Welcome to this week's newsletter
It has been another busy but productive week here at Manor, and we have visited many lessons seeing students engaged and high-quality teaching. Next week is the start of the trial examinations for Years 11 and 13. It is important that students are using the revision techniques and resources provided to them. We wish them all the very best of luck.
This week during our Work, World and Wellness lesson, we focused on the national Anti-Bullying Week and the importance of being kind to each other. We continue to shine a light on important topics during these lessons as we prepare our young people for life beyond school.
Finally, our expectations are that students are not to wear hoodies on the school site, and to ensure they follow the school uniform policy. We would like to thank parent/carers for their support with this matter.
Have a fantastic weekend.
Glenn Martin and Lee Towers, Co-Principals
Year 11 trial examinations
As you may already be aware, at the end of last week the government published guidance for schools on contingency arrangements for GCSE, A level and Extended Project qualifications for summer 2022. This includes the extra help that students will be given to prepare for examinations (such as a reduction in content required for English Literature, History and Geography, and advance information about the content of the examinations to support revision), alongside specific guidance on actions that schools must take in order to be able to determine Centre Assessed Grades, should it be necessary to cancel examinations next summer.
Having taken this into account, it has been necessary to make some changes to the timetable for the upcoming trial examinations to ensure that they meet the requirements of the guidance. You can find an updated timetable below.
It is important to note that we have not brought forward any examinations; where changes have been necessary, we have ensured that examinations have been moved later so that students are not disadvantaged by having reduced preparation time. Please accept our apologies for making these changes at this stage. I am sure that you understand it is due to circumstances beyond our control and is done to ensure that students have every opportunity to achieve to their potential should it be necessary to determine Centre Assessed Grades.
You can read an open letter to students from Dr Jo Saxton, the Chief Regulator at OFQUAL here.
It is the stated intention from the government that examinations will go ahead in the summer of 2022 as planned, but we should all be aware that evidence generated by these trial examinations will be used to inform the determination of a Centre Assessed Grade in the event that it is required due to examinations being cancelled. I would like to take this opportunity to wish ‘all the best’ to Year 13 and Year 11 in their upcoming trial examinations and thank parents and carers for their support in helping prepare students for them.
Matthew Hurren, Assistant Principal
Attendance update
We have recently received the most up to date information concerning national school attendance. The figures up until the end of the first half term (week ending 22 October) showed national school attendance figures at 87.9%.
We are required to record absence due to a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a way that will impact on our attendance figures, but we are very pleased to have finished that term with an attendance figure of 89.7%, which is above the national average.
We continue to promote positive school attendance and we thank you for your continued support.
Festive music performances
The music department are very pleased that we are able to have live performances again, with many events leading up to Christmas. These include:
- Sunday 28 November: Raunds Christmas Lights at 4:20pm in Raunds Square
- Saturday 11 December: Raunds Community Choir Christmas Concert at 7pm at Saxon Hall
- Tuesday 14 December: Thrapston and Raunds Rotary Club Concert at 7pm at Denford Church
It would be great if you could show your support to our musicians and attend some, or all, of our events!
Christmas Jumper Day
We will be participating in Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 10 November. Look out for full details in next week's newsletter.
Language magazine subscriptions
We would like to offer students an exciting opportunity to subscribe to Mary Glasgow Language Magazines as a fun and motivating way to improve their language skills. These magazines are available in French, German and Spanish, and each annual subscription comprises of 5 magazines (issued bi-monthly and delivered to the school throughout the year) offering a range of articles, activities and quizzes designed for teenagers. It also offers unlimited access to media and online activities, including audio tracks, video and resources linked to each magazine issue.
The magazines and listening materials are of a high quality and will enable your child to explore a range of fun and current topics, improve grammatical knowledge, and practice the key skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in new and exciting ways. The cost of an annual subscription is £10.
If you wish to place an order, please visit their website where you’ll be able to browse magazines and pay online for your subscriptions.
Please note that the closing date for ordering is 17 December.
