Life at Heald Place

Celebrating everything that makes us unique

 

The Great Outdoors

At Heald Place, we believe that education extends far beyond the four walls of the classroom - the outdoor environment also has huge potential for learning, supporting our children’s knowledge of the world, their local surroundings, and sense of place.

We are very lucky to have large amazing outdoor areas, including our forest school, playing fields, outdoor classrooms, and a brand new pond full of koi fish! This wonderful outdoor space gives our children the freedom to explore, experiment, and embrace their sense of adventure.

Whether we’re creating art, team-building, or coming face-to-face with insects, animals, and habitats, children across all Key Stages enjoy the opportunity for sensory, first-hand experiences in the outdoor environment - no matter the weather! Our Early Years children have enjoyed learning about the changing seasons, identifying the colours of autumn leaves, conkers, and sycamore seeds, and observing how the colours changed with the coming of winter snow.

Pupils in KS2 have enjoyed building upon their knowledge of habitats, role-playing as animals to learn more about the environments they inhabit and the impact of human activity. They really immersed themselves into the role, which led to a powerful piece of persuasive writing to argue against deforestation; an important reminder about our responsibility to protect and preserve the planet.

As passionate advocates for environmental awareness, we’re very proud of the biodiverse grounds we have cultivated. It’s lovely to see our green spaces attracting the local wildlife, including a family of foxes, who the children are always happy to see! You might know that Heald Place is also home to some lovely chickens, but don’t worry - we’re keeping them very safe! These are highly valued members of our school community, giving pupils the chance to experience the full life cycle of an animal, from keeping the eggs warm and watching with excitement as they hatch, to looking after the grown-up hens. This helps to connect our children with the natural world, whilst developing their sense of responsibility and care towards their feathered friends. We can’t wait to welcome more animals to our school - watch out for future updates!

Sports Stars

Sports are a huge part of school life at Heald Place, bringing everyone together to showcase our talent and celebrate success.

Our pupils love taking part in competitions with the chance to visit different schools and meet other children. We have also hosted many of our own sporting events, making full use of our modern 4G astro pitch. There are lots of sports for children to compete in, from netball and hockey to rugby and basketball. Recently, we’ve been very proud of our Year 6 football team representing our school. They have shown excellent teamwork and sportsmanship!

We’re incredibly passionate about raising children’s aspirations and helping them to reach their full potential. In P.E, children begin new topics by learning about famous athletes who have overcome barriers to succeed in their sport - including female footballers, male gymnasts, and Paralympic champions like Ellie Simmonds. This helps us to challenge stereotypes and create a level playing field for all.

We have enjoyed playing a range of inclusive sports so that every child can show off their unique strengths. Pupils with visual impairments loved the chance to play bell-ball alongside their peers, whilst their classmates put on blindfolds - a great exercise in teamwork and spatial awareness! Children also enjoyed playing boccia, a Paralympic sport that’s all about aim and concentration. These inclusive games ensure that every child can be a team-player, developing a love of sports and a sense of belonging.

Keeping Wellbeing in Mind

Our school vision is to make every child a confident learner. To help our children grow in confidence, self-esteem, and resilience, we offer a wide range of therapeutic support. This provides pupils with a safe space outside of the classroom, where they can give voice to complex thoughts and emotions that they might otherwise struggle to find the words to articulate.

Pupils enjoy taking part in therapeutic yoga and play on a one-to-one basis, where they have the opportunity to release a wide range of feelings through a fun and creative approach. Some pupils also take part in group relaxation sessions during lunchtime, giving them the space to breathe, reflect, and slow down when they need it. These activities help to set a positive tone for the rest of the week ahead, leading to improved behaviours, enhanced learning, and stronger friendships. We also provide a counselling service, which allows children to discuss any worries they have on their minds.

