Hollinwood Academy Blog Post - 09.10.2026
Happy Friday everyone.
I’m not quite sure where this week has gone, but it has certainly flown by. As we reach the end of another busy week at Hollinwood Academy, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the fantastic practice that has been taking place across the school.
This week saw the final round of lesson observations, and as I have mentioned in previous blogs, I have been incredibly pleased with what we have seen. It has been wonderful to spend time in classrooms and observe our children and young people engaged in their learning, contributing positively to lessons, and demonstrating the progress they are making every day.
Across the school, we have seen consistent routines, positive relationships, and staff working tirelessly to ensure every learner can access the curriculum and achieve success. Whether students were developing literacy skills, solving mathematical problems, preparing for qualifications, or exploring new topics, there was a real sense of purpose and engagement in lessons.
I have been particularly impressed by the confidence shown by many of our students when answering questions, sharing ideas, and supporting one another. These moments remind us just how important a positive and nurturing learning environment is, and how much our young people can achieve when they are given the right support and encouragement.
A huge thank you goes to all staff including the central team for their continued commitment and dedication. The outcomes of the observations are a reflection of the hard work that takes place every day, often behind the scenes, to ensure the best possible opportunities for our children and young people.
As we head into the weekend, I hope everyone has the opportunity to rest, recharge, and spend time doing things they enjoy
Sharing the highlights…
Showcasing work:
A special thank you to the staff who have taken the time this week to bring children and young people to my office to share their work. These moments are genuinely one of my favourite parts of the week and always provide a real highlight to my day. Our students are incredibly proud of their achievements and thoroughly enjoy having the opportunity to show off what they have been working on.
This week, I had the pleasure of seeing work from Sofia, Safa, Euan, Gerrad, Kyren, Madilyn, Isla and Leo. I was so impressed by the effort, progress and pride demonstrated in their work. A huge well done to each of you for your fantastic achievements. Keep up the great work, and please continue to share your successes with us. We love celebrating your hard work and accomplishments
Yellow day
As always, we were delighted to celebrate Yellow Day this week. To mark the occasion, students were invited to come to school wearing yellow and, as always, they embraced the day in style.
Yellow Day is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness for an important cause while encouraging conversations around wellbeing and supporting others. It was wonderful to see so many students and staff getting involved and helping to make the day such a success.
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed, whether by taking part, making a donation, or supporting the activities throughout the day. Your generosity and enthusiasm help us continue to raise awareness and support an incredibly worthwhile cause.
YELLOW DAY 09.10.2026
GCSE Food
This week also saw our GCSE Food practical examinations get underway. Students have been busy planning, preparing and creating dishes as part of an important component of their GCSE Food qualification.
Mrs Duffy and Miss Lyon were extremely impressed with the effort, commitment and preparation that students put into their practical assessments. It was clear to see the amount of time and thought that had gone into researching recipes, developing skills and ensuring they were fully prepared for the challenge.
The practical element of the GCSE is a significant part of the course and allows students to demonstrate a range of skills, including food preparation, cooking techniques, time management, organisation and presentation. It was fantastic to see students working with such focus, resilience and independence throughout the process.
We are incredibly proud of all the students who took part and would like to congratulate them on their hard work and professionalism. The standard of work produced was excellent, and we look forward to seeing the final outcomes.
Well done everyone, and a special thank you to Mrs Duffy and Miss Lyon for their support, encouragement and expertise in helping our students prepare for this important stage of their GCSE journey.
Let’s see what has been happening in the classroom.
In Miss Oakley’s class….
What a fantastic first half term back at school. The children have settled into their new routines brilliantly and have engaged enthusiastically in all our activities. We are incredibly proud of how well they have adapted and embraced their learning opportunities.
In English, we have explored the stories 5 Little Ducks and Superworm. Using Talk for Writing and Colourful Semantics, the children developed their communication and literacy skills by creating their own nursery rhymes and writing a fact file. We have been blown away by their hard work, creativity, and fantastic ideas. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they share their learning.
In Maths, we have taken a multi-sensory approach to learning, exploring a range of early mathematical concepts including sorting objects, counting, representing numbers, and finding one more and one less. Through exciting hands-on activities and themed tuff tray experiences, the children have been fully immersed in their learning through play.
In Science, we have been learning all about the human body and our senses. The children enjoyed drawing around each other to identify different body parts and investigating how our senses help us understand the world around us. We explored hearing by making music, tasting different foods to investigate our sense of taste, and used torches to create shadows while learning about light.
Our communication sessions this half term have been centred around an exciting Superheroes theme. The children have enjoyed a range of engaging and hands-on activities, including requesting ingredients to make Spider-Man biscuits and Hulk's Hammer rice crispy treats. We have also designed and created our own superhero shields and masks, allowing the children to express their creativity and imagination. One of the highlights was our sensory Hulk slime tray, which encouraged exploration, interaction and communication in a fun and motivating way. Throughout our sessions, we have used communication boards to support conversations, make choices, and develop their communication skills with both peers and staff. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they engage in meaningful interactions with others.
