Year 3 DT - Structures. Designing Our Own Castle.
Year 3 have continued their art lesson on castles by designing their own. They've been busy discussing the essential features a castle must have and exploring the different materials they would use to build them.
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.
Year 3 French - 'Les Objets De La Classe' - Classroom Objects
Year 3 students have been diving into French by exploring the objects around their classroom! They've learned the French names for several familiar items: Ruler: une règle Pencil: un crayon Pen: un stylo Rucksack (backpack): un sac A key part of their learning has been understanding that in French, all nouns have a gender. This means they are either masculine or feminine. They've learned to recognise this by looking at the word that comes before the noun: "Un" is used for masculine words (like un crayon and un stylo). "Une" is used for feminine words (like une règle). This is a fantastic start to their French language journey, helping them build a foundation for understanding more about French grammar!
Year 3 English - Beginning To Write Speech In The Form Of A Playscript
Year 3 students have started writing playscripts, focusing on dialogue. They took the story of "Dum Spiro" and created lines for the characters of Caesar, a Roman soldier, and a Bear.
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
.png)
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.
.jpeg)
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.
.png){kind=logo}
