Welcome to this week's newsletter
A shortened first week back has flown by. It was great to welcome all lower school year groups back personally by hosting year group assemblies with them on Wednesday morning. To clarify and reinforce the information sent in the letter by Ms Camfield on Tuesday, the focus for these assemblies were on raising our standards and making every minute count. If we want to continue to improve Manor, we need to continue to raise the expectations of everyone in our community. Our focus this term is on our core values: Ready, Respectful, Responsible. There are no excuses. If all students focus on these three key messages this term, they will see the impact on their own progress and the learning of others. For the majority of our students, they will continue to do the great job that they have always done. For those students I expect to see the ability to have additional REACH points awarded as the recognition that they are doing the right things and they are model Manor students. For some (who need more support), it is a reminder that their time in lessons is important. Being on time and with the correct equipment means that learning is purposeful and disruption free. Being Ready, Respectful and Responsible are core values for adult life - at Manor we are preparing our students to be successful now and when they leave us.
Tuesday was a whole staff training day at Manor. A positive day was spent learning and discussing reading in the classroom and supporting our SEND students in lessons as well. Our staff are working hard to continuously develop the educational experience of our students. We invited an external speaker to talk about reading. Sarah Hepworth, from Redwell Primary School, is a research lead linked to a national group of education research schools. It was great for her to come and share the research and evidence informed approaches to improve the teaching of reading, which is such an important skill for learning and for life. The best Manor students should be skilled readers and we need to support them to do this. This training was invaluable in helping our staff to do this.
Finally, I was lucky to attend the Raunds Town Assembly on Thursday night to meet many members of our local community, who play such a vital role in our town. I was also able to have some conversations with current parents/carers about how the term has started. I was a proud Principal seeing our students Phoebe and Amelie perform for the assembly. They were enthusiastically applauded by the audience after the superb duet that they performed. Thank you to Mrs Jarvis and Miss Bishop for supporting these students to produce such a great performance.
I wish you a restful and relaxing weekend.
Adam Crawte, Principal
Unwanted uniform
If you have any items of school uniform that are no longer needed and are in good condition, please can you consider donating them to the school. Donations can be handed in at main reception. Thank you.
London Marathon
During this term, every student will be taking on the Mini London Marathon in Schools challenge, which involves completing 8 laps of the athletics track (equivalent to 2 miles).
Students are able to run, jog or walk the course, meaning that everyone who covers the distance within the lesson time will complete the challenge. Successful students will receive a mini marathon pin badge, which they can then wear with pride on their blazers.
We are proud that Mr Beeney from our PE department is running in this Sunday's London Marathon for Northamptonshire Health Charity and their Twinkling Stars appeal. If anyone wishes and is able to donate, please do so by clicking here.