Welcome to this week's newsletter
As September fades, we have enjoyed a few last bursts of summer weather, but it has certainly started to feel more wintery this week with darker and colder mornings. However, it has warmed my heart to go into lessons and see our students working hard and learning well with the support of their teachers.
On Thursday, we welcomed our Year 11 families into school to share information about the support and milestones in place to help prepare students for their exams. At this stage, success is always about partnership between students, staff, and families, ensuring the right support is in place. After-school sessions will build on what happens in lessons, while understanding when the key “pinch points” will come will also help achieve the best outcomes. The presentation from the evening is available on our website if you were unable to attend.
A highlight this week was the launch of the Manor Passport for our Year 7 and 8 students. This initiative encourages students to be more than just great learners in the classroom. At Manor, we celebrate the whole child and recognise the importance of developing rounded individuals who push themselves beyond the norm. We encourage students to take part in extra-curricular clubs and embrace new experiences to gain Manor Passport points. I am especially looking forward to awarding our current Year 8 students with their Manor Passport awards later this term.
Finally, a reminder that our Year 6 into 7 Open Evening takes place on Thursday 2 October. Details of presentations and timings are available on our website. Moving to secondary school is a big step, and we are here to show what life at Manor is like and answer any questions about the year ahead. Representatives from Meridian Trust will also be present to talk about what being part of the Trust means.
Have a great weekend.
Adam Crawte, Principal
Duke of Edinburgh Award
We were delighted to present a group of Year 10 students with their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award certificates in their assembly this Thursday. They have all completed a variety of volunteering, physical, skills-based and expedition activities in order to receive their award.
We have even more students signed up to the award programme and we hope to be able to present them with their own certificates in the near future.
Keen for Kin-Ball
In our district sports calendar we are lucky to be able to host various sporting opportunities that might fall outside of the traditional. One such opportunity took place this week with the game of Kin-Ball.
Miss Hustwait put a call out to our KS3 students to see if anyone fancied giving this game a go, and had responses from six keen students. They travelled over to Rushden where Wrenn and Friars schools were also in attendance, and all had an enjoyable afternoon learning how to play the game.
There will be lots of other different sports and games coming up throughout the year so hopefully more students would like to also learn something new.
Well done to Callum C, Sofia M, Hannah H, Maria D, Cara J and Hannah S for their respectfulness and enthusiasm towards others and the game.
Musical instruments survey
Our music department is currently collecting information regarding students' involvement with musical instruments in order to review and enhance our extra-curricular offerings. We kindly ask that you complete the questionnaire linked below by Wednesday 1 October, which will help us gain a better understanding of your child's musical interests.
Reading challenge
A reminder that our alphabet reading challenge is now running. Possible titles for your child to read over the next few weeks include:
- A: Anne of Green Gables, Animal Farm, Artemis Fowl, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- B: Brave New World, The BFG, Black Beauty, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
- C: The Catcher in the Rye, Charlotte's Web, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Sports results
Netball
The Manor girls' KS4 netball team showed a determined and spirited performance in their latest game against Sir Christopher Hatton. From the first whistle, they showed great teamwork, energy, and resilience, giving their all right to the final play.
The scoreline across each quarter showed just how hard they battled:
- First quarter: Manor 4 – Hatton 6
- Second quarter: Manor 8 – Hatton 12
- Third quarter: Manor 10 – Hatton 16
- Fourth quarter: Manor 11 – Hatton 21
Although Hatton proved to be strong opposition, Manor never let their heads drop. Every player worked tirelessly, demonstrating real progress and commitment. The girls can be proud of how they represented Manor with determination and spirit throughout. Player of the Game goes to Erin Upton, for her excellent performance and effort across the whole match.
A tough fixture, but full of positives for Manor moving forward!
Football
Our Year 7 boys played their first football fixture on Thursday 25 September against a very strong Wrenn School side.
After going 1–0 down early on, the team responded well and showed great character. Will K scored a fantastic equaliser with a superb volley from outside the box, which lifted the team’s confidence. Despite their best efforts, the boys eventually lost the game, but there were plenty of positives to take away from the performance.
Hopefully they can build on this experience and take that momentum into their next fixture.
Extra-curricular timetable
Please note that there will be no extra-curricular clubs taking place after school on Thursday 2 October due to our Year 6 into 7 Open Evening.