The Big Winter Wander
Dear Parents and Carers, We are delighted to announce that our school is taking part in The Big Winter Wander, an annual event organised by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). This challenge is a wonderful way for our children to connect with the natural world during the colder months while raising vital funds to help protect our planet and its amazing wildlife. The UK is currently one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and by joining this "wander," our pupils are helping to fund WWF’s work in restoring habitats and tackling the climate crisis. How Can Your Child Participate? The Big Winter Wander is all about getting outdoors and moving! Children can choose their own challenge and complete it in a way they enjoy most: Walking: A brisk 5k or 10k walk to spot winter wildlife like robins or snowdrops. Scootering or Biking: Clocking up the miles on wheels! Whether they complete their distance in one go or spread it out over several days, every kilometer counts. How to Donate and Share Your Progress We want to celebrate every child’s effort and see the "winter wonders" they discover along the way. Donations: Please make your contributions directly to our school fundraising page here: https://socialsync.app/fundraiser/cr-nzymxvnokwdn?currentTab=feed Track Your Miles: We encourage children to keep a log of the distances they travel. Photos & Updates: Please send details of distances achieved and any photos of your child’s wander to Mrs Wilkinson or Mrs Ham. We would love to see pictures of them in action or any wildlife they spot! Why it Matters Spending time in nature is proven to boost mental health and well-being, especially during the winter. By taking part, the children aren't just raising money; they are also learning to appreciate and protect the local environment right on their doorstep. Thank you for your continued support in helping St Barnabas make a difference for our world. Let’s wrap up warm and get wandering! Warm regards, Mrs Wilkinson
Break up for the half term holidays
Friday 13th February- We break up at the normal time for the February Spring half term holidays. Spring 2 term starts on Monday 23rd February.
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Dress to Express for Children's Mental Health Week
Our Heads and Deputies have chosen to raise awareness of Children's Mental Health during Children's Mental Health Week w/c 9th February and our Wellbeing Warriors and Year 4 be leading a special worship. They would love all children and staff to come dressed in clothes that express themselves as an individual e.g. their favourite colour, hobbies etc This year, Children's Mental Health Week is focusing on 'This is my place' We want Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 to encourage our children to embrace self-awareness and explore what it means to them. This will help them grow and develop resilience to cope with what life throws at them.
Spring 2 half term starts
Monday 23rd February: Spring 2 half term begins. Classroom doors open at 8.45am and school starts at 8.55am.
FOSB World Book Day Competition
FOSB World Book Day Competition Is your child ready to bring their favourite book character to life? To celebrate World Book Day, FOSB are hosting a special Dolly Peg Decoration Competition! We are challenging our pupils to get crafty and transform a simple wooden dolly peg into a miniature masterpiece inspired by their favourite storybook hero or villain. The Details: The Mission: Decorate a dolly peg as your favourite book character. Get Creative: Use paint, fabric, paper, yarn, or anything else you can find! Go Green: We love to see the use of recycled materials. Entry Fee: £1 per peg (payable via ParentPay). Deadline: Bring your character into school by Tuesday 3rd March. Prizes & Judging: There will be exciting prizes for the best book characters! Our winners will be decided and announced on Thursday 5th March. Whether it’s a tiny Supertato or a classic fairy tale character, we can’t wait to see what your children create. Thank you for your continued support!
West End in Schools Visit: Pinocchio Workshop and Performance
All children in school will be joining together to perform an exciting, vibrant version of the much-loved Pinocchio story to celebrate World Book Day. All of our children will work class-by-class throughout the day to explore the timeless story through dance. They will be guided by a professional dancer who will encourage them to use their creativity and imaginations, with each session tailored for the age of the children. At the end of the day, all classes who have taken part will come together to share what they have worked on, culminating in an abridged version of the story which they perform to each other, accompanied by beautiful original music and narration. Working collaboratively, the children will develop their physical literacy, creative expression and communication skills, and experience performing in a way they will never forget. A huge thank you to FOSB for funding the day.
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Reception Stay and Play
Parents and carers from our Reception class are welcome to come and join us for a stay and play session from 9.00-9.30am. Preschool children and younger siblings are also welcome to attend! We respectfully ask that only one adult attends per child due to limited space in the classroom. Thanks.
