The Manor Academy
The Manor Academy is a co-educational secondary school with academy status in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, overseen by and part of The Two Counties Trust.
| The Manor Academy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
Park Hall Road , , NG19 8QA England | |
| Coordinates | 53.171459°N 1.188668°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Motto | Aspire, Achieve, Excel |
| Established | 1973 |
| Trust | The Two Counties Trust |
| Department for Education URN | 137158 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Chair of Governors | Judith Caswell |
| Head Teacher | Katrina Kerry |
| Staff | 135 members of staff |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 988 |
| Website | https://manor.ttct.co.uk/ |
Curriculum
KS3 (Key Stage 3)
The curriculum offered in KS3 by The Manor Academy encompasses a diverse range of subjects to ensure a well-rounded educational experience. English, mathematics, and science each receive four hours of dedicated instruction per week, providing a strong foundation in core academic areas. In addition, students have the opportunity to learn a foreign language, with options including French and Spanish, for two hours per week.
Humanities subjects, namely history and geography, receive four hours of weekly instruction, enabling students to develop a deeper understanding of the world and its diverse cultures. The curriculum also includes various creative disciplines, such as drama, music, art and design, and design & technology, with each subject receiving one hour of dedicated instruction per week. These subjects foster creativity, self-expression, and problem-solving skills.
To equip students with essential digital literacy, one hour per week is allocated to computing and information and communication technology (ICT) instruction. Physical education (PE) is emphasised with two hours per week dedicated to physical fitness and sports activities.
Furthermore, students engage with religious education (RE) for one hour per week, fostering an understanding and appreciation of different religions. Our school places significant importance on personal, social, health, and economic education (PSHE), citizenship, and relationships and sex education (RSE), with a dedicated one-hour lesson and two 30-minute sessions conducted by their form tutor each week. This comprehensive approach ensures that students receive guidance on crucial life skills and personal development.
KS4 (Key Stage 4)
The curriculum at The Manor Academy for Key Stage 4 offers a comprehensive range of subjects, providing students with a well-rounded and engaging educational experience. English Language and Literature take centre stage, with a dedicated allocation of five hours per week. This enables students to develop their language skills, as well as explore various literary works and enhance their analytical capabilities.
Mathematics is a core component, receiving five hours per week, allowing students to delve into the world of numbers, logical reasoning, and problem-solving.
In the sciences, students have the option to pursue the Double or Triple Award, encompassing Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Those opting for the Double Award receive four hours per week of comprehensive scientific instruction, while Triple Award students benefit from an extended allocation of seven hours per week, enabling them to delve deeper into these fundamental scientific disciplines.
Physical Education (PE) plays a vital role in fostering physical fitness and well-being, with one hour per week dedicated to engaging students in various sports activities and promoting an active lifestyle.
The school places great emphasis on Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education (PSHE), Citizenship, and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). One hour per week is dedicated to these subjects, providing students with essential knowledge and skills related to personal development, social responsibility, and well-being.
Religious Education (RE) is offered for three hours per fortnight, allowing students to explore diverse religious and philosophical perspectives, nurturing their understanding and appreciation of different belief systems.
Further as part of the academy’s commitment to ICT across KS4, all students will be provided with the opportunity to develop their capability, creativity and knowledge in computer science, digital media, and information technology. Apply their analytic, problem-solving, design, and computational thinking skills and understand how changes in technology affect safety, including new ways to protect their online privacy and identity, and how to identify and report a range of concerns.
Admissions
In 2017 61% of students at the Manor Academy gained a grade 4 or higher in English and mathematics studies. In addition to this, 92% of A-Level students also passed their subjects in 2017.
In 2013, the academy introduced a new curriculum for students; the Year 7 cohort studied New Basics which gradually introduces them to secondary education. Year 8, 9, 10 and 11 students followed the Manor Expressway, which allowed them to learn and be assessed at a rate that suits them, focusing on each student's stage of learning, not their age. On top of this, the academy was split into five strands; Strive, Voyage, Discovery, Enigma and New Basics. This curriculum is not currently in use. See
Previous international links with Jin Cai High School in Shanghai meant that students at the Academy had the opportunity of a trip to China. However, this is no longer available.
The school has its own sports and recreation centre, a full sized all-weather sports pitch, a construction centre, an engineering workshop, a hair and beauty training salon, advanced ICT facilities, a comprehensive library, and the Manor Farm, which consists primarily of chickens, but is also used to grow different varieties of crops.
An investment in iPads for the whole school in 2014 also improved teaching by providing advanced tools to improve learning. [1]
History
Grammar school
Manor Technical Grammar School was opened in 1959.
Comprehensive
The school was previously made up of the Forest View County Secondary Modern school on Park Hall Road, and a site on Yorke Street; however, following the destruction of large parts of the Park Hall Road site by fire in 1996, work was carried out to incorporate the school to a single site. This was achieved for the start of the 1999/2000 school year, and the Yorke Street site was demolished and sold for housing construction.
Academy status
The Manor School was selected by application to the office of the Secretary of State to become an Academy in 2011.[2]
As of 1 September 2017, the Manor Academy became part of The Two Counties Trust. The CEO of the Two Counties Trust (Richard Vasey) also became the Executive Head Teacher until September 2018 when Katrina Kerry became Head Teacher.
Awards
The school has achieved several awards including Artsmark, Sportsmark Gold and Home Access. It provides a range of extended services. The on-site facilities for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provide both crèche and physical activity sessions in a separate building at Manor Sport and Recreation Centre. Unfortunately this centre is no longer in use for early years and is used by Manor Academy as a teaching facility.
2018 Ofsted Inspection
In May 2018 the school was inspected by Ofsted and awarded a 'GOOD' rating for overall effectiveness and for all the 4 main categories, including Pupil Outcomes, Teaching & Learning, Behaviour and Leadership of the Academy. The inspection report states 'The quality of education has been transformed since the last section 5 inspection.'
The report also states that 'Highly effective leadership by the head of school has endured that previous weaknesses have been tackled decisively and effectively.'
Further comments from the report highlight the quality of teaching 'Some of the teaching is truly inspiring.' with the inspector noting 'This was a lesson I did not want to leave', and 'Parents and carers are increasingly confident about the quality of education provided by the school and they are right to be.'
Controversy
In late April 2016, three teachers were suspended following an April Fool's Day prank where Olbas Oil was introduced into a drink of tea, which caused a trainee teacher to be hospitalised for monitoring. The incident was reported to the local newspaper following school-gossip.[3]
In early May, the school announced that the three suspended teachers had left "by mutual agreement", and, following the Ofsted report, "the school’s 900-plus students must come first".[4]
Following the COVID-19 outbreak, The Two Counties Trust decided that the Manor Sport and Recreation Centre should not be opened to the public. They described it as 'unfeasible to reopen the outdoor facilities to the community'.[5]
References
- Manor Academy iPad pupils get a better byte at the Apple Mansfield Chad, local newspaper 26 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-16
- "Manor School to be an academy". Chad, 1 June 2011, p.20. Accessed 30 September 2021
- Manor teachers suspended after trainee colleague is poisoned Chad, local newspaper, 29 April 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016
- Manor Academy principal says ‘students must come first’ after Ofsted battering Chad, local newspaper, 3 May 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016
- Clubs devastated as popular Mansfield sports facility announces it will not reopen to public Chad, 22 September 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2022