Year 3 Celebrating Earth Day 2026
To celebrate Earth Day, the children came to school dressed in earth colours like green, blue, and brown. It was a wonderful way to show our respect for the planet! Throughout the day, we took part in some fantastic hands-on activities. First, we made wooden coasters representing the Earth. For this project, we used recycled wooden wheels because using reclaimed materials helps us protect our forests and reduces waste, which is exactly what Earth Day is all about. The children also took part in planting sunflower seeds. This was a particular highlight because it gave everyone a chance to get their hands in the soil and connect with nature. They especially enjoyed the feeling of responsibility that comes with nurturing a living thing. These sunflowers will be very useful for our Science topic next half-term, as the children are starting their plant diaries this week to track how their seedlings grow.
Year 3 - Earth Day 2026- Pobble Live Writing Session
We joined a very special live session with Pobble, where the children produced some amazing writing. The story starter was very exciting: the Earth itself had landed right in our school yard! The children wrote about the Earth whispering a powerful question to them: "What are you doing to protect me?" It was a fantastic way to use our imagination to think about important environmental issues.
Year 4 - Earth Day
To celebrate Earth Day, Year 4 took part in a live English lesson via Zoom which was centred on crafting a story called ‘The Day the Earth Spoke’. The children were given the beginning of the story and were tasked to continue it, considering what the Earth asked when it spoke, why it asked and then what action the character would do to help the Earth. The children were presented with lots of prompts and ideas and they were given time to collaborate with their partners to discuss a range of climate issues before choosing which they would use to develop their story. The class fully embraced this challenge and created some very thought-provoking pieces of writing.
Whole School Worship- Earth Day 2026: Our Power, Our Planet
Today, Mrs Ham led an inspiring whole-school worship focused on Earth Day 2026, which is tomorrow, and our theme, 'Our Power, Our Planet. We explored essential ways to care for our environment, from the importance of recycling and saving water to the impact of planting trees. During the session, the children demonstrated fantastic oral speaking and oracy skills as they discussed their personal pledges with their peers, articulating how they plan to help the environment, not just on Earth Day, but every day! We heard some wonderful stories: Luna spoke about her time picking up litter on holiday in Greece, while Alfie shared that it is an act of kindness to pick up rubbish even if it isn't your own. Jonas also reminded our budding Planet Protectors to wear green for the land and blue for the sea tomorrow to celebrate Earth Day. From planting trees at home to helping grandparents with local litter picks, the children’s ideas were truly inspiring. We also reflected on our efforts as a school family in protecting our planet over the last few months such as planting a microforest at Jacks Key, planting two orchards on our school grounds, our WOW group's pick up dog poo campaign, our Rotakids recycling teddies and winter coats for those in need and focusing on switching off lights and devices. We concluded by singing, 'We Can Make a Difference', and offering a prayer of thanks for our wonderful world, reflecting on how we can all work together to protect our precious planet.
Craft Club
Today at Craft Club we made posters to show our love for our planet! With it being Earth Day week, we each made an “Earth” and made hands and a heart to signify the love that we should show our planet, finished off with a starry sky. Next weeks theme is In the Garden and there are still spaces available if you’d like to book on!
Whole School Worship - God’s Green Earth
As we approach the end of Lent, Mrs Ham led a special worship to celebrate all the efforts our school community has made to give back by looking after our local area and beyond. We couldn’t believe just how much we’ve all achieved in 2026 so far. Some key actions include: Reception class earning the Ruby Robin Award through building bug hotels, spotting birds and taking part in a wildlife quiz; our collective Big Winter Wander to raise money for the World Fund For Nature; our whole-school tree planting day on Jack’s Key; the WOW group planting two community orchards on school grounds; Mr Fairbanks building bird boxes and placing them around school; the Rota Kids collecting pre-loved teddies and coats for charity; the WOW group creating posters about the community poo bag dispenser located outside school, and putting them up all around the local area; and some of our children and parents choosing to go litter picking to help keep our streets clean. We have much more planned for the future, so keep a lookout for our next initiative. We ended our worship with prayers of thanks for God’s creations and singing one of our favourite Fischy Music songs: Make A Difference. Key Stage 2 stayed behind to hear the winners of the March TT Rockstars battle. A huge well done to the winning classes, Years 3 and 6, and to our class champions: Charlie, Charlie, Isabella and Isabelle.
