Welcome to this week's newsletter
Winter has certainly settled in this week, with temperatures dropping steadily. However, it hasn’t slowed us down at Manor—we continue to move forward with purpose. Thursday provided an excellent opportunity for students to explore what our Sixth Form has to offer next year. It was fantastic to welcome our current Year 11s as well as prospective external students keen to learn about the courses available. We were also joined by Richard Spencer and Adam Steels from the Meridian Trust, who spoke about our new arrangement with Sharnbrook Academy. This partnership allows students to study one subject at Sharnbrook, broadening the range of courses available to them. Of course, students still have the option to study all their subjects here at Manor if they choose particular pathways. We are proud to offer families in Raunds and the surrounding area the chance to continue their education locally, without the need to travel long distances. Our Sixth Form continues to improve year on year, and we are confident that students who join us post-16 receive excellent support and teaching, leading to strong outcomes and impressive destinations beyond Manor. This week, we also had representatives from Manor competing in the regional cross-country championships. My respect and admiration go out to all the students who took part. Despite the wet and cold conditions, they showed tremendous determination. A special congratulations goes to Harley in Year 9, who finished tenth overall—an outstanding achievement. As the weather remains unpredictable, I encourage students to bring coats to school and dress appropriately for the colder conditions. Please ensure footwear is suitable and meets our uniform expectations. I would also like to remind everyone that jumpers and blazers may be worn together in lessons if students feel cold. Wishing you all a restful and relaxing weekend.
Adam Crawte, Principal
Nut allergies
We have several students at Manor who have very serious nut allergies that can develop into a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. For this reason, we are asking parents/carers to try and avoid sending their child(ren) to school with any nut-based products. An allergic reaction or anaphylaxis can occur as a result of digestion, inhalation or any other contact with nut-based products. Please remember to check the labels of all food items, and even if it only says "may contain nuts" avoid sending that food product into school. For example:
- Spreads e.g. Nutella, peanut butter
- Cereal bars
- Biscuits
- Cakes containing nuts
- Condiments e.g. sauces
We thank you for your support in this matter.
Sporting success
Congratulations to Year 9 student Mia B who completed her first 5k run at Alton Towers on Sunday 16 November. Not only did she raise just over £100 for charity, she completed the course in a great time of 32 minutes. We've been informed that she's now setting herself the challenge on completing a half-marathon next year, so we look forward to reporting on how she gets on.
I'm a Teacher, Get Me Out of Here!
Students are invited to watch teachers take on a series of gruesome eating challenges during lunchtime on Wednesday 26 November. It is always a popular event, so interested students are encouraged to head to the hall as soon as possible so that they don't miss out (£1 entry).
Year 10 Consultation Evening
Year 10 Consultation Evening – Thursday 11 December Bookings for meetings with teaching staff must be made using the Arbor app or online portal by following the link to the Consultation Evening on the dashboard. You will be able to start making the appointments at 8:00am on Tuesday 25 November and the system will close to new appointments at 12:00pm on Wednesday 10 December. If you have not already done so, the simplest way to register is to sign into the parent portal - please visit https://login.arbor.sc/ and select 'Forgotten password'. You will then be sent an email containing further instructions. Once you have registered, you can download the app from Google Play or the App Store and log in with your details. If you have any queries or concerns regarding this event, please email mdupille@manor.school
Church survey
4 Spires Benefice have asked us to share the following survey with our readers. They are reviewing the church services they offer in Raunds, Hargrave, Ringstead and Stanwick, and would value the input of the local community.
Christmas in the LRC
Our craft club students have been busy making the biggest paper chain they possibly can, which will be hung up in the LRC from the start of December. Any students wishing to take part are welcome to attend the club after school on Mondays.
There are a variety of other ways that students can join in the festive spirit, all thanks to our wonderful librarian. Please see details below.
Sports results
Our U13 girls had a fantastic afternoon of football this week against Rushden Academy and Sir Christopher Hatton. In the first match against Rushden, the girls battled hard and came away with a well-earned draw. The second game was another challenge, but the team showed great determination and secured a 1–1 draw, with Amelia I scoring a stunning goal. A big thank you to our officials: Referee Emily M and Linespersons Harley F & Jake G, who showed brilliant respect and support throughout. We are incredibly proud of how the girls played and how professionally they conducted themselves. Well done, team!
Elsewhere, twenty-three dedicated runners represented the school at the District Cross Country Championships on Wednesday afternoon. Despite the challenging cold conditions, every student showed outstanding determination, resilience, and team spirit. We achieved some fantastic individual results across the age categories, with our highest-placed finisher being Harley F in Year 9, who secured an impressive 10th place. Fellow Year 9 student Maxwell H followed with a strong performance finishing 14th, while both Tommy N (Year 9) and Sofia M (Year 8) battled brilliantly to claim 20th place in their respective races. We are incredibly proud of all our competitors who took part, supported each other, and represented the school with such enthusiasm. Well done to everyone involved!
Extra-curricular timetable
Please note that our after-school flag football club will now take place on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays.
Apprenticeship opportunities
Northampton College have a number of apprenticeship courses starting at the end of July 2026 that may be of interest to our Year 11 students. Please note that to be eligible for a Level 2 apprenticeship, a minimum GCSE grade of 3 in both maths and English is required. For Level 3 apprenticeships, the minimum requirement increases to a grade 4 in both subjects. Interested students are politely requested not to contact the employers directly.