Lady Manners School has a long and successful tradition of involvement in the wider community. Evidence of this can be seen in the awards we receive and affiliations we make in order to provide a broad range of opportunities for our students. Details of some of these can be found by clicking the links below:
Grateful Recipients Of The Making A Difference Community Dividend Scheme 2023
We are one of Derbyshire’s Attachment Aware Schools (AAS).
Attachment Disorder includes a wide range of emotional and behavioural problems that can develop in children who struggle to form the bonds usually expected with their parents or primary caregivers. Attachment Disorder can stem from experience of neglect, abuse or separation from adult carers at a very early age.
As a disabil
ity confident employer, we make the most of the talents which disabled people bring to our workplace. We:
- challenge negative attitudes towards disability
- increase understanding of disability
- remove barriers to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions
- ensure that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations
Our membership of the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce enhances our provision of career learning, and gives our students opportunities to develop their employability skills. Our Chamber Schools membership enables links with businesses and potential work experience placements as well as giving us the opportunity to work with other Chamber schools.
We are proud to have achieved the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award,
This means we have met the following criteria:
- We have completed the Eco-Schools 7 steps, see link for further details 7 steps
- We have an Eco-Code created by our students, which is the commitment to contribute towards protecting the planet. This is reflected in the work our Eco-Committee has completed in their Action Plan.
Whole school initiatives include:
- A competition for students to put forward proposals focussing on how Lady Manners School can help to reduce the impact of climate change.
- Application in progress to become a Peak Park School Ambassador
- Tree planting on site during 2020 – 2022
- Wetland project on the Rutland fields managed by the Biology Department
- Reduction in bus engine idling time to improve air quality following a meeting between the Environmental Council and with the bus operators in May 2022
Site improvements:
- Insulation added to the Technology Block (2019), Reception (2020) and Learning Support (2021)
- Improved insulation for the History and Geography classrooms (2020)
- Replaced external lighting with LED lighting (2020). Most corridors in the original building now have LED (2021)
- Classrooms and offices have LED lighting installed as part of on-going refurbishment
Energy efficiency:
- Using photocells instead of timers to control outside lighting
- Monitoring weather and managing the plant rooms daily/hourly to conserve energy
- Servicing heating convectors regularly
- Staff and students mindful of energy conservation by switching off appliances when not needed
Catering:
- On-going reduction in the use of packaging
- Reduction in use of plastic drinks bottles from April 2022
- Increased usage of recyclable packaging
We hold the British Council’s prestigious International School Award 2018-21. The award is given to schools that have shown an outstanding commitment to the international dimension in their schemes of work and extra-curricular activities. This is the fourth time that Lady Manners School has been recognised in this way by the British Council, having previously received this award in 2009-2012, 2012-2015 and 2015-2018.
The school’s work to bring students an understanding of international issues spans all subjects and year groups. Amongst many others, projects have included a study by Year 7 students of the nutritional components of the food that they eat. This was replicated by Njiro Secondary School in Tanzania, establishing a link between the two schools which enabled both sets of students to gain an understanding of the everyday life of a child in a different culture.
There were other projects that worked across the school’s curriculum to highlight an international issue, such as the Rohingya Crisis. Year 9 students studied the acclaimed book ‘The Bone Sparrow’ in English lessons. This deeply moving story about a refugee boy who had spent his entire life in a detention centre provided a theme that was continued in RE lessons as well as in special assemblies.
The Goethe-Institut is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institute, which is active worldwide. They promote the study of German abroad and encourage international cultural exchange.
Lady Manners School is a partner of the Goethe-Institut Network for Schools in the UK, which means that we:
- have a firm commitment to the teaching and learning of German
- act as a centre of training in co-operation with our partner primary schools
- involve the Goethe-Institut with training of teachers of German
- are prepared to be active in the “Smart Choice: German” network and we exchange examples of best practice with other schools and Goethe-Institut networks
We are proud to be a member of the Peak 11 Federation, which brings together the eleven secondary schools in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales with the aim of improving education for the young people of the area.
We have successfully applied for a partnership grant from the Royal Society, which we are using to further our project: ‘An Investigation into Solar Physics in Different Wavelengths of Light’.
The project has involved over 250 students from Years 7, 8, 12 and 13 observing and imaging the details on the sun that are normally hidden from view.
During the course of the project students have been able to visit the Royal Society in London, where they presented their findings to eminent guests including Fellows of the Royal Society and Patrick McLoughlin, the Secretary of State for Transport and MP for the Derbyshire Dales.
Extension funding has also been secured from the Royal Society, which will enable future Year 7 students to experience this branch of science. It is also making it possible for us to share this project with other schools.
Lady Manners School has been invited to be a Music Mark School. This is in recognition of our excellent music provision.
