Hollinwood Academy Blog Post 16.10.2026
Sharing the highlights…
It's been a busy week again at Hollinwood Academy. From preparing for next week's mock examinations and celebrating outstanding student achievements, to bringing students together through community projects and showcasing creativity through our GCSE Graphic Communication course, there has been plenty to be proud of.
We were also delighted to welcome families and community partners to our highly successful Parent Showcase Event, which celebrated the incredible learning, artwork and achievements of our children and young people. Alongside this, staff have continued their commitment to providing the highest standards of care through specialist training, and we are thrilled to be celebrating a significant attendance success, with our primary provision now recognised among the Top 25% Most Improved FFT Primary Schools in England.
Thank you to our students, families and amazing staff for making Hollinwood Academy great.
Getting ready for Mock exams:
This week, we have been busy behind the scenes preparing for our mock examination period, which begins next week.
Some of our Year 10 and Year 11 students will be sitting mock GCSE examinations and have been working hard to revise and prepare. These mock exams provide an invaluable opportunity for students to experience the expectations, routines, and conditions of formal examinations ahead of their GCSEs in the summer.
They also help students build confidence, identify their strengths, and recognise areas for further development, while giving staff valuable information to support them in achieving their very best outcomes. We wish all our students the very best of luck and encourage them to approach the week with confidence and determination.
Hollinwood meet Heywood Academy.
This week, students from Hollinwood and Heywood came together during Outdoor Education to take part in a community litter-picking project. It was wonderful to see students forming new friendships, working collaboratively, and sharing their experiences with one another as they took pride in improving their local environment.
The activity not only supported the local community but also provided valuable opportunities for teamwork, communication, and social development. We are incredibly proud of how well the students represented their schools and look forward to creating more opportunities for both groups to come together in the future.
HWA HYD 16.10.2026
Sharing excellent work
Thank you to the children who have taken the time to come and share their fantastic work with me this week. I have been impressed by the progress I have seen and the pride you have taken in your learning.
A special well done to Romy, Rafael and Holly, whose hard work, determination and achievements have truly stood out. Your efforts were very deserving of a Headteacher’s sticker. Keep up the amazing work. I look forward to seeing even more successes in the weeks ahead
GCSE graphic communication
If you didn't catch our social media post last week, here's a glimpse into the exciting learning taking place in our brand-new GCSE Graphic Communication course. Students have been exploring different mark-making techniques in preparation for designing their first graphic product. Using oil pastels, tissue paper, Lego base plates and letter stencils, they experimented with colour, texture and transparency to create unique effects. They then applied these techniques to sketches of their names, layering marks to produce striking and creative designs. This project has helped students understand that traditional art and sketching skills are just as important in Graphic Communication as digital design. Next, students will begin working with layers in Adobe Photoshop and will explore our new digital drawing app, Procreate, on their iPads. We are excited to see their creativity continue to develop, so watch this space for more updates from their learning journey
Hazel 16.10.2026
CPD for staff
This week, staff completed their annual medication training refresher to ensure they remain confident and up to date in administering medication safely and effectively. Regular training is essential in supporting the health and wellbeing of our children and young people, enabling staff to respond appropriately to both routine and emergency medical needs.
These refresher sessions help ensure that we continue to provide the highest standards of care, giving families confidence that their children are supported by well-trained and knowledgeable professionals. Thank you to all staff for their commitment to keeping their skills current and putting the safety of our children and young people first.
Celebrating attendance
I am delighted to celebrate a fantastic achievement in attendance at our primary provision. Through the hard work, dedication and persistence of our children, families and staff, we have significantly improved attendance and are now recognised as being in the Top 25% Most Improved FFT Primary Schools in England.
This is a wonderful accomplishment and reflects the collective commitment to ensuring children are in school, ready to learn and thrive every day. A huge well done and thank you to our dedicated Attendance Team, whose unwavering focus and support have played a key role in achieving this success. We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to make every day count for our children.
Celebrating Success at Our Engagement Event
We were delighted to welcome families, staff and community partners to our recent Parent Showcase Event, which proved to be a fantastic celebration of learning, creativity and achievement across the school.
