New Bridge Pathways Blog Post - 23.10.2026

This time of year is one of my favourites. Personally, I am always amazed by the beauty of nature as the autumnal colours appear on trees. Professionally, it is a time to reflect on our first half term progress.

I am pleased that our Year 10 cohort have discovered what it means to be a New Bridge Pathways pupil – our Year 11s & 12s have been influential in this process, guiding, advising and holding their peers to account. The culture of pride and respect our pupils display for themselves and others is amazing to see.

Our pupils are guided by Pathways dedicated and inspirational staff team, who have worked hard this term in providing consistency in the daily experiences of pupils. Helping them make informed decisions, reflecting on practice and delivering a curriculum to help them Create Meaningful Futures

As mentioned last week, Halloween is around the corner, and if you celebrate this day, I hope you have a FANG-tastic time. It also means that Bonfire Night is approaching and fireworks are already being set off during the evenings. Whilst they can look and sound amazing as they explode, illuminating the dark sky with their cascading light, that also poses a danger if used incorrectly. Pease be careful during this time and take a moment to visit the Fire Service website about firework safety: https://manchesterfire.gov.uk/your-safety/campaigns/bangoutoforder/firework-safety/

Enjoy your half term (and the extra hour as the clocks go back)

Stay safe

Mr Southerington

CL1 Update

What a fantastic first half term it has been in CL1!

The students have settled back into school brilliantly and should be incredibly proud of how hard they have been working. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow and their enthusiasm for learning grow each day.

This half term, the class has been exploring their Environmental Awareness topic. As part of this, students have been out into the local community taking part in litter-picking activities, helping to keep our environment clean and tidy. They have also been learning about recycling and wildlife by designing and creating bug hotels using recycled materials. After practising their skills on smaller models, the students have now started work on a larger-scale bug hotel that we will use and maintain throughout the year.

The class also enjoyed a lovely afternoon when they were kindly invited to a Cake and Cuppa Afternoon organised and prepared by the Hospitality and Catering class. The students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to socialise, sample some delicious treats, and support the fantastic work of their peers.

We are incredibly proud of everything the students have achieved this half term and look forward to seeing what they accomplish next.

We hope everyone has a well-deserved rest and enjoys a fantastic half-term break!

Mr Fish & Mrs Javed

CL1 JFH - 23.10.2026

CL4 Update

We have had fun in CL4 this half term getting to know each other. Students have enjoyed their PE lessons in MAHDLO and have been taking part in the Environmental awareness lessons we have been completing for our pathway. We have had a trip to Alexandra Park, completed some litter picking and have started an experiment to compare how different materials decompose to help understand why we need to recycle. During the last week we have had some Halloween themed lessons, making spooky chocolate covered apples and decorating Halloween biscuits. We have carved some pumpkins and read Frankenstein as a class. Everyone is ready for our half term holiday!!

Mrs Wilson

CL4 SWN - 23.10.2026

CL5 Update

During our community living lessons this half term, CL5 have been looking at the environment around us and thinking about the importance of cleaning and recycling. We took ourselves to Alexandra Park to give back to the community by doing a litter pick around the park. Thankfully the park was already very clean, but we managed to find a good amount of rubbish to pick up and tidy. Everyone got involved and did a great job at leaving the park cleaner than we found it!

Mr Banks

CL5 WBS 23.10.2026

History Update

This half-term, our history class has been focusing on the Normans and the invasion of England by William the Conqueror. We’ve looked at the Domesday book, the Battle of Hastings and the incredible Bayeux Tapestry. Our class has taken a great interest in all things Norman, especially on the castles and the shields of the time. The half-term culminated in the creation of our own Bayeux Tapestry, with students painting the scenes of 1066 on hessian. These pieces will be displayed outside our history classroom so that everyone can see our student’s beautiful work.

History 23.10.2026

Hospitality and Catering

Last week the hospitality and catering pathway have launched their Tuesday café, the team have demonstrated fantastic communication, practical skills and welcoming customer service. It has been wonderful to welcome other classes to join us.

Mrs Newport

Hospitality and Catering - 23.10.2026

Miss Wood's Update

This half term seems to have gone by so quickly! It has been a real pleasure getting to know all of my new classes and seeing their confidence and enthusiasm grow each week.

My form group (Digi1) have made a fantastic start to the year. They have approached their learning with positivity and determination, producing some outstanding portfolio work and confidently presenting their work to the whole class. It has been wonderful to see them so proud of their achievements.

In Maths, we have been focusing on the four operations. Digi 2 tackled a tricky multiplication puzzle this half term. Whilst they found it challenging at times, they showed great resilience and perseverance, supporting one another and refusing to give up until they had solved it. Activ8 2 have also been brilliant, demonstrating a strong understanding of multiplication and division and using the bus stop method with increasing confidence and accuracy.

In Art Options, we have been exploring abstract art and learning about the work of Kandinsky. The students have created some beautiful Kandinsky-inspired pieces in their sketchbooks, and their creativity, imagination and attention to detail have been fantastic. Each piece has been unique and reflects the students' individual artistic flair.

In Science, Digi 1 have been learning about the human body, focusing on cells and organs. The students have been fully engaged in our lessons and have enjoyed discovering how their bodies work. A particular highlight was our microscope lesson, where everyone loved getting a closer look at the tiny details that are usually hidden from view. Can you guess what is under the microscope?

Finally, I would like to say a huge congratulations to Kian, who has been selected as our School Council representative. Kian has already shown great enthusiasm for the role, and we know he will be an excellent voice for his peers. We are incredibly proud of him and have no doubt that he will be a fantastic representative of DIGI1LWD.

Have a wonderful half-term break! -Miss Wood

Miss Wood - 23.10.2026

Science Update

This week in Science we’ve been carrying out some wonderfully spooky experiments! Our classroom was full of excitement as we explored the science behind some Halloween-themed investigations. We watched pumpkins "puke" as a chemical reaction created a fizzy, foaming eruption, and we made dancing ghosts come to life using static electricity. The children loved making predictions, observing what happened, and discussing the science behind the spooky effects. It was fantastic to see everyone so engaged, curious, and eager to investigate how and why these surprising reactions occur. Science has certainly been full of thrills, spills, and a little bit of Halloween magic this week! 🎃👻🔬

Mrs I

https://youtube.com/shorts/Z0JEtIy7rWM

New Bridge School