D'Arcy Primary Academy Class Blogs

It was a pleasure to have Year 1 at Forest School this afternoon. The sun was shining, and the wind had calmed down after yesterday, making it a lovely session to be outdoors. The children were especially keen to climb today, with many using their balancing skills and strength to climb trees. It was wonderful to see them pushing themselves and showing such determination. We also set up a rope walk, and the children impressed us with their confidence as they carefully made their way along. It was particularly lovely to see them supporting and encouraging one another to maintain their balance. The children enjoyed making elder bead necklaces and worked incredibly hard on their creations. Once again, they shared their knowledge and helped each other to complete their necklaces, showing great teamwork and kindness. Hot dogs were a lovely treat around the fire. Thank you to the parents who came to support and provide the children with a lovely time outside. 

The wind was blowing at Forest School this week, and Year 5 arrived full of energy and ideas! They got straight into their building projects and enjoyed being creative in the mud kitchen. The children used their planning and building skills to bring their ideas to life, showing great creativity and determination. They were able to practise working together, supporting one another and sharing ideas as they went. Equipment was moved all around the Forest School area using wheelbarrows, and the children built dens, practised tying knots, and even had a go at making “cement”! Some children also set up an exciting project to dig a moat in the mud kitchen area, demonstrating teamwork and perseverance. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed fueling the session with hot dogs cooked on the fire by Miss Reed – a perfect treat after on a busy and productive day.  Thank you to the parents who came to support the children and help to make sure they enjoy the sessions to the fullest.

  Welcome Bishop Rodger! We were delighted to welcome Bishop Roger to Tolleshunt D’Arcy School for a very special visit. During his time with us, he enjoyed a tour around the school, where he commented on the calm and natural environment that makes our school such a peaceful and inspiring place to learn. Bishop Roger was particularly impressed by our pupils, who demonstrated kindness, respect, and a warm, welcoming attitude throughout the morning. He noted how lovely it was to see such positive behaviour and a strong sense of community across the school. A highlight of the visit was when Bishop Roger led our collective worship. He spoke to us about the importance of friendship and how we can show compassion, resilience, and empathy in our daily lives. His message was thoughtful and inspiring, and it gave us all something meaningful to reflect on. We were also very pleased to welcome Rev Jo and Linda, who joined us for this special collective worship and helped make the experience e...

We have had another busy and exciting week in class! In English, we have been exploring persuasive letter writing, inspired by the incredible work of Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg . The children have really enjoyed learning about the lives of these inspirational individuals and how they have used their passion and powerful voices to campaign for education and the environment. We have been focusing on the key features of persuasive writing, and the class is looking forward to writing their own persuasive letters next week. In Maths, we have been deepening our understanding of fractions by converting improper fractions into mixed numbers and vice versa. This has required the children to apply their times tables knowledge, and they have worked hard to develop their skills and confidence in this area. It has been wonderful to see their perseverance and growing understanding. In our Reading and History lessons, we have been learning about the differences between our lives today and l...

  Sports Club:  In this session, the school sports club focused on developing speed, technique, and teamwork through 200m sprint training and relay practice.  The children recorded their times and tried to improve on their personal best times. Drama Club:  In this session, the school drama club explored action freeze frames to develop their storytelling and performance skills. Students worked in groups to create still images that captured key moments of action, focusing on body language, facial expressions, and clear positioning. Gardening Club:  In this session, the school gardening club focused on planting and potting seeds. Students learned how to prepare soil, choose suitable containers, and plant seeds at the correct depth and spacing. Art Club:   In this session, the school art club explored creating collages by layering tissue paper. Students experimented with colour, texture, and transparency to build up interesting compositions. They practised...

 Year 3 had a fantastic afternoon continuing with their DT project, focusing on seasonal fruit and vegetables as part of their food and nutrition learning.  The children began by discussing what “seasonal” means and why it’s important to eat foods that are grown at different times of the year. We talked about where vegetables come from, how they are grown, and why spring brings a fresh variety of produce. They then took part in a tasting session, where they explored a range of spring vegetables, including cauliflower, cucumber, cabbage, spring onions, spinach, radishes, and asparagus. The children were encouraged to use their senses to describe each one—thinking carefully about flavour (sweet, bitter, mild) and texture (crunchy, soft, leafy). It was wonderful to see so many children showing enthusiasm and willingness by trying foods that were completely new to them.  When asked to choose their favourite vegetable that they hadn’t tried before, spinach was the clear winner...

  In Class 2, we have had a very exciting and busy week! We were incredibly proud of the children during their sharing assembly. They spoke so bravely in front of the whole school and did a wonderful job showing all of their hard work. Thank you to all the parents who came along to support—it meant so much to the children. Alongside preparing for the assembly, we have been busy with lots of new learning. In maths, we have started exploring money. The children had great fun setting up their own shops and practising counting different coins. In science, we have begun learning about plants. Each child planted cress seeds and has been enjoying watching them grow day by day. We have also started an exciting experiment: some cress has no water, some has no soil, and some is being kept in a dark cupboard without sunlight. The children are very curious and are looking forward to discovering what will happen to each plant! It has been a fantastic week, and we are so proud of all the childre...