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
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Year 3 D.T. - To Recognise How Multiple Shapes Are Combined To Form A Strong And Stable Structure.
Year 3 DT students have been exploring the fascinating world of castles! Their recent lesson covered a range of topics, including: Purpose of Castles: Discussions revolved around why castles were built, understanding their defensive and strategic roles. Inhabitants of Castles: Students learned about the people who lived within castle walls, from lords and ladies to soldiers and servants. Castle Locations: The class explored where castles can be found today, both locally and further afield, understanding their historical significance. Castles in Stories: They delved into various stories and fairy tales that feature castles, connecting their learning to literature and imagination. To consolidate their understanding, the students then put their knowledge into practice by drawing their own castles. They successfully identified and labelled key features such as: Towers: Tall structures for defense and observation. Turrets: Small, ornamental towers often found at corners or along walls. Battlements: The protective, notched parapets along the top of castle walls. Gatehouse: The fortified entrance to the castle. Drawbridge: A movable bridge that could be raised or lowered to control access. Curtain Walls: The main defensive walls enclosing the castle courtyard.
Year 3 English - Playscripts
Year 3 has been exploring playscripts. They've learned about the structure and layout of playscripts and even performed "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" for the class.
Year 3 Geography - Comparing Different Settlements
Year 3 geography students have been immersing themselves in the study of New Delhi. Today, they took their learning a step further by comparing the natural and human features of New Delhi with those of Darwen.
Year 3 Science Show
Today, a science show visited us, and Year 3 had a fantastic time diving into the world of materials! They actively participated in exciting experiments, including melting plastic to observe its transformations, creating bubbles, exploring the properties of waterproof materials, and investigating which surfaces made a ball bounce the highest.
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Online Safety - Violent Content Online
Around 70% of teenagers say they’ve seen real-life violence on social media in the past year. Violent content online isn’t just something young people are occasionally stumbling across – in many cases, it’s becoming a routine part of their digital world. From fights and stabbings to toxic ideologies , disturbing videos are often just a click away on social media or group chats. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide highlights the unseen risks this poses to children’s mental health , sense of safety, and social behaviours. With insights from a leading expert , it offers practical ways for parents and educators to respond with empathy and support – not punishment or panic.
Year 3 Art - Creating A sculpture Of The BFG
In Art, Year 3 students have been designing and creating sculptures of the BFG using Modroc. They first shaped the head and shoulders with newspaper, then secured it with masking tape before applying the Modroc.
Year 3 English - Writing An Explanation Text
Year 3 have been continuing their work on explanation texts in English, focusing specifically on seed dispersal. They've successfully incorporated paragraphs and conjunctions into their writing.
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Year 3 Class Assembly
This morning, Year 3 held a class assembly to celebrate their hard work and share some of the enjoyable things they've learned this year. They highlighted their exciting Science experiments on magnets and forces, their progress in P.E. with cricket and swimming, their use of Digi maps in Geography, and their creative Mod Roc sculptures in Art.
Online Safety -Minecraft
With its limitless opportunities for building, exploring and collaborating, Minecraft remains a global gaming phenomenon. Its broad appeal lies in how open-ended it is – but this also means it’s not without risk. From chatting with strangers on public servers to the grief of having a beloved creation destroyed, young players can face challenges if left unsupervised. Minecraft can also become a time sink for enthusiastic players, with late nights spent crafting and constructing, potentially impacting school and social lives. We’ve created this free guide to help parents and educators understand how to keep young gamers safe – from choosing age-appropriate game modes to setting boundaries around screen time and spending.
Reminder: Please Send Water, Not Juice
Dear Parents and Carers, A gentle reminder to please send your child in with a bottle of water each day. While juice can seem like a convenient choice, plain water is the healthiest option and is recommended by both NHS and EYFS nutrition guidance. If your child isn’t used to drinking water, here are a few helpful tips: • Gradually water down juice, reducing the amount each day until it’s just water. • Use a fun or colourful bottle to make drinking water more exciting. • Add a slice of fruit (like lemon, orange, or cucumber) for a natural flavour boost. • Be a role model – children are more likely to drink water if they see you doing it too. Thank you for your support in helping us create a healthy and happy environment for all children.
Sun Safety
☀️ Sunshine at School! ☀️ Dear Parents and Carers, As the warmer weather is finally here, we're so excited for the children to enjoy some sunshine during their time at school! To make sure everyone stays happy, comfortable, and safe while they play and learn in the lovely weather, we kindly ask for your support with a few things: Sun Hats: Please ensure your child brings a sun hat to school every day. This will help protect their head and face from the sun. Sun Cream: Please apply a long-lasting sun cream to your child before they come to school in the morning. If your child needs to reapply during the day, please provide a named bottle of sun cream that they can easily manage themselves (staff can offer guidance if needed, but are unable to apply it). Weather Appropriate Clothes: Please dress your child in light, comfortable clothing that is suitable for warmer temperatures. Layers can be a good idea in case the temperature changes throughout the day. Water Bottles: It's really important that the children stay hydrated, especially when it's warm. Please ensure your child brings a named water bottle to school every day so they can have access to water throughout the day. We have water fountains available for refills. We absolutely love seeing the children enjoy the sunshine and make the most of the warmer days. By working together to ensure they have these essentials, we can help them stay comfortable and safe while they do so! Thank you for your understanding and support in keeping our children happy and healthy.
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