Welcome to this week's newsletter
This week we have had three days of transition for our 180 Year 6 students who will soon be Year 7s. We have been trying to deliver three days of transition for the last two years only to be scuppered by COVID. We believe that three days, as opposed to the typical one or two days, is far more beneficial in helping students settle ready for September.
It has been great to see how they have engaged with enthusiasm and excitement in our unique Work.World.Wellness. curriculum, REACH values and our Student Code of Conduct - Ready, Respectful and Responsible. Experiences of lessons have also given our new students some insights into what learning looks like in Key Stage Three. Further details and photos can be found later in this newsletter.
Equally, many of our Year 11 students and some external students have returned to the sixth form this week as part of their induction. The manner in which the students have approached the week and all that has been organised and prepared for them has been impressive. Again, a review of the programme can be found later on.
The summer concert this week was a stunning showcase of the talent and skill we have in our school. Thank you to all of you that came to watch and support our students. Good luck to all the students representing Manor School at regional, national and international events over the next two weeks.
With lots of things still packed into the coming days, it is set to be an action-packed and enjoyable end to term.
Have a good weekend!
Lee Towers, Head of School
Parent/carer survey
Nene Education Trust would like you to complete a survey via the link below which will give you the opportunity to express your opinion on parent and carer engagement and your overall confidence in the school’s strategy. Our goal is to open up a communication channel where your voice is heard and organised in such a way that we can create the best learning environment for your child. To help us with this, we're working together with the Edurio survey platform.
Surveys are completely anonymous and confidential, though the responses will be aggregated for the purpose of analysis. The survey will be available until Friday 15 July, so please make sure to have your say and share your feedback over the next few weeks.
Your opinion and honesty are much appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch.
Arbor update
We are finalising the plans with the Arbor parent portal, setting up the system to enable parents and carers to log in and view up-to-date information about their child's attendance, praise and behaviour. Information on how to access the portal will be shared in the coming weeks, with a full launch in place for September. Over time we will move more of our systems into one place to streamline communication for parents and carers.
This portal will also allow parents and carers to see their child's latest REACH point total, something that we used to share weekly before Arbor was implemented at Easter. The REACH points collected before Easter are being added to the points that have been collected in Arbor, and these numbers will be sent out on students' progress reports this term.
LifeSkills Award
We have been working to build students’ core transferable skills through LifeSkills, the free employability programme created with Barclays, and are delighted to announce that we have now received the LifeSkills Award for our efforts. The Award recognises institutions who use the programme to embed employability teaching across the curriculum.
We’re proud to be using LifeSkills to go above and beyond in preparing students for the world of work. We achieved this through using the programme’s range of resources, from lesson plans to interactive tools and videos, to bring real work life experiences to the classroom. We look forward to continuing this important work with all our students, whatever stage they are at.
LifeSkills also provides tools and resources for families, and once your child is over 14 years old, they too can sign up to develop their employability skills independently.
Year 8 HPV immunisations
Year 8 HPV immunisations will be taking place on Wednesday 13 July. For details, please see the letter previously sent to parents/carers via schoolcomms.
Proms 2023
After the success of this year's proms, we are now in the process of planning next year's events and are looking to make them the best ones yet, and so are therefore calling on the support of our local community.
We would love to support local businesses and are interested in seeing if you or anyone you know could help with any of the following:
- Venue or marquee hire
- Catering
- Balloons/decorations
- DJ or band
- Photography/photo booths
- Hair/make-up
If you could help us with any of the above, we would love to hear from you.
Please email either atowers@manor.school or rireland@manor.school.
RSC A Christmas Carol auditions
The Royal Shakespeare Company are holding auditions for their upcoming production; a revival of David Edgar's critically acclaimed adaptation of A Christmas Carol. They are looking for Midlands-based young performers aged 8-13 to join the company for the production.
For full details, please see the below pdf.
Year 6 transition
This week we welcomed Year 6 pupils who will be joining us in September. The first of three transition days began on Wednesday with an assembly from Mr Towers, followed by a series of tours and example subject lessons, with an introduction to our Wellness curriculum strand in the afternoon. Students returned for further subject lessons on Thursday and Friday, as well as being introduced to the canteen's cashless Wisepay system. In the afternoon, pupils discussed climate change in Thursday's World session and their personal aspirations for future work and life in Friday's Work session.
If you have any questions about the transition progress, please complete our online form.
Sixth form induction
It was fantastic to see both new and familiar faces for our sixth form induction programme which ran Monday to Wednesday this week. Students attended two taster sessions for each of the subjects they have selected to study in Year 12 in September. There was also the chance for students to have a one-to-one tutorial session with their new tutor.
Students now need to complete transition tasks for their selected courses before returning in September. The tasks can be viewed and downloaded from our website.
PE notices
Thank you in advance to all the students that are due to be involved in the Park Infants Sports day event on Tuesday 12 July. These leaders should come to school in their PE kit and ensure they have sufficient drinks and sun protection as it is likely to be a hot day. This is only applicable to the leaders that have been messaged via their Teams class, and who met with Miss Hustwait on Wednesday 6 July to go through plans.
All Year 10 GCSE PE students are attending a University of Northampton trip on Thursday 14 July. They need to be in their Manor PE kit and bring a packed lunch to school with them. Once they have registered in the morning they should meet Mr Sturgess, Miss Pell and Mr Amadi outside main reception. The coach will be leaving Manor at 9:00am and we will return to school before the end of the day. Please could parents/carers of these students ensure that consent has been given by checking the relevant box on their Wisepay account.
Extra-curricular timetable
Next week is the last full week for students to attend a club and earn their house some points. We're encouraging as many students as possible to attend a club either at lunchtime or after school. Please note however that hockey will not take place on Friday 15 July.
Summer holiday camps
The Summer HAF 2022 programme provides funded places at a range of summer holiday activity camps, including those offered by Manor Sports and Leisure. For details, please see the flyer below.
Free kids meals during the summer
Supermarket cafes, chain restaurants and food venues all around the UK are offering 'Kids eat free (or for £1)' deals during the summer holiday. Please see the below image for current deals.