About Us
In September 2008 we were inspected by Ofsted and judged to be a ‘Good school with outstanding features’. We were obviously pleased with this result and have continued to work hard to provide a safe, secure and effective learning environment for all of our pupils. As a school we have three key values, which are to:
Know our children well;
be Partners in Learning;
and to Enjoy and Achieve
The whole school staff team contribute to the overall safety and well-being of our pupils. We aim to know our children well in a number of different ways, for example, through coaching, on-going assessments of progress and behaviour, the School Council Assembly and sub-groups and a range of out of school activities. It is important to us to remember that each pupil is an individual and we carefully tailor our support to offer a wide choice of academic and vocational pathways.
Our school is a safe, warm and friendly place to be and we believe it is important that staff and pupils work together as partners in learning to ensure that we can provide a positive and successful environment for everyone.
The standards we set in classrooms are very high – we expect pupils to respect each other and give everyone the opportunity to learn, develop and progress to their full potential. We also develop partnerships with organisations outside of the school to give our pupils an even broader range of learning opportunities.
Children spend about 15% of their time at school over a year and it is therefore essential that we help them to enjoy and achieve whilst they are with us.
In summary, at Carr Manor High School – Specialist Sports College we provide a range of support to help each pupil to be safe and happy and to develop into responsible, self-motivated young adults who want to achieve and be successful.
Specialist Sports College
Carr Manor High School has been designated as a Specialist Sports College. We are committed to enhancing young people’s opportunities to participate in a wide range of sports and we use sport as a vehicle to develop and improve learning opportunities for all. Through this specialism we have been able to widen the scope of sport related learning for our pupils, staff and for the community.
House System
All pupils and staff are members of one of four Houses which are named after local sporting heroes (Jason) Robinson, (Jane) Tomlinson, (Fred) Trueman and (Billy) Bremner. Pupils wear the school tie colour of their house (Purple for Robinson, Green for Tomlinson, Yellow for Trueman and Blue for Bremner). Pupils can earn points (stamps) for their house in lessons and coaching and for other activities, for example, attending clubs, revision classes and representing the school. Each week individual pupil points are collected and input into a database which tallies the totals for each House. At the end of the school year, after Summer Sports Day, the House with the most accumulated points is presented with the Annual House Trophy.
We hold 2 Sports Days (Winter and Summer), both of which contribute to one of the Houses winning the Sports Trophy.
Throughout the year, subject areas hold House Competitions and we have found that pupils enjoy the competitive spirit and aspire to be awarded points. Staff are also involved in the competition at staff quiz nights etc!
Coaching
The unique Coaching Programme at Carr Manor High School is pivotal to our approach to knowing our children well. All staff (teaching and non-teaching) receive on-going training and development to coach a group of approximately 8 pupils (from across the year groups) on a weekly basis. Pupils and coaches meet twice a week. During the first lesson of each Monday, coaching groups come together, collect House Points, review targets, check Pupil Planners and discuss any areas of concern and to generally prepare for the week ahead. On Wednesday period 5, coaching groups team up for ‘Coaching Plus’ to address a whole range of topics, such as citizenship, health and well-being and careers.
Key messages are also communicated across the school in both of these sessions and through a weekly ‘Coaching Chronicle’ which outlines times for activities, revision classes, etc. The first week back from each half term, also includes a day spent in Coaching Groups for one of the whole school ‘personal effectiveness’ days.
Coaches also provide support through the week / term and meet with pupils on a one-one basis to discuss particular areas of concern and success. It is our aim to ensure that each pupil has a member of staff working alongside them to iron out any difficulties in learning as they may arise. Coaches also develop strong relationships with pupils’ families and meet with parents / carers three times a year at ‘Meet Your Coach’ days. These days (which are additional to the traditional parents / carers evenings with teaching staff) have proved to be very popular with parents / carers who recognise the benefit of knowing someone well in school who can advocate for their child. Pupils enjoy meeting in the small groups and getting to know children from other year groups better. This all helps to create a positive school community within school and with families.
School Council
Each Coaching Group nominates a representative to sit on a School Council Assembly which meets 5-6 times per year. The School Council Assembly votes for 2 pupils from each year group to sit on a School Council Group which meets more regularly. The School Council Assembly provides an excellent conduit for pupils to have a ‘voice’ within school and to gather feedback, areas of concern and suggestions for improvement. The School Council Group participates in visits to the school, fundraising activities, meetings with staff and in representing the school.
