Manor Church of England Academy
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| Motto | Deo Duce (Latin: "Led By God") |
|---|---|
| Established | 1812 |
| Type | Academy |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Principal | Mr Brian Crosby |
| Vice Principals | Mr Michael Thunder- Welfare, Mr Andrew Crisp- Attainment and Learning |
| Chair of Governors | Mrs Ruth Somerville |
| Location | Millfield Lane York North Yorkshire YO26 6PA England Coordinates: 53°58′14″N 1°07′58″W / 53.97060°N 1.13268°W |
| Local authority | City of York |
| DfE URN | 121713 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Staff | 86 (as of March 2012) |
| Students | 914 (as of March 2012) |
| Gender | Male and Female |
| Ages | 11 (Year 7)–16 (Year 11) |
| Houses | Abbey, Kings, Wentworth, Stuart |
| Website | www.mce.york.sch.uk |
Manor Church of England Academy a coeducational secondary school in York, England, and since April 2011, a Specialist Arts College and Leadership Partner School. One of the most prestigious schools in the area, Manor has a rich history and traditions that extend back two hundred years, over several sites in the city.
History
Establishment and King's Manor, 1812–1922
Manor School originated as a project by the newly formed York Diocesan Board of the National Society for the Education of the Poor, whose remit was to establish schools in each parish for the educating of the 'labouring classes', to 'render them useful and respected members of society.'[1] The first building was secured with the Merchant Taylor's Company to rent their Aldwark Hall, and on 21 May 200 boys began their first day at the newly formed school.
By 21 October, an agreement had been reached for the school to use the 'Great Room' in the historic King's Manor, as part of a plan to open a separate girls' school in Aldwark. By 1815 303 boys, 175 girls and six trainee teachers were attending the two school sites.[2]
Marygate, 1922–1942
After 110 years in the King's Manor, the accommodation was condemned, and the school moved to the former premises of York Industrial School, with the aid of a £3,800 grant from the National Society. By 1932 the school enrolled 400 senior boys. In the early hours of 29 April 1942, a Luftwaffe bombing raid on York resulted in a direct hit on the Manor School building, the headmaster arriving at 5am in the morning to find the building 'in ruins'.[3]
Priory Street, 1942–1965
Within a fortnight, the school was re-established in 'five good rooms, one not so good, two small cloakrooms and a share of the laboratory and gymnasium – very cramped quarters.'[4] The rooms were assigned to teach French, English, maths, art, and history to the 240 students attending. Remarkably, the school would remain in these 'ancient' quarters for more than twenty years, during the depth of Britain's post-war austerity.
Low Poppleton Lane, 1965–2009
Work started in April 1964 on a new building, the first purpose-built for the school. Overseen by Ron Dean, a young architect on his first job at Ward, Ruddick and Ward, the construction was completed in just under two years, at a cost of £133,101.[5] This was the first site for the school to have playing fields, and lessons commenced on 1 November 1965. The buildings were extended some time later, to include a new wing as the enrollment increased to around 650 pupils. In 1985 the school became a Comprehensive, a transition that would present new challenges as well as opportunities for improving the academic traditions of the school.
Millfield Lane, 2009–
Despite the 1980s extension, the 1965 building was – in later years – a cramped home for the students and staff. A single, narrow corridor on the first and second floors of the extended wing became heavily congested between classes, and the lack of disabled access would be impossible to rectify in the existing building. In April 2009, Manor School moved to a new, highly improved site on Millfield Lane, York. The £17.6 million development now houses over three hundred more students then the old building, and includes facilities such as recording studios, industrial kitchens, and a central chapel for students. A new building has been built called the HIVE to host Creative and Media collaborative provision for the city of York. This includes a theatre with gang plank, tickets desk and refreshments counter.[6]
In 2010 applications were advanced for Manor to receive 'Academy' status, one of only two schools in the city (and 153 nationwide) that applied for this increased independence.[7] This has led to a call in the House of Commons from York Outer MP Julian Sturdy for greater budget clarity for Academies.[8]
Headteachers
- 1812–41 – Samuel Danby
- 1841–47 – Frederick Lyne
- 1847–49 – William Pearson
- 1849–53 – Thomas Haughton
- 1853–64 – John Bird
- 1864–65 – Henry Ripley
- 1866–1910 – George Kenyon Hitchcock
- 1910–22 – George King Hitchcock
- 1922–32 – Maurice Gilbert Teesdale
- 1932–35 – G F Jackson
- 1935–43 – D H Cooper
- 1943–53 – Herbert Wroe
- 1953–68 – Norman Fieldsend
- 1968–74 – George Ranson
- 1975–81 – Marion Hodgson
- 1981–2001 – Peter Smith
- 2002–present – Brian Crosby [9]
The School today
Merit system
The Manor reward scheme for Years 7 & 8 uses stickers called Merits. Students are awarded merits when doing well in certain subjects. When getting 25 merits, students receive the Bronze Award certificate. When collecting 50, students receive the Silver Award certificate. Upon getting 75 merits, students receive the Gold Award certificate. When successfully getting 100 merits, students are awarded the Platinum Award certificate. When 150 are collected, students receive the Special Award certificate and bronze badge. Every 10 merits the student is entered once into a prize draw (for example if 30 are collected there would be 3 prize draw entries, and if 54 were collected there would be 5 entries), where the prizes vary from vouchers to exciting trips. Letters are sent home rewarding the students when they get six merits and then fifteen merits for a specific subject. However, year 9, 10 & 11 students have a new system called 'tri-weekly's' – after every 3 week students get a sticker from each subject. students get 1 of 3 stickers Bronze – 1 point, Silver 2 Points and Gold – 3 Points. The aim is to get a lot of points so pupils can then be rewarded.
