This term, Melland High School was delighted to welcome Immersive Experiences, who visited on behalf of the Lightyear Foundation to deliver an extraordinary Immersive Dome experience. Their mobile, inflatable planetarium transformed our space into a captivating, 360‑degree learning environment that brought STEM to life for our students.

Throughout the day, the team delivered a range of immersive, STEM‑focused shows that were accessed by students from across the whole school – spanning ages 11 to 19 and representing a wide range of developmental needs, from learners experiencing complex PMLD to those working towards entry‑level qualifications. This made the event a truly inclusive experience for our entire community.

The response from students was exceptional. Engagement was incredibly high, with learners showing real excitement and curiosity as they explored the different visual worlds inside the dome. The featured shows included:

• Space and the formation of our solar system
• Underwater exploration, with real footage capturing the beauty of marine environments
• A sensory‑rich experience designed to be fully accessible and stimulating for all learners

The visit provided a remarkable opportunity for our students to engage with STEM in a highly interactive, multisensory way. We are extremely grateful to Immersive Experiences and the Lightyear Foundation for making this unforgettable experience possible.

As we draw a close to the end of a fabulous term of PE and School Sport it’s incredible to look back on the opportunities the students have had and the skills they have developed.

KS3 formal learners started off the year accessing PE off site each week focussing on completing challenges in local parks and trails that developed their balance and coordination. We did very well to dodge most of the bad weather too!

We also had the girls and boys taking part in the City in the Community Football league organised by MCFC. Students show their interest in playing for the school team and throughout the years they get a chance to put on the kit and feel proud to represent Melland High School. It has been great to see students develop not only their football skills, but their team work, their resilience and their attitude to winning- and losing!

We have also joined a new football league with girls and boys playing on the same team, playing schools from all over Greater Manchester. This has been a brilliant learning curve for these students and the team stays the same for each fixture. We also have 2 of our sports leaders from the 6^th form assisting at these events, one pupils has build up the confidence to ref a couple of games too which is fantastic.

KS3 have also been learning the skills needed to play Volleyball, culminating in an end of term show down to find the best teams- it has been a lot of fun. Our formal learners from KS4 have continued to benefit from their sessions in school, at the swimming pool or at the cycling track- increasing their confidence and skills in sports they can continue to take part in adulthood. One of the KS4 students asked his MMA (mixed martial arts) coaches to get in touch with me and we were able to organise 25 students to access an MMA session at school giving the students some skills in self defence, it went down a treat. Well done to all those that took part.

A group of very enthusiastic Cross Country runners took part in the annual competition held at Wythenshawe Park this term, we have some super speedy students here, watch out! Another group of students were selected recently to take part in the annual Ten Pin Bowling Competition where we had 2 students make it to the 100 club- scoring over 100 points in their game. A great effort all round.

Our sports leaders form the 6^th form have been lucky enough to work alongside a coach from LCCC (Lancashire Country Cricket Club) to develop their skills in delivering softball sessions. Watch this space for more information about their opportunities throughout the year.

And finally, we had taken delivery of our new set of bikes and trikes. This is an incredible resource that our students are going to benefit from using each and every day on our brand new outdoor MUGA space. Students from across school will be able to access our adapted bikes and enjoy a wonderful workout that helps shape a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally.