Year 4- Why was the Roman army so successful ?
The focus of our history lesson today was to find out why the Roman army was so successful. We looked at why the Romans needed a powerful army, identifying the equipment of a Roman soldier and Roman fighting formations. We learnt lots of new things including; that the Romans had the largest fighting force in the ancient world, they were the best trained, had the best weapons and were so good that even when they fought against armies that were ten times their size, they still won!
Year 4 PSHE - How do we treat each other with respect?
In our PSHE sessions we are focusing on ‘Valuing Difference’. This week we shared different scenarios about how we would deal with aggressive behaviour. The children learned how to recognise potential consequences of aggressive behaviour and suggested how to deal with someone who is displaying this. They showed super communication skillls and discussed conflict resolution and diversity.
Year 3 - PSHE-Odd Socks Day for Anti-Bullying Week
Today, our school celebrated our unique differences by wearing odd socks to launch anti-bullying week! Year 3 joined the live assembly in class, where we learned about the importance of kindness, respect, and a future without bullying. The assembly shared inspiring messages, guest speakers, and interactive activities where children had to discuss scenarios and develop solutions in pairs. This follows from our school worship led by Mrs. Ham, where we explored similar themes.
Year 4 - How did Britons respond to the Roman invasion?
In our history lesson, we continued to focus on Roman Britain. Today we were introduced to Queen Boudicca who was Queen of the Iceni Tribe when the Romans invaded. We shared both primary and secondary sources, discussing how these portrayed Boudicca in different ways. To finish the lesson we created visual representations of Queen Boudicca.
Year 3- Class Worship- Hopes and Dreams
Today in our class worship, we learned about the incredible achievements of Adriana Brownlee, the youngest woman to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks. We then reflected on our hopes and dreams, both individually and as a class. We discussed the Bible's message of God's love, strength, and guidance, and how these principles can help us to pursue our aspirations. Lyla then read the prayer to the class: Thank God for always being there as we journey through life and giving us hope for the future as we learn and grow. Amen
Year 4 DT - Seasonal Stockings
In our DT session this week we started our Seasonal Stockings . We focused on visual appeal and function. The children looked at lots of sample stockings , identifying which designs they preferred and why. We also highlighted different types of stitching and which is most suitable for their stocking for durability. We also gave the children time to select their felt colours for their design so we can begin to cut out the templates and create our own designs.
Year 6 - PSHE
In PSHE, Year 6 continued their work on relationships. They found out that sometimes we encounter challenges in friendships and that we need to try our best to resolve those challenges. Year 6 provided some fantastic examples of advice and I was extremely impressed by the levels of maturity.
Year 4- Why did the Romans invade Britain?
Today we started our new history unit ‘Romans in Britain’. We looked at what an invasion is and explored vocabulary such as empire, celts, enslaved and chronology. The children highlighted key dates on a timeline from 55BC when Julius Caesar unsuccessfully invaded Britain, right up to AD 410 when the Roman army left. Finally we looked at the key reasons for the Romans wanting to invade Britain which included sourcing metals, natural resources and better farmland.
Year 6 - Maths
Today, Year 6 focused on the ability to be flexible in maths and were encouraged to try out different mental strategies to find one that suits them. We discussed that we can often revert back to strategies that we feel comfortable with, but sometimes, if we step out of our comfort zone, we can discover more efficient ways of completing a task. It was great to see plenty of mathematical talk! Well done year 6!
Year 4 Maths - collecting and presenting data
In our maths lessons this week we have been focusing on statics. Today the children collected various data including favourite colours and fruits, tallying their results. Following this they then created their own pictograms and bar charts.
Barney’s Break Time Snack Rules
In our Wellbeing Warrior meeting today, the children discussed what should and what shouldn’t be included in our break time snacks as we have had quite a few questions about this from both parents and children. After looking at national guidance and a healthy balanced diet, the wellbeing warriors have decided that the following foods can be brought in for a break time snack: Fruit - fresh/dry Vegetables Frubes ( tube yoghurt) Cheese ( babybel or similar) Plain /yoghurt covered rice cakes Breadsticks Crackers/cracker bread Items that we would like children NOT to bring in: Any chocolate coated items Cereal bars Nuts Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive a free piece of fruit each day. Thank you for your support and understanding. This will begin on our return after half term. If there are any medical conditions that require other items, class teachers and staff will use their discretion. Have a lovely weekend. The Wellbeing Warriors
Year 6 - Hello Yellow Day
Year 6 celebrated ‘Hello Yellow Day’ by exploring ways in which they can make themselves feel better if they are going through a tough time. We discussed that an effective strategy is to take the time to think about how great we are as an individual. To highlight this, we designed badges containing words and symbols. It was great to see the children celebrating what makes them great and focusing on the positives as it is sometimes hard to pay ourselves compliments.
