Heywood Academy Blog - 16.1.26 

Ms Pugh’s weekly update

 

⭐️ Year 8 Weekly Blog ⭐️

This week in Year 8, we have been busy settling back into our routine of school life.

👑 In Outdoor Education, we visited Rochdale Town Hall, where we immersed ourselves in the history of the building and learned about the history of Rochdale. Inside the town hall, kings and queens of our country are depicted in beautiful stained-glass windows. Students successfully identified King Charles I, who we are currently studying in History. We have been researching the English Civil War and learning about King Charles I and his unfortunate demise.

🌹 In English, we have been exploring the importance of names and identity, linking this to our current topic Romeo and Juliet. We have also been reading extracts from The Tempest and developing our understanding of the role names play in Shakespeare’s plays.

🌈 In Science, we have been learning all about light, including refraction, transverse waves, the spectrum, and other key concepts related to how light behaves.

🍏 During Food Preparation, students made apple crumbles, developing their chopping skills and practising the rubbing-in method.

⭕️ In Art, we began using tonal methods to recreate our own pieces inspired by Sonia Delaunay’s Orphism style.

Finally, last week we welcomed a new student into our year group. We hope he is settling in well and enjoying being part of Year 8.

 

Ms Crossley’s weekly update

 

Year 7 – Romeo and Juliet

Our Year 7 students are beginning their journey into Shakespeare with Romeo and Juliet. They’ve been learning about the dramatic opening and the theme of conflict between the Montagues and Capulets. We’ve focused on:

· Understanding the setting and characters.

· Exploring how Shakespeare uses language to create tension.

· Creative activities such as acting out scenes and designing context collages.

You can support your child by asking them about the feud between the two families and how it shapes the story.

 

Year 8 – Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest

Year 8 are comparing two very different plays:

· Romeo and Juliet – looking at themes of love, fate, and honour.

· The Tempest – exploring magic, power, and forgiveness.

Students have been discussing how Shakespeare presents relationships and authority in both plays. Encourage them to share their thoughts on which play they prefer and why.

 

Year 9 – Macbeth

Year 9 are delving into the dark and dramatic world of Macbeth. This week, they’ve been studying:

· The opening scenes and the mysterious witches.

· How ambition and power drive the characters.

· Writing analytical responses using evidence from the text.

A great conversation starter: Ask your child what they think the witches represent and how they influence Macbeth’s decisions.

 

Why Shakespeare? These plays help students develop critical reading, analytical writing, and oracy skills. They also explore timeless themes that still resonate today.

 

Ms Zobenica’s weekly update

 

This week in PE, all years have been deepening their knowledge of the major muscles in the body. They have been able to name and label the muscles to the correct area. We played a relay game, where students were required to complete an agility course to retrieve a picture of a muscle. They then had to run back to their diagram and place it in the correct area. This activity helped to consolidate their knowledge, whilst enjoying being physically active!

In Outdoor Education, each class has visited Rochdale Town Hall. Students have soaked up the impressive craftsmanship of the building and the beautiful interior decor, whilst taking a moment of calm on the beanbags. Students were also given the opportunity to dress up as royalty and a mayor or mayoress. We were extremely lucky to be able to celebrate one of our own students' successes, whilst out on our trip. Libby from year 9 had created a wonderful piece of artwork with her youth group, which was on display as a part of a project. We were all very proud of her artwork at the town hall. Well done Libby!!

The overall feedback from students is that Rochdale Town Hall is somewhere they would love to visit again!

 

Ms Nicholson’s weekly update

 

This Week in Creative Arts

It’s been an inspiring and hands‑on week across the Creative Arts, with students throwing themselves into new challenges and developing technical skills.

 

Year 9 Food:

Our Year 9 Food students really stepped up to the challenge this week as they tackled the notoriously delicate task of making meringues. From carefully whisking egg whites to the precise folding of sugar, the class showed impressive concentration throughout this tricky cook.

Their attention to detail didn’t stop at the mixing bowl—students presented their finished meringues with real finesse, showing pride in both flavour and aesthetics. A fantastic achievement!

 

Year 8 Art:

In the Art room, Year 8 students have begun exploring tonal pencil techniques through the vibrant world of Sonia Delaunay and the Orphism movement.

Although Delaunay is known for bold colour, students have been interpreting her dynamic shapes through grayscale, focusing on layering dark and light tones to create

depth and movement. Their early studies already show great promise, and it’s exciting to see how their confidence with tonal shading is growing.

 

Year 9 Music:

Year 9 musicians have been making fantastic progress as they experiment with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy on the keyboards.

The room has been filled with determination (and some very tuneful melodies!) as students work on melody lines, hand coordination, and timing. Their enthusiasm is infectious, and it’s been wonderful to watch their confidence grow with each session.

 

Year 7 Design Technology:

In Design Technology, Year 7 students have stepped into the world of architectural drawing. They’ve been learning key principles such as perspective, proportion, and the importance of clear visual communication.

These early sketches will play an essential role as they move on to designing their very own motte and bailey castles. It’s a brilliant blend of creativity, history, and technical skill.

 

Year 8 IT:

Year 8 have been diving deeper into coding this week, focusing specifically on the concept of sequences. To put theory into practice, students mapped out a step‑by‑step route for a “robot” to navigate around the classroom.

The activity required them to break movements into precise instructions—an essential skill for programming. Their teamwork, problem‑solving, and logical thinking really shone.

 

 

Mr Lord’s Weekly update

 

Exciting Learning Across Science and Maths

It has been a busy and engaging time in both Science and Maths lessons across Years 7, 8 and 9, with students enthusiastically exploring a range of fascinating topics.

Year 7 students in Science have been developing their understanding of magnets. They have been investigating how to plot magnetic fields around a magnet using field lines, helping them visualise invisible forces at work. Pupils have also carried out practical investigations comparing the strengths of different magnets, making predictions, recording results and drawing conclusions like real scientists.

In Year 8 Science, learning has focused on the topic of light. Students have been modelling different types of light waves to deepen their understanding of how light behaves. They have also enjoyed practical experiments showing how white light can be separated into different colours, reinforcing key scientific ideas through hands-on learning. Meanwhile in Year 8 Maths, pupils have been building their mathematical skills by calculating the areas of a variety of shapes, before progressing on to finding the volumes of 3D objects.

These lessons have supported problem-solving and real-world application of mathematical concepts.

Year 9 Science students have been exploring the fascinating topic of variation and natural selection. They have examined how differences within species can lead to adaptation, helping animals survive and thrive in their environments over time. Discussions and examples have helped students understand how evolution shapes the living world. Alongside this, Year 9 Maths has taken a very practical turn with students learning about finance and spending. Topics such as tax, budgeting and mortgages have been introduced, giving pupils valuable insight into real-life financial decision-making and helping to prepare them for the future.

It has been brilliant to see students so engaged, curious and willing to challenge themselves across these subjects. We look forward to continuing this momentum as learning progresses next term.

 

Have a lovely weekend.