News: Year 5

Year 5 Class Worship - Ways We Can Show Kindness Today

In class worship this week, Year 5 gathered to reflect on our special "Kindness Kite". Inspired by its messages and verses reminding us that God is kind, the children shared thoughtful ideas on how to put kindness into action right away—from offering a helping hand in the classroom to sharing a smile and inviting others to play at breaktime. It was a lovely opportunity to reflect on how small acts of care can lift everyone up.

Year 5 DT - Following a Recipe to Make Bolognese Sauce

Year 5 Cooking Up a Storm in DT! Year 5 put their culinary skills to the test in Design & Technology this week, following our adapted, vegetarian, and vegetable-rich Bolognese sauce recipe! Working brilliantly as a team, the children carefully chopped, grated, and stirred their ingredients to create a delicious and healthy sauce. Alongside their practical cooking, they also produced clear, beautifully handwritten recipe instructions for others to follow. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed making their tasty creations, and each child was delighted to take a pot home to enjoy with some pasta!

Year 5 DT - Tasting Bolognese Sauce

Year 5 Taste Testers: Exploring Shop-Bought Bolognese This week in Design and Technology, Year 5 put their palates to the test with a shop-bought bolognese sauce tasting session! Working like true food critics, the children carefully identified the ingredients and flavours they could detect before checking the packaging to see how accurate their taste buds were. We then turned our attention to the nutritional traffic lights and were surprised to discover that the sauce had amber ratings for both sugar and salt—much higher than expected. Inspired by our findings and guided by the Eatwell Plate, the class decided to take action. Realising we could pack in as many healthy portions from the fruit and vegetable section as we liked, everyone has now adapted their own bolognese recipes to include plenty of extra veg. It was a thoroughly enjoyable lesson, and Year 5 are ready to get cooking!

Year 5 Guided Reading

Our Year 5 children have been performing a space themed poem in groups. The children learnt to effectively use their tone of voice, actions and their pitch to create an amazing performance.

Year 5 Music

Our Year 5 children have been learning to play the glockenspiel and learning about Egyptian style music. Playing the glockenspiel gives children a hands-on introduction to melody and note reading while developing precision, ensemble teamwork, and rhythmic confidence.

Year 5 PE - Gymnastics

The children explored body tension, extension, and control as they mastered their very first core position: the straddle pose. Working on the mats, pupils focused on keeping their legs straight, toes pointed, and posture strong. It was brilliant to see everyone showing such determination and flexibility as they built the foundation for more complex balances and routines.

Year 5 Maths

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.

Year 5 Science - Dissolving

Year 5 Science

Year 5 PE - Dribbling and Passing

Year 5 had a great PE lesson today. We have been practicing dribbling the ball and passing correctly. We added some extra challenge by incorporating their skills into an invasion game. The children really embraced the challenge and demonstrated some amazing skills.

Year 5 PE - Athletics: Shot Put

Year 5 Channel Their Inner Olympians in Athletics! This week, Year 5 took to the school playground for a fantastic Athletics session, turning their focus to the power and technique of the shot put. The children worked hard on mastering their throwing stance, learning how to safely "push" the shot put from their shoulder rather than throwing it like a ball. It was wonderful to see their determination as they focused on their aiming points and pushed for maximum distance. The class did incredibly well, showing fantastic technique and sportsmanship throughout the lesson. Watch out, Team GB—we might just have some future Olympic champions in our midst!

Year 5 Science - Investigating Asteroid Craters

Our Year 5 scientists have blasted off into an exciting new physics topic this week, exploring the secrets of our solar system. The children began by examining different celestial bodies, discussing the phases of the Moon, and discovering how a massive asteroid collision millions of years ago brought about the end of the dinosaurs. This sparked a big question for our main science investigation: Does the size of an asteroid affect the diameter of its impact crater? To put this to the test, the class worked brilliantly in teams to plan a fair test. They identified their variables and designed their own data tables to record their future findings. The children raided the PE cupboard to use different-sized sports balls as their "asteroids." They dropped these into trays of sand to measure and observe the deep craters left behind. What do you predict our results will show—will a larger asteroid always make a wider crater?