It has been a fantastic start to the year, and we are so proud of everything the children have achieved already. We look forward to another exciting half term filled with exploration, creativity, and learning.
COY 09.10.2026
In Mrs Datta’s class…..
During PE lessons this term, 10SUA have been focusing on basketball. We have been focusing on following instructions and team building activities.
In our food lessons we have been learning how to make some super yummy healthy foods like- vegetable stir fry and Spanish omelette. We have been able to follow recipes and demonstrated safe knife skills. The class are working their way up to be able to produce a two-course meal.
In English we are having a super exciting time writing a story about our favourite character. We have been working on imagining our character, planning our story, developing a plot for the story, with a proper structure.
Class staff want to praise them all for settling in so well into their different options groups. Various students are doing music, art, photography, graphics design, Duke Edinburgh and health and social care.
The students participating in Duke of Edinburgh have been visiting Castleshaw.
We have been exploring the area, walking through the countryside. We have safely climbed over styes and been safe when walking close to the water’s edge.
During photography we have been exploring the environment looking for the letters of our names in everyday objects. For example, finding an L in the corner of a window. We have been using our photography skills to capture the images of the letters we find.
During music lessons we have chosen our own songs to learn on our favourite instruments. During art we have been doing ink staining and creating portraits of our idols.
During science our little Scientists are enhancing their knowledge about atoms. We have made our own models of atoms using plasticine and talked about elements and compounds.
Last but not least we have been solving the very complicated algebra equations in our Maths lessons.
SUA 09.10.2026
And finally in Mr Khan’s class…
Students in 11NHN have been working extremely well and demonstrating a strong determination to succeed in their GCSEs.
During form time, students have taken part in a variety of purposeful activities, including reading, maths practice, and social games. They have also used this time effectively to catch up on work from other subjects, showing excellent organisation and personal responsibility.
The group has created detailed GCSE revision maps helping students identify key topics, organise their study time and prepare confidently for their examinations. Their work reflects a good understanding of the subjects they are studying and a clear commitment to making progress.
It has been encouraging to see 11 NHN remain focused and positive as they prepare for their GCSEs. Their hard work, maturity and determination are putting them in a strong position for success.
SID 09.10.2026
Now to our amazing SUPER STARs and HWA We are We are inspiring STARs
Mrs Whitworth’s STAR of the week is Euan for trying really hard and having amazing engagement throughout all of his lessons.
Mrs Whitworth’s HWA We are inspiring goes to
Mrs Bailey’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Safa - For amazing independent work making your i-i-insect in phonics and writing the sound independently too.
Mrs Bailey’s STAR of the Week is Alfie - For excellent engagement and interactions with adults this wee - especially when asking for 'more' in maths.
Mrs Lerigo’s and Mrs Sutcliffe's STAR of the Week is Zoya for super listening at group times.
Mrs Lerigo’s and Mrs Sutcliffe's HWA We are inspiring goes to Phoebie for always being so kind to her friends
Mrs Thompson’s STAR of the Week is Ezra for demonstrating an increasing ability to use words to share his wants and needs.
Mrs Thompson’s STAR of the Week goes to Kyren for settling in so well to his new class.
Miss Boothroyd’s STAR of the Week goes to Romy for her amazing English work
Miss Boothroyd’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Albie for showing kindness towards his friend who was hurt.
Mrs McDonalds’ and Mrs Bramley’s STAR of the Week Louis for accepting reflection time and support when he hasn't made the right choices.
Mrs McDonalds’ and Mrs Bramley’s we are inspiring star goes to Winter for always helping her friends clean the room at the end of the day after choosing time and helping to tidy equipment away between lessons.
Miss Lloyd’s STAR of the Week is Harry Hudson for working hard across all lessons this week.
Miss Lloyd’s We are inspiring STAR goes to Lyla Lees for always having her hand up and working well with her peers.
Miss Pietraszewska’ s HWA We are inspiring goes to Florence for doing such a fantastic job managing when other children are loud around her, well done
Miss Pietraszewska’ s STAR of the Week goes to Benjamin for retelling our Talk for Writing story about the brave lion by using the story map to help him remember the events. Well done
Mr Corrigan’s STAR of the Week is Kian for being an understanding friend this week.
Mr Corrigan’s WOW moment
Mr Corrigan’s congratulates Teddy B for coping really well with noise this week.
Mr Corrigan’s We are inspiring goes to
Miss Hulme’s STAR of the Week is Isla for her wonderful work in phonics this week.
Miss Hulme’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Leo for turning his week around and having a wonderful week.
Mrs Boylan’s STAR of the Week goes to
Mrs Boylan’s HWA We are inspiring goes to
Miss Davies’s STAR of the Week is Oliver for having great engagement during communication.
Miss Oakley’s STAR of the Week is Teddy- for amazing sharing of our new rocket toy.
Miss Oakley’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Ohud- for his impressive independent mark making skills this week.
STARS 09.10.2026
Well done to everyone.
Have a great weekend.
Miss Gordon