Year 3- Class Worship- Celebrating Black History
During our class worship, we honoured Black History Month by exploring the remarkable life of Olaudah Equiano. Once enslaved, Equiano overcame extraordinary challenges to become a prominent abolitionist. We also celebrated the achievements of Nigel Clarke, a pioneering Black footballer, and Betty Campbell, the first Black headteacher in Wales. As we reflected on their inspiring stories, some children shared their aspirations and dreams, such as footballers, teachers, hairdressers and a doctor. We also discussed the resilience and determination it takes to overcome adversity, drawing inspiration from Betty Campbell's journey. We thanked God for providing us with opportunities for education, sports, and loving families.
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Year 3- PSHE-How can we solve this problem?
In our PSHE lesson, I shared a scenario where a close friend's big birthday celebration is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I've been invited. However, another family member has arranged a trip to the seaside for the same weekend, inviting many of the same people. Neither knew the other had planned something and when they found out, they got into a big argument, shouting at each other and storming off. Now, they’re not speaking, and it’s caused a lot of tension. We discussed how they might have felt, why they argued, and how shouting didn't help the situation. Year 3 came up with some brilliant solutions to solve the problem. They suggested that one way to fix the situation could be for one person to change the event date so that everyone could attend both the birthday party and the seaside trip without a clash. Another idea was to have a joint celebration, where everyone could come together for one big event that includes the birthday and the trip. Some children even suggested talking calmly and finding a compromise to make both people happy, rather than arguing and storming off. We also discussed how important it is to think about other people’s feelings and find a solution that’s fair for everyone involved. We also looked at an online safety poster about Instagram. The children shared what they like to watch and post online, and some were surprised to learn about the age restrictions. Many didn’t know that Instagram has a minimum age requirement of 13 years old. We talked about why these restrictions are in place, such as to protect young people from inappropriate content and ensure their safety online. The children were able to understand that being careful about what they watch, post, and share is really important, and we discussed how some online spaces might not always be safe for younger users.
Year 3- Smart School Council- Act Of Kindness
Year 3 kicked off their first class meeting organised by the school communication team today. Bobby-Ray took the lead role and Cassidy supported by taking notes. In small groups, Year 3 discussed which act of kindness they think is the most important in school. The children found it quite challenging to narrow it down to one vote because they felt it was important to share kindness all the time. However, supporting an adult around school got the most votes.
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Year 4 Picture News Big Celebration Assembly
This morning we got the chance to take part in a virtual Picture News Big Celebration Assembly. We started with a picture which we had previously looked at in our class worship on Wednesday which showed the volunteers that had come together to clean up after the recent riots. We linked this to how we serve our school community and discussed British values. We always make sure that we welcome our community by showing our 4 B’s. Following this we heard from Boston St Nicholas School in Lincolnshire who highlighted how we can shine our light in so many different ways . It was lovely to share this special time to reflect and pray and we look forward to highlighting how we really do matter within our special school community.
Year 3- Collective Worship- What makes a good friend?
During our class worship, Year 3 discussed the qualities of friendship. The children suggested someone you can trust, humble, caring, understanding, kind, encourager, supportive and someone who enjoys hanging out with you. We then watched a short clip inspired by singer, Taylor Swift, who is in the midst of her world tour, one superfan, Devon, has made hundreds of friendship bracelets to donate to people in care homes. She hopes to inspire all generations to get involved in the bracelet craze. We discussed that everyone is different so the friendships we choose are different too. It might be that people have similar hobbies, beliefs, or values that make them friends. The Bible teaches us many things about friendships and being a good friend. We also thanked God for all our wonderful friendships and how God helps us show love through kindness, patience, honesty and forgiveness.
English- Year 3- Refugees from Sudan and Libya
Today in Year 3, we welcomed two refugees. Zinab from Libya and Samah from Sudan. They both had to leave their families because it was not safe in their countries. Zinab and Samah told us about their struggles and worries about fitting in here in the UK. They were very grateful to the UK for providing them with housing and support. They also reminded us to be thankful that we don't have wars, and that we have safe places to stay and food to eat. The question and answer session helped the children understand the challenges refugees face, which they could then portray in their writing.
Year 4 Class Worship - Is it fair to judge others based on first impressions?
In our class worship this morning we used Picture News and looked at if it is fair to judge others based on first impressions? We discussed the all girls football team from Bournemouth who were undefeated all season in a league dominated by boys. We shared our ambitions and goals with each other and looked at how we can exceed expectations.
Year 4 History - Extracting and Interpreting information from Viking Artefacts
As part of our final history lesson, we looked at how we can make observations about artefacts and how to deduce information about Viking life. The children worked hard to complete knowledge tables on what the artefact was, what it was made from and what it could have been used for. We have really enjoyed our history unit on the Vikings and loved linking it to our fact files in our English lessons too.
Year 4 RSE - Time for Change
Today we have had Karen in from Coram Life Education. She covered our RSE unit - Time for Change. We covered lots of subjects and all things puberty. Everyone is unique and it’s normal to question - I’m growing up but am I different? We looked in greater detail at the reproductive system and genitals. The main thing to remember is to show empathy towards each other and each other's body changes and differences.
Year 5- PGL- Three day residential trip
Year 5 have been on a 3-day residential trip to Winmarleigh Hall, where they created lasting memories, and tackled challenging activities such as; Zip wire, abseiling, survivor skills, traverse, raft building, quizzes, sensory trail and vertical challenges demonstrating incredible teamwork. Well done Year 5! A huge thank you to Mr Bloomfield, Miss Kachwalla and Rev Ben for their amazing support!
Year 3- Class Meeting-What school trips would you like to go on in future?
Miles took the role of a leader and Sonny took notes during our school council class meeting today. We discussed our last action about how to promote reading, and the most popular vote was to revisit Darwen Library. This week, the communication team wants to know ' What school trips would you like to go on in future?' The four choices were: Theme Park, Beach Visit, Museum/Art Gallery, or Football Match. Year 3 voted for a beach trip as their favourite option.
Year 4 Hop, Skip and Jump for East Lancs Hospice
This morning, Year 4 completed their Hop, Skip and Jump for The East Lancashire Hospice Challenge . The children all wore their decorated crowns whilst making their way around our 1k course in order to raise money for this wonderful cause. Donations can be made on parent pay for all those who took part and received their special chocolate treat.
Year 4 Go on Residential to The Anderton Centre
Well that’s a wrap! What an amazing adventure we have had at The Anderton Centre. The children have loved tree climbing, archery, fairy den building, night line guide line, bushcraft, marshmallow toasting, team building, XL stand up paddle boarding, midnight feasts, sleepovers (with not much sleep) and AI food. The children have really challenged themselves, attempting things that have really pushed them out of their comfort zones. Team Gardner, Team Araujo andTeam Lyon’s were a pleasure to take and conducted themselves in true St Barnabas style, showing our four Bs along the way at all times. A huge thanks to the parents and carers for allowing us to share such a magical experience with them, labelling every item under the sun and all with the packing skills of a scout leader! We now have very tired children but they have made memories that will last a lifetime! For all of the photos, please click here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-4-anderton-centre-residential
Year 3- BIG Debate Club
In our class debate this morning, we discussed if it was better to be a teacher or a pupil. We had some great conversations, especially because some of our pupils have family members that work in schools and see them working hard in the evenings and holidays. Some pupils thought it was great to be a pupil because at break times they can play with their friends and eat with their friends at lunch time. They didn't like the idea of marking books and assessments. They discussed that being a teacher is tough but can also be lots of fun because they can teach what they enjoy the most. We then discussed the importance of teaching a range of subjects to prepare them for the future.
Year 4 DT - Electric Torches
Today was our final DT session where we evaluated the torches that we made last week. We looked at all of the components of our torches such as the housing, reflector and switches. Many of us said that we would like more time to decorate our torches and next time, upon reflection, we would use a switch rather than make one from split pins and paper clip for safety reasons. The children have really worked hard on their designs and have come so far since week one when we struggled to make a simple circuit! Very impressive samples too- well done Year 4!
