Manor’s curriculum is rooted in the Hope Sentamu Learning Trust’s Curriculum Principles (balanced, rigorous, coherent, developmentally spiralling, appropriate, focused and relevant). 

We want all of our students to have the opportunity to thrive. We understand that achievement comes in many different forms and are committed to our Christian foundation and vision to enable every child to serve others, grow together and live life to the full.

The curriculum at Manor has been carefully constructed in order to provide opportunities for students to develop socially, morally, spiritually, physically and culturally, alongside maximising achievement in a broad and rich suite of qualifications that combine the academic rigour of traditional qualifications alongside some vocational learning. 

The curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the combination of qualifications offered to students reflects the local labour market needs and our fully comprehensive intake.  All students are known and supported taking into account individual needs, background and starting points.

The curriculum is carefully planned and well sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before throughout each year in school. Each subject curriculum builds increasingly complex knowledge that the pupils are able to remember. Through the schemes of learning, teaching is designed to help pupils to remember the content they have been taught and to integrate new knowledge into larger ideas. Teachers use techniques like interleaving, quizzing and effective questioning to support this.  It prepares students for exams and assessments at the end of KS3 and KS4. 

At Manor CE Academy we recognise the benefits that reading provides for our students’ well being, their ability to access the curriculum, and to thrive in the future.  Reading is at the core of every subject across the curriculum.  All teachers have a role in providing reading opportunities for students, as well as the responsibility for supporting the development of reading skills within their teaching.  There are a number of strategies used across the school that are deployed where appropriate to the curriculum.  These include explicit teaching of key vocabulary planned into the curriculum, and teacher-led reading, with fluency modelling.

To improve decoding skills for students who are reading below their chronological age, we have trained staff within our learning support department that deliver our phonics programme – Fresh Start.  To ensure our KS3 pupils develop their comprehension and fluency skills, time is provided within the curriculum for the Reading Plus programme.  This is supported by parents and carers via weekly home learning. 

We have a fantastic provision in the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) with a broad catalogue of non-fiction and fiction texts, from a diverse range of authors.  The LRC is very well attended and book loans are high.  Additionally, students also have access to books online with the use of an E-Platform.  The LRC also runs competitions, events and clubs to promote a love of reading. 

Students are able to apply mathematical knowledge, concepts and procedures appropriately for their age in subjects across the curriculum. We plan to develop a common language and approach to delivery of numeracy concepts.

As a result of the broad, balanced and appropriate curriculum our students achieve well and over 99% of our students sustain post 16 courses, apprenticeships or employment. An exceptionally low number of students end up as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) when they leave us.

The curriculum is regularly reviewed and where necessary adapted to take account of gaps in learning that have occurred as a result of the pandemic.

Opportunity for personal development runs through all aspects of the school. Students are encouraged to live the Christian and British values into being.  All students are fully supported in preparation for their aspirational next steps.

The formal curriculum is supported by a wide range of extra-curricular groups which meet throughout the year, that can be seen here. 

Teachers’ subject knowledge is excellent. In every lesson teachers present subject matter clearly and promote discussion about the area being taught. They check pupils’ understanding systematically through a well organised assessment programme, identify misconceptions accurately and provide clear, direct feedback. 

Assessments are department led with collaboration on their design. Each data tranche is carefully analysed by the Attainment and Progress team and trends reported to the Principal and governors. The evidence suggests that assessment supports the achievement of high progress results at the end of Year 11.

The work given to students is demanding and is differentiated to stretch their understanding so that they have a thorough understanding of the area being taught. 

The academy makes the development of teaching and learning its core purpose and a range of CPD supports its development through the year. The Trust wide adoption of Walkthrus is supporting this work with every teacher and department using this resource to develop their practice.

Students of all abilities achieve very well, some exceptionally well. They make excellent progress and attain the highest standards that they are capable of. We believe that through excellent teaching of a demanding curriculum, students enjoy learning, make good progress, are effectively engaged and motivated and behave very well, displaying positive attitudes. We know this because of the outcome of learning walks, lesson observations and work scrutiny. We know this because of stakeholder feedback.

Under the Equality Act, schools are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ so that all children can access their facilities and services.

The Equality Act 2010 replaced a number of different pieces of discrimination legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (‘DDA’). It provides people with legal protection from discrimination in a variety of circumstances. Part 6, Chapter 1 of the Act addresses education specifically and talks about the protections offered to children in schools.

Under the Act, schools must not discriminate, harass or victimise a person seeking to be admitted as a pupil. This includes the terms on which a person is offered a place or is not offered a place.

We also ensure that no pupil is discriminated against in the manner in which education is provided, the way that pupils are able to access facilities/services, or through excluding a pupil or subjecting them to any other detriment.

With regard to disabled pupils in particular, in order to meet this duty, the ‘responsible body’ of a school (such as the governing body) has an ‘accessibility plan’, after having regard to the resources required to implement the plan.

The accessibility plan is designed to do a number of things:

• To increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the school’s curriculum
• To improve the physical environment of the school in order to help disabled pupils to take advantage of education and benefits, facilities or services provided or offered by the school; and
• To improve the delivery to disabled pupils of information which is readily accessible to pupils who are not disabled

Our plan can be viewed here.

In addition, we ensure that disabled pupils receive the same quality of education as their peers. The school has a duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’, where typical provision might put a disabled pupil at a ‘substantial disadvantage’.

An example of a ‘reasonable adjustment’ might simply be arranging for a student who uses a wheelchair to have classes on the ground floor of the building or ensuring that a teacher faces a deaf student to enable them to lip-read.

Our SEND policy can be found on our policies page.