Excellence Academy – Year 7
Year 7 Heath Park STEM Award
Our Year 7 students spent a full day off timetable this week to complete their Heath Park STEM Award, taking part in the exciting Wild Creations Challenge. Inspired by large-scale cultural installations and engineering feats from across the world, the challenge invited students to dream big, design bold, and bring their imaginative creations to life.
Working in teams, students took on roles such as Project Manager, Design Engineer, Finance Manager, Graphic Designer, Marketing Manager, and STEM Researcher. Together, they developed a concept for a large-scale “Wild Creation”, produced scale plans, built models, considered budgets, and even created marketing campaigns to launch their projects.
In order to meet the challenge, students were tasked with designing a Wild Creation (sculpture) that could be placed in the atrium of Heath Park, each one inspired by what they believe represents the culture of our school. The outcomes were phenomenal, but even more moving was the meaning behind each piece. Every group showed not just creativity, but also a deep sense of pride in belonging to Heath Park.
Here are three examples that particularly stood out:
- The Amazing World
This globe-shaped design captured the inclusivity and warmth of the Heath Park community. Attached headphones would play a message: “Welcome to Heath Park. You’re part of our family now.” Around the globe, buttons were placed on countries representing the diverse backgrounds of our students, each one repeating the phrase in that country’s home language. It was a powerful reflection of belonging, diversity, and unity.
- Think Outside the Box
This sculpture explored the challenges and opportunities of starting secondary school. The box, filled with “balls of knowledge,” symbolised the wealth of learning available, while mirrored surfaces inside reflected the changing weather, some days gloomy, others bright, a metaphor for the highs and lows of learning. It was a creative and thoughtful reminder of resilience, challenge, and the constant support offered by teachers.
- The Safety Net
Represented through sport, this piece imagined a basketball hovering above a net symbolising the school as a safe place for every student. The group explained that the ball represented them as a collective, arriving at school each day and being caught by the “safety net” of Heath Park. Their design highlighted how students view school as a place of protection, support, and community.
Although these are just three highlights, every sculpture created on the day was imaginative, meaningful, and deeply impressive. The teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills demonstrated by our Year 7 students were remarkable. The day concluded with team presentations where students confidently shared their creations, explaining both the practical design process and the deeper cultural meaning behind their work. It was wonderful to see how they combined STEM thinking with creativity and personal reflection.
Year 7 Careers Interviews
As part of our commitment to supporting every student’s future journey, our Year 7 Excellence Academy students recently took part in their first individual careers interviews. Myself, Mrs Soulsby, and Mrs Satterthwaite-Shuttleworth met with each student to find out more about their interests, aspirations, and early ideas about the future.
These conversations gave us valuable insight into our students as individuals from those who already have a clear idea of their dream career, to those who are still exploring different possibilities. Importantly, we reassured them that not knowing yet is absolutely okay, just as having a set plan is perfectly fine too. At Heath Park, our role is to guide, encourage, and support them on their unique pathways, wherever those may lead.
It was inspiring to see how thoughtful and ambitious our Year 7s are, even at this early stage. Some spoke with passion about careers in medicine, engineering, teaching, or creative industries, while others shared hobbies and talents that could open exciting doors in the future. By having these conversations early, we aim to build their confidence, broaden their horizons, and make sure every student knows that their ambitions are valued and achievable.
We are incredibly proud of how our Year 7 students engaged with this opportunity, and we look forward to supporting them as they continue to grow, explore, and discover the futures that are right for them.
