Message from Adele—Head Teacher
Our wonderful students have continued to make fantastic progress due to their very hard work and teachers’ excellent teaching. The resilience and determination shown by everyone within our Pioneer House family has made me so proud!
We have several students leaving us this summer and we are delighted with what they have achieved in their time at Pioneer House. All will be moving on to new courses and opportunities in September and we send with them all our very best wishes and the very best of luck! We will miss them all!
I hope you enjoy our summer newsletter, finding out about what our students have been up to this term. What wonderful students we have here a Pioneer House.I am super proud of every one of them!
Adele and the Pioneer HouseTeam!
We look forward to seeing you in September!
Group 1 have had a busy Summer Term; we have visited lots of places around Manchester. In History, students have been learning about the history of the local area. Students have had weekly trips to Wythenshawe Park to learn about the history of the Hall and the fire which took place in 2016.
In Science, students have been learning about sustainability. Students visited Longley Lane Recycling Centre to find out what happens to our household recycling. In RE, students have been learning about places of worship. Students visited a local Church and Mosque and used their visits to support their learning in the classroom.
Our recent 3-day residential trip to London was an unforgettable experience for our leavers, providing them with an opportunity to apply the skills they've developed in our Accessing the Community lessons. Navigating the bustling capital, including mastering the Tube during rush hour, was both a challenging and rewarding experience for our students.
During their stay, students had the chance to visit iconic landmarks such as the London Eye, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament on election day, Horse Guards Parade, St. James's Park, and Buckingham Palace. Each location offered a unique glimpse into the rich history and vibrant culture of London.
A visit to the Twist Museum allowed our students to marvel at fascinating optical illusions, sparking curiosity and wonder. They also had a fantastic time exploring the eclectic markets and food stalls at Camden Market, sampling a variety of cuisines before enjoying a delightful dinner at Wembley Stadium. Our students were exemplary representatives of our school, showcasing their independence, teamwork, and enthusiasm throughout the trip. This adventure not only enhanced their practical skills but also created memories that will last a lifetime. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and look forward to seeing them apply these experiences in their future endeavours.
Wishing all our leavers all the luck and happiness in the world!
As part of our RE curriculum offer, this term our KS3 students were fortunate to complete 3 separate visits to a mosque, a church and a Buddhist temple. The purpose of the visits was to observe what it is like inside and outside these edifices to be able to compare them to each other and find out why they are important to the diverse religious communities residing in Manchester. Our students showed a lot of knowledge of the 6 main world religions and demonstrated their skills of “Value” and “Respect”.
Great work Group 2!
This year, our construction students have worked incredibly hard throughout the year, they have working on learning and developing new skills in: Bricklaying, Painting and Wallpapering
Super proud of you all Well done!
Group 3 have had a busy summer term at Pioneer House! In forest school, the students have been working on the topic ‘Natural World’. They have looked at the similarities and differences between British forests and South American forests including looking at the different species of animals that live there. They have all enjoyed visiting Wythenshawe Park each week to complete various activities including building animal shelters, forest floor art, and a visit to the horticulture centre. They finished off the topic by designing and creating their own ecofriendly bird feeders to hang in our forest school area.
Great work Group 3!
Group 4 have had a tremendous year! This term, we have had many experiences in the community. We have visited many places, including a Buddhist temple, Heaton Park, Mayfield Park, Parrs Wood bowling and simply cycling, we have travelled by bus, by tram, bike and by foot. The students have made the school and themselves very proud by being respectful and kind to others in the community, they have also been able to learn about road awareness, which is an excellent skill! I wish the entire class the absolute best of luck in their upcoming classes and I am extremely proud of all their achievements this year. Have a great summer!
Great work Group 4!
On July 17th, our annual Sports Day took centre stage at the iconic Etihad Stadium, and what a remarkable event it was! The day was filled with exhilarating races, impressive feats of athleticism, and a palpable sense of school spirit.
From the outset, our students showcased their diverse talents, stepping into various roles with enthusiasm and dedication. Whether as performers, officials, or leaders, each student played a crucial part in the day’s success. Our sports leaders truly shone, exemplifying the values of community, learning, and growth. They encouraged their peers, organized activities with precision, and demonstrated outstanding leadership. The day was packed with thrilling activities, including sprinting, long-distance running, throwing, and jumping events. Each competition was met with cheers and support from both students and the impressive turnout of over 85 parents. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents who attended and cheered for their children, showing unwavering support for our school.
The competition was fierce, but we are proud to announce the winning houses for this year’s Sports Day. For Key Stage 3, Bolton emerged victorious, while Bury triumphed in Key Stages 4 and 5. Congratulations are in order for our winning house captains: Samuel Pollit and Romi Rae Simpson for Key Stage 3, and Alex McDonald and Jolene Walker for Key Stages 4 and 5. Your leadership and sportsmanship were truly inspiring.
In Food and Nutrition the class have made pasta and cornflake tarts which they really enjoyed. We have visited a mosque and a church as part of our RE curriculum this term to look at the similarities and differences between the two religions. For our summer trip this term we have been bowling to Parrswood – everyone was so close with their scores! We have enjoyed our forest school activities of planting vegetables, lighting a fire and toasting marshmallows. We have made bird feeders and started our bug house to encourage more wildlife into this area. In Science we have been looking at DNA and extracted some Strawberry DNA using freezing cold hand gel!
Great work Group 5!
This year we have been very busy in our food and nutrition and hospitality and catering offer.