The event was extremely well attended, with parents and carers embracing the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible work produced by our children and young people.
From EYFS through to Year 11, a wide range of academic work was on display, showcasing the progress, skills and knowledge that students have developed throughout the year. Families were able to explore examples of learning from across the curriculum, highlighting the breadth of experiences and achievements across all key stages.
A particular highlight of the evening was our stunning Art Exhibition, which showcased the creativity, imagination and artistic talents of our children and young people. Visitors enjoyed viewing an impressive collection of artwork produced across the school, celebrating a variety of techniques, styles and themes. Alongside this, our Photography Exhibition provided a wonderful opportunity for students to share their photographic work, demonstrating both creativity and technical skill. These displays attracted significant interest and generated many positive conversations between students, families and staff.
In addition to celebrating our children and young people’s achievement, the showcase provided families with access to a range of valuable support services from across the local community. We were pleased to welcome representatives from Mahdlo Youth Zone, POINT, School Nursing Service, Mental Health Support Team, Oldham College, SEN Squad, and The Centre of Infinity. Their presence enabled parents and carers to access information, advice and guidance on a wide range of topics including health and wellbeing, educational pathways, SEND support and opportunities available within the local area.
The engagement between parents and service providers was extremely positive, with many families taking the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the support available to them. Events such as these play an important role in strengthening partnerships between school, families and external agencies, ensuring that our students receive the best possible support both in and out of school.
The feedback received from parents and visitors was overwhelmingly positive. Families spoke enthusiastically about seeing their children's academic achievements celebrated, as well as enjoying the art and photography exhibitions. Many also appreciated the opportunity to connect with local organisations and discover services that may benefit their children and family.
Showcase Event 16.10.2026
Let’s see what has been happening in the classroom.
In Mrs McDonald and Mrs Bramley’s class….
We have had another fantastic week of learning.
In English, we have been reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We described the amazing Inventing Room before planning and boxing up our own stories. The children then used a shared innovation to create their own magical underwater worlds full of imagination and exciting vocabulary.
In Maths, we have been learning number bonds to 100 using tens and practising adding three one-digit numbers together.
In Science, we collected and analysed data to find out the most popular chocolate bar in school. Our results will help inform our ongoing D&T project where we will be designing and creating our own chocolate bars.
In History, we explored how children's lives have changed throughout the 20th century and discussed how life was different for children in the past.
In PSHE, we talked about what makes a good friend and how we can show kindness and respect to others.
To finish the week, we got creative making Halloween decorations, which have helped make our classroom look wonderfully festive.
We are very proud of all the hard work and enthusiasm shown by the children this week and look forward to another exciting week of learning
GBYCML
In Miss Nuttall’s class…..
It's been a great week for 9NNL, and we have enjoyed this term although we are getting ready for a break! The class have worked incredibly hard over the past 6 weeks and there has been some fantastic individual progress made. We are very proud of our class this half term!
In English this week the class are coming to the conclusion of our Victorian style ghost story: The Woman in Black. The class have been learning all about pathetic fallacy and been finding good examples of this from the novel which they have then analysed and written about. They have done an excellent job with a tricky concept. The week culminated in them sitting their assessment, but they have managed well. In history, the class have been learning about nationalism and the allied powers in World War one. They have been considering the causes of tension at this time and have developed an understanding of why war broke out and in maths, they have been covering the topic of area, volume and 3d shapes.
In outdoor education, the class have been to Strinesdale this week and have been looking into water safety in and around our community and in PE, they have been working on hand eye coordination via dribbling skill improvement and teamwork. In science, the class have been learning about chemical reactions and extinction which they have really enjoyed and in food technology, the class have been learning about raising agents and making bread which they have loved.
This week Esmai has received star of the week for fantastic work in Art - well done Esmai
NNL 16.10.2026
And finally in MRS Bennett’s Outdoor Education…
This week, Mrs Bennett’s Outdoor Education lessons have focused on staying safe within the local community.