Our therapeutic team is made up of familiar faces who work around the school, which means that children can build a strong relationship with staff based upon trust and communication. Our children always know how to ask for help and the key adults they can approach with any concerns. But we understand that sometimes it can be hard for children to talk about their problems. That’s why we ensure that pupils have the opportunity to raise any concerns with Chatterbox - a little postbox in every classroom where children can write down their problems and leave them somewhere safe for the teacher to find at the end of the day. This proactive approach helps us to identify pupils who are struggling and how we can offer support to those who need it - whether it’s a friendly conversation, or putting broader support systems in place for pupils and their families.

Journey in Time

Learning about the past ultimately helps children to make sense of the present and consider how they can shape the future.

At Heald Place, our local heritage is extremely rich and we love to celebrate our shared history, whether it’s visiting Nico Ditch, the Dark Age relic in Platt Fields Park; touring the local mosque to learn about Islamic culture, architecture, and design; or embracing the British tradition of pantomime at Christmas! Children love the theatre groups that come to visit our school, kicking off the festive period with spectacular costumes, sets, and stories based on traditional folktales like Jack and the Beanstalk. We provide children with lots of immersive experiences to connect with their history, traditions and culture, instilling them with a sense of pride and local identity.

In History lessons, Year 6 have been busy studying wartime Britain and learning about life on the homefront, from the devastating impact of the Blitz to the evacuation of children to the countryside. Children decided to build their very own Anderson shelter, working in teams to create their own designs, try different materials, build their structures, and finally put it to the test to see if it could withstand the blast!

Meanwhile, after reading a book called ‘You Wouldn’t Want To Be A Roman Gladiator!’ Year 4 decided visited a museum in Chester to explore Roman exhibits, artefacts, and characters, learning about what life was really like in Roman Britain. Children enjoyed dressing up as Roman legionaries and marching through the ancient city, shouting out Latin commands. We were thoroughly entertained!

     

Hands-On Learning

We ensure children have the opportunity to engage in experiential learning in a wide range of subjects, allowing them to develop creative thinking, problem-solving, and essential skills that will serve them throughout life.

Hands-on learning is essentails to the Early Years experience. Children enjoy playing with all the fantastic resources throughout their EYFS journey. The water, sand, and play-doh are some of their favourites. Recently, children enjoyed taking part in the Bikeability experience, learning to find their balance on a bike, how to use their feet to push the pedals and steer in the right direction. This was a valuable lesson, preparing children for an active, healthy lifestyle whilst also tackling climate change! We also created lots of wonderful memories when the Fire Service came to visit. Children got a taste for the fast-paced life of a firefighter, sitting in the fire engine, spraying the hose, and practising their stop, drop and roll technique. This was a firm favourite with the children who loved taking part in the interactive experience.

             

In Year 6, children have enjoyed learning all about human blood by making their own! We mixed together our ingredients to represent the four components of blood. Children used food colouring, marshmallows, and cheerios. A very gory lesson indeed! Meanwhile, Year 1 enjoyed a hands-on learning activity with slightly less gore. Following on from their reading of “Cops and Robbers”, children discovered a crime scene on our very own playground! Luckily, they gathered all the evidence and worked together to make predictions about what happened and solved the crime.

Exploring the World of Imagination

Childhood is a magical time of curiosity and wonder. We ensure that our children have lots of opportunities to explore their creativity and bring their imaginations to life.

Children thoroughly enjoy their specialist-led Art lessons, where they have the chance to explore different colours, textures, artistic styles and traditions. KS1 children have used their clay modelling skills to create some extraordinary 3D animals, whilst Year 3 have made beautiful stained-glass windows inspired by their studies of Christian art in RE. Drawing on their knowledge of tone, light, and shadow, Year 5 have painted incredible pictures of the solar system. Pupils should be very proud of their masterpieces!

       

The school is very lucky to have strong links with the Whitworth Art Gallery and Platt Hall, allowing children to draw inspiration from real-life art collections and local artists. Every Thursday we visit the gallery, where children can tour the exhibits and record their observations, ideas, and evaluations in their sketchbooks. One memorable visit included our study of The Silver Tree, an impressive stainless steel sculpture. This sparked a lively conversation as children shared their opinions on the artwork, before creating their very own tree designs with graphite sticks and charcoal. We also enjoy the art on display at Platt Hall, particularly its big collection of antique dolls - some of which, to the children’s astonishment, are more than 250 years old! Year 3 compared these dolls to their own 21st century toys, taking photographs and creating collages. MMU lecturer and animator Dr Sophie Everest worked together with the children and brought their ideas to life with an animation on the history of the dolls.

