Message from the Principal
We have reached the end of another extraordinary term which has seen us return to face-to-face teaching, and the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to shine brighter. As the vaccine continues to be rolled out, the data trends continue to improve, and asymptomatic testing is having an impact, we are getting closer to the full return of the events and opportunities that matter to our community so much.
This week has seen students truly embracing excellence. Students in Years 11 and 13 have diligently and carefully completed the first round of assessments that contribute towards their Centre Assessed Grades. Some students have completed training to become Anti-bullying Ambassadors and we have enjoyed another incredible Curriculum Day. These days are a crucial part of our school life and provide the time to really consider the important issues and decisions affecting us through our Work. World. Wellness. curriculum.
Track and Trace and Lateral Flow Testing
Students should continue to complete lateral flow tests at home, twice per week, throughout the Easter holidays. Should you need further tests, please access these by going to your nearest testing centre. If you receive a positive test result at any time, please fill out the form on our website to notify us of the details. We will complete the track and trace process for any students who receive a positive result from a test completed on or before Sunday 28 March. You should still notify us of any positive tests completed after Sunday 28 March but it is unlikely that we will need to contact you to complete a track and trace process.
This morning we have been notified of a further two positive lateral flow tests, completed by siblings at home. These students will now complete a lab-based PCR test. We have taken precautionary action and through our track and trace processes identified their potential close contacts in recent days. If the PCR tests of these students returns a negative result, we will contact those parents/carers affected and notify them that the period of isolation can end.
The remainder of this newsletter contains a feast of exciting news and stories from across the school. I hope that our future editions contain even more brilliant examples of the community events, opportunities and experiences that we are looking forward to reintroducing as and when the guidance allows us to do so.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Have a safe, well-earned and fantastic Easter holiday. We look forward to seeing our students return on Monday 12 April.
Stay safe.
Jay Davenport, Principal
Curriculum Day
Students were out of lessons on Wednesday 24 March for the second Curriculum Day of this academic year. The day saw each year group participate in a variety of talks, workshops and projects related to a specific branch of Manor’s Work. World. Wellness. curriculum programme.
Year 7 – Work: Natural disasters
Year 7 spent the day looking at a variety of situations relating to natural disasters to help understand the demands of these events. This included designing and building a prototype bridge to reach and bring supplies to a cut-off community, developing mathematical models to predict the spread of disease through a population, and investigating methods to make cleaner water & produce electricity.
Year 8 – Work: Young Enterprise
Year 8 students took part in the Young Enterprise Launch Pad challenge, a fast-paced engaging enterprise challenge which provides an introduction to employability skills. Through a series of hands-on fun activities, students worked in teams on the early stages of launching a fledgling business, balancing a budget as well as creating a brand identity and marketing strategy. At the end of the day, students presented their business proposals and sought investment from their teachers.
Year 9 – Wellness: Wellbeing
Year 9 participated in a series of activities exploring how they can look after their physical and mental wellbeing. This included discussing how being online can affect mental health, taking part in breathing exercises, playing rounders, meditation, and learning how to apply a bandage. In the afternoon students then used the knowledge they had gained to design a wellbeing product or programme to help students.
Year 10 – Work: World of Work
Year 10 students were introduced to a variety of potential careers by attending workshops throughout the day. After an introductory session on post-16 pathways and employability skills, students then attended four workshops in areas that they were interested in. These included the Armed Forces, construction, creative and media, engineering, hair and beauty, health and medical, law and accountancy, police and fire, and sport.
Year 11 – World: Politics
Year 11 students learnt about what happens in a general election and the definitions of various political terms. They then heard from a number of guest speakers from different British political parties, where students had the opportunity to ask questions on the topics that matter most to them such as unitversity tuition fees. They went on to develop their own party and manifesto, spending the afternoon campaigning and voting in an election.
Years 12 & 13 – World: Preparing for life after Manor
The Sixth Form Executive selected three focus areas for Year 12 students to focus on for the day - gender inequality, isolation in a rural community and physical wellbeing. After discussing these three topics, students worked in teams to develop projects and activities to make a difference in these areas. At the end of the day they pitched their ideas to staff, with the best ones selected to be implemented in the near future.
Year 13 students attended workshops on student accommodation, budgeting, relationships, university life, career entry routes and cooking skills.
Anti-bullying ambassador training
On Tuesday 23 March, 21 students from across the school completed training with the Diana Award. This is an organisation with the belief that young people have the power to change the world - a view that we share.
The focus of the morning’s training was to create student Anti-bullying Ambassadors who can provide students who may be experiencing difficulties at home or elsewhere another outlet to speak to. Therefore, students learnt about what bullying entails, the different types of bullying that exists, as well as some practical advice about how they can improve the school community.