Music
Manor has had a strong reputation for music performance in recent years, with its jazz band 'Manjazz', touring Europe, winning competitions (including at a performance at the Royal Festival Hall) and often fundraising in York city centre.[10] Under the support and expertise of music teacher and musician Clive Wass, Manor also produced a successful student choir in the 1990s, an orchestra and the school nurtured several successful rock bands that ranked in the top three at the York Inter-school Battle of the Bands competition, held at the York Barbican Centre.
Performing arts
As an 'Arts College', Manor school now has received official recognition for the tradition of shows and musicals that have been produced by students and staff over many years. A high level of commitment to the shows, as well at technical expertise from students, made the productions a focal point for school and community. Some of the productions in recent years have included:
- Bittersweet, 2005
- Blood Brothers, 2005
- A Christmas Carol, 2005
- Little Shop of Horrors, 2006
- Pendragon, 2007
- Return to the Forbidden Planet, 2007
- Strictly Ballroom, 2008
- Disco Inferno, 2009
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 2010
- Bugsy, 2011
The emphasis on the performing arts is reflected in the current building, which has both a hall with 400-seat capacity and full sound and lighting, as well as a drama studio that can seat 70, provide space for drama lessons and offer TV recording capability.[11] The HIVE is a purpose-built Creative and Media centre that can seat 209, and is available for private hire in the community.[12]
Religion
As a school affiliated with the Church of England, faith and worship is often given as a reason students and staff choose to come to Manor. The current building has a designated space for worship and prayer, and features a large cross on the building exterior, as well as plaques with the Lord's Prayer in each classroom. In addition, the Academy has a Chaplain (currently Rev. Tony Hand) who attends one and a half days a week. Manor students attend a regular Eucharist service, for which they may travel to the nearby Holy Redeemer Church, on Boroughbridge Road.[13] However, the Academy website states that it does not present Church doctrine as propaganda: "It's not our purpose to take people in Year 7 and turn them into Christians by Year 11.", said Tony Hand. "Instead, we hope to encourage and explore ways which will enable young people to make a decision about faith." [13] The Church appoints the majority of school governors.[14]
Success and applicants
In 2012, Manor School students have achieved 97% 5 or more A*-C grades (equal 1st in the city) and 66% including English and Maths (the government's headline measure), ranking it 3rd in the city. Unsurprisingly, it has been regularly oversubscribed for many years and has a selection criteria for acceptance into the school that includes the faith and church attendance of the family, siblings already attending, and proximity to the school.[15] In 2009/10, Manor was the second most over-subscribed school in the country, having to turn down many applicants for the available spaces. Currently there are 180 places available for new entrants into Year 7 each year, 99 of which are allocated according to the child's stated religion.[15]
References
- ^ Crane, David; Tim Moat, Patrick Kelly, Richard Evans & Tony Wright (2012). Two Hundred Years of Manor Church of England School, York. p. 10.
- ^ Crane. p. 11. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ^ Crane. p. 24. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ^ Crane. p. 25. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ^ Crane. p. 26. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ^ York Press Article Regarding new school opening
- ^ Stead, Mark (2 August 2010). "York schools' academy plans branded "regrettable"". The Press. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ^ "Call for clearer academy funding". The Press. 18 Oct 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ^ Evans, Richard (1994). The History of Manor C of E School 1812–1994.
- ^ OFSTED. "Inspection Report, Manor C of E School, 2005". Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Gallery: New to the Manor". BBC Local News. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "About Manor C of E School, Facilities". Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ a b Crane. p. 33. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ^ "About MCE". Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ^ a b "ARRANGEMENTS AND POLICY FOR ADMISSION OF STUDENTS". Manor C of E School. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
External links
- Diocese of York - Instrument of Government policy on electing Governors.
- Gallery: New to the Manor – BBC News photographs of the Millfield Ln building
