Welcome to this week's newsletter
As we reach the end of a wet and rather cold week, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what has been another positive and productive few days at Manor School. Firstly, a huge congratulations to our girls’ U14 football team who secured a fantastic semi-final victory against The Ferrers School. They now progress to the regional final in May — a tremendous achievement. We are incredibly proud of their teamwork, determination and resilience. Well done to all involved. This week we also welcomed families to our Year 8 Consultation Evening. It was extremely well attended and, as always, the conversations between students, parents/carers and teachers were purposeful and focused. I was particularly pleased to hear so many thoughtful discussions about progress and the practical steps students can take to improve further. When students are able to articulate their next steps clearly, it is a strong indicator that they are taking ownership of their learning. Our Year 11 students continue to demonstrate growing commitment as we move closer to the examination period. Attendance at morning, after-school and weekend intervention sessions has been steadily increasing, which is excellent to see. These additional sessions make a tangible difference, and I would like to thank both students and staff for their dedication. After the first week of our “Points Mean Prizes” initiative, 139 students have already achieved positive points totals, with many earning over 600 points in just one week — an impressive start. Our top student this week is Grace, who accumulated 685 points. She has already redeemed her voucher to purchase an acoustic guitar. Well done, Grace — a fantastic example of effort being recognised and rewarded. Finally, congratulations to Aman in Year 12 who has been crowned 100m breaststroke champion — an outstanding personal achievement and a credit to himself and the school. Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I wish all of our families a restful and relaxing weekend, and a very enjoyable half-term break.
Adam Crawte, Principal
Mobile phones at Manor School
We are a mobile phone free school. Students may bring phones to school. However, to support learning, safety and positive social time, mobile phones and personal electronic devices are not needed during the school day. Our Expectation – ‘Off & Away’, ‘Not Seen, Not Heard’
- Switched off
- Kept in bags - not in coats or trouser pockets
- Out of sight at all times
This applies until 3:15pm, including lessons, lesson transitions, breaktime, lunchtime, and the end of the day. If phones are seen or heard they will be confiscated, including if they are not switched off. Refusal to hand over will be logged on Arbor as refusal to follow staff instructions. If a student needs to contact home, they can use a school phone or their phone in a supervised area, with permission from a member of staff. Mobile Phone Use – Our Confiscation Process and Escalation First time (Stage 1):
- Placed in named envelope
- Stored securely in Inclusion Hub
- Logged on Arbor
- Parent/carer notified
- Returned at end of day
Second time (Stage 2):
- All of Stage 1
- 20-minute lunchtime detention
Third time (Stage 3):
- Confiscated and securely stored
- Parent/carer must collect
If the escalation from Stage 1 to later stages happens quickly, we may ask a student to leave their phone at home or to hand it in at the start of the day. Your support helps us maintain a calm, focused and safe school environment.
Year 11 geography trip
Last Friday, our Year 11 Geography students visited Northampton as part of their fieldwork for their GCSE course, investigating quality of life across the town and exploring why it may vary. Despite cloudy and drizzly conditions, students were exemplary—polite, courteous, and fully engaged in collecting data that will support their summer examinations. The visit provided valuable hands-on experience, helping students link classroom theory with real-world observations. We were impressed by their focus and professionalism throughout the day. The department is now looking forward to the next fieldtrip to Hunstanton in March, hopefully with sunnier skies!
Food practical exam
Congratulations to our Year 11 food & nutrition students who have produced some amazing dishes for their practical exam this week, where they had three hours to create dishes suitable for a pop up restaurant or three dishes that encourage people to follow the Eatwell Guide. Their creativity, skill, and hard work truly shone through in the incredible range of flavours and presentation on display. They should be so proud of what they’ve achieved — the effort and dedication really paid off. Well done to you all! Also, a huge thank you to Miss Armitage for all her efforts in organising and supervising the students, and helping them to reach their full potential.
National Apprenticeship Week
We have been sharing information on our social media profiles all this week for National Apprenticeship Week 2026. There has also been the opportunity for students to learn about apprenticeships during tutor time. There is a section on the Amazing Apprenticeships website specifically created for parents/carers that is full of information and resources to help you to support your chid(ren) with making the best decision that works for them. Click here to visit the parent zone, or download their information guide via the button below.
Year 9 Consultation Evening
Thursday 5 March, 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 Wednesday 25 February and the system will close to new appointments at 12:00pm on Wednesday 4 March. 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
Year 9 Preferences Evening
Our Year 9 Preferences Evening will take place on Thursday 19 March, 5-7pm. Further details will be shared after the half-term break.
False nails
False/acrylic nails are not permitted in school for health and safety reasons. They can pose a risk during practical activities and can also cause injury to the wearer or others. We appreciate your support in ensuring students follow this expectation and arrive at school ready to learn safely. Thank you for your continued partnership — when we work together, we help our young people develop positive habits, confidence, and pride in themselves.
Lost property
We currently have a large collection of lost property in the LRC, including water bottles and jewellery. If your child has lost anything at school over the past few weeks, please ask them to visit the LRC to see if it has been handed in. Any items that do not get claimed will be donated to charity.