   

Children also have lots of opportunities to explore their imaginations through creative writing. We begin to nurture children’s love of reading, writing, and literacy from the very beginning of their learning journey, taking our Early Years pupils on weekly trips to the school library where they can choose their own book to read to themselves or share with a friend. The school library stands at the centre of school life, ensuring every child has ready access to information and ideas. As they progress through the school, children learn to carry out independent research and take ownership of their learning by finding topics that interest them. For example, this term Year 6 have enjoyed reading books all about South America, building their knowledge of countries around the world which will help them to create their own travel guide at the end of the year.

At Heald Place, we’ve been very fortunate to welcome a range of visiting children’s poets and authors. Last term, children were lucky enough to receive a visit from Sir Lenny Henry! Our KS1 pupils absolutely loved getting to meet him, he was very funny and entertaining as he told us all about his best-selling book. By the end, children were bursting with new ideas and couldn’t wait to write their own stories.

Beyond the School Gates

Every year, children look forward to a number of school trips that help to bring their subjects to life and expose them to new experiences. School trips are free for all pupils, as we believe it’s important for every child to benefit from learning opportunities and of course fun outside of the classroom, whether it’s learning about science and technology at Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, or meeting a pilot at Manchester Airport.

Most recently Year 2 had a whale of a time during their visit to Blue Planet aquarium. Children saw a wide range of enchanting sea life, including clown fish, tiger sharks, and even poisonous frogs! They captured all their amazing memories in a creative piece of writing inspired by Dougal the deep sea explorer, who wrote about his adventures in ‘Dougal’s Deep-Sea Diary.’

Children also enjoy exploring the local area, we’re lucky to have Platt Fields Park right on our doorstep, where children can go to learn more about the local environment. We also benefit from our close links with the local galleries, museums, universities, and schools. Year 5 loved their trip to Manchester Academy to see the spectacular science show. Dressed up in lab coats and safety glasses, students from Withington Girls’ School mixed together lots of chemicals to create a series of show-stopping colours, noises and explosions. A fantastic opportunity for pupils, especially the girls, to be inspired by female role models and realise the joys of science! We can’t wait for our next visit, this time to take part in the Spelling Bee!

 

     

       

         

 

Celebrating Our Community

At Heald Place, we’re very proud of our diverse, vibrant, and inclusive community, where every child is valued and embraced for who they are. We take pride in celebrating all the different faiths, cultures, and traditions of the pupils who attend our school.

Throughout their time at Heald Place, children have the opportunity to visit local mosques and churches, where they consider the importance of sacred places and what they mean to their families, friends, and to themselves. We also host three themed school meals each year, giving pupils a taste for different cuisines and cultures. Last term, Caribbean Day went down a treat, as children enjoyed eating jerk chicken, vegetable stew, and Jamaican ginger cake. We’re lucky to have an amazing catering team in Thomas Franks, who also help us to deliver wonderful interactive lessons to teach children how to prepare nutritious and tasty meals.

We create a supportive learning environment which is inclusive of every child. Children with SEND love learning in the classroom, playing with their friends on the playground, and taking part in multi-sports competitions and other extracurriculars. We also have a SEND classroom, where children are given the space to work towards personal targets. We change the theme of the classroom every 2 weeks to ensure our lessons are dynamic and engaging. Lately, pupils enjoyed getting into the spirit of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, learning how to cook their very own porridge…making sure it tastes just right!

As staff, we feel it’s important to get to know our families so we can work together to give our pupils the best possible start in life. Throughout the year, we put on community cafes and pop-up food events which the whole community is invited to attend for free. We serve hot chocolate and cakes, fresh fruit and vegetable soup, and in summer we host a BBQ! We also love inviting parents to open sessions, where they come into the classroom to see what children have been learning in school. These community events give families the chance to connect with staff, ask questions, and raise any concerns.