World Book Day 2026
World Book Day 2026 takes place on Thursday, 5 March 2026. As part of the National Year of Reading 2026, the celebration is bigger than ever, focusing on the joy of reading for pleasure. The theme is "Read Your Way" which encourages children to celebrate reading in a way that feels personal and fun to them. Children are invited to dress as a beloved character from any book or alternatively, children can come in their cosy pyjamas or onesies to celebrate the comfort of bedtime stories and reading for relaxation. Every child will receive a token to exchange for one of 16 special World Book Day £1 titles. Children will take part in a variety of exciting book related activities and will listen to stories throughout the day.
Reception class Mother’s Day Celebration
We would love for our Reception Mummies or special ladies to join us in Reception class for our Mother’s Day stay and play. Any Mum or special lady can attend but we are asking for just 1 per family due to space in the classroom. We hope you can join us.
Mothering Sunday Church Service
You are very welcome to join us for a special Mothering Sunday service at St Barnabas Church on Sunday 15th March at 11.00am. The children will be singing a couple of songs that we sing in school so they do not need to be part of our choir to attend and sing. This is a lovely way for our children wish their Mums a happy Mother's Day and to be able to say thank you to their mums and sing them a few songs.
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Let's go sing concert at King George's Hall!
Our choir will be taking part in a brilliant concert at Blackburn Ice Area on Wednesday 18th March. They have been busy rehearsing for months and we can't wait to see them perform!
Reception Stay and Play
Parents and carers from our Reception class are welcome to come and join us for a stay and play session from 9.00-9.30am. Preschool children and younger siblings are also welcome to attend! We respectfully ask that only one adult attends per child due to limited space in the classroom. Thanks.
Scholastic Book Fair
We will be running a scholastic book fair to celebrate World Book Day. Our book fair will be open after school 3.30-4pm from Thursday 19th March-Tuesday 24th March 2026. All books will have an additional £1 off for World Book day. You do not need to bring your £1 book token to this fair, you can use this at a participating bookstore too. Card/contactless payment will only be accepted. Thank you, Mrs Wilkinson
Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day
Everyone who has Down syndrome has three copies of the 21st chromosome. As part of World Down Syndrome Day, we invite everyone to rock their socks by wearing their brightest, funkiest socks, representing the uniqueness of every chromosome!
Reception Stay and Play
Parents and carers from our Reception class are welcome to come and join us for a stay and play session from 9.00-9.30am. Preschool children and younger siblings are also welcome to attend! We respectfully ask that only one adult attends per child due to limited space in the classroom. Thanks.
Year 4 residential trip to the Anderton Centre
Year 4 will go on a one night residential trip to the Anderton Centre on Wednesday 25th-26th March. The Anderton Centre is based in Chorley and is surrounded by woodland, water and fields. They use adventure and problem solving activities to build confidence, increase self-esteem, develop teamwork, independence, and lots of fun along the way.
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Year 5 bikeability
The Year 5 class will take part in Bikeability on Wednesday 25th March to Thursday 26th March. Further details will be shared nearer the time.
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Rocksteady Concert
Our Rocksteady Rock Bands will be performing in their second concert of this school year in front of the whole school family and parents on Wednesday 1st April at 9.05am. Please come along and show your support if your child is in Rocksteady. If you would like your child to join the Rocksteady Rock Bands, please find further information here: https://www.rocksteadymusicschool.com/parents/
Break up early for Easter holidays
Thursday 2nd April: We break up early at 2.00pm for the Easter holidays. Summer term starts on Monday 13th April.
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Easter Service
Our Easter church service will take place on Thursday 2nd April at 9.15am at St Barnabas Church. KS2 will be showcasing their Easter Artwork and our teachers will be leading the service. Amazing attendance awards will also be given out. Everybody is welcome to attend.
Summer term starts
Monday 13th April: Summer term starts. Classroom doors open at 8.45am and school starts at 8.55am.
