Heywood Academy Blog - 6.2.26

Ms Crossley’s weekly update

🌟 Join Us in Celebrating the National Year of Reading! 📚

We’re excited to let you know that our school is taking part in the National Year of Reading, and we’ve just signed up to use the brilliant “Log My Read” tracker! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to build strong reading habits, explore new books, and take part in a friendly, school‑wide challenge.

📖 What’s the Challenge?

Each form group is competing to record the highest number of reading minutes, and there will be a prize for the winning form. We’ll also be recognising the top individual reader in the school, the student who logs the most reading time overall!

🎧 What Counts as Reading?

Lots of things! Reading doesn’t just mean sitting quietly with a novel (though that’s great too!), we want students to enjoy reading in whatever form they prefer.

Audiobooks Being read to

Magazines and articles Fiction and non-fiction Handbooks, guides, and more

If they’re engaging with words, it counts!

Show Us Your “Funny Places to Read”! 😂📸

As part of our school-wide celebration, we’re inviting everyone—students, staff, and families—to take part in our Funny Places to Read Challenge.

🟦 Take a photo of yourself reading in a funny, unusual, or unexpected place

🟩 Upload it to EFL

🟨 We’ll share our favourites throughout the year!

Treehouses, under tables, on trampolines, in fancy dress… surprise us!

Login Details

All pupils have now been set up on the system and have received their personal login link. This allows them to easily track every minute they spend reading, anytime, anywhere.

📊 Our School’s Progress So Far

We’re already seeing exciting momentum, and it’s inspiring to watch students discovering new books, swapping recommendations, and taking pride in their reading time.

💬 How Parents Can Help

Your encouragement makes all the difference! Please remind your child to log their reading minutes regularly and support them in finding material they enjoy, whether that’s a novel, a comic, a podcast transcript, or a chapter before bed.

Together, let’s make this a year where stories spark imaginations, confidence grows through reading, and students discover just how enjoyable reading can be.

Thank you for supporting our school’s reading journey!

Huge thanks to Ms. Crossley who is our school literacy champion!

 

 

Mr Lord’s weekly update

Learning Highlights from Across Key Stage 3

It’s been a busy and exciting week of learning for our Year 7, 8 and 9 students, with plenty of discovery, problem solving, and hands on exploration happening across Science and Maths.

 

Year 7 Exploring Chemical Bonds

Our Year 7 scientists have been delving into the world of chemical bonding. They’ve been investigating how different elements combine to form a wide range of compounds. Through practical activities and guided inquiry, students are beginning to understand why certain elements bond together, how these bonds form, and the role they play in the substances we encounter every day.

 

Year 8 Expanding Brackets and Chemical Equations

Year 8 have been working hard in both Maths and Science this week.

In Maths, students have been learning how to expand brackets in algebraic expressions before simplifying them. This important skill lays the foundation for more complex algebra later on, and students are growing in confidence as they practise step by step processes.

In Science, they have started exploring chemical equations, learning how to write them in both word form and symbol form. This introduces them to the language of chemistry and helps them understand how reactions are represented in scientific notation.

 

Year 9 Graphing Linear Equations and Investigating Cells

Year 9 students have also had a productive week.

In Maths, they have been investigating the equation y = mx + c, exploring how the values of m (the gradient) and c (the y‑intercept) affect the shape and position of a straight line on a graph. Students have enjoyed experimenting with different values and seeing the impact in real time.

In Science, they have recently completed their topic on electromagnets and have now moved on to studying types of cells. Their focus has shifted from simple prokaryotic cells to more complex eukaryotic cells, helping them build a strong understanding of how living organisms are structured at microscopic levels.

 

 

Ms Zobencia’s weekly update

This week, all year groups had the valuable opportunity to visit the Imperial War Museum North, where they deepened their understanding of war and conflict. Pupils immersed themselves in the powerful exhibitions, engaging thoughtfully with the stories, artefacts, and interactive displays on offer. The visit encouraged reflection, discussion and a greater appreciation of historical events and their impact, making it a truly enriching experience for everyone involved.

In Physical Education, Years 7 and 8 have continued to build their lacrosse skills with great enthusiasm. Pupils focused on throwing and catching in pairs, showing growing confidence, coordination, and teamwork as they practised these key skills.

Year 9 students have also had lots of fun in this week’s football lesson. They continued to practice their defensive skills while dribbling the ball, demonstrating clear progress and determination. Their effort and improvement were impressive, and it was fantastic to see such positive engagement throughout the lesson.

