BLOG 25.9.26
As we come to the end of another successful week, I would like to take a moment to celebrate the fantastic learning that has been taking place across the school.
This week marked the start of our lesson observation cycle, and what a positive start it has been. Lesson observations are about far more than simply observing teaching. They provide an opportunity to see the whole learning experience in action: the quality of relationships between staff and the children and young people, the learning environment, levels of engagement and focus, and most importantly, how every child is included and supported to succeed.
So far this week, lesson observations have taken place in Maths, English, Food Technology, Geography, Morning Routine sessions and Attention Autism, providing a valuable snapshot of the high-quality learning experiences taking place across our school. It has been particularly pleasing to see the consistency of approach across different subjects and pathways, with staff creating engaging, inclusive, and purposeful learning environments where children and young people are encouraged to participate, contribute, and succeed.
Across all observations, the children and young people demonstrated positive attitudes to learning, sustained engagement, and excellent relationships with both staff and their peers. It has been wonderful to see children supporting one another, celebrating each other's achievements, and showing kindness and encouragement throughout their learning. These interactions are a clear reflection of our school's values and the strong sense of community that exists across the school.
We have also seen children and young people developing increasing independence, confidently sharing their ideas, responding to feedback, and taking pride in their work. The calm and purposeful atmosphere evident in classrooms is a testament to the dedication of the staff and the efforts of our children and young people, who continue to demonstrate a commitment to learning and personal growth every day.
The positive relationships between staff and children continue to be a strength. These relationships underpin everything we do and create a culture where children feel valued, supported, and confident to challenge themselves.
I am looking forward to another round of observations next week.
Sharing more highlights…
MacMillan afternoon
What a fantastic afternoon we had supporting such a wonderful cause at our Macmillan Coffee Afternoon.
A huge thank you to all our staff, children, young people, parents, and carers who helped make the event such a success. Your generosity, enthusiasm, and support were truly appreciated and helped create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for everyone involved.
A special thank you must go to all our talented cake bakers and those who donated sweet treats. The variety of cakes and goodies on offer was fabulous and certainly enjoyed by all. It was wonderful to see so many parents in attendance, networking with one another while raising money for an important charity that supports so many people and families.
Events such as these remind us of the strength of our school community and the difference we can make when we work together. Thank you again to everyone who contributed, attended, donated, baked, or helped organise the event. You raised £381.51. Fantastic!
Macmillan
Meet the teacher.
This afternoon we were delighted to once again host our annual Meet the Teacher session for our primary parents and carers.
The feedback from previous years has always been really positive, so we were pleased to continue this opportunity and welcome families into school. These sessions provide an invaluable chance for parents and carers to meet their child's class teacher, learn more about the year ahead, and establish those important home-school relationships that help children thrive.
It was great to see so many families attend and engage with staff. We hope you found the session informative and reassuring, and that it provided a helpful insight into your child's learning journey and classroom environment.
We firmly believe that strong partnerships between home and school are key to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our children and young people. Opportunities such as these allow us to work together, share aspirations, and build the positive relationships that support success both in and out of the classroom.
Thank you to everyone who attended. It is always a pleasure to welcome parents and carers into school, and we look forward to working closely with you throughout the year ahead.
meet the teacher
Let’s see what has been happening in the classroom.
In Miss Rahman’s class….
It’s been a brilliant start of the new school year for 7TRN. We are so pleased and incredibly proud of how well our pupils have settled into life at Hollinwood Academy.
The pupils have thrown themselves into lessons and activities with enthusiasm. They have been working hard to get used to new routines, expectations and surroundings, whilst also developing new friendships along the way. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow already.
In English, we have been introduced to Talk for Writing and have begun exploring our Gothic text, with a focus on building suspense. The pupils have really got stuck into their learning and are developing a fantastic understanding of the context, language and features that help make suspenseful writing so effective. We cannot wait to see how they use these skills in their own writing.
In Maths, we have been practising sequencing and using a range of manipulatives to support and deepen our understanding. Everyone has worked incredibly hard and shown fantastic determination. We were particularly proud of how well the whole class did in their first end-of-block assessment. What a brilliant achievement and a great way to start Year 7.