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Year 3 Rock and River Outdoor and Adventurous trip
Year 3 will be going on a one day outdoor and adventurous trip to Rock and River in Ormskirk for Year 3 on Thursday 30th April 2026. The aim of the day is to use the outdoors to learn about themselves, others, and the environment. We want the children to try new things outside their comfort zone and explore their potential, making lifelong memories. They will be taking part in a variety of outdoor and adventurous activities such as canoeing and rock climbing.
May Day bank holiday
Monday 4th May: May Day bank holiday. School closed.
Polling Day- School Closed
Thursday 7th May 2026: School closed for polling day. Staff INSET day.
Year 5 PGL
Monday 11th- Wednesday 13th May- Year 5 will be staying at Winmarleigh Hall for their PGL residential. They will be taking part in lots of fun outdoor and adventurous activities.
Year 6 SATs week starts
Our Year 6 children will be taking their SATs assessments this week. Please click on the following link for information about SATs. https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/classes-curriculum/class-pages/year-6#tab-6632
Break up for Summer half term holidays
Friday 22nd May: Break up at the normal time for the Summer half term holidays. Summer 2 half terms begins on Monday 8th June.
Summer 2 half term starts
Monday 8th June: Summer 2 half term starts. Classroom doors open at 8.45am and school starts at 8.55am.
Year 1 Phonics Screening Checks
Year 1 will be taking part in their phonics screening check throughout the week. Miss Woods has given out phonics sheets for the children to practice the sounds at home.
Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check
The Year 4 children will be taking part in the multiplication tables check throughout the week. Please encourage your child to practise their tables throughout the half term holiday.
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Year 6 London Visit
Our Year 6 children will be spending two full days and one night in London. They will be visiting the Houses of Parliament, the Natural History Museum, the National Science Museum, watching a musical in the West End, a Thames River Cruise and will also have a guided tour of London visiting all of the famous sights. They will also be learning about the History of London at the Imperial War Museum and will compare Darwen with London as part of their Geography unit.
EYFS Father's Day Celebration
We would love our Reception children's Daddy's/special male to attend a stay and play session with their child on Wednesday 17th June 2026 from 9.00-9.30m. Only one adult per child will be allowed to enter the classroom. This is a lovely opportunity for our Daddy's/special male to spend some quality time with their child.
Sports Day
We are looking forward to our annual competitive Sports Day on Friday 190th June during National School Sports Week. The children will take part in a number of traditional races including the egg and spoon, sack race, obstacle and sprint. The Infants ( Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) will go first at 9.15am- 10.30am and then the Juniors (Years 3,4,5 and 6) at 10.45am- 12.15pm. Parents are very welcome to attend and we are hopeful that we will be able to have our Mums, Dads and toddler races too. Please bring your own chairs or picnic blankets as seating is limited. We will have a reserve date of Friday 26th June in case we are not able to go ahead with the Sports Day due to wet weather.
Transition move up day
Each class will be moving up into their new classroom and will meet their new teachers. Year 6 children will also be at their high school transition days and the new Reception children will visit our school for a stay and play session.
Year 6 Leavers Production
Our Year 6 class will proudly present their leavers production on Tuesday 7th July at 6.00pm. Each family will be give 4 tickets.
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Rocksteady Concert
Our Rocksteady Rock Bands will be performing in their final concert of this school year in front of the whole school family and parents on Wednesday 8th July at 9.05am. Please come along and show your support if your child is in Rocksteady. If you would like your child to join the Rocksteady Rock Bands, please find further information here: https://www.rocksteadymusicschool.com/parents/
End of Year Awards Ceremony
On Friday 10th July at 9.05am we will have our end of year awards for classes Reception-Year 5. Each class teacher will present a star of the year, a progress award and a children's champion. Parents of children receiving awards will be sent an invitation via class dojo. End of year 'amazing attendance' awards will also be presented to the children who have 96% and over attendance for the whole year.
Break up early for Summer holidays
Friday 17th July: Break up early at 2.00pm for the Summer holidays. Wishing you all a wonderful Summer holiday!
Year 6 Leavers Service in church
You are very welcome to join us for our Year 6 leavers service in our church from 9.15am.
INSET day- teacher training
Monday 20th July & Tuesday 21st July 2026- School staff training days. School closed for children.
Autumn term starts
Autumn term starts on Wednesday 2nd September. Classroom doors open at 8.45am and school starts at 8.55am.