Year 4 History - King Alfred the Great
In our History lesson today we looked at various interpretations of Alfred the Great . We started in 793AD when the Vikings sailed down from Scandinavian lands to the North East coast to Lindisfarne. Here they savagely attacked the monks and robbed them of their treasures. 50 years on over 3000 Vikings arrived but King Alfred had something to say about that! He gathered his army and they fought a gruesome battle and this is when Alfred gained his King Alfred the Great title. One that no other king has ever received.
Year 4: Down Syndrome Awareness Day 2024
In our Class Worship and PSHE sessions today, we focused on Down Syndrome Awareness Day. World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.Typically, a baby is born with 46 chromosomes. Babies with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes, chromosome 21. We also looked at how we are all unique and have very special qualities. This is why we are supporting this day by wearing our odd socks.
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Year 4 DT - Designing a product to fit a set of specific user needs
In our third DT session we have been looking at how we can design a product (torch) to fit a set of specific user needs. We looked at how to factor in who our product is for and how our design must follow a success criteria. The children designed some amazing torches with lots of thought and effort. We can’t wait to start making them next week.
Year 4 Number Fluency Conceptual Lesson
In our Number Fluency session this morning we focused on how to solve division facts by recalling a known multiplication fact. We watched the animations on finding into groups of two, writing and reading division equations and then practical of division facts as multiplication. The children worked really well together to identify various expressions sticking fact families together along with bar models for each representation.
WOW Ambassador Training
In our very first WOW Ambassador meeting today, we met to discuss the children’s role and how they will promote this walk to school initiative throughout school. We also completed training on how to access the travel tracker and monitor each class on a weekly basis. The children can’t wait for the launch of this exciting new walking to school initiative next week!
Year 3- PSHE- What is a community?
Today in PSHE, Year 3 discussed the concept of "community." We explored what this term means to each of us. To visually represent this, Sophie and Elliot sketched a 'Community Web' diagram in the PSHE scrapbook and extended lines outward, representing the different communities the children belong to. These included their family, school, sports teams, brownies, cubs, swimming, neighbourhoods, and more. We explored the idea that individuals can belong to multiple communities, each with its unique characteristics and lifestyles. We also emphasised the importance of understanding and recognising this diversity within communities and showing respect.
WOW Initiative Assembly Launch
Today we had our WOW assembly in which we learned all about our new walk to school challenge and how we need to try to walk to school (or find an active way) at least once a week. We met Dan who is from Living Streets. He told us how we can earn badges every month by taking part. It’s so important to walk to improve our mental wellbeing, get fit and decrease pollution. We look forward to practising with the Travel Tracker next week with our newly appointed WOW Ambassadors.
Year 4- The Big Plastic Debate
In our Class Worship today we looked at The Big Plastic Debate. As part of this initiative we will count the plastic that we use at home and try to help put a stop to our plastic packaging problem that we have in the UK. We looked at what type of plastics we use and how to identify these using the plastic ID tool available through the website. We can record this and then use the unique code to generate both our class and school footprint. This is all being promoted by Greenpeace who hope to build a strong global plastic treaty to phase out plastic production for good!
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World Book Day in Year 4
What a wonderful World Book Day! We have had a day packed full of enjoyment and the opportunity to showcase our love of books and reading. From reading our new class novel to book tasting to hearing Miss Flynn sharing one of her favourite stories with us, we have loved every second. Thank you to Miss Flynn for organising and the librarians for making the World Book Day Assembly so interactive and fun! Also a special mention for Annabelle who won the WBD bookmark competition for Key Stage 2.
Year 6 School Nurse Visit
Year 6 had a visit from the school nurse as a follow-up session to the health questionnaires they recently filled out. The children acted extremely maturely and gave some fantastic responses. However, they were clearly shocked by some of the facts (especially around sugar content) regarding their favourite foods and drinks. Did you know that one milkshake contains nearly a week’s worth of a child’s sugar intake?
