Heywood Academy Blog - 8.5.26
We’ve had another fantastic week here at Heywood Academy, with lots to celebrate and some exciting developments across the school.
Work has continued on our forest school area, and it’s really starting to take shape. We’re looking forward to our students getting fully involved in developing the space further and making it their own.
At the start of the week, students took part in a road safety session using virtual reality kits. This innovative approach gave them the opportunity to experience real-life scenarios in a safe and supportive way, helping to build their confidence and develop important independent living skills.
We are also incredibly proud to share that, thanks to the dedication of Ms Zobenica and the hard work of our students, we have achieved a Gold Award from the Woodland Trust. This is a wonderful achievement and a real testament to the commitment shown by everyone involved.
Well done to all, another brilliant week at Heywood Academy.
Ms. Pugh’s weekly update
✨ Year 8 Weekly Blog ✨
What a fantastic and productive week we’ve had in Year 8! Here’s what we’ve been up to across our lessons:
📚 English
This week, we explored The Monkey’s Paw 🐒✨ and watched a film version to bring the story to life. Students compared the film with the original text and discussed how suspense and tension were created.
🔬 Science
In Science, we have been learning about electrical circuits 💡🔌. Students investigated how circuits work and explored components such as bulbs, wires, and switches.
💻 ICT
In ICT, students developed their photography skills 📸 by using cameras to capture different angles and close-up shots, showing great creativity.
🍽️ Food Technology
A very tasty week in Food Tech! 😋 Students made toad in the hole and cauliflower cheese 🥘🧀, learning valuable cooking and preparation skills.
🎨 Art
In Art, students explored the Jacob Everett loop technique 🔵🌀, producing some fantastic abstract artwork using flowing patterns and repetition.
🌳 Outdoor Education
Students enjoyed a visit to Ordsall Hall 🏰, a Victorian home, where they learned about local history and what life was like in the past.
🎯 Target / EHCP Work
Students completed their EHCP individual student views ✅ and also took part in a thoughtful debate around financial management 💬💷, sharing ideas and developing their understanding of important life skills.
🎶 Music
In Music, students have been performing songs from The Greatest Showman 🎤🎭. There has been lots of enthusiasm and some brilliant performances!
⚽ PE
In PE, students have been enjoying rounders 🏏, demonstrating teamwork, coordination, and great sportsmanship.
🌳 FOREST SCHOOL
This week in Forest School, the children worked together to prepare our planters using leaves, twigs and soil, exploring textures and learning what plants need to grow 🌱🌿. They showed great teamwork and care, using tools safely and feeling excited to begin planting and nurturing their vegetables 🪴😊.
Heywood academy had an exciting and thought-provoking experience focusing on TRAVELSAFE 🚶♀️🚌
We were visited by the Bee Network, who delivered an engaging session to raise awareness about staying safe while travelling. Students explored how to recognise potential hazards and make safe choices when using public transport and moving around their communities 🔍⚠️
A real highlight of the session was the use of VR headsets 🥽✨. This immersive experience allowed students to step into different scenarios, helping them understand risks in a realistic and memorable way. It was fantastic to see everyone so engaged and discussing what they had learned 🗣️💡
Year 8 showed great maturity throughout the session, asking thoughtful questions and demonstrating a strong understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe ✅💬
Well done, Year 8 – a brilliant week of learning and awareness! 👏🌈
Ms Zobenica’s weekly update
In PE, pupils have continued focusing on rounders, where they have been learning and practicing key skills needed to play the game confidently. Students worked on bowling and batting techniques, as well as understanding the important role of the backstop position. They showed great enthusiasm and teamwork while developing their coordination, accuracy and decision-making during games and activities.
We were also pleased to welcome a visit from TfGM, who provided students with valuable information about using public transport safely and responsibly. The session gave pupils the opportunity to learn about different forms of public transport, appropriate behaviour, and how to stay safe while travelling. Following the visit, classes took part in further discussions, sharing their own experiences and understanding of using public transport in everyday life.
As part of outdoor education, Year 7 and Year 9 students took part in a walk around Heywood town centre, where they focused on reading and understanding bus timetables. Students demonstrated a strong level of understanding and were able to interpret routes, times, and travel information confidently. This practical experience helped to build independence and real-life skills that will support them beyond the classroom.
