Cross Country Trials
Today we held cross country trials for years 3-6. We had a super turn out and every single child that took part tried really hard and pushed themselves out of their comfort zones. The ground was wet which made it even harder but this didn’t deter our super stars. Well done to everyone and a big thanks to our Year 6 Marshalls and sports leaders.
Year 5 - French
In French, the children revisited French vocabulary for different types of weather, days of the week and seasons of the year. The children then practised the vocabulary by reading and translating before speaking out loud. This was then combined with vocabulary from previous lessons to make expressive phrases relating to likes, dislikes and hobbies. The children’s work was tres bien.
Year 5 - PSHE
In PSHE, we explored how children can be assertive in their friendships so that they can keep themselves safe. We discussed the difference between being too passive and too aggressive, with assertiveness being a middle ground. We role played how to be assertive by using politeness humour and problem solving to maintain friendships while also establishing clear boundaries.
Year 5 - English
Our new topic in English is narrative poetry and we are starting to learn the poem The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. We analysed its structure and use of figurative language such as metaphors and repetition before performing the poem with our own physical actions. Such movements help the children memorise the lines and help make English lessons fun and engaging.
.jpeg)
Year 5 - Art
The children planned and produced their imaginative interaction installations using a wide variety of materials and light sources. The pieces were inspired by a range of real world issues such as plastic pollution, the raw power of volcanic activity and the exploration of space. Children worked together in groups and showed great teamwork, proactively solving problems with conversation and compromise.
Year 5 - Science: Rusting
Year 5 continued learning about chemical reactions by exploring rusting: the reaction between iron, water and oxygen to produce a new substance. The children defined rusting and corrosion before starting an experiment to see how the reaction can be sped up using saltwater or slowed down using painted iron.
Year 5 - Hello Yellow Day
Year 5 celebrated Hello Yellow Day by wearing our own yellow clothes. We defined what the term ‘mental health’ means before reflecting on what positive mental health looks like and the many different ways it can be managed. This included a mindfulness colouring session.
Friday Celebration Worship and Hello Yellow Day
This morning, we enjoyed an extra special celebration worship to mark ‘Hello Yellow’ Day for World Mental Health Day. We began by exploring the range of emotions we all experience and discussed ways to lift our spirits when we're feeling down, with thoughtful suggestions like listening to favourite music, taking deep breaths, watching a funny film, reading a book, singing wholeheartedly, having a cuddle, or counting to ten. To boost our mood even further, we had a joyful singalong to Golden by K-pop and lit candles to pray for those facing mental health challenges. We then celebrated our Value Award winners across the school—well done to Coban, Reggie, Olly and Percy in EYFS and KS1, and to Harry, Olivia, Carter and Jenson in KS2—for their outstanding attitudes to learning and for consistently demonstrating our Barney’s 4Bs. Congratulations also to India Mill for being our overall Value Award winners with an impressive 979 points, as well as to EYFS and Year 2 for 100% attendance in the infants and Year 3 for an excellent 99.3% in the juniors. Mrs Ham shared the fantastic news that we had 100% attendance across the whole school on Tuesday. We also celebrated the achievements of our pupils beyond the classroom—well done to Mason for swimming 5m, Chester for earning ‘Player of the Week’ as a goalkeeper at Darwen FC, Phoebe for her wonderful dancing, Callie for her gymnastics skills, Callie and Alice for completing the Summer Reading Challenge, Grace for excelling in a recent dance competition with acro, song and dance, classical and her own choreography, Harry for achieving his yellow belt in kickboxing, Thea for being named Star of the Week in gymnastics, Scarlett for being a superstar netballer and earning Player of the Match, Willow for achieving her Puffin award in swimming and Star of the Week in gymnastics, and Eleanor for earning her Stage 4 in swimming, her recycling badge at Rainbows and completing the Summer Reading Challenge. A huge congratulations also went to our brilliant Year 4/5 Girls Football Squad for their outstanding performance in the Girls DPSSA Football League, and to the group of eight Year 2 children who represented our school so brilliantly in the Key Stage 1 Multi Skills Festival. To finish our worship, Mrs Ham reminded us of the upcoming Harvest Family Service at St Barnabas Church this Sunday at 11am, and how we hope to see as many of our children there as possible for a joyful Harvest singalong. We are also proud to be supporting Year 5 and the Rotakids in their campaign to collect as many shoeboxes as possible filled with essentials for local refugees and The Bishop's Harvest Appeal 2025—please see Class Dojo for further information.
DPSSA Girls Football
Our St Barnabas girls’ team did amazingly well today! They showed great teamwork and determination, earning hard-fought draws against St James’ Lower Darwen and St Cuthbert’s, before securing a fantastic 1–0 win against St Paul’s. We’re so proud of their effort, skill and sportsmanship throughout the matches.
Year 5 - Music
In music, Year 5 listened to reggae music in order to develop their critical analysis. Then they developed their songwriting and composing skills on the glockenspiel before performing their music to the class.
.jpeg)
Year 5 - RE
In RE, we explored the Jewish sacred text called the Torah. We discussed the role that the Torah plays in worship at the synagogue and how it compares and contrasts to the Christian Bible. The children then wrote their names in Hebrew and we placed spiritual words on our prayer tree.
Year 5 - PE
In cricket, we continued to develop our overarm bowling ensuring our delivery is accurate and consistent. For batting, the children learned how to hold the bat, watch the ball and take a stride towards the ball. Despite the heavy rain, the children still worked hard in the hall to improve their skills.