We will be working closely with these students over the coming weeks to find out what they believe the priorities for the future should be and how we can all achieve this together.
Finally, if your child would like to become an Anti-bullying Ambassador, please contact Mr Andrews via jandrews@manor.school for more information.
Year 8 Parents' Evening
We will shortly be inviting parents/carers of Year 8 students to book appointments for our next Virtual Parents' Evening which is due to take place on Thursday 22 April. Please check SchoolComms communications carefully for instructions.
If you have any queries regarding appointments or how the evening will work, please contact us by emailing mdupille@manor.school
PE kit and blazers
Please could all students ensure they are wearing their blazers over their PE kit when then are required to wear PE kit for either PE or Dance.
Please also note that students should not be wearing grey jogging bottoms or black leggings. Only navy blue leggings are allowed, or alternatively black or navy tracksuit bottoms.
Sixth form update
We are delighted to have received over 100 applications for the sixth form for the 2021-2022 academic year. Parents and carers of students who have applied for the sixth form will receive an email in the coming days to confirm their place. After Easter, we will also be sending out more information about our exciting transition plans to prepare all students for post-16 study.
Academic Writing Masterclass
Students in Years 12 and 13 are being invited to take part in an Academic Writing Masterclass. This programme is completely free for students and aimed at those who struggle with essay writing or those who want to write with a more academic style.
We will run two masterclasses after school on Wednesday 14 and Wednesday 21 April. These hour-long masterclasses will be held in school and led by an academic tutor. The masterclasses will be followed up with bespoke one-to-one sessions to support students to improve their essay writing style.
If this is something you feel your son/daughter would benefit from, please ask them to register their interest by completing this form.
Year 11 English Easter tuition
We are offering the opportunity for a virtual one-to-one session over the Easter break to support Year 11 students with the remaining literature components of their English course.
Students have been emailed details of how they can book a session.
Mr Whatley, who has previously worked with our students in English, is providing 30-minute sessions between 9am-1pm on Wednesday 31 March and Wednesday 7 April.
Students must use their Manor School email address to sign up. All sessions will be on the school's Microsoft Teams platform. Sessions work best if students have a camera and microphone, but this is not essential.
There are only a limited number of sessions available, and they will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.
If you have any questions, please contact dcarter@manor.school
Elevate Education webinar
Elevate Education are an external provider we have worked with before to help students in Year 11 achieve better marks in exams. They have also provided workshops for parents/carers to discuss revision and other ways to help students achieve their potential.
On Tuesday 30 March they will be teaming up with London Interdisciplinary School (the UK’s newest university), to discuss the new and exciting university options that students will have from 2021. The webinar will cover:
- how LIS is making its curriculum practical and engaging by having students solve real world problems for real world people
- how LIS ensure its students graduate as polymaths with knowledge across science, maths, social science, arts and the humanity rather than just one silo of knowledge
- how LIS is enhancing future employability by ensuring students have relevant work experience through paid internships with London’s leading companies and not for profits
They have an exciting panel of speakers for the evening, including Ed Fidoe (Chief Executive of LIS and Founder of School 21), Professor Carl Gombrich (Head of Teaching and formerly Professor of Interdisciplinary Learning at UCL), as well as students and some of LIS’ corporate partners for 2021.
The webinar is suitable for parents/carers and students from Years 10-13 and starts at 6pm. If you are interested and would like to register, please visit their website.
Manor Maths Challenges
It's another census-themed week for Mrs Radd's maths blog. This time it's a bit more detailed and she would like both students and parents/carers to complete it. When all the data is gathered in, we will be able to form a picture of the composition of the Manor community and therefore will be better able to meet its needs.
Term 5 extra-curricular clubs
The PE extra-curricular timetable for Term 5 has been finalised, with a start date of Monday 12 April.
The procedure for our clubs is as follows:
- Should students wish to attend one of the clubs on their allocated evening, they must wait in their outdoor pod area for a member of the PE team to come and collect them.
- It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that parents/carers are informed of attendance. There will be no requirement to ‘sign up’ in advance.
- All teachers will have a radio and personal phones on them should there be a need to contact them from main reception.
- All COVID-secure procedures must continue to be adhered to related to distancing, hand washing/sanitising, and equipment sanitising.
- All school expectations regarding behaviour are to be adhered to at all times; should behaviour be deemed inappropriate the student will be asked to be escorted to the school gate and not participate any further.
- Each member of staff will take a register via the app for each of their activities, as well as keep a paper record of attendance.
- Students must not leave the area until escorted off site by their teacher.
- Students are strongly advised to bring shin pads and a gum shield for hockey; any personal equipment such as own sticks or football boots are the students responsibility throughout the school day.
- Students do not come to school in their PE kit if they don’t already have PE during the day; changing space will be available should it be needed.
- All clubs will finish by 4.30pm.
