Dear Families,

It is with great pleasure that I bring you the latest updates from our school. There is a focus upon our final year students at the moment, but we are also running various activities for other year groups too. One exciting initiative that we have recently launched is our reading miles tutor programme. Reading plays a crucial role in academic success, and we encourage you to talk to your child about this initiative. Alongside this, we are running a 'shelfie' competition, where we invite parents and carers to share a photo of their bookshelf along with a book recommendation. If you don't have a bookshelf, a photo of the book itself will suffice!  We are keen to raise the profile of reading and your support in doing so is truly appreciated.

Our Year 11 students have shown remarkable dedication and positivity during their speaking exams which started this week.  I have been truly impressed by their attitudes towards their studies. Walking around the school, I have observed a strong sense of focus in every year group, not just year 11, which is a testament to the hard work and commitment of both our students and staff.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents about the importance of safe parking around the school site. Please consider that your child is able to walk a short distance to your car.  This will help ensure the safety of all students both at MHS and also at Brookside Primary.

I would like to take the opportunity to give a polite reminder about the early closure at 12.40 next Friday, as detailed in our previous correspondence. This early closure is for us to complete some crucial staff training around the use of iPads in the classroom as we prepare for the launch of one-to-one devices for next year.  Please see the previous correspondence for more detail.

Thank you for being a part of our school community.

Mr S Greiff

The focus this week has been on the core value of resilience.  This is such an important character trait that we want to build in our students.  Not only will this ensure that they succeed at school, but it will lead to happiness and success beyond school.  Teachers have been catching students showing resilience this week and awarding them with double points!!!  672 resilience points have been handed out this week!!!

Year 11 rewards and behaviour

Year 11 are very focussed on getting the most of every session they have with teachers at the moment.  It is clear we have a cohort of students that want to succeed in their GCSE’s and beyond and that is testament to the hard work of students, teachers and parents.  We are very keen to reward students for engaging in their sessions and revision.  As such, we have created a prize draw which gives Year 11’s a chance to win a £50 gift voucher of their choice.  Each week we will pick a selection of students who have engaged with the revision miles and in lessons and intervention sessions.  They will then receive a ticket for the prize draw which will take place in 3 weeks' time.

With this in mind, we are changing the way we sanction year 11.  The vast majority of students are focussed and displaying impeccable conduct in lessons.  This is demonstrated by the low numbers of sanctions issued to year 11 students since Easter.  Where a year 11 student does misbehave, they will now receive break and lunchtime detentions rather than after school.  This is to ensure that students have the best possible opportunity to attend the high-quality intervention lessons that teachers provide after school.

This week, the school launched a project to get the whole school reading for pleasure. The academic and wellbeing benefits are vast and invaluable. By the 10^th May, every person in the school will read an appropriately challenging book. There are prizes available for the students who read the most and those who make the most progress, as well as the winning tutor group and House. We urge that all students read for at least 10 minutes a day to support with this; 20 minutes is even better. Research suggests that the more we read, the more we enjoy reading. Therefore, making reading a habit, or attaching it to something that we already do (e.g. during breakfast or travelling to/from school), is an effective way to increase our reading miles.

Additionally, we want to hear as many good book recommendations from students as possible. We invite students to ask parents/carers to send admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk a photo of their bookshelf with a recommendation to be posted on our socials. Students should consider who would like the book they are recommending and why. The best #shelfie will win points and prizes for positively impacting everyone’s reading miles. We look forward to getting everybody reading and rewarding students and staff this half term!

This week, Year 11 started a revision miles competition. Through this opportunity for praise and recognition, we hope to boost motivation and support for those who need to revise more regularly and effectively, as well as reward those who are already working incredibly hard at home. So far this week, our Year 11 cohort have completed a phenomenal 765 hours of revision in total. We cannot say enough just how impressive this is and how proud we are of our students, who are always willing to go the ‘extra mile’. We continue to encourage our Year 11s to support each other in and out of lessons, and to share top revision tips. Together, we can continue to achieve highly and look after each other as we enter the final weeks before written exams begin.

This year, all parents/carers have had the opportunity to meet with tutors and subject staff, at least three times. Last night, we hosted a successful online evening. We recognise the demands on our busy parents and families and hope that the opportunity to meet with tutors online provides a convenient solution. This was an important evening that provided you and your child with the opportunity to discuss their achievement, wellbeing, and any further support required. We ask kindly that you maximise the opportunities we provide to maintain regular and effective communication. Should you have any feedback, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Beauchamp City Sixth Form Course Guidance Meetings

Mr Burke from Beauchamp City Sixth Form (BCSF) was in school holding Course Guidance Meetings (CGMs) with students in year 11 who have been offered a place here. If a student was unable to attend the meeting, please do not worry – BCSF will be in touch to sort a virtual meeting with you directly. They will contact students directly.

Engineering experience at Loughborough University

The information below is from Loughborough University, who have a free two-day, on-campus residential, for year 11 students who want to find out more about studying engineering at university. Various eligibility criteria apply, please read all the information below and then follow the link provided for more information / to apply.

The application deadline is 6 May 2024 and should only take about 20 minutes to complete the form. Successful applicants will take part in a range of practical engineering workshops and industry talks. Each session will be run by our academics, careers team or an expert in industry and students are encouraged to pick subjects that they may not have considered before.

Cost - Engineering experience is free for successful applicants to the engineering experience program, as places are funded by Loughborough University.  This includes accommodation, food, and travel (travel costs covered up to £80).

