Heywood Academy Blog - 1.5.26
A Fantastic Week at Heywood Academy 🌟
We’ve had a really positive week at Heywood Academy, full of learning, celebration and opportunities for our students.
The week started brilliantly with our STEM robotics sessions, which were extremely well received. Students were fully engaged, curious and excited as they explored problem-solving, teamwork and technology in a hands-on way.
We also enjoyed a lovely Parents’ Evening, which gave us the opportunity to share the phenomenal progress our students have made. It was wonderful to celebrate achievements together and see how proud families are of the hard work and determination shown every day.
Our Year 9 students have taken part in MBACC sessions, supporting their career development and helping them to think about future pathways, aspirations and next steps.
The highlight of the week was our Careers Event, where students watched presentations from a range of professionals who shared their own journeys and offered advice on the different routes into rewarding careers. Students engaged thoughtfully and asked insightful questions, gaining a clearer understanding that there are many ways to achieve success. We had professionals from the following areas:
Law
Graphic design
Leisure Industry
Construction
Banking
Solicitor
Work experience
At Heywood Academy, we aim for the stars for our students and are proud to support them to believe in themselves, explore their ambitions and work towards a bright future.
Miss Grace’s weekly update
7G have had a brilliantly busy week, diving into English detective work as they searched for clues in the text to figure out how characters might be feeling, tackling the twists and turns of time in Maths, and getting hands-on in Science with a fiery food-burning Bunsen burner experiment while learning about digestion and energy; in Art they continued exploring the bold, energetic world of Keith Haring, in DT they kept building their Tinkercad skills so they’ll be ready to design and eventually 3D-print their own creations, and in Music the classroom transformed into a mini studio as students used GarageBand to remix loops and put their own creative spin on things, a huge well done to all of 7G for another fantastic week of learning and creativity.
Ms Zobenica’s weekly update
This week, all year groups have continued to practise their rounders skills in PE. We have focused on the different playing positions and have begun to introduce more game rules in preparation for playing full matches. Students have impressed staff with their strong communication skills while fielding and their resilience and enthusiasm to participate.
Some classes had the opportunity to visit the Cherwell Centre this week, while others visited St Luke’s Church. To travel safely, the children practised important road safety skills, taking turns to check the roads and signal when it was safe to cross.
While enjoying the lovely weather at the Cherwell Centre, pupils fed animals such as a tortoise and rabbits. They also observed a wide range of other animals, including snakes, bearded dragons, guinea pigs, goats, fish and a macaw. The children asked thoughtful questions and learned many interesting facts about the animals.
During 7G’s visit to St Luke’s Church, students learned a great deal through an informative and engaging experience. They spoke with the Reverend and were given a guided tour of the building, where they explored the different features of the church. The students asked insightful questions and were respectful throughout the visit.
Year 9 students were invited to attend a careers event at MediaCityUTC in Salford. During the event, students were set the challenge of creating a new award and had the opportunity to speak with a range of professionals. They explored different career pathways and gained valuable insight into routes into further education and employment.
Ms Pugh’s weekly update
This week, our Year 8 pupils have been busy across the curriculum, showing great engagement and enthusiasm in a wide range of subjects.
In English, students took part in an exciting live author session, where they listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions, and gained insight into what it is like to be a writer. In Maths, classes focused on angles in shapes, developing their understanding of key geometrical concepts.
Science lessons were hands-on as pupils explored electrical circuits, including how resistors work within a circuit. In History, learning centred on the Tudor period, with students creating timelines to show key events and developments. This linked well with Design & Technology, where pupils began creating their own Tudor battleship boats, combining historical knowledge with practical design skills.
In PE, students enjoyed active rounders sessions, working on teamwork, throwing, catching and striking skills. Our Outdoor Education trip was a real highlight of the week, with Year 8 visiting the Cherwell Centre. Pupils learned about and observed a variety of exotic animals, including macaws, budgies, a snake, tortoise and turtle, a tarantula, a bearded dragon, and more. They showed curiosity and excellent behaviour throughout the visit.
Some students from Year 8 participated in a robotics STEM activity. The students were engaged in designing and creating robots that were able to move and produce singing sounds. The activity supported hands-on learning and encouraged creativity through practical application of STEM concepts.
In Art, students continued their portraits of famous people using a circular drawing technique, focusing on detail and proportion. We also held a Careers Afternoon, giving pupils the opportunity to meet visitors from different professions, ask questions, and learn more about a range of job roles and career pathways.
Finally, in Geography, pupils worked on creating bar graphs to represent the UK’s population and discussed population trends in other countries, developing both their data-handling and analytical skills.
Well done to Year 8 for another positive and productive week of learning!
Ms Crossley’s weekly update
This week across KS3, our English lessons were full of creativity, reflection and powerful texts. Year 8 were lucky enough to take part in a live author event with a poet, an experience that really brought poetry to life. Inspired by the poet’s work and insights, students wrote their own free verse poetry, experimenting with imagery, structure and personal voice. Their enthusiasm and originality were fantastic to see.
In Year 9, students continued their study of A Christmas Carol, focusing on the Ghost of Christmas Present. Through close reading and discussion, they explored Dickens’s message, symbolism and characterisation, deepening their understanding of the novella’s social and moral themes.
Meanwhile, Year 7 studied “Havisham” from Great Expectations, analysing how Carol Ann Duffy reimagines the character’s voice. Students explored language, tone and poetic techniques to understand how emotions such as anger, regret and heartbreak are powerfully conveyed.
Across all year groups, students demonstrated strong engagement with literature and growing confidence in expressing analytical and creative ideas.
Mr Lord’s weekly update
Yr7 Science: Students have been finishing off their topic on digestion and have been looking at the villi in the intestines and how the shape of them increases the area food is absorbed in.
Yr8 science: Students have been investigating series and parallel circuits in their new electronics topic as well as looking at the role of a resistor in a circuit. In maths they have been looking at the internal angles of polygons and using a formula to calculate them.
Yr 9 science: Students have been looking at diffusion and osmosis in liquids and how cells absorb liquids into and out of them. In maths they have finished their topic on Pythagoras theorem and how this can be rearranged to find different lengths of a right-angled triangle.
Ms Nicholson’s weekly update
It has been a busy and inspiring week across Creative Arts, with students engaging enthusiastically in a wide range of practical and creative learning experiences.
Year 7 Art students have been exploring the vibrant and imaginative work of artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Inspired by his bold use of colour, organic shapes and playful architecture, students have been developing their own window sketches. These designs reflect Hundertwasser’s distinctive style while allowing students to experiment with pattern, line and individuality in their artwork.
In Year 8 Design Technology, students have begun an exciting design challenge linked to the Tudor warship, the Mary Rose. They are currently designing and constructing model boats using gum tape and plastic bottles. This hands-on project encourages students to think carefully about structure, buoyancy and historical context while testing and refining their ideas through making.
Year 9 IT students have been studying Photography, focusing on the rule of Depth of Field. This week marked a milestone as students used the school’s new DSLR cameras for the very first time. They practised adjusting camera settings to control focus and background blur, gaining valuable technical skills while capturing creative images.
Meanwhile, in Food Technology, the Year 7 Nurture Group has been learning about healthy eating through the Eatwell Guide. Students recalled the different food groups and discussed the benefits each one provides, developing their understanding of balanced diets and making positive food choices.
It has been a fantastic week full of creativity, curiosity and practical learning across all subjects. We are proud of the enthusiasm and effort shown by all our students and look forward to seeing these projects develop further in the coming weeks.
