Year 2 Fundamental Skills
In Year 2 today we had a focused fundamentals skills session in which the children developed the skills of both galloping and rolling with aiming and predicting. The children first warmed up and then practised side galloping . We worked towards a moderate pace, vertical lift and with a rhythmical smooth action . Following this the children focused on rolling a ball. We used a target and the children looked at the key pints of bent legs, one handed through and release time. At the end of the session we had a Boccia style competition which the children loved.
Year 2 Junior Jam Sessions- Music, Computing and French
Year 2 are enjoying their Junior Jam sessions, In French, they've been asking and answering questions about their age and birthdays, growing in confidence with each lesson. In Music, the children have been getting creative by learning how to write a story to music, using rhyme to bring their ideas to life and add rhythm to their storytelling. In Computing, they've been exploring voice recording as a form of communication—learning how to record and share their own voice notes clearly and effectively.
Year 2 Maths
Year 2 have been working really hard in Maths this week! They’ve been focusing on numbers up to 100, practising how to place them accurately on a number line and making estimations when working with blank number lines. Today, the children have been busy comparing numbers and amounts up to 100, using the greater than (>), less than (<), and equal to (=) symbols. They’ve also been exploring the language of bigger, smaller, more, greater, less and fewer to describe and compare numbers and quantities. Fantastic effort, Year 2!
Whole School Worship - Agent Ananias
We learned about a very special mission given by God this week in worship. God directed Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, to heal Saul of his blindness and baptise him. Despite Ananias's fear due to Saul's reputation as a persecutor of Christians, he obeyed the Lord's assurance that Saul was a "chosen instrument". Ananias laid hands on Saul, restoring his sight, and then baptised him, marking his dramatic conversion from persecutor to the apostle Paul, a key figure in spreading Christianity. We reflected on what we learned from the story and the children shared their thoughts, including that we should trust God’s choices, and that everyone has the ability to change.
Year 2 Art- Clay Tiles
In today’s art lesson, Year 2 students created their own clay tiles. They began by rolling out their clay, turning it regularly to ensure a smooth, even thickness throughout. Once their slabs were ready, they carefully cut them into neat rectangular shapes. Before starting their practical work, the children were introduced to the artist Rachel Whiteread, who is known for casting everyday objects and empty spaces in materials such as plaster. They were fascinated and amazed by the idea of capturing negative space in this way, which sparked some thoughtful discussion and curiosity about how clay can be used creatively. The children then explored a range of decorative techniques. They particularly enjoyed working in relief, adding shapes to their tiles using the score and slip method. They also had fun making impressions in the clay using a variety of tools and objects, experimenting with textures and patterns. Year 2 are thoroughly enjoying their clay unit, and it’s wonderful to see their creativity and skills developing each week. We can’t wait to see the final pieces after all their hard work. Well done, Year 2!
Friday Celebration Worship
This morning, we took a moment to reflect on what has been a busy and wonderful third week of school. Our week began with a focus on God’s Big Story in Whole School Worships, where we came together to deepen our understanding. Year 6 had a fantastic time creating artwork in the Darwen Town Centre, while Years 3, 4, and 6 took part in a Let’s Go Sing Choir workshop, which has inspired even more children to sign up for our school choir. Year 5 enjoyed a Move and Learn session with BwD, and our entire school embraced the excitement of the new clubs that started this week, including Foodie Friends, Football, Fred & Pearl Craft Club, Choir, Netball, and Forest Schools. We also took time to celebrate our individual value award winners, with a huge well done to Zachary and Hollie in KS1, and Eva, Emily, Jack, and Elsie in KS2, for their dedication across the curriculum, their embodiment of our Barney’s 4Bs and Christian Values, and for spreading joy throughout the school. In addition, we were pleased to award India Mill as our Value Award winners for the second consecutive week, and Year 6 as the winners in KS2 with 100% attendance, while Reception and Year 1 in EYFS and KS1 earned recognition with a fantastic 99.3% attendance. Next, we celebrated our out-of-school achievers, including Albie for earning his 5m and 10m swimming certificates, Evie for her bravery in attending Rainbows for the first time, Alice for being awarded Cheerleader of the Week, Peyton for winning Star of the Week at gymnastics, Grace for achieving a highly commended in her recent acro exam, Charlie for being named Student of the Week at Junior Dragons Martial Arts Club, Ava for being awarded Squirrel of the Week, Mason for being runner-up in a recent darts tournament, Lyla for receiving a certificate of excellence for her gymnastics and acro talent, and Annabel for being named Star of the Week at her dance school. Finally, we ended our worship with some heartfelt prayers from Mason, Ella, and Zachary, who prayed for those affected by war and conflict, for those suffering from illnesses, and for those who don’t have enough food—especially as Harvest approaches. We also sang “Our God is a Great Big God.” A quick reminder from Mrs. Ham: Next Friday, September 26th, we’ll be hosting the Macmillan Coffee Morning. All donations will be greatly appreciated.
