HWA Blog - 28.3.25

 

I am absolutely thrilled to share the fantastic support we've received from our wonderful school community! It's heartwarming to see local organisations come together for our children and young people.  

Firstly, a massive thank you to the Rotary Club of Oldham Metro and Saddleworth, who generously bought two Thereplay tracer tricycles. These tricycles will certainly encourage our students to stay active and enjoy the outdoors. Representatives of both Oldham Metro and Saddleworth Rotary Clubs met with myself, Mr Heap and students to see a demonstration of how the cycles would benefit our curriculum offer. I was delighted when I heard that The Rotary Clubs had selected Hollinwood Academy to donate the money to buy our tricycles. The Rotary Clubs work together on several projects each year, supporting local community and charitable causes throughout the Oldham and Saddleworth area. Most of the charity money that the Clubs allocate have been raised through the annual Wellifest Music Festival and the Saddleworth Show, which the two Clubs jointly manage with the help of local volunteers. As you can see from Eliora, Leo and Xander, they have given the tricycles the thumbs up. Thank you!  

We are also celebrating the incredible efforts of our families and supporters, as ASDA Cashpot for Schools initiative has raised an impressive £464.53. This funding will greatly enhance our resources and provide enriching opportunities for our children and young people. 

Additionally, a huge shout-out to Tilbury Douglas for their generous Easter egg donations for our Easter fair on Friday 4th April. I’m sure we will have some very happy Easter Bunnies on this day! 

 

Thank you to everyone involved, your contributions make a real difference for our children and young people.  

This week, we have carried out more learning walks with the senior leadership team, curriculum leads and the central team. The focus still remained on marking and feedback and this week we have observed the following subjects at both primary and secondary: geography, history, engage, communication, computing, PE, outdoor education and music. There are lots of positives that we have observed from the learning walks and mine is always being in the classrooms and observing our children and young people thrive in their learning environments. Also, there are areas that we need to work on that will inform our training for the summer term and school improvement plan too.  

 

Let’s see what some of the classes have been doing starting with Miss Pietraszewska’s class… 

 

"In maths, we dived into the world of length and height! We had a blast measuring objects with everyday items before stepping it up with centimetres. The best part was measuring ourselves to find out who’s the tallest and who’s the shortest in our group!  

In science, we explored exciting habitats, like icy polar regions, woodlands, deserts, and deep oceans. Next week, we’ll be heading outside to explore microhabitats and hunt for minibeasts and their secret little homes!  

In humanities, we have been learning about the first moon landing. The lesson sparked some big dreams – now, some of us want to be astronauts!  

In music, we had fun exploring dynamics! We listened to all sorts of music and shared the different emotions they made us feel.  

In English, we’re using Talk for Writing to create our own fiction stories inspired by ‘Rocket Says Clean Up!’ book, which teaches us how to care for our planet.  

And with all this wonderful sunshine, we’re excited to get outside and enjoy a picnic soon! "

Miss Natalia - 28.3.25

 

 

Now to Mrs Young’s form… 

 

"This week in English, our class has been working through the Reading VIPERS scheme to boost our reading comprehension skills. We focused on Japan and explored the influence of its inventions, such as karate, origami, sushi, karaoke, anime, manga, and video games. The students showcased their understanding through various reading comprehension tasks, and they've been diligently using purple pens to correct misconceptions based on the given feedback. 

In Maths, we tackled indices and standard index forms. After our assessment, we reviewed our misconceptions closely, and many students effectively used given feedback to improve, demonstrating great determination in resolving those tricky problems independently or with the help of the staff. 

In History, we examined the Glorious Revolution, discussing its escalation and the key factors behind it. The lively debates that emerged throughout our lesson, helped students notice connections to themes of power and governance and supported their critical thinking. 

In Science, we delved into matter and the processes of melting and freezing. Using the particle model, the students visualised these changes and answered detailed questions, reinforcing their understanding. Overall, it’s been a busy week filled with insightful discussions and collaborative learning experiences! "

OYG (28.3.25)

 

 

Now to Mrs Harrington's form… 

 

"This week the students have stepped into the world of mentoring, giving them a sense of responsibility and confidence. They have worked with a Year 7 class in food to produce homemade pizzas and in science, working with plaster of paris to make fossils. 

In Geography, students were looking at wind speed and conducted an experiment around the school to look at how the surroundings affected this. 

In English, we have been delving into some war poetry and having a go at creating their own with great success. The students really enjoyed this week and created some amazing poems. 

We also have been accessing some history with Henry VII and his 6 wives and students created fact files on the Queens and their fates! 

Students all performed well in their end of block assessment in maths and in targeted support we have been looking at Gremlin beliefs and how we look at different situations."

Inspiration Hub - 28.3.25

 

 

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

 

Mrs Lerigo’s STAR of the week is Tommy for great work in understanding the world and sorting the animals into their habitats. 

Mrs Lerigo’s HWA We are Creative STAR is Gabriel for amazing maths work plotting lessons on a timeline. 

Mrs Sutcliffe’s STARs of the week are our whole class for settling into their new classes so well during transition this week. 

Miss Oakley’s STAR of the week is Lyla for amazing participation in our iPad workshop. 

Miss Oakley’s HWA We are Creative STAR is Maya for creating a fantastic, detailed story board in English. 

Miss Bailey’s STAR of the week is Ziyan for excellent work in communication this week and engaging well in turn taking activities with an adult.  

Miss Bailey’s HWA We are Creative STAR is Oliver for fantastic independent mark making this week! 

Miss Pietraszewska’s STAR of the week is Olivia for joining the school choir and doing amazing! Well done! 

Miss Pietraszewska’s HWA We are Creative STAR is Diana for amazing progress in reading! 

Mr Corrigan’s STAR of the week is Louis for a wonderful first SALT session this week. 

Mr Corrigan’s HWA We are Creative star is Mysha for her independent maths work this week. 

Mr Corrigan’s WOW moments go to Kai and Louis! Well done.  

Miss Hulme’s STAR of the week is Henry for a fabulous week in his new school and settling in to class so well.   

Miss Hulme’s HWA We are Creative STAR is Shane for his fantastic attention to detail in all our art lessons.  

Miss Tootill’s STAR of the week is Derry for his fantastic work.  

Miss Tootill’s HWA We are Creative STAR is Jason for his creative ideas and sharing them with peers.  

Miss Gittins’ STAR of the week is Oscar for remembering finger spaces independently.

Miss Gittins’ Super Speller is Freya! Well done! 

Miss Matthew’s STAR of the week is Blair for trying her best in every lesson and for achieving 10/10 in her spellings.  

Miss Matthew’s HWA We are Creative STAR is Xander for his creative piece of music in our ICT workshop.  

Scientists of the week is Diana from Miss Pietraszewska’s class.  

 

STARS of the Week (28.3.25)

 

  

Don’t forget to ‘Spring forward’ on Sunday morning as the clocks go forward an hour. Summer is on its way. 

I would also like to wish our children, young people, staff and families a very happy Eid Mubarak! May your home be filled with laughter, love, and the warmth of family and friends. 

On Monday 31st March, we hold our second full governor's meeting, and I am looking forward to showcasing the school to our governors.  

We finish for half term next Friday 4th April, and school reopens to the children and young people on Tuesday 22nd April as it is Easter Monday on the 21st April.  

 

Have a good weekend.  

Mrs Millard