Gears in Motion

16th October 2026Charlie Cicero

This week in Science, Year 6 have been diving into the fascinating world of simple machines to explore how mechanisms like levers, pulleys, and gears reduce the force needed to move objects and change the direction of forces. Working collaboratively in small teams, our young engineers took a systematic approach to investigating how gears interact with one another. They set up hands-on experiments, communicated effectively and measured their results carefully to uncover how variations in gear size affect force and movement.

Through their collaborative experiments, Year 6 drew brilliant scientific conclusions about how gears function: when a smaller gear with fewer teeth turns a larger gear with more teeth, the larger gear rotates more slowly but produces significantly greater force.

Conversely, driving a smaller gear results in greater speed but less output force. We are immensely proud of Year 6’s scientific curiosity and teamwork—be sure to ask your child at home how these gear principles make pedalling a bike uphill so much easier!

Authors, illustrators and now educators!

13th October 2026Richard-David Hewitt

This half term Year 6 have created a wonderful piece of writing aimed at Year 4 children.

They were tasked with producing an informative, fun, educational and engaging information text about one of the planets in our solar system and WOW, did they rise to the challenge! The work produced was exceptional and a real credit to their hard work and pride.

Following this, the Year 4s were lucky enough to get to not only see these exceptional pieces of work, but our Year 6s sat with them, enthusiastically read them, talked through the process and expertly answered the brilliant questions posed by our Year 4s.

Both year groups were an absolute credit and it was a genuine pleasure to watch. Great work to all involved!

Year 5/6 Boys Football Champions! ⚽️

2nd October 2026Charlie Cicero

In this year’s Legacy football tournament, a team of skilled, determined ballers managed to not only win the entire competition but only concede one goal all tournament. Mr Chadwick noted the team showed humility and the sportsmanship of the group throughout the tournament, modelling out character traits whilst representing the school. Great effort, team NJS!

Danger! Danger! Circuits and Electricity!

30th September 2026Charlie Cicero

This afternoon, 6CC explored electrical circuits and used a Tea Party protocol to build their knowledge of key components and terminology. They then investigated various classroom materials to determine whether they were conductors or insulators before learning how to draw clear, scientific circuit diagrams. Well done, class!

Exploring day, night and the phases of the Moon ☀️🌑

26th September 2026Charlie Cicero

In science this week, Year 6 explored why we have day and night, as well as the fascinating reasons behind why the Moon appears to change shape in the night sky.

After investigating these cosmic phenomena, the children were amazed to discover that it is Earth’s rotation—rather than the Sun moving—that causes us to perpetually experience daytime when facing the Sun and nighttime when facing away from it. Building on this, they also investigated the lunar cycle, mapping out how the Moon’s phases are created by its orbit around Earth and the changing angles of sunlight hitting its surface.

This hands-on inquiry led to fantastic writing outcomes, with students producing detailed, accurate explanations featuring high-level scientific terminology. Who knows—we might just be raising the next generation of astronomers and scientists!

Digital Leading Experts!

10th September 2026Thomas Edwards

This morning, the children of Year 6 were lucky enough to partake in a digital workshop from ClickView! Using their IT skills, the children investigated and explored the new software and in themselves, became digital leaders! Great work, Year 6!

Y6 Crew Week = Complete!

29th August 2026Charlie Cicero

Year 6 have hit the ground running this week, throwing themselves into exploring our core character traits through a variety of hands-on tasks. Class 6CC have bonded brilliantly, and watching pupils collaborate so seamlessly across their crews has been a true highlight.

Among the pupil favorites were ‘courage charades’ and a collaborative crew graffiti project, where each child crafted an individual oil pastel piece to build a vibrant mural now displayed in the Year 5/6 corridor. Demonstrating incredible determination, the children also tackled a massive crew challenge—walking, jogging, and running laps of the field to push their collective limits. Together, they logged an average of 880 laps (66 km) per class, reaching a staggering combined total of 265 km! That is the equivalent of scaling the height of some of the world’s highest mountain peaks.

For Mrs Blunt and me, it has been wonderful getting to know the children we haven’t previously taught, while watching familiar faces continue to grow and express themselves. We are both thoroughly looking forward to the exciting year ahead with this incredible group!

Year 5/6 Netball Tournament @ Laurel Academy

27th November 2025Charlie Cicero

This afternoon, ten girls from upper school represented NJS in a netball tournament at the Laurel Academy. Across six fixtures against other schools in the Doncaster area, the girls performed well winning two games but not securing enough points to progress to the final.

For the majority of the team, it was a competitive debut in a netball team but there was great experience to hand with the likes of Olivia, Peggy, Dolly and Autumn. Standout performers include Lottie, who performed well in the final third of the court, and Katie who was fierce in the centre role, playmaking and interception passes. For both girls, it was their first time playing netball. Well done to all the girls for all their effort this afternoon, it was a pleasure to see!

The Gift of Giving

26th November 2025Helen Jenkins

After selling academic calendars from our previous expedition, Fight For Your Rights, and hosting a bake sale, Year 5 & 6 students raised over £600 to support not one, but two local food bank charities!

A huge thank you to all the parents, students, and everyone involved for making this happen. Your hard work and generosity are helping provide food for families in need within our community.