Heywood Academy Blog - 3.10.25
Burying Our School Time Capsule: A Celebration of Who We Are
As we wrap up an incredible chapter in our school’s journey, we’re proud to share that we’ve ended our week with a truly special event, the burial of our school time capsule, created in partnership with Tilbury Douglas.
This project has been a labour of love for both staff and students, who have worked tirelessly to ensure the capsule reflects the heart and soul of our school community. It’s more than just a box of items. It’s a snapshot of who we are, what we value, and how we’ve grown together.
Inside the capsule, you’ll find a rich collection of memories and mementos:
· Photographs capturing everyday moments and special events
· Fidget toys, representing the inclusive and supportive environment we foster
· Peace pledges, showcasing our commitment to kindness, respect, and personal growth
· And a fabulous video, produced by Miss Zobeneca, featuring interviews with students and staff sharing what makes our school so unique
This time capsule is a gift to the future, a way for generations to come to understand the spirit of our school today. We’re incredibly grateful to Tilbury Douglas for their support in making this project possible, and to everyone who contributed their time, creativity, and enthusiasm.
Here’s to preserving our legacy and continuing to build a school we’re proud of, together.
Mr Lord’s weekly update
Learning in Action: Science and Maths
As we move into October, our students have been diving deep into some fascinating topics in both Science and Maths, showing curiosity, resilience, and a growing ability to apply their learning to real world contexts.
Science Spotlight: States of Matter
Both Year 7 and Year 8 have been exploring the States of Matter, a topic that has sparked plenty of discussion and hands on learning. Students have been investigating:
· Diffusion: Understanding how particles move and spread in gases and liquids.
· Pressure Effects: Looking at how pressure influences molecular behaviour in different states.
These lessons have helped students build a strong foundation in particle theory, with opportunities to observe and explain everyday phenomena through a scientific lens.
Guest student blog post from Libby Gibson, our scientist star of the week:
This is a science experiment we did back in 2025 about anaerobic respiration. Anaerobic means "without oxygen", which means oxygen isn't needed to begin anaerobic respiration. We filled soda bottles with different types of flour, a pack of yeast and added water to test anaerobic respiration in yeast a unicellular organism. The yeast and flour mixed together to create carbon dioxide and ethanol, a type of alcohol. The carbon dioxide was collected in the balloon we attached to the top of the bottle with tape.
I think you will all agree that Libby has a bright future ahead of her – well done Libby!
Maths in Motion: Ratios and Percentages
In Maths, students have been tackling new topics with enthusiasm and a problem solving mindset:
· Year 8 have started working on Ratios, focusing on two key types of problems:
o Where the whole is given and students find the parts.
o Where only a part is given, and students must work backwards to find the whole.
These skills are essential for developing proportional reasoning and are being reinforced through practical examples and collaborative tasks.
· Year 9 have begun their topic on Percentages, with a focus on:
o Percentage increases and decreases.
o Applying these concepts to real-world scenarios, such as shopping discounts, interest rates, and population changes.
This approach is helping students see the relevance of maths in everyday life, making abstract concepts more tangible and meaningful.
🌟 Year 8 Weekly Blog from Ms Pugh
This week has been a busy and exciting one for our Year 8 students, filled with creativity, discovery, and hands-on experiences!
✏️ English
In English, we continued our exploration of Gothic writing. Students have been crafting vivid and eerie descriptions of Gothic settings as part of their preparation for the end-of-topic assessment. We've uncovered some brilliant budding writers—their use of language and imagination has been truly impressive!
✖️ Maths
All of Year 8 sat their end-of-unit assessment this week. Well done to everyone for your focus and effort—we’re looking forward to seeing the results soon!
⚗️ Science
In Science, we've been delving into the world of gas particles, investigating how temperature, mass, and pressure affect their behaviour. There have been lots of great questions and observations as we explored these fascinating concepts!
🐴 Outdoor Education
This week’s trip to the Cherwell Centre in Heywood was a highlight! Students had the chance to groom the adorable Shetland pony ‘Fudge’ and treat him to some carrots. We also began filming around the farm and gardens for a short film that will be sealed in our time capsule—a memorable project for the future!
👑 History
In History, we’ve journeyed through five key periods in London’s past: the Romans, Tudors, Georgians, Victorians, and Elizabethans. Students enjoyed uncovering how the city evolved during each era.
💻 ICT
We continued learning about social networking and focused on how to stay safe online. It’s been great to see students engaging in important discussions around digital responsibility.
🧑🏼🍳 Food Technology
This week in Food Tech, we explored the dangers in the kitchen, learning how to identify and avoid potential hazards while preparing food safely.
⭐ Another positive, fulfilling week for Year 8—full of learning, exploration, and fun. We’re proud of all your hard work!
Miss Zobenica’s weekly update
Year 8’s Visit to the Cherwell Centre: A Day of Discovery and Kindness
This week, our Year 8 students had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Cherwell Centre in Heywood, and what a memorable experience it was!
From the moment they arrived, the students were immersed in a world of animals and nature. They enjoyed spending time with ducks, goats, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, chickens, and even a Shetland pony named Fudge. The highlight of the day was grooming and feeding Fudge, which brought out the caring and compassionate side of every student.
It was heartwarming to see how naturally our students connected with the animals—showing patience, gentleness, and genuine interest. Their behaviour reflected the values we nurture at Heywood Academy: empathy, responsibility, and respect for all living things.
But the learning didn’t stop there. Back at school, our Year 8s have been working incredibly hard on their Time Capsule Project, creating thoughtful reports that capture their experiences and reflections. Each student has shown dedication and creativity, and we couldn’t be prouder of their efforts.
This visit wasn’t just a fun day out—it was a chance to learn, grow, and make lasting memories. Well done, Year 8!
Miss Crossley's weekly update
This Week in English: A Celebration of Literature and Creativity
It’s been another busy and exciting week in the English department, filled with imagination, exploration, and poetic inspiration!
Our Year 8s have been diving deep into the world of Gothic fiction, exploring The Fall of the House of Usher and some wonderfully spooky Gothic poetry. Their creativity shone through in a collaborative poem they wrote together — the results were delightfully eerie and showcased their growing confidence as writers.
Meanwhile, Year 7s have been choosing books that spark their interest and curiosity. It’s been fantastic to see them beginning to think more deeply about the texts they’re reading and the craft behind the writing. Their thoughtful discussions are laying the foundation for a lifelong love of literature.
Year 9 are right in the middle of The Woman in Black, and the suspense is building! This week, they also had the exciting opportunity to take part in a virtual visit from poet Eilish Fisher in celebration of National Poetry Day. Year 8 joined in too, and it was inspiring to hear students from both year groups engaging with Eilish’s creativity and insights.
Across all year groups, it’s been wonderful to see students so involved and enthusiastic about literature and poetry. Their passion and participation continue to make the English department a vibrant and inspiring place to learn.
I hope you all have a lovely well-earned weekend.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Mcmanus