Welcome to this week's newsletter
Dear families,
Working with young people is both the joy and privilege of this profession. This is especially true during this time of festive cheer and Christmas spirit. The week has been full of students sharing their talents and time to bring joy to others with their singing and playing of music.
On Tuesday we were delighted to host the first of a new proud Nene Education Trust tradition - the NET Carol Concert. The hall was filled with the resounding tunes of Christmas sung by the Manor School choir and a group of children from each of the primary schools. Many thanks to all of them, their teachers and Mr Currell for being such a good host. The grand finale was something to behold as students, staff and parents/carers sang and acted out The 12 Days of Christmas. Lots of fun and beaming smiles from all.
On Wednesday Miss Barron led Manor School students in the Mayor’s Christmas Show. There was a great solo vocal performance by Amy in Year 9 and a beautiful reading by Rosena in Year 13. Well done to everyone who took part and represented us in the community.
On Thursday we hosted our school Christmas Concert with students from all year groups participating. The range of music showcased was vast, with soloists, duets, string group, rock band, experienced players, basic novices and many more, all putting their hearts into the performances. Thank you to all of them and the family members and friends who came along to support them.
Thank you also to all families who have helped contribute to this year's Christmas hamper appeal. These hampers will go to worthy families to help them have a easier time in this festive season.
We look forward to next week, completing the term with our traditional celebration assemblies. With this also comes the opportunity to reward those children who are in the top 20 in their year group with their last day celebration event. The students who qualify for this event will be announced early next week.
Have a great final school week (finishing at 3:15pm on Thursday 21 December).
Dr Newman, Principal
Student reward event
On Thursday 21 December (during period 3&4) we will be holding our termly reward for students who have achieved the most REACH and Enrichment points this term. This reward will inevitably be a Christmas themed treat. Students qualify for this by being in the top 20 for their year group based on the combination of positive points minus any negative points.
A message will be shared with all parents/carers early next week to inform you of your child’s selection, and the students themselves will be informed via tutors as well as in their achievement assemblies next week.
It is important we continue to reward the students that are always getting it right and are going above and beyond to enrich their learning and time in school.
SEND meeting
All families have received a letter inviting them to our SEND meeting day on Thursday 18 January. If your child is not on the SEN Register but you have any concerns or questions, you are very welcome to book an appointment. If you have been unable to book an appointment but would like to speak to someone from the SEND team, please contact hnotley@manor.school.
Measles information
North Northamptonshire Council have asked us to share the following information letter regarding measles.
Christmas hamper appeal
We had a fantastic response to this year's Christmas hamper appeal, receiving a large quantity of food, drink, household and hygiene products.
It was particularly wonderful to see tutor groups getting creative and putting together wonderfully festive hampers, with 10TJE, 12LFR and 13KWI tutor groups selected as winners for the best hamper competition.
Raunds Foodbank collected all of the hampers from the school on Thursday, and will be distributing them to those in need across our community.
We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated items to the cause - your generosity is much appreciated.
Sixth form applications
A reminder that the deadline for sixth form applications is Friday 12 January. A place is not automatically guaranteed, so students must apply if they wish to start in September 2024.
Please see the following images for further information about the sixth form and the application process.
Key Stage 3 PE lessons
After the Christmas break, our KS3 PE topics change to hockey, basketball and gymnastics. To ensure your child is able to participate in all these activities safely, please could we ask in the first instance that all students are coming to PE lessons with appropriate footwear i.e. trainers. It is also recommended that students have shin pads and a gum shield for hockey.
For gymnastics, the appropriate footwear is to be barefoot. Whilst we are empathetic to how some of our students feel about the requirement to be barefoot, the health and safety rules of gymnastics requires all participants to do so. We have however found some alternative options that are permitted to be worn as advocated by British Gymnastics, which we hope demonstrate our desire to work with our students and not against them. There are 3 options:
- Amazon have a gymnastics slipper for a maximum price of £12.99 for a pair
- British Gymnastics have an accredited gymnastics grip sock which can be purchased for £2.50
- Alternatively, 'football grip socks' can be bought from suppliers such as Amazon, with prices ranging across different sites
These are the only alternatives that can be permitted as an alternative to going barefoot for the lesson where this is still the first preference, especially as this costs nothing. Different versions of these items will not be permitted.
Should none of the above 3 options be taken, we would ask that students be barefoot for the lesson. We hope that these options mean that those students who have medical issues with their feet such as warts, verrucas or athletes’ foot can now feel confident that their feet can remain covered which enables them to participate fully in the lessons.
The PE curriculum at Manor School is specifically designed to ensure that there are a range of activities to participate in and we are aware that not all these activities will be every student's favourite, but we ask that students approach all activities and tasks with a positive attitude, participating fully and allowing themselves and others to find the enjoyment that being active can bring.
Extra-curricular timetable
Please note that there will be no PE/sport clubs running next week. They will restart (with a new timetable) on Monday 8 January.
Should the need arise to cancel a club at short notice, we will inform students via their form tutors and also post an announcement on social media. Students are welcome to stay in the library until 4:15pm if they cannot change travel arrangements.
Dates for your diary
FAQ
In the last two weeks, a number of students have asked why the Principal is called Dr Newman and not Miss or Mrs.
Dr Newman was the first person in her family to both go to university and to advance herself onto a PhD (level 8 qualification), gaining this from Loughborough University. She did this prior to studying at Cambridge University for a PGCE in Chemistry and Science, becoming a teacher and rapidly advancing to being a senior leader and Headteacher. She uses this title as it is firstly an earned title and secondly to inspire the students she works with to aspire to fulfil their dreams and ambitions. She is proud that she has been contacted by students she has previously taught, who share their journeys about gaining their PhD’s based on the spark she ignited.
Dr Newman has a professional qualification called a PhD or Doctorate of Philosophy. This is the highest level of academic qualification, with Philosophy from the ancient Greek meaning ‘lover of wisdom’. A PhD degree is gained by independently conducting original and significant research in a specific field or subject, in this case Organic Chemistry. This is then written into a publication-worthy thesis and tested in a viva (oral exam) by a panel of university lecturers and professors. A copy of the thesis is then published for others in that field of study to use to advance knowledge in that field, with a copy being held in the British Library.
Dr Newman’s PhD is in the field of Organic Chemistry. She worked in the field of asymmetric synthesis targeted at advancement in the production of new pharmaceutical medicines.