Manor Maths Challenges
As well as puzzles from Week 3 of Barvember, this week's edition of Mrs Radd's blog includes a video that introduces complex and imaginary numbers.
National Online Safety mobile app
National Online Safety have launched a new app to help parents/carers keep their children safe online. With all online safety knowledge available at your fingertips, the NOS app empowers adults to understand and address online safeguarding risks – any time, anywhere.
For more information and to download the app, please visit the National Online Safety website.
PE notices
Due to trial exams taking place from Monday 22 November to Friday 3 December, there will be no lunchtime clubs taking place. They will return once the trial exam period is over. There will also be no hockey club on Friday 26 November due to maintenance on the pitch.
All students are required to wear their full Manor School PE kit for all lessons – this is applicable to all students in Year 7 through to Year 11. There are an increasing number of behaviour points being logged for students who are either wearing incorrect uniform, or who are not bringing their PE kit with them at all.
If a student is to be excused from a PE lesson, a medical note or email needs to be sent to the student's class teacher, but where possible students are still expected to be in their PE kit for the lesson even if the decision is that they cannot practically participate. This is so that they can be included in other roles, and also due to the fact that we are outside for the majority of lessons, so if it rains etc. the students aren’t outside in their school uniform.
Students are allowed to wear under-layers, gloves, woolly hats and dark waterproof jackets. Students are not allowed to wear their coats or hoodies. If students come to PE with just their shorts and t-shirts, lessons will still continue as planned, so I would strongly recommend - particularly in these next few months - that students wear the tracksuit tops and bottoms permitted as part of our uniform policy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support in ensuring these standards and expectations are maintained.
Please could I also ask that students’ names are put into their PE kit. We find that a lot of students seem to leave items in the changing rooms but we have no way of identifying who it belongs to, so it is then taken to the central lost property area in the LRC. If a name is in the item, we can return it directly to the student.
Toni Hustwait, Curriculum Lead for PE and Sport
Sports fixtures and results
This week's results:
- Year 10 Boys Football vs Huxlow – lost 4-3
- Year 10 Boys County Cup vs Lodge Park – lost 9-3
- Year 9 Boys Football League vs Weavers – won 5-1
Upcoming fixtures/events:
- Thursday 25 November – Year 11 boys football county cup vs Campion @ Manor
- Thursday 25 November – SSP Sports Hall Athletics Primary competition @ Manor
- Monday 29 November – Year 9 boys football county cup vs CCS (away)
- Friday 3 December – Volleyball coaching session @ Wrenn
- Monday 6 December – KS4 Boys Hockey vs Bishop (away)
- Tuesday 7 December – Year 8 boys football county cup vs CCS @ Manor
- Thursday 9 December – Year 8 Sports Hall Athletics competition @ Manor
- Friday 10 December – Volleyball coaching session @ Wrenn
- Monday 13 December – KS3 Boys hockey vs Bishop (away)
- Tuesday 14 December – Year 10 Boys Football CV tournament @ Manor
- Thursday 16 December – Year 7 Sports Hall Athletics competition @ Manor
Year 11 college applications
All students who expressed an interest in studying at one of our local further education colleges next year are now being encouraged by their tutors to access the college websites and explore the courses they are interested in, and have also been advised to visit the campus and discuss these courses with college staff and have look at the facilities before they make their application. Please use the link below for details of the college open days that will be taking place this month. If these open days have already taken place, please look out on the college websites for similar events which will be scheduled later in the year.
Once students have explored the courses, facilities and additional support and are satisfied with the course they have chosen, they will need to make an application. In order to do this they will need to create an account with the college they are applying to and the campus they wish to study at. Once they have created this account (with an user name and password) they can complete their personal details, GCSE subjects and predicted grades. Students can make more than one application for different courses and/or colleges. Some courses will arrange further visits, ask for a school reference and organise an interview.
If you have any questions about your child’s college applications then please contact us - details are on the careers advice page of the school website.
Simon Hill, Careers Leader