the thought of the Christmas holidays seem a distant memory. Keeping focussed on your school work while sat at the kitchen table, often at the same time as your parents are trying to continue with their own work, can feel like an insurmountable challenge, but it’s important to keep positive and celebrate wins, irrespective of how small they seem. What can we consider a small win? Keeping our routine as normal as possible, for example: - going to bed at a set time,
- getting up for school as if you had to travel to school
- being ready to start your on-line lesson of the day on time,
- attending every session of the day
- submitting your work in on time.
These are easy wins that you all can achieve. There is an incredible amount of work that is going on behind the scenes to give you the best on-line experience to maintain the high standard of education that you have become accustomed. Watermead House are still challenging for the house cup at the end of the year, so please make sure that you all stay involved in competitions and enter as many as you can. I would like to say well done to Rayan Mojid of W4 who displayed an incredible talent for art and baking in the #letsgethealthy competition. There will be many more competitions in the coming weeks so look out for them and get involved. It’s important that you know that you can contact me for support or advice during this lock down, a few have you have already done so and its wonderful for me to have contact with my Watermead students. I hope you all take time to recharge during half-term so that you can really challenge yourself to stay focused and achieve great things. Mr L A King |
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 Year 7 Citizenship Challenge
In Citizenship, Year 7 have been thinking about healthy living including nutrition and exercise. Some of Mrs Patel’s group completed a challenge to design a healthy three course dinner date for two and an exercise plan to complete before (or after!). Suggested starters included pasta salad, golden vegetable soup or breadsticks and dips. Main sounded delicious with a choice of roti and lentil curry, chicken burger with sweet potato fries or grilled steak with tomatoes and mushrooms. Those with a sweet tooth were spoilt for choice with chocolate filled mini samosas, mini mango and passion fruit cheesecakes, vegan chocolate fudge cake, fruit salad, apple pie or homemade ice cream. I can only hope that my Valentine’s dinner will be half so good! In order to off set all those puddings, students designed some very challenging workout plans (Joe Wicks watch out). Ideas varied from dance workouts, circuit training, swimming and canoeing, climbing walls, weight-lifting and boxing. It was great to see the enthusiasm with which the students tackled this piece of work and that they provided such a diverse menu and range of sporting activities. Well done Year 7! |
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