We have had a new food and nutrition room built and have cooked lots of wonderful dishes, ranging from soups to pizzas
This is the first year that all key stages have taken part in food and nutrition lessons, and it has been a success. Pupils have developed their skills and knowledge, such as how to cook different foods, how to clean safely and hygienically, where foods come from and how to store them. We have also tried different foods to describe their textures.
Next year will be an even bigger and better one for our offer.
Well done everyone!
This term in Group 6 we have done some fantastic learning! Pupils have especially enjoyed their History, Art, Steel Pans and Careers lessons. In history we have been learning about the relevance of Wythenshawe Hall in the 1660’s civil war and Oliver Cromwell’s England, this culminated in visiting the Hall, exploring the grounds, and acting out a battle between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers. In Art we have been learning about landscapes, pupils particularly enjoyed learning about the artist Hundertwasser and looking for faces and shapes in his artwork. In Steel Pans pupils have enjoyed practicing all together and learning a new skills, they have really enjoyed playing with Byron, performing in front of their friends and family and learning new songs, especially Lazy Coconut! Finally, in careers students have been learning about local job opportunities, finding out how much a paid position would be at some of their favourite food places. They have also taken part in mini interviews, being both the interviewee and interviewer, coming up with their own questions, making judgements on how well someone answered, finding out areas they need to improve on, and being able to “hire” someone at the end of it. Well done Group 6, what a great term!
This year students worked in collaboration with Digital Advantage to create two amazing podcasts.
The first talking about the development of the Strawberry Fox Café.
LISTEN HERE
The second podcast looks back on two events hosted in the Strawberry Fox, the café launch and an alumni event that welcomed back some Pioneer House School leavers.
We have recently acquired a coffee van and plan to take the Strawberry Fox on the road. We are looking forward to rebranding the van and training our next cohort of baristas. We will be taking this out to locations in the community and for corporate events to further our community engagement offer for our students. Whilst continuing our offer of real-life work experience opportunities.
We recently had an amazing opportunity with our friends at Delamere school to take part in filming a promotional video for the Variety Children’s Charity’s 75th Anniversary video.
It was a very exciting day for all the staff and the students in the Strawberry Fox. We hosted a full film crew and the students involved all got to see what goes on behind the scenes at a video production.
6th form students have been working with Equan’s this year to deliver our Digi Fox sessions.
Equan’s have been delivering their Digital Deep Dive Programme on Friday mornings to help the local community understand the everchanging digital world. Helped by 6th form students AKA the Strawberry Assistants, there to provide any extra IT support and help answer any questions.
This has been very successful with our visitors picking up lots of new tips and tricks to use on their digital devices.
Strawberry Fox Café is working in collaboration with Wythenshawe Good Neighbours to offer a weekly coffee morning for local residents. Visitors can enjoy a freshly baked pastry and a hot drink for only £1.50!!
Group 7 have had a busy Summer Term; we have visited lots of places around Manchester.
We have even had a visit from the Dentist and discussed healthy eating and the importance of regular brushing.
We also had a visit from a Paramedic who visited us in an ambulance. We were very lucky to be able to sit in the ambulance and ask the paramedic lots of questions.
We are thrilled to share the wonderful achievements of our students at Pioneer House. On the morning of Wednesday, July 10th, we gathered in the Strawberry Fox Cafe to celebrate the remarkable progress of our students in a special awards ceremony for the Pioneer Progress Awards. These students have been recognized for their outstanding efforts in one of our four key curriculum areas: Better Health, Independence, Employment, and Friends, Relationships & Community.
In P.E this term, pupils have had the opportunity to rock climb, kayak and take part in other adventurous outdoor sports. As part of the OAA programme of study in Physical Education students worked on the climbing wall, challenging themselves on different difficulty routes. Participation and engagement excellent across the group.
Well done Group 8!
On the 14th June 2024 the ‘Running out of time’ relay paid a visit to Pioneer House High School – we were all very excited! The relay event runs form Ben Nevis in Scotland to Big Ben in London over the course of around 30 days. The race has been running for the past 10 years and every year it gets bigger. This year, students of Pioneer House were able to take part in this relay. Classes were stationed around our Muga area and everyone who was in school on the day had a chance to touch and pass on the baton which started its journey at Ben Nevis. Oliver Woodward and Cody Hewitt along with our SLT members David and Declan ran the next 2km with the baton to St Wilfred’s Primary School. Rohan and his team, ran, swam, cycled, and kayaked the 2,436km across the country to raise awareness of the impact of climate change. What an achievement!
12 students from across the school took part in a 3 day workshop with the Portico Library to develop new skills and to create their own comic books. Students had the opportunity to learn how to draw comics from Marc Jackson, who showed them tips and techniques on where to put speech bubbles, how to use simple lines to get across meaning, but most importantly drawing in pen straight away and not worrying if it’s not perfect. Jack Nicholls, a poet, taught students how to develop a character from just a few questions, and how they could use this to drive their story forwards. This wonderful project ended in a trip to the Portico Library where students got to finish their comic books, look around the historic building, and learn about all the books on offer there. The comic books will be on display from November at the Portico Library for the public to go and see.
We visited Barton Square at The Trafford Centre to consider what they have to do to make sure no children get injured when visiting the store
We visited the Trafford Centre to find out about different jobs and what the employees have to do to keep safe when at work.
Our end of year trip to Heaton Park was enjoyed by all, the weather wasn’t on our side, but we still had an amazing day!
Well done everyone!
