Nursery - Music - What Instrument Did I play?
This week, the children participated in a high-focus auditory discrimination activity designed to sharpen their listening skills and musical awareness. The children were tasked with identifying instruments based on sound alone. While hidden behind a screen, one instrument was played and the children had to listen very carefully. From a varied group of instruments laid out before them, they then had to select which one they believed was being played. Once they made their choice, the children were encouraged to mimic the sound they heard by playing the instrument themselves. This was a crucial step, as it allowed for instant confirmation of their choice or a self-corrected change of mind if the sounds did not match. This activity successfully promoted critical thinking, active listening, and early performance skills as the children explored the unique sounds each instrument could produce.
Year 5 and 6 PCSO Visit
Building a Brighter Community: A Visit from our Local PCSO. Last Friday afternoon, Year 5 and 6 had the privilege of welcoming our local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) to the classroom for an important and thought-provoking session. Understanding Choices and Consequences The workshop focused on the concept of honesty and the impact of stealing. We explored different scenarios, including: The hurt caused by taking something from a friend at school. The serious legal and community consequences of shoplifting. The children truly shone during the session! They engaged deeply with the topic, asking insightful questions and demonstrating a mature understanding of how our individual choices ripple out to affect our friends, families, and the wider community in Darwen. Our visitor was particularly impressed by how clearly the pupils could explain the importance of integrity and respect. Reflection at Home It was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to build a positive relationship with our local police force and to reflect on their own values. A question for reflection tonight: "Why do you think being honest is the most important foundation for a strong friendship?"
Year 5 Art - Learning to Use Acrylic Paints
Fast-Paced Fine Art: Year 5 Master Acrylics! There was a real "brush" of excitement in the Year 5 classroom this week as we swapped our usual paints for acrylics! For many of our young artists, this was their first time working with this professional medium, and the results were nothing short of spectacular. A Race Against the Clock! The children spent the lesson experimenting with blending and layering to create atmospheric backgrounds for our upcoming art project. However, they quickly discovered the most important rule of acrylic painting: work fast! Unlike watercolors, acrylic paint dries incredibly quickly. Our pupils had to be decisive with their strokes and expert with their mixing to get their colors just right before the paint set. They showed fantastic resilience and "quick-thinking" creativity! The Science of Color We focused on: Color Mixing: Creating unique tints and shades. Texture: Learning how the thick, plastic-like nature of acrylics can be layered for effect. Medium Control: Managing how much water to add (or not add!) to change the opacity. These stunning, textured backgrounds are now drying and ready to become the foundation for our final masterpieces. Watch this space to see how they evolve! Join the Conversation! If you were creating a masterpiece today, which two colours would you mix together to describe your mood? Let us know in the comments below!
Year 5 English - Identifying Non Fiction Text Types
Magazine Marvels: Year 5 Uncover the Secrets of Non-Fiction! This week, Year 5 kicked off an exciting new English unit: Writing for a Magazine. Before we can become world-class journalists and editors, we had to learn how to "decode" the different types of writing found on the page. The Great Text Sort The classroom was a hive of activity as we worked in teams to sort a mountain of cards. We had to match Text Types with their specific Examples, Features, and Purposes. It was a brilliant way to see the difference between: Instructions (How to do something) Explanations (How something works) Recounts (Retelling an event) Information Texts (Sharing facts) Persuasive Texts (Convincing the reader) Discussion Texts (Looking at two sides of an argument) Real-World Research with Aquila To put our new skills to the test, we delved into copies of the wonderful Aquila Magazine. We became "Text Detectives," hunting through the pages to see which types of writing the editors used most. Our big discovery? While there was a sprinkle of everything, Information Texts are the true kings of the magazine world! We are now feeling inspired and ready to start planning our own professional magazine spreads. Watch this space! Join the Investigation! When you're reading a newspaper or magazine at home this week, see if you can spot a 'persuasive' advert or an 'explanation' article—can you tell your child what gave it away?
Year 3 - Science - Learning How Fossils Are Formed
Ever wondered how a dinosaur becomes a stone? In this Year 3 lesson, we became paleontologists to uncover the secrets of the earth! Pupils explored the incredible journey from a living creature to a prehistoric treasure. We’ll learned how layers of mud and millions of years of pressure create nature’s very own time capsules.
