Heywood Academy Blog - 12.12.25
A Fabulous Week of Celebration and Community at Heywood
This past week has been nothing short of amazing at Heywood! From our festive Christmas lunch, to a warm and welcoming Parents, Carers, and Families Coffee Afternoon, complete with a wonderful student performance, and finishing with a successful Parents Evening, it has absolutely been a week to remember.
The support we receive from the families of our students is integral to the success and progress of every young person. Your encouragement and involvement make all the difference, and we simply could not do what we do without you.
On behalf of everyone at Heywood, I want to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you. Your partnership and commitment help us create the best possible environment for our students to thrive.
Here’s to continuing this incredible journey together!
🌟 Year 8 Weekly Blog from Ms Pugh 🌟
It’s been another busy and exciting week for Year 8, filled with hands-on learning, creativity, and opportunities to explore our wider community!
📚 English This week we completed our end-of-topic assessment on the poem Ozymandias. Students explored how power shifts throughout the poem, identifying key language techniques and analysing important quotes in detail.
🔬 Science In Science, we learned about different types of blood cells, their functions within the body, and how we can keep them healthy. Students enjoyed discovering just how vital these tiny cells are!
➗ Maths We continued working through our DecemBAR challenges, using the bar model method to strengthen our understanding and support everyday problem-solving.
👩🍳 Food Technology Students got festive in the kitchen by making mince pies and jam tarts. They focused on using the rubbing-in method to create shortcrust pastry—developing dexterity and practical cooking skills along the way.
🌍 Geography Building on last week’s model-making, students deepened their knowledge of river processes by learning key terminology and applying it to real-world examples.
⚽ PE In PE, students worked on improving their football dribbling skills, focusing on accuracy and ball control while navigating around cones.
🌿 Outdoor Education A highlight of the week was our trip to a local farm where students fed the fallow deer—who were particularly fond of blueberries! Students loved hand-feeding them and even got to see the baby deer feeding from their mothers.
🎭 Community Experience As part of our school’s commitment to enriching experiences, Year 8 visited a local secondary school to watch their winter performance of The Addams Family. Students behaved impeccably and demonstrated our school values throughout. They thoroughly enjoyed the show and even had the chance to meet the cast afterwards!
Creative Arts Weekly Round-Up from Ms Nicholson
This week in Creative Arts has been a vibrant mix of music, design, and festive creativity across the school.
Year 8 Music
Students have been channeling the holiday spirit by composing their own Christmas songs. Alongside this, they’ve been experimenting with boom whackers—exploring rhythm and harmony in a hands-on, playful way that brings their compositions to life.
Food Technology
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Festive baking has taken over the kitchens, with students from all year groups preparing seasonal treats in anticipation of Parents’ Evening. The focus has been on presentation and flavour, showcasing the skills they’ve developed throughout the term.
Year 7 Art
Art lessons have been full of movement and texture as students create wire sculptures inspired by jellyfish. Using collected carrier bags, they’ve been knotting and pulling to form delicate tentacles, combining sustainability with creativity in striking designs.
IT
In Year 8 IT, the emphasis has been on communication skills. Students have expanded their understanding of email etiquette, learning practical skills such as how to forward messages effectively, an essential tool for digital literacy.
Year 8 Design Technology
Sustainability has been at the heart of DT projects this week. Students have designed and constructed packaging nets, impressing with their ability to transform flat paper into functional, creative shapes. Their designs, printed from Canva, highlight both technical precision and aesthetic flair.
Miss Zobenica's weekly blog
In PE, year 7 Students continued developing their gymnastic skills, focusing on flexibility and balance. Working in groups, they were tasked with creating routines that included a sequence of balances. Their creativity shone through as they used their bodies to form imaginative shapes.
For Year 8 students, the progress in football has been impressive! They have each worked on their dribbling and shooting skills and were challenged to demonstrate effective communication during a passing activity.
Students in year 9 have continued to refine their netball skills, concentrating on improving the accuracy of their passes and shooting.
Across the school, students have been excited to create Christmas crafts. Students designed and made festive items to sell at the Christmas Coffee Afternoon, sharing their creations proudly with families. It was a lovely way to celebrate the season together.
This week in Outdoor Education, our students truly embraced the festive spirit during a memorable visit to a local farm. The highlight of the trip was meeting the beautiful deer, which added a magical touch to the experience. Students not only observed the animals up close but also had the opportunity to feed them, which sparked excitement and curiosity. Many students commented on how special it felt to interact with the deer and learn more about their habits and care. The visit provided a wonderful chance to connect with nature, appreciate wildlife, and enjoy the crisp winter air. It was a perfect way to celebrate the season outdoors, and the joy on the students’ faces said it all!
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Ms Crossley’s weekly update
Poetry Meets Storytelling!
This week, our English lessons have taken an exciting turn as students begin exploring poems that connect to the stories they’ve been writing. It’s been wonderful to see how narrative and poetry can complement each other and deepen understanding.
Year 7 have started reading culture poems, linking themes of identity and tradition to the folk tales they created earlier. These discussions have sparked thoughtful connections between storytelling and cultural expression.
Year 8 have wrapped up their work on Ozymandias, reflecting on power, time, and legacy. Their insights show how poetry can make us think about the bigger picture—and how those ideas can inspire creative writing.
Year 9 are now delving into war poetry, exploring the emotions and experiences behind conflict. This ties beautifully to the war stories they wrote last week, helping them see how different forms of writing can convey similar themes in unique ways.
Mr Lord’s Science & Maths Update
Science
Year 7 – Our budding scientists have been investigating electrical circuits and learning to recognize and use electrical symbols.
Year 8 – Students have explored systems in organisms, focusing on the heart and different types of blood cells.
Year 9 – In Physics, Year 9 have been mastering the concept of moments, applying the formula:
Moment = Force × Distance
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Maths
Year 8 – Pupils have been deepening their understanding of fractions, building confidence in this essential skill.
Year 9 – Continuing their work on fractions, Year 9 have tackled improper fractions and learned how to multiply and divide fractions effectively.
Have a lovely weekend!
