We understand that as a parent/carer you may have questions to ask. We have tried to gather some of the more frequently asked questions and their answers here for you, but if there is something else you need to know please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Our School
We encourage pupils to cycle or walk to school and we have a secure bike shed where pupils can store their bikes during the day. We also have a school bus, the CM3, which is operated by Metro. You can find information about where the bus collects and drops off at www.wymetro.com/schools. To secure a place on the school bus you will need to fill out the application online at www.wymetro.com/schools/applications/. There are also a number of First buses that have a route via Carr Manor Community School.
We have a school car park where parents/carers can drop pupils off if they are being brought in by car. We encourage parents/carers to use this car park instead of parking on Carr Manor Road.
Pupils are set Independent Learning tasks by their teachers. The tasks are set on Microsoft Teams, which pupils access via their Office 365 accounts. By completing this Independent Learning, pupils are building on the skills they develop in lessons and consolidating their learning.
In both phases of our school there are a range of Flexible Learning clubs that incorporate enrichment activities, intervention opportunities, sports teams and home learning.
Over 100 sessions are run each week. These range from traditional sports clubs such as athletics and cricket, to climate ambassadors, film club, knitting and cross stitch and dance. Our pupils have many chances to pursue what they enjoy, meet new friends and try new things.
The school day starts at 8:30am every day, except Monday when we start at 8:50am. We expect pupils to be onsite at least 10 minutes before the start of the school day. The school day finishes at 3pm and then our Flexible Learning clubs run until 4pm.
We expect all pupils and families to strive to attend school as regularly as possible. We have the highest expectations regarding attendance. Where pupils struggle with attendance, challenge and support will be put in place to help improve this, as statistics show a direct link between underachievement and low attendance. Regular attenders make better progress both socially and academically.
We have 7 lessons each day that are 45 minutes long. When pupils arrive at school they will have two lessons, then break time, then a further three lessons before lunch. After lunch, pupils will have two lessons before the end of the day. Registers are taken in each lesson.
When pupils join us in Year 7 they are placed into mixed ability sets. This approach ensures we get to know the children and their abilities well before using setting based on ability further up the school. We use a combination of standardised and in-house assessments including the Key Stage 2 SATs, reading age and subject specific age-related expectation assessments to make these judgements. Given that progress is rarely linear, we complete regular reviews to ensure pupils’ needs are met and they are able to progress throughout their time with us.
Uniform
The wearing of school uniform ensures a community feel throughout school.
School uniform can be purchased throughout the year from our main reception. Prices are included below of the items that are sold exclusively at Carr Manor Community School.
- White collared shirt
- Black CMCS jumper/cardigan – £12
- Black CMCS blazer (optional) – £30
- School tie in House colour – £4 (this is provided free of charge on your first day)
- Black, appropriate-length skirt with black tights
- Black trousers (no jeans, jeggings, leggings, trousers with studs or cargo trousers)
- All black footwear (preferably shoes)
- No facial piercings – earrings to be studs only. Necklaces to be worn underneath the school uniform
PE kit can be purchased throughout the school year from main reception or the PE office. Prices for individual items are shown on the order form you will receive. You can also buy additional PE kit items either from CMCS or other uniform retailers.
Tops:
- Black CMCS short sleeve top – £8.50/£9
- Black CMCS jacket full/half zip (optional but advised for the colder weather) £14
Bottoms (these can be bought from CMCS or other sport retailers):
- Black football shorts – £7.50/£8
- Black skort £11
- Black tracksuit bottoms £13.50
- Black sports leggings £10.50
Footwear:
- Trainers (with non-marking soles)
- Football boots and black football socks (if possible) for rugby and football
- 3G boots (optional for use on the astro turf)
Please take a look at the Carr Manor Community School Uniform Exchange Facebook Page, which has been set up by the PTA of our primary phase, but is open to both primary and secondary families. This group has been set up for buying, selling and giving away Carr Manor Community School uniform.
Coaching and House System
All pupils and members of staff are in one of four Houses. The Houses are named after local sporting heroes (Jason) Robinson, (Jane) Tomlinson, (Fred) Trueman and (Billy) Bremner.
Pupils in Robinson wear a purple tie, Tomlinson wear a green tie, Trueman a yellow tie and Bremner a blue tie. These ties are given to pupils when they start with us.
Throughout the year we run a variety of House activities to encourage healthy competition between pupils. These include charity events, where each House raises money or awareness for their chosen charity, sports days and end of term competitions such as tug-of-war and ‘old-school’ style sports days.
Pupils can earn points for their House in lessons, Coaching and for other activities, such as attending clubs, intervention classes and representing the school.
At the end of the school year, the House with the most points is presented with the coveted House trophy.
The unique Coaching programme at Carr Manor is central to knowing our children well, which is one of our four key values. Every member of staff, including non-classroom-based staff, receive continuous training and support to effectively coach around 10 pupils.
In the Primary Phase, Coaching groups consist of pupils from Reception – Year 5, and in the Secondary Phase from Year 6 – Year 11. A coach meets with their Coaching group three times a week and will ‘walk shoulder to shoulder’ with them through their time in school and be a parent/carers first point of contact in school. Coaching groups come together to collect House points, review targets and discuss any areas of concern and to generally prepare for the week ahead.
Coaches also provide support on a one-to-one basis to discuss particular areas of concern or achievement. It is our aim to ensure that every pupil has a member of staff working alongside them as a form of support. At Carr Manor, we are eager to develop strong relationships with pupils’ families by meeting with parents/carers three times a year at ‘Meet Your Coach’ days. Parents recognise the benefit of closely knowing a member of staff who can advocate for their child .
Before a child starts with us, we receive information from their previous setting, such as a nursery or primary school, along with our own information from any visits or meetings, that helps us place pupils in the right Coaching group for them. We look to create a blend of pupils in each group to help develop children’s ability to empathise and better understand people with different interests and skills. The most important factor for us is what Coaching attributes will be best fit for each child’s needs in order to help them flourish.
School Meals
It is important to us that each child has the opportunity to receive healthy and nutritious meals and snacks throughout break and lunch. Snacks (hot and cold) are available to pupils to purchase in the refectory at break time. During lunch there are a variety of meals (hot and cold) for pupils to purchase. These options change daily. Pupils can also bring their own packed lunch into school.
We use a biometric system where pupils can use the machines around school to add money to their accounts, which they use to pay for their school meals. Parents/carers can also top up payments and see how the money is being spent, by using ParentPay. Further details can be found on our school meals page. Pupils can also bring a packed lunch into school.
You can claim Free School Meals for any child who normally lives with you and who is classed as being under your parental care. To get Free School Meals you must receive one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit (and your net combined household income is less than £7,400 a year after tax).
- Income Support, Pension Guarantee Credit or Income-based Job Seekers Allowance.
- Income-related Employment Support Allowance.
- Child Tax Credit Only (With No Working Tax Credit) and your Annual Taxable Income does not exceed £16,190.
Please visit www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals for more information. Alternatively, please ask at pupil reception for an application form.
