Nursery - P.E - Exploring The Great Outdoors!
Our Nursery class has been busy exploring the outdoor garden! The children had a fantastic time using their big muscles and developing their skills. We saw lots of energy on the climbing equipment, great aim while kicking and throwing balls, and some impressive balancing while riding bikes. The bouncy crates were a huge hit for jumping, and there was fantastic teamwork and creativity as they built tall towers with the reels. The class also used their keen observation skills to make some amazing discoveries, including a soft feather, some intricate spiderwebs, and even tiny eggs nestled on a leaf!
Reception - PE - Finding a Safe Space
Reception had their very first PE lesson today and absolutely loved it! They learned about the importance of keeping a safe space and how to move around the hall carefully. Hoops were used to help them picture their own space, and then they explored moving in different ways – jumping, jogging, hopping and walking – before returning to their safe spot.
Nursery And Pre-School - Imaginative Play, Pirates!
The nursery and preschool children have loved the pirate theme this week, quickly selecting dress-up items to transform into swashbuckling pirates. A significant highlight was the children's collaborative effort in constructing a pirate ship using the jumbo building bricks. They worked together, demonstrating emerging cooperation and negotiation skills as they discussed where to place bricks or how to make the ship bigger. Once their magnificent ship was constructed, the children climbed aboard, steering their vessel and actively sailing their ship across the imaginary seas. They eagerly engaged in target practice, throwing 'cannonballs' at 'enemy ships' in the distance. This action-packed segment refined their gross motor skills, including throwing and aiming, and further fueled their imaginative narrative.The rich vocabulary used by adults (e.g., "Ahoy, matey!", "Walk the plank!") was frequently echoed by the children, showcasing developing communication and language skills within their play.
Year 5 - Youth Zone Visit
Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of engaging activities with Darwen Youth Zone. This vibrant session provided a wonderful opportunity for students to acquire new skills, strengthen their teamwork, and enthusiastically try out novel experiences they hadn't encountered before.
Year 4 P.E. Long Jump
Year 4 have been honing in their Long Jump skills in their Athletic P.E. lesson this week. They have tried to find out the best techniques to help them reach longer distances and have made some fantastic progress when bearing this in mind - well done everybody!
Forest School Training
Forest School learning is an inspirational and specialised approach to outdoor education that focuses on developing confidence, self-esteem, and holistic growth in learners through hands-on experiences in natural environments. This week our teachers have been on a Forest School adventure. Learning all the different skills to become Forest School leaders. Bringing back to school the philosophical understanding, practical skills, and confidence to unlock the vast educational potential of the outdoors, ultimately creating richer, more engaging, and more beneficial learning experiences for our pupils.
School Games Gold Award Winners!
We’re proud to announce that Darwen St James has been awarded the GOLD School Games Mark! This brilliant achievement is a reflection of the perseverance, courage, and hope shown by our pupils—and the dedication of our PE and Extra-Curricular Sports Team, who work tirelessly to promote sport and physical activity across our school. This year we have participated in netball, football, cross country and cricket to name a few! The School Games Mark is a national award that celebrates a school’s commitment to PE, school sport, and competition, both within and beyond the school gates. It also supports schools in reviewing and strengthening their provision. A huge thank you and well done to Mrs Cookson and all the staff for making sport such an exciting and important part of life at Darwen St James. We’re incredibly proud of our pupils for stepping up to every challenge with determination and team spirit. Keep going, keep growing! ???? #TeamDSJ #DSJFamily
Reception - PE - Kicking, Throwing and Catching a Ball.
Look at these Reception superstars mastering their fundamental skills! ⚽
Year 5 Tuesday Carousel: Badminton, Arithmetic, Reading and SPAG!
The Year 5 curriculum on Tuesday afternoons incorporates a carousel of enriching activities designed to develop a range of skills, including physical literacy through badminton, numeracy through arithmetic practice, literacy through focused reading activities, and linguistic competence through the explicit teaching of spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Year 4 P.E. - Tennis
Year 4 have been practising their forehand and backhand shots in their tennis lessons, with some even able to get a rally going!
Year 2 - P.E - Ball Skills
Year 2 are having a blast in PE this week, honing their ball skills! The focus is all on volleying, with lots of fun and active drills to get those hands and eyes working together to keep the ball in the air.
Year 4 P.E - Throwing and Catching.
Year 4 have been practising our throwing and catching skills in P.E., for both our Tennis and Cricket units. We are improving our accuracy for when we throw and the consistency of our catches. The practise is helping as we are really improving our skill in this area!
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