Welcome to this week's newsletter
The end of January has rapidly crept up on us and Term 3 is flying by. I have had a very positive week, speaking to students and staff about some great work that is going on. Our new student council electives are being recruited, and I look forward to meeting them in the near future. It is great to see students invested in developing and improving our school. They are the reason I enjoy working at Manor. Hearing their views and opinions are important to make sure we include our students in the journey.
The Manor Passport has been launched with Year 7. They will be issued with their passports next week so that they can log their progress. We can then celebrate the students who are doing things to become well-rounded individuals and members of the community. As part of this, I am excited about the Year 7 trip to the Science Museum on Monday, which is not only an opportunity for all students to visit a world-class museum to enhance their learning, but also to visit London, our capital city, which many of our students may not have visited before. As part of the trip, students will also get the opportunity to take a walk around South Kensington, the Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park with staff to really understand what life in London is like. Mrs Parker - as our Curriculum Leader for Personal Development - is taking a lead on the Manor Passport and Mrs Bannard, Mrs Eales and Miss Mubarka have led on the Science Museum trip. Both of these initiatives are helping to make sure that our students get a wide experience of the world we live in.
Other new areas that we have launched in Term 3 include projects to support student learning. The most important of these is the launch of SPARX Maths and Reader with students. We will shortly be launching SPARX Science as well. Moving forward, students at KS3 will receive their homework via SPARX so that it is all in one place. The platform gives students feedback on what they need to do to improve and also feeds back to teachers about what each student is struggling with. More information about SPARX will be coming out shortly, so that parents and carers can see what students have been set.
Students' SPARX learning is also enhanced by the focus in tutor time on 'Powerful Words' and reading challenging current affairs texts through 'The Day'. This helps students to widen their vocabulary and keep up to date with news topics, as well as providing them the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and ideas with each other, building their oracy skills. Mrs Johnson is leading on this moving forward, so that our students are confident readers and speakers.
To ensure that students are organised and well equipped for learning, on Monday 3 February all students will be issued with a 'Be Ready' bag. This is a large, A4-sized case that allows students to keep all their important equipment in one place, meaning that lesson time is maximised for learning. Students will be given a pen, pencil, ruler and mini whiteboard for lessons, but they can also keep their timetable and Powerful Words books in their 'Be Ready' bag. All students have been briefed about these in assembly this week with Mr Carter, and also about how they will support their learning at Manor.
Finally, the highlight of my personal week was the great response I had from students and staff who wished me a happy birthday on Wednesday. This included more renditions of 'Happy Birthday' than I can remember but it was a personal reminder of how wonderful our school community is. Since I started at Manor I have been welcomed by many members of our community. We are on an important journey and I am glad to be here, helping the school move forward.
Have a great weekend - I look forward to Monday already.
Adam Crawte, Interim Principal
School communications
A hard copy letter has gone home with all students this week, relating to communications from the school. We would like to encourage parents/carers to respond via the feedback form in order to improve our communication channels.
Arbor for parents and carers
Arbor’s Parent Portal and App provide a comprehensive platform for parents/carers to stay informed about their child’s school life. Key features include:
- Logging in: Guidance on how to log in and troubleshoot common issues.
- Homepage dashboard: Overview of daily timetable, attendance, behaviour points, and more.
- Guardian consultations: Book slots for Consultation Evening meetings.
- Assignments: Track the due date and completion status of homework.
For a detailed introductory guide on how to use Arbor, please click here.
Water bottles
Please can parents/carers ensure that their child brings a water bottle into school so that they can stay hydrated throughout the day. Students can refill their bottle at the drinking water tap located opposite the main hall entrance.
Futsal results
This week saw our U13 boys futsal team play a series of group fixtures to see if they could qualify for the finals day to be held on Thursday 13 February at Weavers School.
They had a successful day, winning all three games without conceding a single goal. Their results were:
- 3-0 versus Ferrers
- 2-0 versus Rushden
- 1-0 versus Huxlow
The final will see them face Hatton School, who won their group. The same squad has been selected to represent the school in the final. We wish them good luck: Harley F, Jack B, Tommy N, Ronnie E, Maxwell H, Jayden A, and Matthew W.
Year 11 English support
As we approach the upcoming English exams, we would like to share with you a 'Countdown to the Exams' document to help support your child’s preparation. This document outlines the topics covered each week in English lessons, any assessments or exams, the resources provided to students, and the home learning tasks they are expected to complete.
Your support in ensuring that your child engages with the home learning tasks will be invaluable in reinforcing their understanding and boosting their confidence ahead of the exams. Please encourage them to use the provided resources and complete their assignments on time. Students will be provided with a paper copy too.
If you have any questions or require further guidance on how to support your child, please do not hesitate to email kdicker@manor.school
Thank you for your ongoing support.
The English team
Elephant Group webinar
Parents/carers of our Year 12 Elephant Group students are able to access a recording of the information webinar held on Thursday 23 January by clicking the link below.
Upcoming careers event
Please note that the below event is now also open to any students in Year 10 who would like to attend.
Police careers talk, Wednesday 5 February
The role of a Police Officer can be exciting, tough and varied. There are many opportunities once you join Bedfordshire Police as an officer. To join us there are different routes available which are: PCDA (Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship), PCEP (Police Constable Entry Programme), & D-DHEP (Detective-Degree Holder Entry Programme), but also there is the PCSO (Police Community Support Officer) role and Special Constable too. Come and speak with a serving Police Constable to gain more of an insight into the realities of being a Police Officer, how to apply, the application process and the opportunities available.
This talk is open to Year 10-13 students, who should email lsmedley@manor.school if they are interested in attending.
Book competition
Our librarian is running a competition to match the staff member to their favourite book. There has already been a lot of interest, with students quizzing teachers to try to find out their selection. We would love for even more of our students to take part, so please encourage them to head to the LRC to pick up an entry form.
Poster competition
The University of Northampton are running a competition for students in Years 7-13 to design an e-poster that celebrates the achievements of girls in gaming or to encourage more girls to participate in gaming.
For full details and rules, please click here.
Extra-curricular timetable
Please note the following notices in relation to PE clubs:
- There will be no girls football club on Thursday 6 February due to a girls futsal fixture.
- There will be no clubs on Thursday 13 February due to Year 8 Consultation Evening.