Welcome to this week's newsletter
The sunny weather has brought a warmth and new energy to Manor this week. It is also good to have the lighter mornings and evenings so that our students can be outside for longer, getting the exercise and fresh air that is a boost to their physical and mental health. It also makes break duty and morning gate duty a lot easier, without having to wrap up against the elements.
The highlight of the week was the Spring Concert on Tuesday that involved a number of students from Year 7 right up to Sixth Form. The whole evening was arranged by one of our Year 12 students, Chris, who was able to recruit representatives from all year groups. He was ably assisted by mentors from Year 11 and Sixth Form which meant we had a range of different performances, from soloists to duets and whole group performances. It was a very positive evening and it was a great experience. Thank you to all the parents/carers and other visitors who supported the event, and especially to Mrs Jarvis for helping out with the organisation of the evening.
Another very positive evening was on Thursday at Year 12 Consultation Evening, where parents and carers came with our Year 12 students to discuss progress and areas to develop with their teachers. Our current Year 12 have had a great year at Manor and the mature and reflective approach they have to their progress through Sixth Form is to be admired. Eleven of Year 12 have also applied to be our Head Students for next year. Although I will miss working with Isabella, Lucy and Charlie (who have been amazing Head Students this year), the selection process has already started for next year and the quality in Year 12 has been very high. I look forward to getting involved with the final selection process next week, but all the students who have applied should be very proud of their effort so far and having the confidence to apply in the first place. I wish them all good luck in the process.
Finally, our exam season has taken its first steps this week, with Year 13 art exams taking place on Monday to Wednesday, where the talent and standard was incredibly high. I was able to see the completed work on Wednesday after school and the students should be very proud of the work they have put in and final product they produced. Year 11 had their first exam on Thursday with Digital IT. The exams will now come thick and fast, but it is important for students to balance their exam preparation with exercise and social time, so they remain fresh throughout the period. All of our students can still make a difference to their final grades with a well organised and structured revision and preparation programme. Teachers will support students in lessons and through additional booster sessions. However, if you know a Year 11 or 13 student who is struggling, Miss Bishop, Mr Cooper or I are available for them to talk to as a first port of call. Good luck to our Year 11s and 13s at this important time.
Please enjoy the long weekend, and I look forward to seeing our school community back next week.
Adam Crawte, Principal
Year 11 exam timetable
We will be sharing an overview of the following week's exam timetable both in the newsletter and on social media throughout the exam season. Students are to attend their normal lessons unless there is an exam (colour coded as orange) or booster session (colour coded as blue) for their subjects.
The latest version of the overall exam/booster timetable can be downloaded via the following link:
Dermaplaning blades
We know that dermaplaning is becoming more popular amongst young people and we have come across young people in school with dermaplaning blades in their make-up bags.
These blades are very sharp and the process of dermaplaning should not be carried out on the school premises.
Students found with dermaplaning blades (or any blade) will be sanctioned in line with the school behaviour policy.
Healthy minds blog
We have created a new blog to keep parents/carers up to date with the various provisions in place to support healthy minds in school and beyond. The first edition is linked below.
Exam preparation support
With Year 11-13 exams officially under way, PiXL have put together a useful guide for parents/carers of the top 10 tips to help you support your child through their exams. Click the button below to download.
UCAS application support
Please click the button below to download an advice guide for parents/carers to help support students through the next steps of their university application via UCAS (May-September start).
For further advice and guidance, please contact Mr Hill on shill@manor.school or Miss Collier on ccollier@manor.school
Sports news
We are delighted to report that several Manor students have been successful in recent football finals outside of school. Congratulations to Emily M in Year 8 who was part of the U13 county cup winning squad for Rushden & Diamonds, receiving player of the match at the same time. A big well done also goes to Libby W and Darcy C in Year 10 for their cup final win, also for Rushden & Diamonds.
In addition to the recent external football finals, three of Manor's teams are involved in upcoming district finals. Our U13 boys and U15 boys football teams will be playing in their respective football finals on Wednesday 14 May at Raunds Town FC, with the KO times to be confirmed but likely one at 4pm and the other at 5pm. Our U15 girls team have their final on Thursday 15 May, also at Raunds Town FC. It would be great to see as many people there supporting our teams as possible.
Finally, we would appreciate it if you could encourage your child(ren) to complete a short questionnaire on behalf of our recent university placement whose research project aims to better understand attitudes towards physical education and activity. The questionnaire is for Year 7-11 students and should take no more than ten minutes to complete.