Year 3 - Art - Exploring Hot And Cold Colours
Our Year 3 artists turned into color experts this week as they explored the "mood" of the color wheel! We dove into the world of Hot and Cold colors to see how temperature changes a painting. From fiery reds and glowing oranges to icy blues and chilly purples, we discovered how artists use color to spark different emotions.
Reception- R.E- Stories from the Old Testament
In our recent R.E. lesson, the Reception children have been captivated by the powerful narratives of the Old Testament, exploring the themes of courage, faith, and protection. The classroom buzzed with excitement as the children listened to the stories of Noah’s Ark, Jonah and the Giant Fish, and Daniel in the Lions' Den. To bring these ancient tales to life, the children used sensory objects—such as soft animal figures and rough wooden blocks—to interact with the plotlines as they unfolded. Following our storytelling sessions, the children channeled their creativity into hands-on activities to reinforce their learning: Engineering for Noah: Using large blocks and scrap materials, the children worked together to build a sturdy boat capable of "weathering the storm." Artistic Expression: Small hands were busy cutting out blue whales and crafting majestic lions with manes made of bright orange paper. Narrative Retelling: These handmade props became the stars of the show as the children used them to retell the stories to their peers, confidently explaining why a particular moment was their favorite. Through these interactive sessions, the children didn't just hear the stories; they stepped inside them, developing both their fine motor skills and their understanding of different faith traditions.
Reception- Phonics- Building CVC words
Building on their foundational knowledge of CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words, our Reception children have been diving into interactive phonics sessions designed to bridge the gap between sound and symbol. Using magnetic letters, the children took on the role of "word builders," carefully listening to hear the individual phonemes in words like cat, bin, and mop. With great focus, they successfully matched these sounds to the correct graphemes, physically sliding the letters together to form complete words on their boards. This tactile approach not only reinforced their segmenting and blending skills but also turned abstract sounds into something they could see, touch, and master.
Nursery - Maths - Categorising Objects By Size
Today, the children used our topic story, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, to explore size and categorization. The activity began with a "herd" of goats on the grass. The children were tasked with identifying and sorting specific sizes, focusing on big and small. To support their understanding, they used visual Widgits and hand gestures to represent the sizes they were searching for. Once a goat was found, the children placed it on the bridge, checking that their group consisted of the same size. This promoted skills in matching and comparison. For an extra challenge, some children were introduced to the 'medium' goats, practicing the tricky task of distinguishing them from the big and small ones. This successfully built their mathematical vocabulary and ability to differentiate between three distinct sizes.
Year 2 - Art - Mono Printing
Ever wondered how a single print can capture a world of storytelling? ????✨ Our Year 2 artists have been diving deep into the vibrant world of Xgaoc’o X’are, a renowned artist celebrated for his incredible ability to blend cultural heritage with modern printmaking. Inspired by X’are’s focus on animals and movement, the children have been busy getting their hands a little messy while mastering the unique processes of monoprinting and carbon printing. Using a mix of bold ink and smudgy charcoal, our young creators practiced transferring their unique designs onto paper, discovering exactly how pressure and layering can transform a simple sketch into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. It was wonderful to see them experiment with the different textures of charcoal versus ink, and we are so proud of the artistic curiosity they showed in every print! #Year2Art #YoungArtists #XgaocoXare #PrintmakingKids #CreativeClassroom #PrimaryArt
Year 4 Geography - Where does our food come from?
Our Geography topic is all about the different types of foods we eat, where these are grown or sourced and how far it travels to get to us. We have learnt that the food we get from other countries are called imports. This week, we have been looking at the different types of imported foods and used atlases / maps to find out where that country is, in relation to the UK. We were amazed to find out the average cup of coffee has travelled around 8,000km to reach us!
Year 4 Maths - Dividing 2-digit numbers by 1 number
Year 4 have started to put their maths knowledge to the test whilst looking at division. We already know that division is the inverse of multiplication and we can use the facts we know to help us answer division questions. What about when we are dividing larger numbers? Well, Year 4 have been partitioning, using place value counters and other resources to help them answer questions and the results are pretty amazing! Any division problems need sorting, give Year 4 a call!
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