Nursery/ Preschool- Literacy- Letter Join Patterns
In Nursery we have been focusing on the children taking part in a fantastic Letter-join pattern activity to boost their fine motor control and early mark-making confidence. Many of the children chose to use their magic pointer finger or an interactive stylus to guide lines across the large screen. Working on an upright, large-scale surface encourages shoulder stability and gross-to-fine motor coordination. The children followed the patterns and when they had finished they could press play and see their marks being made again on the screen.
Nursery/Preschool- UTW- Diwali
This week, our nursery children have been busy developing their knowledge and understanding of Diwali, the Hindu and Sikh Festival of Lights. We began our learning journey gathered together on the carpet to share the wonderful story of Rama and Sita. The children listened intently, learning all about how little clay lamps were lit to guide Rama and Sita safely home through the dark, and how Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Inspired by our story, the children took their learning straight into continuous provision, exploring the celebrations through hands-on, creative activities: making Diya lamps on the workshop table using colourful materials to design the lamps and Rangoli patterns with bright pens. The children thoroughly enjoyed sharing their creations with their friends and talking about how different families celebrate special festivals. It has been a joyful, colourful week of purposeful play, curiosity, and cultural exploration across the nursery!
Nursery/Pre-school- Computing - Creating My Own Music
This week, our nursery children have been combining their early phonics skills with music and technology, and they had an absolute blast! Using an interactive computer programme, the children explored how the letter sounds they are learning can be turned into musical notes and rhythmic patterns. Here is what our budding musicians got up to: Sound Explorers: We linked sounds to digital audio effects, experimenting with the different noises we could produce. Building a Beat: The children practised patterning by creating their own repeating rhythms and beats, tapping their toes along to the tempo. Loud and Quiet: There was plenty of laughter as we explored dynamics! The children loved discovering the difference between loud and gentle, quiet whispers. Spot the Instrument: They showed brilliant listening skills by identifying and naming the instruments they used.
Nursery/Pre-school- Continuous Provision- Exploring Our Indoor Environment
The children have had a wonderful week exploring our indoor environment, diving straight into all things Autumn with heaps of curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm! We have been exploring... Funky Fingers & Spiders: Our funky fingers area was taken over by creepy crawlies! The children used tweezers, pegs, and their finest pincer grips to rescue, count, and sort model spiders. This has been brilliant for building hand strength and fine motor control ready for early mark-making. Leaf Brooms & Storytime Magic: Linking directly to our story of the week, the children used the crunchy, colourful leaves we collected from the nursery garden to craft their very own brooms. There was fantastic fine-motor work as they bound, tied, and glued their natural treasures together ready for some storybook magic! Dressing Up & Imaginative Role Play: Our role-play corner was buzzing with excitement. Dressed up in a variety of brilliant outfits, the children let their imaginations run wild, inventing elaborate stories, taking on different characters, and collaborating beautifully with their friends. Master Builders in the Construction Zone: Over on the carpet, the building blocks were in high demand! The children have been developing their spatial awareness, balance, and problem-solving skills working together to build tall towers, sturdy enclosures, and intricate bridges. It has been a delight watching their independence, language, and creativity flourish across every corner of the room this week!
Nursery And Pre-School - Science - Pumpkin Potions
Our children have eagerly been diving into sensory science this week at the malleable tray! The table was packed with a mysterious seasonal mixture of pumpkins, gooey pulp, slime, and various surprise treasures hidden throughout the concoction. The children used their senses to explore all the different, contrasting textures, describing how things felt as they squeezed and squelched. They put their physical skills to work by scooping, pouring, and stirring the materials together to brew their very own magical potions, developing early scientific curiosity through open-ended sensory investigation!