Year 8 visited Ordsall Hall this week to help deepen their understanding of the Tudors in History. The group were amazed by the beautiful building and its grounds, and immersed themselves into Tudor times through dressing up in Tudor-wear. They visited the great hall, chambers, gardens, allotment, and bedrooms.
Mr Lord’s weekly update
It’s been another busy and engaging week across our classes, with lots of hands-on learning and great progress being made.
Year 7 have been finishing off their science topic on digestion. They’ve really enjoyed getting stuck into a practical experiment, exploring how enzymes help break down the food we eat. Using jelly as their starting point, they added pineapple juice, which contains enzymes that break down gelatine, and watched the changes happen. They also looked at how surface area affects how quickly something breaks down, helping them to make links between science and real-life processes in the body.
Year 8 have been focusing on Ohm’s Law in science, developing their understanding of how circuits work. They’ve been learning how potential difference can be calculated using resistance and current, building their confidence with both the theory and the maths behind it.
In maths, they’ve been preparing for their end-of-unit test. Their focus has been on understanding the relationship between the sides of a shape and its total internal angles. It’s been great to see them tackling this with increased independence and growing confidence.
Year 9 have continued their work on osmosis in science, exploring how water moves from an area of high concentration to low concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. They’ve been looking at how this process affects cells, including how animal cells can swell and burst or shrink depending on the conditions around them.
In maths, Year 9 have been revisiting Pythagoras’ theorem, and the impact has been fantastic. Through focused practice and revisiting key concepts, their understanding has really strengthened, with average scores improving by an impressive 35%. A brilliant achievement and a real reflection of their hard work and determination.
Well done to all our students for their continued effort and enthusiasm in their learning!
English Weekly Update – Ms Crossley
This week in English, all year groups have continued to build their reading skills through engaging and challenging texts.
Year 7 have begun their study of Jekyll and Hyde. Pupils have been introduced to the mysterious opening of the novella and are already starting to explore ideas of secrecy,
reputation and the unknown. There has been some fantastic discussion around first impressions and how tension is created.
Year 8 are continuing with The Monkey’s Paw. Students are developing their understanding of suspense and consequence, focusing on how tension builds throughout the story. They have been making thoughtful predictions and exploring how the writer creates a sense of unease.
Year 9 have moved on to Stave 2 of A Christmas Carol. Pupils are analysing Scrooge’s past and beginning to understand how Dickens presents change and memory. There have been some excellent insights into how Scrooge’s experiences have shaped the person he becomes.
It has been great to see students engaging so thoughtfully with these texts and contributing confidently in discussions.
I am also Calibre, which is an online audio library designed to support reading. In simple terms, it allows students to access books in a way that suits them best, making reading more accessible and enjoyable. It is free for all our students.
Over the coming days, students will be given their own login details so they can start using Calibre both in school and at home. They will have access to this free resource up to the age of 25.
Ms Nicholson’s weekly update
Creative Arts This Week: Skills, Creativity and Confidence on Show
It’s been another vibrant and productive week across Creative Arts, with students developing practical skills, creativity and confidence in a wide range of subjects.
In Food Technology, students have been busy mastering classic comfort foods. From golden toad in the hole to creamy cauliflower cheese and perfectly risen bread rolls, pupils have demonstrated excellent practical skills and growing confidence in the kitchen. Teamwork, organisation and presentation were strong throughout the lessons, with some truly delicious results!
Meanwhile in Art, our Year 8 students are wowing us with their work inspired by Jacob Everett. They have been exploring and refining their loop techniques, showing impressive control, patience and creativity. The outcomes so far are bold, detailed and highly personal – a real joy to see developing on the classroom walls.
In IT, Year 9 students have been editing their photography from last week, learning how to enhance images through careful cropping, colour correction and effects. Their technical skills are developing rapidly, and they are beginning to show a strong understanding of how editing choices can impact the mood and message of an image.
Over in Music, Year 8 students have been rehearsing a performance inspired by The Greatest Showman. The classroom has been filled with enthusiasm, with fantastic singing and signing on display. Confidence is growing with every rehearsal, and the teamwork and energy shown have been outstanding.
Finally, in DT, Year 9 students have completed their bunker designs using Tinkercad, thoughtfully applying their design skills and problem-solving abilities. This marks an exciting step as they prepare for their trip next week to visit a secret bunker, where they’ll be able to see real-world design and engineering come to life.
A brilliant week all round – well done to all students for their hard work, creativity and enthusiasm!