Eligibility Criteria - Students must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Live in a neighbourhood which has a low progression rate to higher education or an area which has a high level of financial, social or economic deprivation. This is defined by home postcode, either:
  • POLAR 4 Q1
  • POLAR 4 Q2 and IMD Decile 1-4
  • IMD Decile 1 -2
  • Postcode that is eligible for Uniconnect

We have a postcode checking service to assist in the process of identifying these students. 

• Eligible for Free School Meals (within the last 6 years) or currently in receipt of/entitled to Pupil Premium 

• Time spent in care (3+ months)

To apply and find out more, please visit: www.lboro.ac.uk/engexp or email: Engexp@lboro.ac.uk

A message from WQE:

During the Summer Term, WQE are offering Masterclasses specifically for Year 10 students. They hope that these sessions will allow staff and students to engage with bespoke and inspiring material, with the aim of sparking interest and encouraging Year 10 students who are already starting to think about their Post-16 options.

The masterclasses will all run between 16:45 – 17:45 so there will be no impact on school attendance.

For more information including how to sign up to these, please follow this link: Year 10 Masterclasses - WQE

Students wishing to attend will need to book a place using this link: WQE Year 10 Masterclasses 2024

Over the past two weeks, Senior Leadership Team have been reinforcing key messages in Year 11 assemblies about the final few weeks ahead of final exams.

We are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication students have demonstrated towards their studies, whether this has been through complete engagement in lessons, attending interventions, or independent study. We want students to keep up the momentum to help them achieve excellence, inspire others, and earn respect in society as resilient individuals who want to succeed.

During last week’s assembly, Mr Greiff spoke about the importance of the remaining few weeks ahead of final exams. Mr Karavadra gave students a walk through the role GCSEs play in achieving personal as well as professional milestones. He spoke about GCSEs being a piece of a jigsaw, and the implications of a missing piece. He shared key messages of what students can do to support their studies and wellbeing. All students received a jigsaw piece with our core value of excellence written on it. This is our gift to them.   

This week, Mr Greiff emphasised the importance of managing stress and having the mental energy to perform through quality sleep, physical activity, and nutrition. Mr Karavadra spoke about being inspired from each other and staff as part of their study habits. We want students to leave Manor High School with a positive legacy and a wider inspiration footprint for our younger students. This week, students received another jigsaw piece with our core value of inspiration written on it. This is our gift to them.   

To support students, we reinforced the following study skills that you may find useful when talking to your child about revision:

1. Structured Revision Timetable: Allocate specific time slots for each subject or topic to ensure comprehensive coverage.
2. Active Recall Techniques: Engage in active recall methods such as flashcards, summarising key points, and teaching concepts to others to reinforce memory retention.
3. Past Papers Practise: Regularly attempt past exam papers to familiarise yourself with the format, time constraints, and types of questions likely to be asked.
4. Study Groups: Collaborate with peers for group revision sessions to discuss challenging topics, share knowledge, and test each other's understanding.
5. Healthy Lifestyle: Maintain a balanced diet, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep to support cognitive function and overall well-being during the revision period.
6. Utilise Technology: Explore educational apps, online resources, and interactive platforms to supplement traditional study methods and enhance learning.

Miss Permal gave a walk through our newly launched initiative called ‘Revision Miles.’ Collectively, students have completed 756 hours’ worth of revision this week, equating to around 153 miles. This is something students should truly be proud of. We also announced rewards that will be available for students over the next few weeks, including £50 vouchers for being the best they can be.

We want to do all we can to support students in their final stretch. This includes:

• Exam timetable – shared with students. Please check if your child has received this and all stated information is correct. Please inform your child’s tutor, who will look into any questions you may have.

• Interventions – afterschool targeted intervention sessions are continuing. Please do make sure your child attends as requested by their subject teacher. We are planning some additional Saturday and May half-term sessions. This will be communicated directly by subject teachers to you.

• Revision resources – we have invested in many printed revision resource packs, including past exam papers, and your child’s teachers will have provided these. Please encourage your child to use the resources and seek support from their teachers should they need to.

• Study space and support – study centre remains open every day till 5.30pm. Students are welcome to use this for independent or group study, and staff will be available to support and answer questions. 

• Pastoral care – House Managers continue to provide pastoral care to all students, but are available for students who need any additional TLC or support.

Furthermore, we are planning the following to maximise every opportunity for Year 11:

• SLT support clinics – we will be facilitating time and space for students to come and talk to a member of the Senior Leadership Team should students have any apprehensions or questions about their exams.

• Revision breakfast – research has shown a direct link between nutrition and focus in studies. We will be hosting breakfast for all Year 11 students every day of their exams.

We hope this information is useful in understanding our school’s effort to support your child. Please do contact us should you have any questions or require guidance on how to further support your child during the exam period.

Mr Karavadra

Here are the current standings:

1. Bradgate
2. Watermead
3. Clarendon
4. Knighton

Keep up the great work everyone!

HOW TO CONTACT THE SCHOOL

Your child’s tutor, also known as their trusted adult, is often your first point of contact. However, the following emails are also useful for parents to know:

• General enquiries:  admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk
• Exam enquiries:  exams@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk
• Finance and School Gateway enquiries:  finance@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk
• School bus enquiries:  buspass@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk
• SEND enquiries:  send@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk 

If you are not sure who to contact, please refer to our Who to Contact flow chart on our Contact Us page.