The EYFS and Engage pathways practised walking safely along pavements and crossing roads with full adult hand-held support. Students showed excellent awareness of both parked and moving vehicles. Once in the park, we followed the paths down to the dingle, where we listened carefully to birds chirping and the sound of water flowing downstream. We counted the steps as we climbed up to the aviary, where we enjoyed looking at and listening to a variety of beautifully coloured birds and chickens. We also talked about the weather, feeling the breeze on our faces and noticing how the wind moved our hair. Throughout the visit, everyone listened carefully and followed instructions to keep themselves safe.
Thrive classes explored orienteering skills and used a map to follow instructions and find their way around Silversprings, adjacent to Stamford Park. Students worked together to navigate the area, developing their directional awareness, problem-solving skills and confidence while learning to stay safe in an outdoor environment.
Secondary classes visited local parks and Oldham town centre to practise crossing roads in busier environments using pedestrian, tramway and pelican crossings. We discussed potential dangers and explored ways to keep ourselves safe. Students identified safer strangers who could help if they found themselves in a difficult situation. They also learned about water safety and the potential dangers associated with open water.
Well done to everyone for demonstrating such sensible behaviour, excellent listening skills and a positive attitude to learning throughout the week
JBT 16.10.2026
Now to our amazing SUPER STARs and HWA We are We are inspiring STARs
Mrs Whitworth’s STAR of the week is Jack Richbell for doing amazing, messy maths work and being so engaged in the activity.
Mrs Whitworth’s HWA We are inspiring goes to
Mrs Bailey’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Blaire - for following class routines with growing independence and accepting when her preferred activities have finished.
Mrs Bailey’s STAR of the Week is Leo - for initiating interactions with adults on the playground and playing games with them.
Mrs Lerigo’s and Mrs Sutcliffe's STAR of the Week is Alarna- following our daily routine so well this week, with lovely sitting and joining in at learning times too
Mrs Lerigo’s and Mrs Sutcliffe's HWA We are inspiring goes to Zoya- for super engagement in her learning.
Mrs Thompson’s STAR of the Week is Adam for fantastic work planning a story in English.
Mrs Thompson’s STAR of the Week goes to Lottie for settling in brilliantly to her new class.
Miss Boothroyd’s STAR of the Week goes to Max for using his words to show he did not like something, instead of shouting.
Miss Boothroyd’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Nico, for coping so well with a sudden change.
Mrs McDonalds’ and Mrs Bramley’s STAR of the Week Kai - for his wonderful manners when requesting things in the classroom.
Mrs McDonalds’ and Mrs Bramley’s we are inspiring star goes to Olivia - for making her friends feel better when they are upset and offering them a hug.
Miss Lloyd’s STAR of the Week is Eliora having a brilliant attitude in school and offering great class contributions.
Miss Lloyd’s We are inspiring STAR goes to
Miss Pietraszewska’ s HWA We are inspiring goes to Nevaeh, for being super active in phonics and reading all the CVC words. Fantastic work.
Miss Pietraszewska’ s STAR of the Week goes to Ivy, for being very active in maths and doing a fantastic job comparing numbers using symbols >, < and =.
Great work.
Mr Corrigan’s STAR of the Week is Hugo for a great Outdoor Ed. lesson this week.
Mr Corrigan’s WOW moment Abu-Bakr for being a kind friend this week.
Mr Corrigan’s congratulates
Mr Corrigan’s We are inspiring goes to
Miss Hulme’s STAR of the Week is Korey for having a great week despite some changes.
Miss Hulme’s HWA We are inspiring goes to
Mrs Boylan’s STAR of the Week goes to Cleo for showing kindness and including others in games.
Mrs Boylan’s HWA We are inspiring goes to Rafael for showing excellent retrieval skills during Guided Reading.
Miss Davies’s STAR of the Week is Basil for a great week of engagement and helping to tidy up after the activities.
Miss Oakley’s STAR of the Week is Riley- His engagement and participation in Maths this week.
Miss Oakley’s HWA We are inspiring goes to David- For always trying his best in everything he does.
Stars 16.10.2026
Well done to everyone.
Thank you to our children, young people, families and staff for another fantastic week at Hollinwood Academy. Good luck to all of our students taking part in mock examinations next week, and we hope you all enjoy a well-deserved rest over the weekend.
Miss Gordon
