Mad Science Assembly-Going for Gold with Scientific Erica
Today, our students were treated to a spectacular, high-energy show by "Scientific Erica" from Mad Science. From Olympic-themed fire demonstrations to using gas to inflate giant balloons, the room was filled with "wow" moments and non-stop laughter. Under the expert supervision of Erica, a trained professional in chemical and fire safety, the children stepped into the role of scientists, making predictions and testing their theories in real-time. It was a memorable day that proved science is as much fun as it is educational! A special shout-out goes to our Science Ambassadors, who were a fantastic help throughout the event. Children in Years 1-4 have been given a letter with information about a Mad Science after school club next half term. It starts 13th April with new topics. Deadline date to register is 03.03.26. First come, first served. https://northengland.madscience.org/signin.aspx?successURL=%2fmyschedule
World Book Day
Good afternoon, World Book Day 2026 takes place next 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. Thank you for your support. Mrs Wilkinson
Reception - The Sower and the seeds Parable
Today we learnt from the The Sower and the Seeds Parable. We talked about the hidden lesson and how the seeds are our ideas, and our minds and our hearts are the ‘good’ soil if we listen and learn. We can learn about God and then tell stories about him to others.
Year 3- P.E- Showing Determination in Sport
Today in P.E. we focused on our Invasion Games unit by practising our handball skills and focusing on our character value of Determination. We began by modeling and practising how to send and receive a ball using both a one-handed pass and a bounce pass. To perform these successfully, we followed specific techniques. When receiving, we kept our eyes on the ball and held our hands in a "W" shape to safely bring the ball in. In groups of 4 or 5, we stood in a semi-circle and practiced "Pepper Pot". One child acted as the leader, passing to each classmate in turn, who then passed the ball back. We rotated roles so everyone had a chance to practice both one-handed and bounce passes.
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B Team Football Festival
A huge well done to the B Team football squad who competed in a fantastic festival, playing against lots of schools across Blackburn and Darwen. The team played amazingly well, winning a variety of competitive games and showing great teamwork, determination and sportsmanship throughout. You all represented the school brilliantly – we are incredibly proud of your effort and attitude.
Year 5 - English
Having completed our persuasive letters promoting Fair Trade products, the children had the opportunity to read their letters out loud. The aim was to be as persuasive as possible, using techniques learned from famous speeches of Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King. The children considered how language choice, repetition, pauses, volume and body language can engage an audience and convince people of your argument.
Collective Worship: Lent
It was wonderful to meet together as a school family again this morning after our half term break. We looked back on the joy of sharing pancakes together, while acknowledging the deeper significance of that celebration: the arrival of Lent. We explored the origins of this holy season, remembering how Jesus walked through the desert for forty days and forty nights. During this time, He gave up everything (going without food or water) to simplify His life and feel closer to God. Today, Christians follow this example by choosing to give up something special. Many of us shared that we are choosing to fast from treats like chocolate, sweets, crisps, or juice, while others are focusing on being mindful of their spending. However, Lent is not only about what we take away, but also about what we can give back to the world. We discussed how we can offer our efforts to protect God’s creation by saving water, using less plastic and conserving electricity. We also spoke about the power of small, intentional acts of grace, such as showing respect to animals, offering a warm smile and spreading joy wherever we go. Our "Kindness Kite" recently took had a focus on speaking kind words to one another. This led us to reflect on the nature of God’s love. Using words like colossal, mammoth, immense, and ginormous, we described God’s vast love which is everywhere, surrounding us at all times. Mason and Darcy then read this week's kindness kite which is 'kindness within our community'. We defined our community as the places we go, the people around us, and the gatherings we share. They read the following Bible quotes: "Be happy with those who are happy and be sad with those who are sad." This reminds us to show true empathy, to sit with others in their time of need and offer comfort. We also committed to the call to "love each other like brothers and sisters," acknowledging that while we may occasionally fall out, we are called to love everyone regardless. Finally, we celebrated the wonderful ways our school has already shown kindness to our wider community. We remembered the RotaKids collecting teddies for refugees, the Year 1 hampers delivered at Christmas, our collective effort in planting trees for the environment and our participation in the Big Winter Wander. We closed our worship in a moment of quiet reflection and prayer, asking for the strength to remain kind throughout the weeks of Lent.
Year 1 English: Enjoying Traditional Rhymes
Today, we enjoyed a variety of different traditional rhymes. In groups, the children had to look at the clues around the room and sing the traditional rhyme to match. We sang Humpty Dumpty, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Five Little Ducks and Incy Wincy Spider. We noticed that traditional rhymes all have rhyming words, repetition and should be sung. Finally, we annotated Five Little Ducks.
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Year 5 - Science
We continued our topic of Space by exploring why the Moon appears as different shapes and sizes in the night sky. The children revisited core concepts such as how the Earth rotates on its axis and how the Moon orbits the Earth. Combining these ideas with the light from the Sun, the children were able to understand how the different phases of the Moon emerge. We worked in groups to simulate the solar system using torches and table tennis balls, allowing children to see the phases in real time.
Year 1 History: Our Favourite Toys
Today, we started our new topic in History: toys from the past. We started by bringing in our favourite toys from home and comparing these to pictures of old toys such as a ball and cup and wooden rocking horse. We noticed that our toys are mainly plastic and fabric materials. Then, we wrote about our favourite toys and shared them with each other to play together.
Year 3- Science- An Investigation into Igneous Rock Formation
Today, the children stepped into the roles of geologists to explore the fiery origins of igneous rocks. We began by investigating how magma (molten rock) from beneath the Earth's surface transforms into solid rock through cooling and the formation of crystals. The class compared intrusive igneous rocks, which cool slowly underground to form large crystals, with extrusive igneous rocks, which cool rapidly on the surface. To see this in action, we conducted two "delicious" experiments: first, we poured a hot chocolate and coconut oil mixture over ice to mimic the instant cooling of obsidian, resulting in a smooth, glass-like finish. Next, we created "honeycomb" rock by adding bicarbonate of soda to a hot sugar syrup; as the mixture foamily solidified, it trapped gas bubbles inside, perfectly demonstrating the porous, lightweight texture of pumice. Through these hands-on models, the children successfully reported on how temperature and trapped gases dictate the appearance and physical properties of the rocks we see on Earth today.
Year 5 - Growing Our Future
Year 5 visited Jacks Key to contribute to a new micro forest in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire County Council Treescapes. Even though the weather was inclement and the ground was muddy, the children embraced the opportunity to get their hands dirty and plant our trees. It was also a great way to support our mental health and wellbeing for Children's Mental Health Week. We cannot wait to see how it grows!