Heywood Academy Blog - 15.5.26
This week at Heywood Academy got off to an exciting start with our very own chess tournament, and what a fantastic event it was!
We were truly wowed by the impressive skills on display, with our students demonstrating exceptional talent, focus, and strategic thinking throughout. The competition was fierce, with some brilliant battles taking place across the boards, but what stood out just as much was the outstanding sportsmanship shown by everyone involved.
A huge well done to all who took part, and a special congratulations to our winners, who will go on to represent Heywood Academy in June. We are incredibly proud of you all!
Watch this space for updates and results from the next stage, best of luck to our team! ♟️
Ms Crossley’s weekly update
📚 English Update – A Busy Term of Brilliant Reading and Writing!
It’s been a fantastic few weeks in English, with pupils across Key Stage 3 exploring some classic and thought-provoking texts.
Year 7 have begun their journey into The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. They are already showing great curiosity about the mysterious events and characters, and we’ve been exploring key themes such as good versus evil. It’s wonderful to see their confidence growing as they engage with this challenging and exciting text.
Year 8 have been developing their descriptive writing through their work on The Monkey’s Paw. Pupils have focused on using pathetic fallacy to build tension and atmosphere, carefully crafting settings that reflect mood and emotion. We’ve been really impressed with their ability to create vivid, eerie scenes.
Year 9 are continuing their study of A Christmas Carol. They are deepening their understanding of Dickens’ ideas about society, responsibility, and change, and are becoming increasingly thoughtful in both discussion and written responses.
Across all year groups, it has also been fantastic to see pupils engaging with and enjoying the new books in our library, making the most of the wider reading opportunities available to them.
📖 A Quick Reminder About Calibre
Please remember to encourage your child to use Calibre regularly at home. Reading little and often makes a huge difference to progress, and Calibre provides a fantastic way for pupils to access texts suited to their level.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support — it really does make a difference to your child’s learning.
✨ We’re very proud of the effort pupils are putting into their reading and writing, and we look forward to seeing their progress continue!
Ms Nicholson’s weekly update
Creative Arts Weekly Blog – This Week’s Learning Highlights
This week has been full of creativity, skill-building, and exciting preparation across our Creative Arts subjects. Students across Year 7, 8, and 9 have been developing their ideas and refining their techniques as they work towards upcoming practical outcomes.
🎨 Year 9 Art – Mark-Making Feathers
Year 9 artists have been focusing on developing their fine motor skills through a detailed mark-making project. Using pen, students began creating beautifully textured feathers, carefully experimenting with line, pattern, and precision. This activity not only strengthens their control and attention to detail but also encourages them to explore how subtle variations in mark-making can create depth and realism. The results so far show great patience and growing confidence in their drawing skills.
🧸 Year 7 Design Technology – Ugly Doll Designs
In Design Technology, Year 7 students have been busy designing their own “Ugly Dolls.” They have shown great imagination, producing a wide range of quirky and original ideas. This week focused on planning and refining their designs, thinking carefully about features, materials, and construction methods. With creativity flowing, students are now ready and excited to begin making their dolls next week.
🍽️ Year 8 Food Technology – Nutrition Focus
Year 8 students have been exploring the importance of nutrition, with a particular focus on macronutrients and fibre. They discussed how these nutrients support a balanced diet and good health, making clear links to everyday food choices. This knowledge will feed directly into next week’s practical lesson, where students will be making high-fibre blueberry muffins. We’re looking forward to seeing them apply their understanding in the kitchen.
🎹 Year 9 Music – Keyboard Skills and Teamwork
In music, Year 9 students have continued to build on their keyboard skills, learning new chords and practising smooth transitions. They have begun working collaboratively on group performances, demonstrating teamwork, communication, and musical awareness. It has been fantastic to see students growing in confidence as they rehearse and refine their pieces.
💻 Year 7 IT – Virtual Game Design
Year 7 IT students have taken their first steps into graphic design by beginning to create game sleeves for their project, *Into the VirtualVerse*. Using a range of programmes of their choice, students are experimenting with layout, imagery, and typography to visually represent their ideas. Their creativity and enthusiasm have been evident, with some impressive early concepts already emerging.
🎯 Target Lessons – Building Resilience In our target lessons this week, students took on a hands-on challenge: building the tallest tower they could using limited materials. This activity encouraged problem-solving, teamwork, and perseverance. Students demonstrated excellent resilience, adapting their designs when structures became unstable and learning valuable lessons about trial and error. It was fantastic to see such determination and collaboration in action.
It has been a productive and inspiring week across Creative Arts. Students have not only developed subject-specific skills but have also demonstrated creativity, resilience, and enthusiasm for learning. We’re looking forward to seeing all of these projects progress next week!
Mr. Lord’s weekly Update
What Have Students Been Learning This Week?
It has been another busy and engaging week across Key Stage 3, with students exploring a range of new concepts in both Maths and Science.
Year 7 Year 7 students have recently begun a new topic focusing on speed, distance and time. They have been learning how these measurements link together and, importantly, how to use the correct units when solving problems. This is a great foundation topic that supports real-life understanding, from travel to everyday problem-solving.
Year 8 In Maths, Year 8 students have started their work on probability. They have been getting hands-on with a range of fun probability games, helping them to explore the likelihood of different outcomes and think carefully about chance.
In Science, students have continued their learning on electricity. They have been developing their skills in calculating potential difference using current and resistance, building their confidence in applying formulas and working scientifically.
Year 9 Year 9 mathematicians have been exploring inverse proportion and how relationships between variables can be represented on graphs. This is a challenging but important topic that deepens their understanding of how quantities interact.
In Science, students have been learning about ionic bonding. They have been exploring how electrons are transferred between atoms to form strong bonds, helping them to understand how different substances are structured at a molecular level.
Ms Zobenica’s weekly Update
This week, students had the wonderful opportunity to visit the East Lancashire Railway, where they boarded the “200 Years of the Network” touring train. During the visit, students explored the carriages and took part in an interactive journey through the history of the railways.
They learned about the development of the rail network, from its early beginnings to modern-day systems, as well as future innovations in rail travel. The experience provided a valuable and engaging way for students to deepen their understanding of transport history and provide an insight to the careers in rail.
We are also delighted to have launched a cricket club for students of all years. Those taking part have worked collaboratively as part of a team to learn the rules, develop their skills, and apply these during games. The club has already been a fantastic opportunity for students to build confidence, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
