Welcome to this week's newsletter
Welcome back. I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable Easter break. It has been good to see students return this week and to spend some time catching up, hearing about how the break was spent. I began the week by leading the Year 11 assembly on Monday, focusing on the support available as exams begin this term. It was particularly valuable to have that close contact with students at such an important point, ensuring they feel informed, reassured and clear about the help available to them in the weeks ahead. I have also been able to spend time in a number of lessons this week, where it has been pleasing to see students working hard, engaging well, and showing a clear commitment to improving their learning. The highlight of the week, however, was attending the Under 14 girls’ football District Cup Final at Raunds Town FC on Thursday. To reach a final at district level is an achievement in itself, and the team rose to the occasion impressively. They showed excellent teamwork, determination and support for one another throughout, and I was extremely proud of how they represented the school. To come away with a 5–1 victory and be crowned District Champions is a fantastic achievement and one the whole school community can take pride in. Finally, a reminder that we will be holding a meeting for parents, carers and students to introduce changes to the pastoral system at Manor, which will come into effect after Year 11 and Year 13 leave in Term 6. This will take place on Wednesday 22 April at 6pm in the main hall. Please book via the link included in this newsletter. Thank you, as always, for your continued support as we begin the summer term.
Adam Crawte, Principal
Punctuality matters
Being on time helps students start the day calmly and ready to learn. Even being a few minutes late regularly can lead to a significant amount of learning being missed across the year. Preparing bags the night before and leaving enough time for the journey to school can make mornings easier.
- 8:20am School gates open
- 8:25am First bell - students move to tutor room
- 8:30am Second bell - tutor time begins, and register opens
- 8:30am School gates close
- 9:00am Tutor register closes
A student arriving after 8:30am and before 9:00am will be marked as late (L) and the number of minutes recorded on Arbor. Where a student has arrived late due to exceptional circumstances (e.g. late school transport) this will not be recorded as late. A student arriving after 9:00am and therefore after the register has closed will be marked as a U code. This is an unauthorised absence.
Pastoral system information evening
A reminder that we are hosting an information evening on Wednesday 22 April about our new pastoral system. The evening will include a presentation from Mr Crawte, who will outline the key features of the new pastoral structure and how it will benefit students. Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity to meet senior leaders, find out more about the changes, and discuss how the new system will work in practice. Please register for the evening by clicking the link below.
Year 12 Consultation Evening
Thursday 30 April, from 4pm 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 21 April and the system will close to new appointments at 12:00pm on Wednesday 29 April. 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 contact mdupille@manor.school
Sixth form news
Our sixth form students had a very busy Term 4. Not only were the Year 13s working hard to prepare for the recent trial exams and the upcoming summer exams, but they took some time out during curriculum day to also prepare for life after sixth form. Activities included budgeting for independent living, personal safety, car maintenance, cooking on a budget, and hearing about student finance and accommodation from a guest speaker from the University of Sheffield, representing the Elephant group. An interesting day for everyone involved.
Alongside curriculum day, students from both Years 12 and 13 attended interactive revision workshops delivered by Tutor2U at Star City in Birmingham to support the upcoming summer exams for business, health and social care, psychology and sociology. Thank you to Mrs Ireland and Layne for providing this opportunity for our students. Finally, the Year 13 Uniformed Protective Services students took part in their final expedition in Norfolk to complete their BTEC course on the last week of term. During the trip, the students were investigating the past and present involvement of US and allied forces in the UK, with visits to a tank museum, Norwich Castle, City of Norwich Aviation museum, and also witnessing various activity in the skies from US fighter jets and cargo planes during the trip. They completed their 12 mile walk from the Norfolk broads to Sea Palling, taking in the RAF radar museum on the way and looking at how the waterways supported military operations during WW2. Well done to everyone involved, especially for surviving the below-freezing, stormy conditions whilst camping!
As we move into the summer examination season, we wish our students all the best in the final weeks of preparation. Applications are ongoing for Manor Sixth Form via our Applicaa portal. Please contact sixthform@manor.school for more information and we can arrange a 1:1 conversation, or simply click on this link to apply - https://manorsf.applicaa.com/
Sports results
Football District Cup Final On Thursday evening our U14 girls played Hatton in the final for the District Cup and won with a convincing 5-1 score line. Their performance as a team and as individuals was exceptional, and despite on paper being evenly matched with the Hatton team it was Manor that stepped it up a gear. The first goal was slotted in by Olivia F after a driving run, beating a number of players and assisted by Mia B down the left wing, and then it was Mia herself who scored an incredible goal from a tight angle after again showing pace and strength down the left wing. Just before half time, captain Emily M got her goal after a corner was played short. Her quick feet beat two players before a low, powerful shot at the goal found its way into the bottom corner. At half time the girls were positive and knew that despite the 3-0 lead they shouldn't be complacent as anything could happen in a cup game, and as predicted Hatton did come at Manor with more intensity in the second half. However thanks to some excellent goal keeping by Lily A and with a confident back line in Lexi Y, Ettie Y and Emily C, these attempts were nullified. Manor soon added a fourth goal with Maisy B getting her name on the goal tally as the initial save was dropped by the keeper, with the ball unfortunately rolling through her legs and into the net. Safe to say that Maisy was very happy with her goal judging by her 'sea lion' celebration! Our final goal came from Amelia I who as ever had been steadfast in the centre of midfield, and thoroughly deserved to get her name on the goal sheet with a fine strike of her own. Manor continued to push with Emily M coming close to adding another, but the ball pinged off the cross bar, and Sofia M also came close to adding her own too. Hatton scored a late consolation goal which was well-deserved and demonstrated their own resilience to not give up and play right until the final whistle. This was a great game which was again well-supported by our Manor community and although we might be a little biased, we absolutely deserved to win the game! Well done to all the girls who represented Manor with such a wonderful attitude and aspiration.
League positions
A huge thank you and well done to all students who represented the school in one of the above sports teams this year. Your efforts and commitment have been outstanding - we look forward to going again next season!
Kit sponsors We are looking for someone to sponsor some football kits for both our boys and girls teams. If this is something you could help us out with, please contact Toni Hustwait at thustwait@manor.school
Extra-curricular timetable
Please note that with the exception of flag football which begins next week, PE clubs for Term 5 will start from Monday 27 April.
Careers and further education
Job of the week: Digital archivist
Army careers newsletter
Apprenticeship vacancies
Work experience webinar
Apprenticeships webinar for parents/carers
Choosing what comes next after school isn’t always straightforward and as a parent or carer, you want to feel confident you’re giving the right advice. With more options available than ever before, including apprenticeships, technical routes, and employer-led training programmes, it can be difficult to know what’s best for your child. This event is designed to give you clarity, confidence, and a better understanding of the opportunities available—so you can support your child, whatever path they choose. Click the link below for more information and to register.
Careers talk On Tuesday 5 May at 9:00am we have Olwen Mayes, Chairperson of the Higham Ferrers Archaeological and Research Society, coming into the school to give a talk about careers in archaeology as well as discussing some of the finds from our local area. This would suit anyone interested in career in archaeology, history and social sciences. Places are issued on a first come first served basis, and interested students (Years 9-13) should email careers@manor.school if they would like to attend.