Our Manor 4-8 December 2023

Welcome to this week's newsletter

Please, if you can, watch or listen (in the car) to the videos which accompany this letter to get the more personable version of the explanations and information below.

Dear families,

Thank you to all the parents/carers who have been attending Parent Surgeries to share their gratitude, concerns, thoughts and feelings about Manor School and how we can improve the experience for everyone. Alongside this we have been asking the students to share their views. Some common themes have been raised and so we are dedicating this Principal’s message to sharing these with you and the actions we have put in place to overcome the challenges. In others words: ‘you said, we have’.

You said: “Last year and last term some students were rewarded as part of the REACHfest House reward but did not contribute towards the REACH points and therefore do not deserve the reward. It seems unfair for those students who tried really hard to earn it.”

We have: changed the criteria for the end of term rewards to only include the top 20 students in each year group and the REACH Award winners. This term they will enjoy an exclusive Christmas film and sweet treats extravaganza on the last day of term, a prize well-earned.

You said: “Some students are abusing the lesson changeovers and going to the toilets to hangout or to vape. Students are also in intimidating groups in toilets and saying mean things which are stopping us from using them.”

We have: replaced the doors on the outside of all toilet blocks and these will all be locked during lessons (unless students have a medical pass for a specific set). We have also told students how to use the toilet via the following instructions.

• Only go in if you need the toilet
• Don’t take food in there (detention)
• Staff will see the sink areas
• Queue up in a straight line outside
• Only one person per cubicle (detention)
• Wash your hands
• Leave straight away
• No loitering to chat – go outside for that

You said: “The same students are late for lessons and disrupt our learning.”

We have: shared with students that one late is a mistake, two is foolish and a worry, three is deliberate and will result in a detention. In addition, three detentions will result in a day in refocus because they are not learning from their mistakes.

You said: “A few students are creating deliberate or thoughtless damage around school.”

We have: explained to students that the cost of the repairs comes out of the money we spend on them so it is a waste. We could be buying more footballs, equipment, laptops etc and therefore the careless or deliberate damage must stop. We have also explained that all damage will be paid for by the students who cause it or are within a group who cause it. For example, the new toilet doors were £1000 each as they are custom built fire doors and must not be damaged.

You said: “We do not like it when intimidating or threatening things happen in school - it stops us feeling safe.”

We have: used our behaviour policy to its fullest extent to permanently remove students from the school who will not change their conduct and be civilised. Some others who are getting close to this outcome have already been through a Governors panel hearing because they have been suspended for 15 days already this term. We have also reminded students that even ‘small’ criticisms, digs or unkind words or gestures are wrong and that students need to report these so that we can stamp them out. Manor Watch can be used to do this and can be used anonymously.

You said: “The lunch queues are moving much faster but whilst the front and the back of the lunch queues are OK, the older students push in at the middle section.”

We have: put additional staff to supervise when we have capacity, and we are planning to have additional support from 6th Form Leaders long term.

You said: “We did not know you could fill in Manor Watch anonymously.”

We have: shared with the students in assemblies this week that they can.

You said: “We are concerned about cover lessons in maths and science.”

We have: shared in the previous newsletter the strategy to ensure we protect the learning for Years 11 & 13, and so have no classes with all cover lessons and rotate the permanent teachers. Some classes who have had more cover in term 1 or struggle to maintain the expectations have been rotated away from cover teachers to permanent members of staff. We have also recruited in maths to make sure we are fully staffed for January, and are actively recruiting in science, including packages for science leadership roles to encourage applicants.

You said: “Parents of Year 12 students are unsure of the timeline for EPQ.”

We have: shared with the students and parents/carers the timeline.

You said: “Cover staff and supervisors do not seem to use the REACH point rewards systems well. This may be a contributing factor to poor behaviour in some of those lessons. Could they have some additional training?”

We have:put on more training to those staff about how to teach a good cover lesson and how to use the behaviour policy to support good learning.

In addition to all of the above, we have shared with parents/carers that Manor School leadership staff are starting to work in close collaboration with an outstanding school in Leicestershire and the Brooke Weston Trust. Our leaders will be joining their trust leaders in whole-school and subject-based network meetings. In these we will be sharing good practice across our trust and theirs for the benefit of students in all the schools.

Finally, Mrs Birch leaves Manor School today after a wonderful 18 years of service to this community. We are very grateful for everything that she has done for generations of families within the school and wider community. We wish her well in her new role, supporting children who have suffered due to domestic abuse. She will make a great impact for those families in need. Thank you, Mrs Birch.

Dr Newman and the Manor School family

Dates for your diary

House points