Science has brought another exciting first as the pupils have been introduced to the science labs. Some of our learning will continue to take place in the classroom, but we are very fortunate to have weekly access to the labs with Mrs McGregor, giving pupils the opportunity to enhance their learning through practical experiences and investigations.
Starting at a new school is a big transition and the form have approached it with enthusiasm, resilience and a willingness to learn.
There is so much still to come and we are excited to see where our journey takes us throughout our time at Hollinwood Academy.
TRN 25.9.26
In Mrs Rashid’s class…..
What an excellent start to the academic year for our Vision Hub students. They have returned with a positive attitude, a strong focus on their learning, and a determined mindset as they prepare for their upcoming mock examinations.
In English, students have been studying the anthology texts to develop their understanding of the content and ensure they are well prepared for responding to language and structure examination questions. They have also been focusing on strengthening their analytical skills, learning how to select and embed relevant textual evidence effectively to support and justify their interpretations. Students are becoming increasingly confident in exploring writers' methods and evaluating their impact on the reader.
In Science, students have been accessing the lab to further develop their knowledge and understanding of Chemistry through practical investigations. They have been exploring the process of diluting hydrochloric acid and investigating its reaction with calcium carbonate, enabling them to apply theoretical concepts in a practical context. Students have demonstrated increasing confidence in conducting experiments safely, making observations, and drawing conclusions from their findings, while further developing their scientific enquiry skills.
In Mathematics, students have successfully completed their end-of-unit assessment on factorising equations, demonstrating their understanding of key algebraic concepts. They are now progressing to solving equations, where they are developing their ability to apply mathematical methods accurately and confidently. Students are continuing to build their problem-solving, reasoning, and skills, providing a strong foundation for future learning and examination success.
In Outdoor Education, students have been developing their understanding of road safety and water safety within the local community. Through a range of practical and discussion-based activities, they have explored how to recognise potential hazards, assess risks, and make informed decisions to keep themselves and others safe in different environments. These learning experiences have supported the development of essential life skills, including personal safety awareness, risk assessment, problem-solving, decision-making, independence, and responsibility. Students have also strengthened their communication and teamwork skills by participating in group discussions and collaborative activities related to community safety.
In RSE, students have been exploring the characteristics of healthy relationships and developing their understanding of the key qualities that contribute to positive and respectful interactions. They have examined topics such as trust, communication, boundaries, consent, and mutual respect, while considering how these principles apply to friendships, family relationships, and future personal relationships. Through discussion and reflective activities, students have developed their communication, decision-making, empathy, and social awareness skills, enabling them to build and maintain safe, healthy, and respectful relationships both within school and the wider community.
I am incredibly proud of the positive start our students have made this year. Their enthusiasm, determination, and commitment to their learning have been evident across all subjects, and I look forward to seeing them continue to grow in confidence and achieve their goals. I am confident that, with this positive attitude and hard work, we will continue to have a successful and rewarding year together.
ZRD 25.9.26
And finally in Miss Boothroyd’s class…
Wow. Who can believe that we are already three weeks into the new school year? What a fun and exciting few weeks we have had! The children have settled right back into school life and have enjoyed getting stuck into their learning. Let’s take a look at what we have been up to.
In English, we have been exploring the story The Lion Inside. Through a range of exciting and engaging lessons, we have created our own story map and demonstrated our understanding of the story. We have talked about the important events, characters and settings, helping us to retell the story in the correct order.
This week, we have been learning about adjectives, similes and proper nouns. We have explored how adjectives can help us describe characters, while similes allow us to make our writing more imaginative and interesting. We have also practised identifying and using proper nouns correctly, including names of people and places.
In maths, we have been looking at place value within 20. This week, our focus has been on the numbers 11–20, as well as finding one more and one less. We have explored these ideas through fun, engaging and educational activities, including Attention Autism sessions, hands-on work and practical challenges. The children have enjoyed building numbers, counting carefully and discussing what happens when we add one or take one away.
We have used objects, pictures and number representations to help us understand that numbers from 11 to 20 are made up of one ten and some ones. The children have also practised explaining their thinking and checking their answers. They have been superstars with their maths work!