Swimming success
Year 12 student Aman T made an outstanding impact at the Northamptonshire ASA County Championships this past month. Representing Rushden Swimming Club in the Open Age Group for the second consecutive year, he proved himself a true force in the pool with a string of exceptional performances:
- Double gold: Crowned Senior Men’s 100m Breaststroke County Champion and successfully defended his title in the 200m Breaststroke
- Individual bronze: Secured a hard‑earned podium finish in the 50m Breaststroke
- Relay triumphs: Played a crucial role in earning bronze in the 4×50m Medley, as well as silver medals in both the 4×100m Freestyle and 4×100m Medley relays
A huge congratulations to Aman on an incredible collection of medals and titles—an amazing achievement!
Sports news
Girls' football Our U14 girls’ football team travelled to Ferrers on Monday for the semi-final of the District Cup and returned in fine style with a convincing 4–0 victory. With a place in the final now secured in May, the girls once again showed just how well they are playing this season. The pitch was quite soft underfoot, which made the opening exchanges challenging for both sides, but Manor soon found their rhythm. The breakthrough came when Emily M calmly slotted the ball past the keeper to give Manor an early lead. Ferrers responded with pressure of their own, but some outstanding defending from Olivia F, Lexi Y and Ettie Y, combined with a string of excellent saves from Lily A — who seemed to make stops with every part of her body — kept the opposition at bay. Manor continued to press, with Mia B and Amelia I making key interceptions in midfield, while Maisy B, Tilly A and Sofia M provided great pace and width on the wings. This pressure paid off just before half time, as another well-timed through ball found Emily, who doubled the lead to give Manor a comfortable 2–0 advantage at the break. After half time, Manor picked up right where they left off. Amelia I added a superb third goal after a brilliant weaving run of her own, before Emily completed her hat-trick to make it 4–0. Manor continued to work tirelessly and came close to adding at least two more goals, with dangerous crosses flashing across the box and giving Maisy opportunities to score, but on this occasion it wasn’t meant to be. The match was played in excellent spirit throughout, with many of the girls playing with or against each other outside of school, but that only made the victory feel a little sweeter. A thoroughly deserved win and a fantastic team performance — now all eyes turn to the District Cup final in May.
The U15 girls were back in action on Tuesday evening, facing a demanding schedule with two games played on the same night, and they rose to the challenge in emphatic style. The first fixture against Wollaston ended in a dominant 8–0 victory. Emily M opened the scoring after being played through on goal, a strike that well and truly opened the floodgates in the 25-minute encounter. Amelie B added two goals of her own, while Olivia M also netted twice and came agonisingly close to a hat-trick when one effort cannoned back off the crossbar. An unfortunate own goal added to the tally, before Isla R produced a superb weaving run from the back to score. Erin U completed the scoring with a well-taken finish from a tight angle on the right. With little time to rest, the girls took on Huxlow in the second game and once again delivered an outstanding performance, running out 8–1 winners. Isla R opened the scoring with an excellent long-range strike, before Poppie E was rewarded for her tireless work up and down the left wing with a deserved goal. Manor then conceded when a through ball put the opposition attacker one-on-one with Lily A; a clearance rebounded off the attacker and rolled into the net. Any brief setback only strengthened Manor’s resolve. Erin U added another, Olivia M scored twice more to continue her impressive night, and Amelie B completed a sensational hat-trick, taking her total to five goals across the two games. Across both matches, the girls showed a fierce desire to win and a strong competitive edge, all while playing within the true spirit of the game. Their sportsmanship and confidence on the ball combined perfectly with moments of real showmanship. With just one game remaining against Hatton after half term, the chances of securing the district league title are looking very promising indeed.
Upcoming fixtures Our Year 9 sports leaders are out all day on Monday 23 February as they will be at Kettering Arena for the Winter Games Sports Hall Athletics (emails have been sent to parents/carers containing key information). The Year 8 boys Sports Hall Athletics team will be out on this same afternoon to compete in the event. In addition to this, our U15 girls futsal team will be in action for the Winter Games futsal finals on Tuesday 24 February.
Careers and further education
IT careers talk After the half-term break we have a visitor coming into the school to discuss her career in IT. She has provided us with the following information: "I'm happy to discuss my role in Northants Police, Fire and OPFCC – I oversee all hardware, software, applications and systems administration for the organisation. I make decisions on equipment, software and processes surrounding this to benefits the organisations. I also am part of internal and external investigations surrounding police and fire matters." Interested Year 10-13 students should email careers@manor.school, with places issued on a first come first served basis.
Football careers event Northamptonshire Football Association, Northamptonshire Sport, and Northampton Town Community Trust are hosting a ‘Your Game’ Event at the University of Northampton on Monday 30 March from 8:30-4pm. ‘Your Game’ is a free youth leadership and careers event, designed to showcase how football and wider sport and physical activity can help young people in shaping volunteer and career opportunities. The event is aimed specifically at:
- Those aged 16-24 years old
- Based in Northamptonshire
- Interested in volunteering and/or a career in football/sport and physical activity
The event will consist of:
- A carousel of workshops revolved around group activity, facilitated by young volunteers
- An exhibition style lunch, in which attendees can liaise with local clubs and organisations offering volunteering/paid roles
- Overview and insight into the Youth Leadership Landscape, presented by an FA Youth Council Member
Interested individuals can register by clicking here. Registrations close on Thursday 19 March.
Apprenticeship vacancies