Overall, it has been a busy and rewarding week, filled with meaningful learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

 

 

Ms Pugh’s weekly update

🌟 Year 8 Weekly Update 🌟

It’s been another busy and positive week for Year 8, with lots of learning, creativity, and confidence on show across the curriculum!

📚 English This week, students were introduced to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, a play that explores themes of identity and self-discovery. This links closely to our RSE lessons, where students have been reflecting on identity and stereotypes. Using MentiMeter, students worked collaboratively to explore stereotypical identities and discuss how these ideas still appear in modern-day society. There were some thoughtful and mature contributions 👏

🔢 Maths In Maths, students have been working hard on algebra. While some students have found this topic challenging, they have shown great resilience and determination in persevering with the methods. It has been fantastic to see students pushing themselves and asking for help when needed 💪

🎨 Art Creativity has been flowing in Art as students continue developing their Picasso-inspired cubism projects. Year 8 are now bringing their ideas to life by creating 3D faces, clearly inspired by Picasso’s bold and imaginative style. The results so far are exciting and full of character!

🌍 Geography In Geography, students have been researching different habitats. This week’s focus was the rainforest, where students explored how animals have adapted to survive in this unique environment 🐒🌿

🏛️ Outdoor Education This week also included an exciting visit to the Imperial War Museum in Salford. Students were fully engaged, showing real curiosity as they explored historical artefacts and learned more about key events from the past. It was a memorable and enriching experience for everyone involved.

💬 Pastoral Update Year 8 students are very settled within their forms. Friendships are flourishing, and confidence is growing, particularly in asking for help, self-regulation, and identifying their own needs. It has been wonderful to see such positive development both academically and socially.

Well done, Year 8, keep up the fantastic work! 🌟

 

Ms Nicholson’s weekly update

This Week in Creative Arts

What a fantastic and vibrant week it has been across all our Creative Arts subjects! Our students have been exploring new skills, experimenting with bold ideas, and continuing to impress with their creativity and enthusiasm. Here’s a look at what everyone has been up to:

 

Art Year 8: Cubist Masks Inspired by Picasso

Year 8 students have immersed themselves in the world of Cubism this week, taking inspiration from Picasso’s iconic Weeping Woman. After studying the sharp angles, expressive colours and emotional depth of the painting, students began designing and constructing their own Cubist masks.

These masks are already showing fantastic individuality, layered features, contrasting perspectives, and vibrant palettes that bring the style to life. It’s been amazing to see them exploring distortion, abstraction, and symbolism with such confidence.

 

Design Technology, Year 9: Art Deco Cushion Designs

In DT, Year 9 have been channelling the geometric elegance of the Art Deco movement into their cushion design projects. From bold symmetry to luxurious motifs, students have been sketching, planning, and developing ideas that capture the glamour of the 1920s and 30s.

 

Design Technology Year 8: Great Fire of London Candle Project

This week, Year 8 students have proudly completed their candles inspired by the Great Fire of London, linking beautifully with their work in History. After learning about the events of 1666, students explored the visual imagery associated with the fire, warm tones, flickering movement, and the dramatic silhouettes of old London. Using these ideas, they designed and created candles that capture the atmosphere of the period.

From layered colours representing rising flames to carved or moulded patterns echoing historical architecture, their finished pieces show thoughtful cross‑curricular understanding and impressive craftsmanship.

 

Music Year 8: Exploring Musicals

Year 8’s work in Music has taken a theatrical turn this week! Students have been listening to a variety of well-known musicals as they prepare to choose one to study in depth.

They’ve begun comparing stylistic elements such as dance, staging, vocal styles, characterisation, and storytelling, and it’s sparked some brilliant discussions. From classic showstoppers to modern favourites, they are developing a strong understanding of what makes each musical unique.

 

IT Year 7: Photography & PowerPoint Skills

Year 7 have absolutely wowed this week with their photography skills. After learning key techniques, they’ve been applying them to create a polished PowerPoint presentation complete with their own personalised set of photography rules.

Their creativity and technical confidence have been outstanding, thoughtful compositions, original ideas, and presentations that clearly show pride in their work.

 

Food Technology Year 7: Cheese Scones

It’s been a delicious week in Food Tech as Year 7 students baked their own cheese scones. They followed the rubbing‑in method carefully, developed their dough brilliantly, and produced some fantastic (and great‑smelling!) results.

For many, it was their first time making scones, and they rose to the challenge beautifully!