During one of our phonics sessions this week, we had the exciting opportunity to visit Miss Chloe’s class and join in with a Wiggle to Squiggle activity. The children had a ball! They eagerly followed the movements, making big wiggles and careful squiggles as they listened and joined in together.
Wiggle to Squiggle is a fantastic scheme that gets our bodies moving, which supports the development of our gross motor skills. It also helps children to build coordination, control and confidence as they prepare for writing. The session was fun, engaging and educational, and it was lovely to see everyone taking part so enthusiastically. Thank you to Miss Chloe and the team for welcoming us to your class and letting us join in your session, we really did have so much fun!
A highlight of the week for me was our PSHRE lesson, where we explored kindness and why it is important. It was a fun, engaging and educational session that encouraged us to think about how small actions can make a big difference.
Each child created a little kind note, thinking carefully about the positive message they wanted to share. We then went around the school to deliver our notes to staff. It was so heart-lifting to see the smiles we brought to people’s faces simply by showing kindness. The children saw first-hand how thoughtful words and actions can brighten someone’s day.
VBD 25.9.26
Now to our amazing SUPER STARs and HWA We are We are inspiring STARs
Mrs Whitworth’s STAR of the week is Cody for trying to engage more in his learning.
Mrs Whitworth’s HWA We are inspiring goes to
Mrs Bailey’s HWA We are inspiring goes to
Mrs Bailey’s STAR of the Week is Kyren - for amazing work in phonics this week and for using his communication board to tell an adult what he wants to eat.
Mrs Lerigo’s and Mrs Sutcliffe's STAR of the Week is Edeson for a wonderful first full week at school and for singing all of our transition songs so beautifully and reading the names of all his friends in morning routine
Mrs Lerigo’s and Mrs Sutcliffe's HWA We are inspiring goes to Leon for being so inspired by our ‘Leaf Man’ story he wanted to keep reading it at home too.
Mrs Thompson’s STAR of the Week is Elijah Showing commitment to making good choices and talking to adults when he has a problem.
Mrs Thompson’s STAR of the Week goes to Adam for good listening and good waiting.
Miss Boothroyd’s STAR of the Week goes to Albie for doing so well with his spoken language this week.
Miss Boothroyd’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Max for showing others kindness and being a good friend.
Mrs McDonalds’ and Mrs Bramley’s STAR of the Week is Zachary for his amazing sentence work this week in English.
Mrs McDonalds’ and Mrs Bramley’s we are inspiring star goes to Alfie for being a caring friend when lining up and using his manners.
Miss Lloyd’s STAR of the Week is Eliora for continuously working hard across all subjects.
Miss Lloyd’s We are inspiring STAR goes to Bee for doing really well in your first full days of school.
Miss Pietraszewska’ s HWA We are inspiring goes to Benjamin for settling down to complete his maths table tasks independently, without needing reminders or support. Well done, Benjamin.
Miss Pietraszewska’ s STAR of the Week goes to Ivy for doing a great job of waiting patiently and showing improved patience while waiting for her reward to be printed. Well done, Ivy
Mr Corrigan’s STAR of the Week is Albi - Lee for wonder participation on Outdoor Ed this week
Mr Corrigan’s WOW moment Teddy for being proud of of his friends and Hope for being proud of her friends
Mr Corrigan’s congratulates Abu- Bakr for a great attitude to his worth this week
Mr Corrigan’s We are inspiring goes to Kian for being proud of his friends, Teddy for being proud of his friends
Miss Hulme’s STAR of the Week is Madilyn for eating all of her dinner.
Miss Hulme’s HWA We are inspiring goes to
Mrs Boylan’s STAR of the Week goes to Holly for excellent English writing and following instructions
Mrs Boylan’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Ace for showing tolerance and respect towards others this week
Miss Davies’s STAR of the Week is
Miss Oakley’s STAR of the Week is Freddie for amazing Maths skills this week, finding missing numbers and counting on from any number.
Miss Oakley’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Riley-excellent communication this week requesting items for his Spider-Man biscuit.
stars 25.9.26
Well done to everyone.
Miss Gordon
