PSHE Online Safety in Year 4
As part of our online safety, we looked at the use of instagram and the positive and negative impact it has on our mental health. The children discussed reasons for why the social media platform has an age restriction of 13 years old and the importance of keeping safe online. As a class we agreed that the age restriction is definitely a huge positive. The children then went on to highlight their key reasons for their positives and negatives, using voice 21 strategies to agree and disagree with their peers.
Hockey - Progressive Sports Final Session
We had our final hockey session with Progressive Sports on Friday and the children demonstrated all of their amazing hockey skills that they have been working on over the past six weeks. From various passing skills to dribbling and tactics, every single child has made great progress. The children finished with game challenges and have really enjoyed working individually and in smaller groups to perfect their skills. A huge thanks to Progressive Sports for providing specialist hockey coaching and teacher CPD. We look forward to working with them again soon!
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Whole School Science Boffin Show- A Whirlwind of Scientific Wonders
The whole school was treated to an unforgettable science show today, delivered by the amazing Science Boffin Katja. Katja started with demonstrating the incredible power of polymers with slush powder, turning liquid into gel. The highlight for many was the "Elephant Toothpaste" experiment, which created a mountain of foam in seconds! This spectacular display showcased an exothermic reaction in a way that truly captured everyone's attention. Katja also explained the essential Fire Triangle (fuel, heat, and oxygen) and demonstrated a controlled fire experiment, teaching us about the science behind combustion. The wonders of air pressure and fluid dynamics were unveiled with a mesmerising demonstration using a hairdryer, balloons, and a foam ball. By generating a powerful column of air, Katja made the objects appear to float, illustrating Bernoulli's principle and leaving students amazed. Naomi, our science Ambassador assisted Katja with this. The latex glove was used in more than one experiment, and was used to show how gases expand. Katja, with Miss Wilkinson's assistance, demonstrated the dramatic effects of gas production using a simple latex glove. As the chemical reaction progressed, the increasing carbon dioxide within the glove caused a noticeable pressure build-up, inflating it and making it firm to the touch. Latex, being inherently limited in its ability to withstand extreme pressure, would stretch beyond its elastic capacity. This continuous stretching, coupled with the weakening effects of the reaction's byproducts and moisture, would eventually lead to the glove becoming brittle and 'crumbling,' visually illustrating the material's breakdown under the stress of the expanding gas.Now, 'Henry' the glove has taken up residence in our school. Science ambassador Noah and Poppy, with a gas blower, demonstrated a captivating toilet roll trick, visually illustrating Bernoulli's principle; by directing a powerful airflow through the center of the suspended toilet roll, they created a region of low pressure, causing the surrounding higher-pressure air to stabilize the roll within the airstream, leaving the children amazed at how the roll appeared to defy gravity. The show sparked a flurry of brilliant questions from our inquisitive students, including Leonora, Elijah, Mason, and Darcy. Their thoughtful inquiries were a testament to their genuine love of learning and the power of hands-on science, truly living life in all its fullness through exploration and discovery. A huge thank you to Science Boffin Katja for bringing science to life in such an engaging and memorable way!
DPSSA Y5/6 Cross Country at Witton
This evening we attended the Darwen Primary Schools Year 5/6 Cross Country event at Witton Park. Team B were amazing and really pushed themselves on an extremely long and tough course. We came away with some wonderful placing and really represented our school showing determination, encouraging others and respect to everyone involved. Well done to all of the children and thanks to all of our parents for their continued support.
Completed Torches in our Electrical Systems Torch Design Unit
In the second part of our DT lesson, we added the circuits to the casing ( water bottles) and fixed these together securely, ensuring that the switch was still in working order. Throughout this unit the children have worked extremely hard to develop their subject knowledge about electrical systems including identifying electrical products and explaining why they are useful, making a working switch, identifying the features of a torch and creating and designing a functioning torch. Following the testing of each design, we will now move on to evaluating the success of a final product.
Year 6- Going Underground
Our Year 6 children have loved travelling around London on the underground tube and escalators. We were so impressed with the way they sensibly and safely walked through the hoards of people commuting to work or sightseeing. They loved it when the tubes set off and stopped and they made sure they held on tight or else they would have gone flying through the carriage! They showed lots of respect to members of the public and used wonderful manners to the guards who let us through the gates.
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Year 6- Thames River Cruise
Our Year 6 children enjoyed seeing some of the famous sights of London from the River Thames. They also learnt about the history of the buildings from our tour guide. Can you spot any you know? All of the Year 6 London trip photos can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-6-london-trip-2025
Year 6- Food, glorious food!
Year 6 have shared some lovely meal times together in London in parks, restaurants and the hotel. They have enjoyed sampling a variety of food and have focused on their table manners and etiquette. They have had a buffet meal at Pizza Hut, a breakfast buffet at our Premier Inn Hotel, a meal at McDonalds and two picnics. We are so proud of the way they respected the members of the public, who were also dining alongside them. They also showed great independence skills by helping themselves to some of their buffet meals and clearing away their rubbish. They have also developed their conversational skills before moving on to high school. Well done Year 6!
Year 6- Imperial War Museum
In History this term, Year 6 have been learning all about the Second World War and the part that Darwen played in it. It has been wonderful to visit the Imperial War Museum to learn more about the Second World War and the part that London played in it and contrast this to Darwen’s involvement. All of the Year 6 London trip photos can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-6-london-trip-2025
Year 6- Graffiti Tunnel
We had a great time appreciating the graffiti art in Leake Street tunnel and we got to create our own graffiti art. Earlier on this year we looked at graffiti art in our Art unit so it was great to be able to apply the skills we learnt. All of the Year 6 London trip photos can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-6-london-trip-2025
Year 6- Houses of Parliament
Our Year 6 class were so fortunate to be able to visit the Houses of Parliament to learn all about our British Values and in particular, democracy and the rule of law. We had a tour and watched a live debate in the House of Commons. The Foreign Secretary David Lammy also gave an announcement. We visited Westminster Hall, which we recognised from seeing on the news when the Queen was lying in State after her sad death. We then took part in a workshop about how laws are created and we learnt all about Parliament and the houses of Commons and Lords through a fun activities. We also got to explore democracy through voting and debating. Finally we were visited by our local Member of Parliament, Andy McNae and had a great question and answer session. We are so proud of the thoughtful questions the children asked him. We are sure that we have a few future MPs amongst our Year 6 class!
Reception Firefighter visit
Today the Fire Service visited our Reception classroom to talk about how they help to keep us and the community safe. Lee reminded us that we must check our smoke alarms as they are the best way to keep us safe at home. He also told us about the different ways they help in emergencies, from putting out fires to rescuing trapped animals. He showed us their special uniform and the tools they need to perform their jobs. We then had a look at the fire engine and even experienced a quick shower from the very powerful fire hose. A big thank you to Darwen Fire Service for a brilliant morning.