Year 4 Class Worship - Jesus and the Taxman
In our Class Worship this morning, we looked at the story of Jesus and the Taxman and how your life can be transformed by loving Jesus. We found the story in the New Testament in The Gospels. Zacchaeus was a hated taxman who at first hid from Jesus. He hid in a tree until Jesus invited him for tea. Jesus chose Zacchaeus for a reason. He learnt that Jesus loves you just as you are so go and invite him into your hearts. After realising his wrongs Zacchaeus said that he would pay back everyone that he had stolen from x4 and he would sell half of what he owned and give this to the poor. He remembered that whatever you trust and rely on is probably your God and God shares his love with everyone.
Year 3- Class Worship-R.E- How does Jesus change lives?
In today's class worship and Religious Education lesson, Year 3 explored the story of Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector, which meant he collected taxes for the government. However, many disliked him because he was known to cheat people out of their money. When he met Jesus, everything changed. He felt sorry for tricking and lying to people in the past. After hearing the story, the children generated questions asking Zacchaeus about how he felt during different parts of the story. Then they got into the role of Zacchaeus and answered those questions, imagining his feelings. The story of Zacchaeus teaches us that people can change for the better. Even if someone has done wrong things in the past, they can choose to make things right. When Zacchaeus met Jesus, he decided to be honest and kind instead of cheating people. It shows us that it's important to say sorry when we make mistakes and try to be better people. We learnt that everyone deserves a second chance, and it's never too late to do the right thing.
Year 4 PSHE - Rights and Respect
In our PSHE lesson we have moved onto a new unit which focuses on ‘Rights and Respect’. During the lesson we looked at who helps us to stay healthy and safe. We developed our understanding of the roles that particular job roles had including; doctors, teachers, firefighters, office administrators and site managers. The children collaborated on a mind map to demonstrate these similarities and differences then discussed which role they thought helped us the most and why.
Year 3- PSHE- Families and Friends
During our PSHE lesson this afternoon, Year 3 discussed what "family" means to different people. We emphasised the importance of respecting everyone's idea of family. Then, in small groups, they got a picture of a family and made up a story about them. They were reminded to be respectful and think about different kinds of families. We spoke about stereotypes, and how stereotyping isn't good because it makes people think everyone in a group is the same. But people are all different. Stereotypes can make us treat others unfairly because we don't see them as individuals. It's important to understand everyone is unique and not judge them based on stereotypes. This helped the children understand that families can be different and that's okay.
Year 3- Collective Worship- Should we learn sign language at school?
Today in Year 3's class worship, we explored different ways of communicating, including prayer to connect with God and the importance of British Sign Language. The children feel learning sign language at school is vital to support the deaf community, break down barriers, and promote understanding between different communities. They also discussed the importance of respect and celebrate difference. We ended our worship by thanking God for creating each of us uniquely different.
The Big Debate Club - Should all children receive pocket money?
This morning we took part in Smart Schools Council Big Debate. It asked us to discuss whether children should all be given pocket money or not? We found that the average pocket money for 11-16 year old is on average £16.30 per week which seems an awful lot, especially with the cost of living crisis! The children debated confidently and used their speaking and listening skills to get their points across. As a class we decided that not all children should receive pocket money for a variety of reasons and if children are old enough they should earn their own money by getting a part time job which will benefit them greatly.
Year 4 History - Who were the Anglo Saxons and the Scots?
We started our new history topic on Anglo Saxons this afternoon where we looked at identifying where Angles, Saxons and Jutes came from and then we went on to why Anglo Saxons chose to invade Britain. They travelled on longships and some of them were invited by the Romans but some were raiders. Britain offered plentiful resources and the children worked hard to investigate other reasons as to why invading our land was so popular.
Year 3- P.S.H.E- Online Safety
This afternoon, we learnt about how to stay safe online. We discussed the importance of speaking to a trusted adult before joining groups, downloading apps and thinking about the information you share online. The children then created a rap in small groups ready to perform to the whole school.
Online Safety Rap Prep in Year 4
In preparation for Safer Internet Day on Tuesday 6th February, we have been looking at developing a rap linked to Online Safety. We rehearsed rhyming couplets and looked at pairs of words that we could use such as click and trick, share and beware, friend and send. The children did really well and pushed themselves completely out of their comfort zones! We can’t wait to hear the finished article next week in the special Safer Internet Day Worship.
Year 2 - English
As we continue learning with our book Traction Man, today we got into the role of Traction Man. We took turns being interviewed as Traction Man where we had to answer various questions posed by a partner. We wrote our responses into pieces of dialogue written in the first person.
