Image of Nursery - R.E - Purim Celebrations
9 Apr

Nursery - R.E - Purim Celebrations

What a wonderful time we've had learning about the special celebration of Purim today! We heard how the Jewish people were saved, and that made everyone feel so happy! Just like when we talked about the things that make us happy – and so many of the children love to dance! The children used gross motor movements to stretch and dance with colourful scarves, swirling and twirling, bringing all that happy colour into our room, just like the joy of Purim! You all danced with such happy hearts today. Well done, everyone

Image of Nursery - R.E - Exploring Colours In Relation To Holi Celebrations
7 Apr

Nursery - R.E - Exploring Colours In Relation To Holi Celebrations

What a colourful and exciting time we've had today, just like the wonderful Holi festival that Hindu people celebrate! We popped water balloons and made so many bright colours appear. The children were fantastic at naming all the colours – red, blue, yellow, green, purple and orange! And it was amazing to watch how the colours mixed together to make new ones. Just like Holi is a celebration of joy and colour, we've filled our classroom with happiness and beautiful colours today. Well done, everyone, for being such brilliant colour explorers!

Image of Easyfundraising
7 Apr

Easyfundraising

We’ve registered Darwen St James CE Primary Academy with #easyfundraising, which means over 8,000 retailers will now donate to us for FREE every time you use #easyfundraising to shop with them. These donations will help SO MUCH, so please sign up to support us – it’s completely FREE and doesn’t take long. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/support-a-good-cause/step-1/?char=379393&invite=6po80d&referral-campaign=c2s&utm_campaign=web-referral

Image of Nursery - P.E - Sleeping Bunnies!
3 Apr

Nursery - P.E - Sleeping Bunnies!

What a fantastic time we had during P.E today! Our little bunnies were amazing at 'Sleeping Bunnies,' listening carefully and moving their bodies with so much energy! They stretched, hopped, crawled and wiggled their way through a fun-filled P.E. session. They exhibited some brilliant listening skills and were able to follow instructions throughout the song. The children enjoyed practicing their gross body movements and experimenting with different ways to move. The children also joined in with the sleeping bunnies song, singing and dancing with excitement.

Image of Nursery - Science - Planting Sunflower Seeds
28 Mar

Nursery - Science - Planting Sunflower Seeds

Look at what Nursery class did this week! We planted tiny sunflower seeds, and the children learned how to care for their seeds, gaining the understanding that they need water and sunshine to grow big and strong, just like us! By engaging the children in this hands-on activity, they gain a valuable understanding of the life cycle of a plant and develop a sense of wonder about the natural world. We have also planted a class sunflower that we will be taking care of and hope to monitor it over the coming weeks to observe changes in its growth and appearance!

Image of Nursery - Literacy - Learning New Vocabulary Linked To Our Story
25 Mar

Nursery - Literacy - Learning New Vocabulary Linked To Our Story

This week, Nursery class have been reading a new story called 'Grow it!'. This means we have been able to explore some new vocabulary! We discovered some tricky, unfamiliar worlds like 'compost' and 'trowel' among others. Understanding and being familiar with these words enables children to comprehend the story and conversations surrounding the events in our book. Nursery class have done really well copying and remembering the new vocabulary and have also been able to find the pictures linked to the new words in our book. Well done everyone. 

Image of Nursery - Computing - Exploring The Garden Centre
24 Mar

Nursery - Computing - Exploring The Garden Centre

Linked with our spring story 'Grow it!', the children have been exploring the garden centre on purplemash. Understanding a tap and drag movement to place different items into the garden. The children discovered many different plants, mini beasts and equipment that we have been learning about this week and were given the opportunity to put their new vocabulary knowledge into practice. The children observed the effects that the watering can had on the bulbs and seeds, watching the flowers grow once they had been watered, this was definitely the favorite feature!

Image of The Benefits of Reading Every Day!
19 Mar

The Benefits of Reading Every Day!

Reading with your child every day has a huge impact on their learning and development. It helps to build their vocabulary, improve their imagination, and develop a lifelong love of books. Just 10-15 minutes of reading each day can strengthen their confidence, comprehension skills, and ability to express themselves. Encouraging daily reading—whether it’s a bedtime story, sharing a book together, or letting them read aloud—helps to support their progress in school and beyond. Thank you for making reading a special part of their day!

Image of Nursery - Maths - Positional Language
19 Mar

Nursery - Maths - Positional Language

During our Maths activity this week, Nursery class have been exploring positional language. The children built on their understanding of on top and under, repeating the position as they placed bear in different areas around the basket. Some children were also able to further their learning and introduced 'next to' and 'in front' to their vocabulary, representing these positions with bear. Well done everyone!

Image of Online Safety - Streamers
19 Mar

Online Safety - Streamers

Livestreaming is now a major part of children’s entertainment, evolving from gamers sharing screens into a booming industry with diverse personalities. While watching streamers can be entertaining, it comes with no small number of risks for children, such as misinformation, negative influences, and inappropriate content. With over 2.5 million viewers on Twitch – the current most popular streaming platform – at any one time, this guide highlights the potential dangers associated with watching livestreams and the importance of staying informed. We’ve created this free guide – also available in podcast format – to provide parents and educators everything they need to know about streamers and how to keep children protected.

Image of Nursery - Fine Motor Skills - Buttons
17 Mar

Nursery - Fine Motor Skills - Buttons

This weeks fine motor activity has been using buttons! Buttons can be tricky for little fingers to try and navigate however this is a very important skill that the children have been learning. This prepares the children for dressing themselves, which builds independence. We have also been building on the children's hand eye coordination and problem-solving skills as they figure out how to manipulate the buttons. This activity has also been great for strengthening the small muscles in their hands and fingers, preparing for writing, drawing, and other everyday tasks.

Image of Family Easter Egg Competition
16 Mar

Family Easter Egg Competition

Dear Parents/Carers, Our annual Family Easter Egg Competition is almost here! This year’s theme is “All Things Easter”, so let your creativity shine! You could design your eggs based on: • Easter animals like chicks, bunnies, or lambs • Traditional Easter symbols such as crosses, baskets, or spring flowers • Fun Easter scenes like an egg hunt or a chocolate feast • Characters with an Easter twist—perhaps an “Egg Minion” or a “Bunny Superhero”! All entries should be clearly labelled with your child’s name and class and brought into school by Wednesday, 9th April. The winners will be announced during worship on Thursday, 10th April. Good luck—we’re egg-cited to see your fantastic creations!