Whatever families may be struggling with, our school is always here to lend a helping hand. We use the Early Help system to signpost families to the relevant services and ensure they receive the right support. We host after school drop-in events, where agencies come to share advice with parents on a number of topics, from employment and housing to health and dental hygiene. We also share lots of safeguarding tips on Class Dojo, so remember to keep an eye out for updates!

We know that the cost-of-living crisis has been affecting our school community, so this year we have given every child a free waterproof wallet to help protect their school books. In previous years, children have received free PE t-shirts and branded water bottles to help our families cut down on costs. We try to help our most vulnerable families in every way we can, whether it’s providing free school uniforms or second-hand digital devices to support children’s learning at home. In school, children also have access to free sanitary products if they need them, and our staff are on hand to support them as they adjust to this new chapter of life.

Throughout every aspect of our school, we take pride in making our provision that little bit extra special - whether it’s serving hot meals once a week in Breakfast Club, or gifting every child a free school photo at Christmas. Heald Place is not just about academic excellence, but creating memories that will last a lifetime. Last summer, the school field was transformed into a huge amusement park, with giant inflatables, bouncy castles, assault courses, and an ice cream van. Our annual Fun Days are free for pupils to attend, ensuring every child can enjoy the summer holiday experience. Children absolutely love it and we know they’re already counting down the days to the next one!

     

Building a Brighter Future

To prepare children for life beyond school, we support our pupils to become responsible, informed, and active citizens who can make a positive contribution to our local community and the wider world.

We’re delighted to have recently won Gold as a Rights Respecting School, awarded by Unicef UK in recognition of our commitment to embed children’s rights at the heart of all we do in school. This is an outstanding achievement and we are incredibly proud of our pupils, staff, and community for all they do to embody the Rights of the Child values. We’d like to thank our pupil ambassadors, who play an invaluable role in helping children to realise their rights are not only given to them by adults, but also something they can give to themselves. We’re also proud of our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, who play a similar role in promoting respect, kindness, and positivity across our school. We’re lucky to have such wonderful role models who look out for others on the playground and help to resolve any problems that occur.

In Design & Technology, our young inventors have enjoyed creating solutions to tackle climate change and make the world a greener place. Year 6 children have learned all about the harms of fast fashion and its impact on the environment. They created their own bags with recycled clothing and put on a fabulous fashion show to champion sustainability! Children have also enjoyed creating vegan no-bakes and protest placards to take on climate marches. We can’t wait to hear what they will do next in their mission to save the world!

Last year, our School Council enjoyed developing their teamwork and leadership skills as they collaborated with the Manchester Environmental Education Network on the Treemarkable project. During a walk across the school grounds with Mr Kapacee, we came up with the idea of planting a hedge along the school field. Children spent a whole day planting hawthorns, hazels, field maples and crab apple whips - altogether, over a hundred tree whips were planted in one day! Children became very close with the trees over the course of this experience, even giving them hugs and personal names!

Pupils showed off their incredible tree knowledge at Manchester City Council’s ‘Our Year’ celebration event, where they ran a stall and challenged people to test their own tree skills. Pupils were also invited to deliver a keynote at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Sustainability Fair. Children delivered an impressive presentation and confidently answered questions about tree care. Children also enjoyed exploring the sound of trees alongside Ryan Woods, a PhD student from Manchester University. Pupils used special headphones as they listened to the leaves rustling, dogs barking, and cars driving in the distance. Children recreated the noises they heard into a microphone, so that their voices and sounds could be brought together into a musical composition.

With the start of a new school year, another group of pupils have come together to continue the Treemarkable project. Their first task was running a stall at the Mayor’s 2023 Green Summit. Attendees were blown away by their knowledge and enthusiasm! Back at school, children noticed that some trees looked a little worse for wear, so they quickly got busy with mulching and weeding to bring them back to the picture of health. Children also spent time imagining what it’s like to be a tree and writing letters to humans. These immersive, nature-based activities are incredibly powerful for children’s learning, wellbeing, and growth!