HWA Blog - 4.7.25

The weeks just get better and better. Another exciting week of activities, events, fun, laughter and learning at Hollinwood Academy.

I am very proud of our Duke of Edinburgh participants who experienced their first overnight stay at Castleshaw this week. It was a tiring couple of days for the team however their determination led them to success. Well done to all involved.

On Thursday our year 9 Geographers went on their Geography trip to Rossall Beach, Cleveleys. The summer isn’t complete without a trip to the beach. In lessons they have been studying coasts: their uses, how they are affected by erosion, and how we can reduce this through sea defences. On the trip they got to see some of these defences in real life, and they carried out fieldwork to see if the rock groynes are working to stop longshore drift. They measured the angle of the beach using clinometers, looked at sediment size using a Wentworth scale, and drew a field sketch to record what defences were present. After all the hard work there was the opportunity for an ice cream and some free time on the beach. A great day out had by all.

Geog Field Trip - 4.7.25

On Friday our secondary students went bowling for their end of year reward. They had an amazing day. Everyone was buzzing with excitement as they arrived, ready for a day packed with fun and laughter.

Mrs Bones reports on the trip…

"We kicked things off with two games of bowling, and oh, what a blast it was. Each student had their turn to show off their bowling skills, cheering each other on and having a great time competing together. After all that bowling, we enjoyed a tasty lunch that made sure we were all energised for more fun.

Next up was the arcade, where the air was filled with laughter and cheers as everyone tried out different games. It was so much fun to watch our students enjoy themselves and see their faces light up. Many of them had a go at pool, showing off some impressive moves while having lots of fun together.

What stood out the most was how incredibly well everyone behaved our students were, they really made us proud by representing the school perfectly. Their kindness and teamwork shone through all day long. It was heartwarming to see everyone enjoying themselves and making wonderful memories together.

This trip was a huge success, and we all left with big smiles on our faces. Here’s to more exciting adventures in the future."

(Reward trip photos to be added)

Now let’s look at what has been happening in the classrooms.

Starting with Mrs McDonald and Miss Rahman’s class….

"Our Year 7 students have had an exciting and enriching term, filled with hands-on learning and new adventures. In Science, they brought natural disasters to life by creating their very own model volcanoes—an explosive way to learn about Earth's powerful forces!

In English, reading has taken centre stage, with students diving into fascinating texts about volcanoes, dinosaurs, and different extinction theories. These themes sparked great curiosity and imaginative thinking across the classroom. We also used T4W to create instructions on how to make a volcano.

In art the children have been making 3D cubes by bending and joining metal wires. They have been enjoying this engaging, hands-on lesson.

In History, they've stepped back in time to explore the dramatic reign of Henry VIII, discovering his many marriages and the big changes he brought to England. Meanwhile, in Geography, students have been learning all about Tourism—why people travel, how it impacts places, and what makes destinations around the world so popular.

Outdoor Education (OED) has added extra excitement, with fun and team-building experiences around the local community, helping students build confidence and friendships beyond the classroom.

We have also been working on our positive affirmations and team building this term with focus on positive self-thinking. We have discussed what growth mindset is and have had plenty of communication lessons focusing on self-worth.

This term in music the children have been exploring the piano keyboards. We have learnt various keys and have played along with tunes as well as making our own repeating pattern using familiar notes.

To top it all off, we had an amazing rewards trip to bowling this week. Things got a little competitive but most importantly, we had a great time celebrating everything we’ve achieved this year. It was the perfect way to wrap things up before the summer holidays.

We want to say a huge thank you to Miss Wrigley, Miss Aavrita, Mrs Hand, and Miss Meadowcroft. You’ve helped us every step of the way — from reaching our targets to simply being there when we needed support. We couldn’t have done it without you.

As we head into the summer holidays, we’re proud of everything we’ve accomplished and excited for what’s ahead in Year 8.

Thank you for a great year."

Miss McDonald, Mrs Rahman

Videos will be available in the comments on Facebook!

CML/ TRN (4.7.25)

Now to Mrs Sutcliffe’s class for a Week of Amazing Learning Adventures.

"This week, I have been absolutely blown away by the children’s engagement, maturity, and resilience! It’s as if they’ve all grown up overnight and are almost ready for Year 2. Each and every one of them is such an amazing learner, giving their best in everything they do. I couldn’t be prouder.

We’ve had plenty of changes to adapt to this week, especially as we kick-start our transition to Year 2. The children have been fantastic, loving the chance to meet their new teachers and explore their new classroom. The excitement for next year is obvious! Our learning this week has been nothing short of brilliant, particularly in writing, which is coming on in leaps and bounds. We simply can’t wait to share our work with you!

In our Talk4Writing lessons, the children have been rehearsing their story maps expertly. This term, we’re focusing on writing instructions, and we’ve taken it up a notch by expanding noun phrases by adding adjectives and adverbs. To help grasp these concepts, we’ve played charades! Watching them act out actions with adverbs was an absolute hoot! We also had a giggle when the children had to instruct me on how to blow a bubble. It took a bit of trial and error, but they learned the importance of clear and precise instructions. Excitingly, we’ll be writing up our bubble-blowing guide next week.

In Maths, we’ve been learning all about money—recognising coins and notes while counting in multiples. They’re getting the hang of counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s, and are ready to dive into Place Value to 100 next week.

