Herons’ Moor Academy’s newsroom of busy writers had the fantastic opportunity of working with top reporter Cheryl Dennis from BBC Points West.

Cheryl shared her expertise and passion for journalism and gave some amazing tips for successful reporting, inspiring pupils to think like real journalists and develop their storytelling skills.

During the session, Cheryl worked closely with pupils as they practised interviewing techniques, crafting engaging headlines, and identifying what makes a story truly newsworthy. Pupils particularly enjoyed learning how to capture their audience’s attention and report with confidence.

Cheryl and pupils then turned their attention to writing uplifting good news stories, focusing on a very special member of the school community, George, the school tortoise, who is now celebrating his first birthday. The young reporters enthusiastically covered George’s milestone, showcasing their new skills and creativity.

A spokesperson for the academy said: “We are incredibly grateful to Cheryl for giving our pupils such a memorable and inspiring experience.

“Opportunities like these help bring learning to life and encourage our pupils to develop confidence, curiosity, and a love of writing.

“The excitement in the newsroom was wonderful to see, and we are very proud of the fantastic work our budding journalists produced.”

The Annual T1 MegaFest brought together more than 200 children and young people from 13 schools from across the South West for an unforgettable day of sport, teamwork, and inspiration.

The event is a key part of a partnership between the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) and Bristol Bears, and gives young people a chance to visit Bear Country and play on the indoor pitch at the prestigious Bristol Bears High Performance Centre.

Young athletes took the opportunity to run, pass and catch on the same pitch used by world class professionals from the men’s and women’s game, in a celebration of grassroots rugby on a grand scale.

Throughout the event, Bristol Bears Men and Women’s players including AJ MacGinty, Sam Worsley, Joe Owen, Matias Moroni, Rownita Marston-Mulhearn, Demelza Short, Jenna De Vera, Meryl Smith and Jenny Hesketh took part in games, offering valuable advice and guidance to the young players. They also took time to sign autographs for their new fans.

A new feature for 2026 was the introduction of Sports Leaders from City Academy, who not only led all the primary activities, but also refereed the secondary T1 festival. They all acted as outstanding ambassadors for their school throughout event and made it such a memorable occasion for everyone involved.

The festival is a key part of the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) T1 competition, a national initiative designed to grow participation in the sport.

CLF schools taking part included King’s Oak Academy, Wicklea Academy, Summerhill Academy, Broadoak Academy, Bristol Brunel Academy, John Cabot Academy and City Academy.

The festival was divided into two competitive sessions, with a primary school event in the morning followed by a secondary school competition in the afternoon.

Summerhill Academy’s team was crowned winners of the primary event, impressing throughout the morning by consistently demonstrating the CLF HEART values and The RFU TREDS Values Award which recognises players, volunteers, or teams who embody rugby union’s core values: Teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline, and sportsmanship.

Broadoak Academy was selected by the Young Leaders and coaches as the Values Champions for the secondary event. The mixed team from Broadoak was made up of young people brand new to the game, but the attitude and effort shown really shone through.

MegaFests feature a series of fun, game-based activities designed to develop a wide range of transferable sports and movement skills, including passing and evasion. The festival focused on building confidence and fostering key social skills such as teamwork and communication.

Rather than concentrating solely on match results, participants were recognised for demonstrating positive personal and social attributes alongside strong rugby skills.

These activities also supported the introduction of T1 rugby, an integral element of the event. Launched globally in 2024, T1 rugby is the officially recognised non-contact format of the game for schools and clubs. While it retains key aspects of tag rugby, it offers teachers the flexibility to introduce additional elements such as kicking and uncontested scrums, creating an engaging and development-focused experience for young players.

Theresa Bickell, Secondary School Engagement Co-ordinator for CLF and Bristol Bears Foundation, who organised the event, said: “We were incredibly proud to see so many young people come together to enjoy rugby in such a positive and inclusive environment.

“The T1 format is a fantastic way to introduce the game, allowing every child to develop skills, confidence, and a love for rugby.

“Events like MegaFest are all about creating opportunities, celebrating teamwork, and inspiring the next generation to stay active and engaged in sport.”

The T1 MegaFest highlights the continued commitment to growing rugby at grassroots level, providing inclusive and exciting opportunities for young people to get involved in the sport.

