Raunds Town Voice

09/10/2026

Manor School has launched a consultation on closing its sixth form from September 2027.

The Trusts say falling student numbers, a reduced curriculum and significant financial pressures mean the current model may no longer be sustainable.

But closure would also mean Raunds losing its only sixth form.
No final decision has been made, and the consultation is open until 30 October.

👇 Do you think closure is now unavoidable, or should keeping post-16 education in Raunds remain a priority?

🔗 Read more and find out how to respond:

Manor School launches consultation on future of sixth form as closure proposed for 2027 Parents, students and the wider Raunds community are being invited to have their say on a proposal which could see Manor School’s sixth form close from September 2027. Nene Education Trust, working in partnersh...

22/09/2026

NEW: Stuart Judge appointed Interim Principal at Manor School as Meridian transfer moves forward

Just 24 hours after families were told that Adam Crawte had stepped down, Manor School has confirmed that Stuart Judge will take over as Interim Principal.

Judge is currently employed by Meridian Trust and will be seconded to Manor full-time, marking a much more direct role for Meridian ahead of the school’s planned transfer.
The Trusts have also now confirmed a target transfer date of 1 January 2027, with investment planned for parts of the school site and IT infrastructure.

Judge brings extensive leadership experience, including previous senior roles at The Ferrers School in Higham Ferrers, Lodge Park Academy in Corby and Kingsthorpe College, alongside headship and interim leadership work.

For Manor families, the big questions are now about what happens next.

Does Meridian taking a more direct role give you greater confidence in the school’s future? What should Stuart Judge prioritise first?

👇 Share your views in the comments - particularly if you have current or recent first-hand experience of Manor.

21/09/2026

Another leadership change at Manor School - but how do families actually feel about it?

Principal Adam Crawte has stepped down and will not be returning to the Raunds school, with Senior Vice Principal Emma Taylor currently leading Manor.

Crawte took charge during an extremely difficult period and subsequent Ofsted visits have recognised genuine progress - although significant areas for improvement remain.

So we want to hear from the people who know Manor best.

Has the school improved under Adam Crawte? Are you sorry to see him go, pleased about the change, or undecided? And what should happen next?

We'd particularly like to hear constructive first-hand experiences from current and former parents, pupils and staff.

👇 Have your say in the comments.

Manor School is facing another change at the top after Principal Adam Crawte stepped down from his role and confirmed he will not be returning to the Raunds school. Parents and carers were informed on Monday, 21 September, in a letter from Nene Education Trust Interim Chief Executive Matt Coleman. T...

16/09/2026

🏫 Manor School Year 6 into 7 Open Evening

For families with children currently in Year 6, Manor School in Raunds is holding its Year 6 into 7 Open Evening on:

📅 Wednesday 30 September
🕟 4:30pm – 7:00pm
🎤 Presentations at 4:45pm and 5:30pm

It’s an opportunity for prospective pupils and their families to visit the school, take a look around and find out more about starting Year 7 at Manor.

🎟️ Tickets need to be booked in advance:
https://www.ticketsource.com/manorschool

Please feel free to share this with any local families who have a child moving up to secondary school next September.

18/03/2026

🚨 A trial date has been set for a man charged with the murder of Helen Bird in Chelveston.

A trial date has been set for a man charged with the murder of a woman in Chelveston. James Daniel Bird, 50, of High Street, Chelveston, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday (March 18) charged with murder. The charge relates to an incident on the morning of Monday, February 2, when 47-year...

17/03/2026

Unexpected Announcement

In a rather unexpected turn of events, we have received an offer for Raunds Totally Inaccurate News that was simply too good to refuse.
Following what we can only describe as very unusual negotiations, ownership of the operation has now been transferred to a new and somewhat mysterious party operating under RaundsNews.com.
The transfer has taken place with immediate effect.

We understand the new owners will now be running a “newsroom” group, page and X account where they intend to gather sightings, rumours and other questionable information from the public for use in their so-called news stories.

We should make it absolutely clear that Raunds Town Voice does not encourage the use of satire.

Therefore we strongly advise residents not to join the newsroom group, follow the page, visit their website, or interact with their new X account.

Doing so may result in your comments being turned into stories by what we suspect may now be an underground puppet-run newsroom.

13/03/2026

A deer has died after being attacked by two off-lead dogs at Stanwick Lakes, according to the Ranger team.

The animal was left suffering for around 40 minutes before it was reported to staff.

A deer has died after being attacked by two off-lead dogs on a path at Stanwick Lakes, prompting renewed calls for dog owners to keep their pets under close control around wildlife. The incident was reported to the site’s Ranger team by a member of the public who spotted the badly injured animal o...

11/03/2026

Parents in North Northamptonshire will soon face higher school transport costs after the council confirmed a price increase from September.

The annual charge will rise from £795 to £965.

Parents across North Northamptonshire will face higher costs for school transport from the next academic year after the council confirmed an increase in charges. From September 2026, the annual cost for non-statutory home-to-school transport will rise from £795 to £965 per year. North Northamptons...