During Phonics, we have read Tug, Tug and even went 'fishing' in class! The children made fishing rods and went fishing catching different fish, just like Black Hat Bob in the story. They then composed fascinating descriptive sentences about their catches. In Art, we have been inspired by Cecilia Vicuña’s woven wonders and have experimented with fabrics and textures. This week we learnt how to weave with paper and discovered the wonders of warp and weft.

In computing this week, we have continued our learning about online safety and have been thinking about kindness and how important it is to treat others nicely both in the real world and online. The children then made a kindness card for someone in school who has been kind to them. This was such a lovely activity, and the children loved delivering their cards and making lots of people very happy. We talked about how good it feels to make others smile.

In Geography, we’ve located the seven continents of the world, labelling them. We know which continent we live in and have compared it to China and Asia. Next week, we’ll learn all about what it is like to live in Shanghai, with the help of Miss Valerie, who used to live there! So much fun awaits, and I can’t wait to see what next week brings.

I cannot believe we are nearly at the end of our year 1 journey together. It has been such a wonderful year, getting to know all the children and helping them to grow and develop. I know they are destined for great things in year 2, but I will miss them all so much next year."

CSF - 4.7.25

And now, to Mr Heap …Residential season has truly begun at Hollinwood Academy.

"Last week our amazing year 11s stayed at Alton Towers and had a fantastic 2 days. All the students behaved impeccably, were role models and represented Hollinwood Academy perfectly. We hope you all had a great time and made memories to last a lifetime. Take a look at some of the fantastic pictures and action shots."

Alton Towers

This week saw our first Duke of Edinburgh residential. Our Bronze group had an unusual start to their expedition as we had to make changes due to the increased temperatures. All the students accepted these changes and coped well. Students spent the day in school, and we then travelled to Castleshaw. On arrival, students unpacked their belongings and made their own beds. Students then went on a short walk around the local area of Castleshaw once the temperatures had reduced in the evening. All the students had a settled night and were ready for the map reading, navigating and team-building activities delivered by the Castleshaw team on Tuesday. The students worked brilliantly and enjoyed the activities. I would personally like to congratulate all the students for successfully gaining your Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award and now the preparation for Silver begins!!!

DofE (4.7.25)

Next week the excitement continues as our year 6 students prepare for the Gulliver’s world residential and finally our Silver Duke of Edinburgh residential to Derbyshire. Good luck to all of our students that are attending upcoming trips and residentials and a special thanks to our wonderful admin team and to all the staff that have supported our students on these trips. Our outstanding extra curriculum offer wouldn’t be possible without your support.

Now to our amazing SUPER STARs and HWA We are Creative STARs...

Mrs Lerigo’s STAR of the week is Ariella for coming back from her holiday and giving her all to her work.

Mrs Lerigo’s HWA We are trusting goes to Tommy for super engagement in lessons and listening well in class.

Mrs Quinn’s STAR of the week is George for excellent transition on outdoor education.

Miss Quinn’s HWA We are trusting goes to Cody for his engagement in attention autism.

Mrs Boothroyd’s STAR of the week is Effy for having kind hands this week and trying so hard with her learning.

Miss Boothroyd’s HWA We are trusting goes to Sienna for settling back into school so well.

Mrs Bailey’s STAR of the week is Noel for being a good friend and sharing resources with his peers.

Mrs Bailey’s HWA We are trusting goes to Maja for communicating her wants and needs effectively with new adults and adapting well to change.

Miss Pietraszewska’ s STAR of the week is Alfie for coping well with the change of staff during these last weeks of school. Well done, Alfie.

Miss Pietraszewska’ s HWA We are trusting goes to Freddie for doing well during transitions in his new class — well done!

Miss Oakley’s STAR of the week is Eliora for always being happy, positive and lighting up every room she enters.

Miss Oakley’s HWA We are trusting goes to Kai for always having a 'can do' attitude and being a positive member of the class.

Mrs Matthew’s STAR of the week is Freya for being a trustworthy friend to all.

Mr Corrigan’s STAR of the week is Faiha for being a caring friend.

Mr Corrigan’s HWA We are trusting goes to Louis for a wonderful transition morning.

Mr Corrigan congratulates Kai for being proud of his friends.

Mrs Sutcliffe’s STAR of the week is Abu-Bakr for showing everyone how to be kind.

Mrs Sutcliffe’s HWA We are trusting goes to William- for doing so well in transition.

Miss Hulme STAR of the week is Ace for producing some amazing work this week'

Miss Hulmes HWA We are trusting goes to Henry for trying super hard in English this week.

Mrs Davies’s STARs of the week go to the whole class for having a settled and engaged week.

Miss Gittins’ STARs of the week is Freya and Brooke for coping extremely well with their Y7 transition mornings.

Miss Tootill’s STAR of the week goes to Derry for trusting new children in transition.

Miss Tootill’s HWA We are trusting goes to Jason for asking for time out when feeling overwhelmed.

STARS of the Week (4.7.25)

Well done, everyone.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to Lucy Needham for her support in our reception class. Lucy arrived at Hollinwood Academy on Monday to complete a week of work experience. She has been an asset in the classroom and the children, and the staff team are going to miss her. Thank you, Lucy and good luck, in the future. We would love to see you back.

Have an amazing weekend, everyone.

Miss Gordon.