Tom Tainton, Bristol Bears CEO: “It’s fantastic to see MegaFest continue to grow and bring so many young people together in such an inspiring environment. Events like this really showcase what our partnership with the Cabot Learning Federation is all about – creating opportunities, building confidence, and using sport to engage and connect.

“Welcoming students to the High Performance Centre and seeing them take part with such energy and enthusiasm underlines the lasting impact these experiences can have. Through the work of Bristol Bears Foundation, we’re proud to play a role in helping more young people discover a love for rugby, while strengthening the connection between the Bears and the communities we serve.”

MegaFest primary event

A huge well done to the incredible dance group from Waycroft Academy, who delivered an outstanding performance at this year’s ‘Stages’ festival.

Held annually at the iconic Bristol Beacon, ‘Stages’ is a major celebratory dance event showcasing the talents of more than 2,000 young performers from schools across Bristol. As one of England’s largest school dance festivals, it features a wide range of styles, from street dance to ballet, and includes participants from nursery age through to college level.

Parents and staff were immensely proud of every single performer. The group not only impressed individually but also demonstrated exceptional teamwork, dedication, and spirit throughout their performance.

Special thanks go to Claire Bertram and Shannon Todd for their hard work in choreographing, rehearsing, and supporting the children every step of the way.

They said: “We are incredibly proud of every single child who took part.

“Their commitment, energy and enthusiasm have been amazing to see, and they truly supported one another as a team.

“Performing on such a big stage was a fantastic achievement, and they rose to the occasion brilliantly.”

Sixty enthusiastic Year 8 students from King’s Oak Academy recently had the exciting opportunity to visit Babcock’s Festival of Engineering at the firm’s Stoke Gifford headquarters.

The event offered a vibrant, hands-on experience designed to inspire the next generation of engineers — and students certainly rose to the challenge!

Throughout the day, students took part in a carousel of interactive engineering activities, each designed to get them thinking, problem solving and working just like real engineers.

From designing creative solutions to tackling practical challenges, they demonstrated fantastic teamwork, strong communication and impressive leadership skills.

Staff from Babcock were full of praise for the enthusiasm and maturity shown by the King’s Oak students, who represented the academy brilliantly. It was wonderful to see them so engaged, curious and confident as they explored the world of engineering.

Laura Phillips, Head of Middle School: Inclusion, said: “We hope this exciting experience has sparked new ambitions and opened doors to potential future careers in STEM.

“Well done, Year 8 – you were a real credit to the academy.”

                                                                               Images copyright Babcock.

Year 6 pupils from Castle Primary School had an unforgettable day at The Tank Museum.

They participated in two engaging workshops, explored a 1940s shop and house, and even walked through recreated World War One trenches.

Their newly- formed Home Guard particularly enjoyed discovering the tanks and learning more about life during wartime.

Located in Dorset, The Tank Museum houses the world’s largest and finest collection of over 300 armoured vehicles from nearly 30 countries. As the museum of the Royal Tank Regiment, it features interactive exhibitions, the world’s only running Tiger I tank, and ‘Tanks in Action’ displays, offering visitors an immersive experience of tank warfare history.

School leaders offered a huge thank you to The Tank Museum for delivering the fantastic workshops.

A spokesperson for the academy said: “The pupils had an incredible time learning about history in such an interactive way.

“Days like this bring history to life and inspire a love of learning that goes beyond the classroom.”

A group of Year 11 students from Hanham Woods Academy recently visited the Tobacco Factory to watch an acclaimed production of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

The English students sat mesmerised as a talented group of local actors took to the stage, bringing to life the violent, dark, and fast-paced Shakespearean tragedy. The powerful performance captivated the audience and provided students with a vivid interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a ruthless exploration of ambition, power, and the consequences of forsaking the greater good. When Macbeth hears a prophecy that he is destined to rule, his desire for power begins to override loyalty, love, and reason, setting him on a destructive path.

Macbeth forms key content for the English Literature exams and is studied as part of the GCSE curriculum. Seeing the play performed live helped students deepen their understanding of the themes, characters, and dramatic tension within the text.

Debs Owens, Teacher of English, said: “The performance was an incredible opportunity for our students to see the play brought to life on stage. We took a large group of Y11s from different classes to make the trip as inclusive as possible. It really helped them engage with the language, themes, and emotions of Shakespeare’s work in a way that a classroom alone cannot provide.”