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Wow Group: Tree Planting
What a fantastic afternoon our WOW group had on our school grounds! They had a wonderful time planting a brand-new orchard across two different areas of the school- next to the MUGA and next to our infant yard. We added a variety of plum, apple, and pear trees to our landscape, and it was a great learning experience for everyone involved. Ian and Aileen joined us to explain the life cycle of the trees, teaching the children how they will first burst into blossom during the spring and early summer. They learned that once those flowers are pollinated, they will begin the transformation into delicious fruit, just in time for the start of the autumn term. WOW group really got stuck into the hard work, digging the holes, positioning the trees, and carefully installing guards and stakes to keep them secure. It was a joy to see them working so well as a team, showing great care for our new environment. We are all really looking forward to watching these trees grow over the coming years, and we certainly can’t wait to eventually taste the fruits of our labour!
Year 3- Food Technology- Exploring Seasonal Food
This afternoon, we explored the world of seasonal eating and discovered where our food actually comes from. We learned that while supermarkets provide us with a huge variety of ingredients year-round, importing food from overseas can lead to a larger carbon footprint and increased waste. By choosing to eat food that is in season in the UK, like summer strawberries or autumn pumpkins, we can support our local farmers and help protect the environment. Using our UK seasonal food wheels, we identified which crops flourish in our temperate climate. This knowledge will be essential over the next few weeks as we begin to design and bake our very own seasonal tarts.
Enough is Enough: Help Us Keep Our Pavements Poo-Free!
Enough is Enough: Help Us Keep Our Pavements Poo-Free! At St Barnabas CE Primary Academy, our children are fed up. No child should have to start their school day playing a game of "dodge the dog poo" just to get through the school gates. Our students have decided to take action! They’ve been busy creating eye-catching posters to remind dog owners of their responsibilities, and we’re making it easier than ever to keep our local area clean. * No Poo Bag? No Problem! * We know sometimes you just forget a bag. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our parents who own The Animal Garden, we now have a permanent poo bag dispenser installed outside the school! They have kindly committed to keeping it regularly stocked, so there are no excuses left for leaving a mess behind. * A Sparkling Clean Start * A massive shout-out to GJB for their amazing community spirit! They’ve spent time power washing and sanitising our pavements for free, clearing away the stains so our children can walk to school without bringing "surprises" home on their shoes. Thank you for making our entrance feel fresh again! * A Friendly Warning * We love our local dogs, but we need owners to step up. Just last week, a huge mess was left directly in front of our school gate—only 2 metres from a bin and right underneath a fine warning sign! Please be aware that we are carefully monitoring our CCTV for offenders. Let’s work together to keep our community a clean, safe, and hygienic place for our children to learn and play. Thank you to our amazing community for helping us keep our pavements poo-free! #StBarnabasAcademy #CleanStreets #CommunityAction #PickUpAfterYourDog #TheAnimalGarden #GJB
Reception - PSHE - Looking after our school community
Today in our PSHE lesson we talked about our school community, how we can look after it and why it’s important. The children came up with some great ideas how we can keep our school, clean, tidy and safe. We had special team leaders who did a great job ensuring their teams and areas were tidy.
The Big Winter Wander
Good morning, A huge thank you to those who have taken part in The Big Winter Wander, an annual event organised by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). This challenge has been 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. It is not too late to take part and what a great way to give something this Lent. We would love 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 A special thank you to Lyla who has made our first donation! 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! Remember, 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. Thank you, Mrs Wilkinson
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!