Welcome to this week's newsletter
Happy New Year. The first week of term has certainly flown by. It feels like only yesterday that I was welcoming staff back for our Training Day on Monday, and already we are at the end of the week. Staff spent a highly productive day focusing on how we can best support all students in lessons, with particular attention given to students with SEND. We also explored how we will support students through recent changes to the pastoral system, which I outlined to parents and carers earlier this week. Since then, I have led assemblies with students in Years 7–10 to explain what these changes mean for them and to share the longer-term vision for pastoral care at our school. It was a pleasure to welcome students back and to reinforce our expectations for the term ahead. It has been great to see students return after the Christmas break with enthusiasm and focus. In particular, conversations with Year 11 students have shown a real determination as they begin the final push towards their summer examinations. Teaching a Year 11 History class on Tuesday was a valuable opportunity to see this focus first-hand in lessons. There is still significant time for students to make a real impact on their final outcomes, and staff will continue to support them both in lessons and through additional booster sessions during tutor time and in Lesson 6 after school. I strongly encourage students to make full use of the support available now, rather than leaving things until the last moment. Effort invested at this stage will be rewarded later, saving time and positively influencing final grades. On Thursday, it was a privilege to join our local MP, Lee Barron, along with other local representatives, at a SEND Roundtable to discuss the future of SEND provision nationally. The discussion, held at the Voco Rockingham Forest Hotel in Corby, will help inform the upcoming Department for Education White Paper on SEND. It was an important opportunity to share the experiences of our staff, parents, and students in Raunds, ensuring their voices contribute to shaping future policy in this vital area. Finally, I would like to thank our site team and colleagues from Nene Education Trust for their work in preparing the school for potential inclement weather today. Thanks to their efforts, we were fully prepared to respond if conditions had worsened. Fortunately, we experienced only rain and sleet, allowing the school to remain open as normal. I wish you a restful and relaxing weekend.
Adam Crawte, Principal
PE uniform
All students in KS3 and KS4 at Manor School are required to participate in Physical Education. To ensure lessons are conducted safely and hygienically, students must wear the correct PE uniform. This must be navy blue and include all mandatory items: a PE t-shirt, tracksuit bottoms, shorts or leggings, and trainers. During colder weather, students are strongly encouraged to bring additional layers such as sweatshirts or fleece jackets, waterproof jackets, hats, and gloves, as PE lessons will continue to take place outdoors. If a student has a long-term illness or injury that prevents them from participating practically in PE, they are still expected to change into their PE kit in line with our “sick or fit, bring your kit” policy. Students are only exempt from changing if they have a physically debilitating injury, such as a broken arm or leg. We have revised our sanctions for students who do not meet expectations regarding the wearing of the correct PE kit:
- First occasion: No sanction will be issued, provided the student wears the spare kit supplied by the PE department.
- Second occasion: A READY behaviour log will be recorded on Arbor, resulting in a lunchtime detention 24 hours later, provided the student wears the spare kit supplied.
- Third and subsequent occasions: The student will receive an after-school detention on a Wednesday or Friday, provided they wear the spare kit supplied.
If a student refuses to wear the spare kit, they will be sent to Reset for refusal to comply. They will complete silent, independent work for the remainder of the PE lesson, the following lesson, and either break or lunchtime, depending on when the PE lesson occurs (for example, removal from Period 1 will result in missing Periods 1 and 2, plus break). We would like to thank the majority of students who consistently arrive at PE lessons ready to learn in the correct kit. This policy will not affect those students, who continue to meet expectations and demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning.
Consultation Evenings
Year 11 - Thursday 15 January You will be able to start making the appointments at 8:00am on Thursday 8 January, and the system will close to new appointments at 12:00pm on Wednesday 14 January. Year 13 A-Level - Thursday 22 January You will be able to start making the appointments at 8:00am on Thursday 15 January, and the system will close to new appointments at 12:00pm on Wednesday 21 January. * * * 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. 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 these events, please contact mdupille@manor.school
Sixth form applications
A reminder that the initial deadline for applications to our sixth form for September 2026 is Friday 16 January. Click here to apply.
GCSE webinar
The Degree Gap are hosting a free webinar titled ‘A Parent’s Guide to Supporting GCSE Success’ on Wednesday 28 January, 7-8pm. They will be covering:
- What mock results really mean and how to respond calmly
- What effective revision actually looks like at home
- How to spot burnout early and fix it before motivation drops
- How to set one or two focused goals that lead to visible improvement
Click here to register.
Activity survey
Raunds Town Council and Stanwick Parish Council are collaborating with North Northants Council to explore ways our community can enhance the health and well-being of our children. They would love to hear your thoughts on local opportunities for your child(ren) to be physically active. If you have a few minutes to spare, they would be very grateful if you could complete this brief survey. The survey is anonymous, and the results will be shared in the near future. To participate, please click here.
Extra-curricular timetable
There have been some changes to the PE after-school clubs on offer this term, with some clubs now taking place on a different day to last term. Please also note that there will be no basketball club on Thursday 15 January due to the Year 11 Consultation Evening.