--- title: "Reception- Maths-Capacity" url: "https://darwenstjames.co.uk/news/2026-01-20-reception-maths-capacity" school: "Darwen St James’ C of E Primary Academy" --- # Reception- Maths-Capacity ![](https://files.schudio.com/darwen-st-james-c-of-e-primary-academy/images/news/Collage_2026-01-20_19_56_53.jpg) 20 January 2026 In Reception the children dove into the world of capacity by exploring how different volumes interact with various shapes and sizes. Through hands-on experimentation, they develop a concrete understanding of mathematical vocabulary such as full, empty, and half-full. By pouring water between tall, narrow cylinders and wide, shallow basins, the children are often surprised to see that the same amount of liquid looks different depending on the vessel, sparking "what would happen if..." inquiries that lead to early scientific testing. This process of filling and emptying containers allows them to make predictions and comparisons, building the foundational spatial awareness needed to understand that capacity refers to the amount a container can hold regardless of its height or width. ![](https://darwen-st-james-c-of-e-primary-academy.schudio.com/images/news/Collage_2026-01-20_19_56_53.jpg) [Reception](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/news/tag/reception) [Early Years Foundation Stage](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/news/tag/early-years-foundation-stage) [Maths](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/news/tag/maths) [![](https://files.schudio.com/darwen-st-james-c-of-e-primary-academy/imagecache/100x100c/news/4363685e-8fda-40a9-9591-f3030eeb0bc6.jpg)](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/news/2026-01-19-nursery-literacy-story-props) Previous ### [Nursery - Literacy - Story Props](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/news/2026-01-19-nursery-literacy-story-props) [![](https://files.schudio.com/darwen-st-james-c-of-e-primary-academy/imagecache/100x100c/news/18a88c08-f347-44dc-add0-4d1d10ab98c5.jpg)](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/news/2026-01-21-year-3-p-e-dancing-like-machines) Next ### [Year 3 - P.E. - Dancing Like Machines](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/news/2026-01-21-year-3-p-e-dancing-like-machines) ### Academy Life - [News](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/news) - [Events](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/events) - [Clubs](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/academy-life/basc) - [School Council](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/academy-life/school-council) - [Attendance](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/academy-life/attendance) - [Charities and Fundrasing](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/academy-life/charities-and-fundraising) - ![School Games Gold](https://files.schudio.com/darwen-st-james-c-of-e-primary-academy/images/partners/Gold_Logo_25-26(1).png) - ![Healthy school](https://files.schudio.com/darwen-st-james-c-of-e-primary-academy/images/partners/healthy_school.png) - ![Picture News](https://files.schudio.com/darwen-st-james-c-of-e-primary-academy/images/partners/6_Years_of_Picture_News.png) - ![AP smilestar](https://files.schudio.com/darwen-st-james-c-of-e-primary-academy/images/partners/Screenshot_2026-07-27_10.26.27.png) ##### Location St James Crescent Darwen Lancashire BB3 0EY ##### Contact Us 01254 703260 ##### Stay Connected - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/Darwenstjames) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/darwenstjames/) © Copyright 2021–2026 Darwen St James’ C of E Primary Academy School & Trust Websites by [ ![Schudio logo](https://darwenstjames.co.uk/img/logo/light.png) ](https://www.schudio.com/)