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.

On Friday 7th November, our KS3 and KS4 students set off for an unforgettable adventure at Chester Zoo—and what a fantastic day it turned out to be!

From towering giraffes to playful monkeys, curious meerkats, and majestic elephants, students were treated to an incredible showcase of wildlife. There were plenty of “wow” moments as pupils explored the zoo and learned fascinating facts about the animals and their habitats.

The weather was on our side too—staying dry with even a burst of sunshine to brighten the day! Best of all, every student showed excellent behaviour, making the trip enjoyable and stress-free for everyone.

A huge thank you to all the staff who worked hard behind the scenes and accompanied the trip. Your support made this experience possible and truly memorable.

It was a day full of learning, laughter, and lasting memories—one we’ll all cherish!

B1 and B2 classes have enjoyed collecting Autumn leaves and twigs from the courtyards and forest school. We used the leaves for sensory exploration and art.

In sensory exploration B1 and B2 classes have also used pasta for a range of activities

We have been learning the story Super Duper You by Sophie Henn. This colourful book has the theme of the uniqueness of everyone. The positive message of the book is not to worry about what you are not but to enjoy the things you are! The story has characters who describe how they are feeling and the students have developed their understanding of ‘All About Me’. The story encourages the students to be confident in who they are and to embrace differences.

As autumn approaches and the weather changes the A3 class have been capturing the seasonal shift in their art session. They have combined their understanding of colour mixing and mono printing to create a collection of seasonal prints using acrylic paint and Gelli plates

Working closely with students, we explored what they enjoy and need most. Now, the sensory gym offers safe opportunities to climb, jump, swing, rock, and slide. This helps students engage their senses and prepare for learning. We also celebrated Halloween by exploring our senses through themed activities. Students enjoyed stations designed for touch and feel, taste and smell, and listening, all through messy play. Everyone joined in the fun, and we ended the day with a spooky dance party!

Following Melland’s exciting expansion and new building development, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to be creative and rebrand our learning zones. After thoughtful discussions with our Student Leaders, we proudly launched the Street Project.

Each corridor has now been named after inspirational and pioneering figures from history: 

Ellen Wilkinson, the Manchester based politician and advocate of women’s rights.

Louis Braille, who age just 15 invented Braille, a tactile alphabet for the blind.

Bayard Rustin, a human rights and LGBTQ+ activist and pacifist, known for his work during the Civil Rights Movement who was one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest advisors.

Iqbal Mashi, who was a Pakistani child labourer and activist who campaigned against abusive child labour in Pakistan.

Alan Turing OBE FRS, who was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist.

Mary Seacole, who was a Jamaican born nurse and businesswoman who saved many lives during the Crimean war.

Rosalind Franklin, was a British biophysicist, who contributed to the discovery of the structure of DNA. She also worked on coal, studies of RNA, and viruses.

These icons reflect the values and aspirations we hold at Melland, celebrating diverse achievements and the courage to overcome barriers.

To honour each street icon, we collaborated with talented global street artist Evan Barlow (@artistlad). Based in Manchester, Evan worked closely with Melland to create striking and inspiring artworks for each corridor. Each piece showcases the legacy of its icon, with a unique colour scheme to ensure they are easily recognisable and accessible to all.

We’re excited to welcome Evan back to Melland this term, where he will host an assembly to share his journey as a Manchester artist and explore the creative process behind the Street Project with students and staff alike.

This week in Science, KS3 have been learning all about the digestive system. We created a (disgusting) model to show this important process.

First, we placed a wheat biscuit and half a banana on a dish. We added water (saliva) and used a pair of forks (teeth) to cut and grind the food. 

After that, we added the mixture to a Ziplock bag (stomach) and poured a small cup of orange juice (the stomach acids) into the bag. We then squeezed the bag until the contents are mushy to represent food being broken down in the stomach.

Then, we poured the contents of the ‘stomach’ into one leg of the tights (the intestines) and squeezed the tights over the dish. The liquid that pours out represents the nutrients that are absorbed into our body.

Finally, we cut a hole in the bottom of the tights and pushed the waste through the hole in the bottom, representing the waste leaving our body.

Our Sixth Form DofE groups are well underway with their Bronze and Silver Awards this year, with around 20 students taking part. They’ve recently completed their Volunteering and Skills sections, where they had full ownership over their choices—an important part of the DofE experience. From baking and drawing to learning forest skills, our students have developed a fantastic range of new talents. Their volunteering efforts have been just as varied, including litter picking, helping to maintain the beautiful gardens at Sacred Heart Church, and even dog walking with the ever-enthusiastic pug, Stella! Many are still working towards their Physical section, taking part in activities such as walking, multi-sports, or hitting the gym at Pure Gym Debdale.
With expedition season fast approaching, students have now begun their training to prepare for their end-of-June adventures. This week, they kicked things off with a first aid session, successfully completing the British Heart Foundation’s RevivR online course. It was great to see them develop their confidence in life-saving skills! Over the next 10-12 weeks, they’ll be learning everything from map reading and campcraft to cooking outdoors—ensuring they’re ready to take on the challenge as independently as possible. We can’t wait to see their hard work pay off on expedition day!

Follow this link for more information on RevivR https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/how-to-do-cpr/learn-cpr-in-15-minutes

This year Key Stage 3 and 4 have been engaging and celebrating some infamous texts written by some of the greatest and most regarded writers of all time. Students have produced some impressive work whilst enjoying their lessons. This year, they have really enjoyed taking part in a variety of drama activities and performing parts of the story to enhance their understanding.

Within the Autumn Term, Key Stage 3 explored the legend of Robin Hood. Throughout this module, we discussed the plot of the story, the setting of Sherwood Forest and the main characters including Robin Hood’s Merry Men. We also debated whether we thought Robin Hood was a hero or a villain. We then moved onto understanding the difference between a biography and an autobiography. The students then wrote a biography about Robin Hood and an autobiography about themselves. The work they created was amazing! We finished the topic by some of our students performing in a stage show of ‘Robin Hood’ which was brilliant!

Throughout the Autumn Term, Key Stage 4 have studied the great story ‘War Horse’ by Michael Morpurgo. This story linked to World War One which inspired a lot of discussion about what life was like as a soldier. Students then pretended to be a soldier in World War One and created their own diary entry pretending to be a soldier in a trench. The writing was brilliant and students included a lot of emotion within their writing. This book encourage a lot of discussion around some interesting themes including friendship, grief and bravery.

This term we have begun reading Aladdin in Key stage 3 where we have designed and made our own magical lamps. In Key Stage 4 we have started to read the Shakespeare Classic Romeo and Juliet and students are already gripped. We are planning to create our own recounts of the story and then a non-chronological report linked to the book.