Nursery And Pre-School - Geography - Habitats
Our Nursery and Preschool children have been exploring the fascinating world of habitats this week! We began by thinking about where we live as humans and expanded our ideas to discover where different animals—like birds, squirrels, and hedgehogs—make their homes. The children then set off outdoors on a habitat hunt around our environment. They put their keen observational skills to work, spotting real-life animal homes like birds' nests, spider webs, and crunchy leaf piles. Inspired by what they found, the children gathered natural resources like sticks, leaves, and bark to build their own minibeast and animal habitats, thinking carefully about which creature would feel safe and cozy living inside. It was a brilliant, hands-on way for our young learners to build early geographical awareness and care for the natural world!
Nursery And Pre-School - Geography - Creating Witches Brooms And Potions
Inspired by this week's story, 'Room on the Broom', our children headed outside on an autumn outdoor hunt to gather natural materials and build their very own broomsticks! While searching for the perfect sticks, the children put their observational skills to work by exploring the seasonal changes happening in their local environment. They noticed that the trees were shedding their leaves onto the ground and spotted a rich new palette of autumn colors, eagerly discovering leaves in shades of brown, orange, and yellow. It was a wonderful, hands-on way to connect storytime magic with early geographical understanding and the natural rhythms of nature!
Pre-School-Maths-Building With Shapes
In Maths this week the children have been building masterpieces using 2D and 3D shapes, identifying some shapes they have used along the way. We had houses,castles,trains, cars and many more masterpieces.The children were really excited about their creations.
Governor Vacancies
Could you help shape the future of Darwen St James? Darwen St James Church of England Primary Academy is looking for enthusiastic, dedicated individuals to join the team as Parent Governors and Foundation Governors. You do not need to be an education expert or have special qualifications. Your everyday experience, community insight, and care for the children are what matter most. What does a Governor do? Set direction: Help shape priorities and support the academy vision. Support and challenge: Ask constructive questions and act as a critical friend. Keep children at the heart: Oversee safeguarding, education, wellbeing, and resources. Bring a wider perspective: Use your skills, experience, and community insight to help the school thrive. Which role suits you? Parent Governor: Open to current parents and carers, giving families a direct voice in the school. Foundation Governor: Focuses on supporting and championing the school's Christian vision and ethos. Is it for you? If you care about the success and wellbeing of children, can listen and work as part of a team, and can commit a little time to attend meetings, complete training, and visit the school, we would love to hear from you. How to get involved Interested? Start with an informal conversation to learn more without any obligation. Telephone: 01254 703260 Email: dsjoffice@cidari.co.uk Address: St James Crescent, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 0EY You can also scan the QR code on the poster for further governance information. Get in touch today to help make a positive difference.
Nursery/Pre-school- UTW-Computing
Our nursery room has been full of magic as the children continue to explore the wonderful story of Room on the Broom! Building on their love for the tale, our little ones stepped into the world of digital art using the Purple Mash program to design their very own dragons. It was brilliant to see their technology skills in action as they navigated the tools—carefully selecting different brush styles, swapping between bright colours, and making deliberate marks on the screen to bring their creatures to life. The highlight was listening to the children talk about their creations. As they drew, they eagerly explained their dragon’s special features, from " green scales" to "fire-coming out" and "big wings". It’s been a fantastic activity for boosting early ICT confidence, fine motor control, and creative storytelling!
Pre-School-P.E-Fundamental Skills
In P.E. this week, we’ve been practicing our fundamental movement skills! The children worked on moving safely around the hall in different ways, using control, and coming to a neat, balanced stop on their feet. They did a fantastic job following instructions and had a brilliant time!
Nursery and Pre-school - UTW- Visit to the Library
What a brilliant morning our Nursery children had today! We set off on foot through Darwen, heading to Darwen Library for a special storytime session. The children were absolute stars on the walk, chatting excitedly and pointing out everything they could see along the way. Once we arrived, everyone settled down nicely on the cosy carpet. The librarian gave us a lovely welcome and explained all about the magic of the library and how it works. Then came the main event—storytime! We read the classic 'Dear Zoo', and some of the children were even picked to act out different parts of the book. There was so much laughter as our little actors brought the story to life! A huge well done to all the children for their fantastic behaviour, and a big thank you to the team at Darwen Library for hosting such a memorable visit. We can't wait for our next trip!
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