Year 2 RE- How Does the Bible Tell Us About God’s Big Story?
Today in our RE lesson, Year 2 explored how God’s Big Story is told in the Bible. They learned about the seven key elements of God’s Big Story, beginning with Creation and ending with the Kingdom of God. They then placed a variety of Bible stories into the correct part of the story, demonstrating a great understanding of a complex concept. Year 2 also delved into the key messages within these stories. They reflected on Jesus’ compassion and power through the miracle of feeding 5,000 people, understood the birth of Jesus as God’s way of offering help to the world, and explored the theme of second chances in stories like Jonah and the Whale. They also discussed how God does good in the world for those who trust in Him, as seen in Noah’s Ark and David and Goliath. Well done, Year 2! Keep up the great work!
Year 2 Art- Making Clay Pots
Today in their art lesson, Year 2 enjoyed making a clay pot and decorating it. In order to do this successfully, they learnt some new skills such as pinching, scoring, making and applying slip. The scoring and application of slip helped them with the process of decorating their pot. They turned out amazingly well especially for a first attempt- well done Year 2!
Year 2 Maths- Flexibly Partitioning Numbers to 100
Today in their maths lesson, Year 2 flexibly partitioned numbers to 100. They successfully used base 10 and a part-whole model to support them with this mathematical concept- well done Year 2!
Friday Celebration Worship
This morning marked our second celebration worship of the new academic year, and what an incredible week it has been! A definite highlight was the fantastic "Treasure Island" production by M&M Productions, which truly captivated our entire school. We've also enjoyed settling into our new classes, launching into new curriculums, and electing our Smart School Councillors and Well-being Warriors. We then had the pleasure of congratulating our amazing Value Award winners for this week. These children have made a fantastic start to the new academic year by consistently demonstrating Barney's 4Bs and our Christian Values, alongside working incredibly hard across the curriculum. A huge well done to Evie and Alice in KS1, and to Charlie, Scarlett, Daisy, and Brodie in KS2! We also celebrated some wonderful out-of-school achievements: Alayna for achieving grade excellence in her recent acro exam, Maggie for earning Star of the Week for super effort at gymnastics, Haydn for demonstrating great skill and sportsmanship at a holiday sports club, earning him a huge trophy!, Hendrix for achieving Squirrel of the Week, Scarlett for her impressive achievements in Netball, Sofia for earning a distinction, the highest possible grade, in musical theatre, Annabel for being a superstar on her first day at Brownies, Samuel for showing fantastic courage in his swimming lessons, Thea for being a super Rainbow and attending the Rainbows fun day, Mikey for swimming 10m, Ava for being awarded her builders badge at Squirrels, and Eleanor and Olivia for being super creative at Rainbows this week. Additionally, we recognised Reception and Year 4 for achieving our amazing attendance award this week! Well done to Reception with an impressive 99.6% and Year 4 with 98.6%. Mrs. Ham then shared some exciting events for next week: Years 3, 4, and 6 will participate in a ‘Let’s Go Sing’ concert on Monday, Year 5 will enjoy a Move and Learn session with Blackburn Rovers, and a reminder that Wednesday is School Photograph Day and we will also have our Meet the Teacher sessions. We concluded our worship with special prayers from Harry, Minnie, and Harry, who encouraged us to show respect, spread positivity at school, and consider those less fortunate, such as those without easy access to clean water. We then shared the Grace and had a lively sing-along to ‘We Can Make a Difference.’
Year 2- Minibeasts in Their Microhabitats
This afternoon in Science, Year 2 explored the definition of a microhabitat before heading out on a minibeast hunt around the school grounds. They were lucky enough to discover a wide variety of creatures! Under rocks and in the soil, they found woodlice, worms, slugs, snails, ants, and even a centipede. On tree bark, they spotted a caterpillar and some spiders, while in the flower beds they observed bees and ladybirds. Fantastic investigating, Year 2!
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Year 2 Art- Exploring Clay
Year 2 thoroughly enjoyed their art lesson this week, exploring the creative possibilities of clay. They had the opportunity to manipulate the material through rolling, flattening, pinching, and marking. They are already looking forward to our next lesson.