Year 6 Class Meeting
This week, in our smart school council meeting, we discussed how reading can be made more enjoyable in school. The most popular vote was more trips to the library and the children explained that this would give them access to a wider variety of genres. The children also expressed their own ideas on how reading could be made more enjoyable that will be shared at the next school council meeting.
Year 4 English - Exploring the meaning of new vocabulary in context
In our English session today, we have been exploring the meaning of new vocabulary in context. We are starting to read Balaclava Boy by Jenny Robson as our class novel in Year 4, but before we get any further we having been using PTV ( Pre Teach Vocabulary) to identify and explore less familiar words. We broke each word down looking at syllables, is it short, medium or long and what you do with it? What does it do? The children worked really well in their pairs and moved onto putting the words into their own complex sentences with an adverb starter.
Year 4 English - identifying and discussing dilemmas
In our English session we have started our new unit - Stories with Dilemmas but first we needed to identify what a dilemma was! We looked at moral dilemmas based on the clip ‘French Roast’ and then highlighted consequences. Afterwards we looked at poems that each have a dilemma and tried to identify these. It was great to see the children fully engaged and immersed in speaking and listening activities too.
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Year 3- Parliament Week
This week, as part of Parliament Week, the children participated by taking a stance and casting their votes for the changes they wish to see. Some of the suggestions were shorter school days, lowered prices for sweets and snacks, more and better playgrounds, and reduced traffic on the roads. The children particularly enjoyed putting their vote in the Big Ben cardboard ballot box. They want people to listen to their ideas and support their rights.
Year 6 Parliament Week
In year 6, we spent some time thinking about parliament and how the country is actually run as part of parliament week. We looked at how the Houses of Parliament are split into two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords and discussed some current issues that are close to the children’s hearts and what they would like to see the government do to address them. I’m sure we will find out even more when we go to the Houses of Parliament on our trip to London in March.
Year 3- School Council Meeting
In our class meeting today, set up by the smart school councillors, the children discussed whether we should participate in 'No Pens Day Wednesday'. On this day, the children will not have pens and pencils; instead, we will focus on speaking and listening. Alice led the meeting, and Walter wrote down key notes from the meeting. Every group voted in favour of 'No Pens Day'.
Reception circle time- sharing news
Today, Reception class took part in circle time and each child shared some news with the class. We were so impressed with their speaking, recall of detail and waiting for their turn. Lovely to see, Reception!
Year 6 School Council Meeting
Year 6 held their latest school council meeting today and discussed whether we should hold a ‘No Pens Day’. Again, they spoke with fantastic maturity and acknowledged the importance of using pens, but expressed that having no pens would give the opportunity to talk about subjects more and learn from each other.
Year 3 - Smart School Council - Recycling
For our Smart School Council this week we discussed what would make us recycle more. Our leader this week was Isabelle and our note taker was Daisy. Out of the four options the highest vote was for having all our products recyclable.
Smart School Councillors
We are proud to introduce our ‘Smart School Councillors’ for the year. From Year 5 we have Laila, Daisy, Harry, Oscar and Leonara. Representing Year 6, we have Isaac, Amelia, Lucy, Sophie and Colton. These dedicated pupils will meet fortnightly to discuss school matters. Smart School Council is an important and useful way for our school to provide leadership and development opportunities for all of our pupils. It is an excellent way in which to increase participation, teaching our pupils about democracy, local and global citizenship and accountability. Their mission is to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and ideas considered.
Year 3 Science: How is water transported within plants?
This term in Science, Year 3 are building their knowledge and understanding of plants and how they grow. This week, we thought about how water is transported within plants and how this is used In photosynthesis. We then set up our own class experiment, where we put some flowers into coloured dye and over the next couple of weeks, we will be observing what happens to the petals, as the water is transported within the plant.
Year 3 Class Worship
During class worship this week, we thought about bravery and how we show bravery in our day to day lives. We also learnt about the 4 children in the news this week, who survived for 40 days on their own, before being rescued. We spoke about how the children would have had to show so much bravery and courage over this time. We had a think about our Rock and River visit in a couple of weeks time and how we are going to show bravery and encourage our peers, by building each other up and pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone!
Year 3 Worship: Refugee Week
This morning, we had a very special class worship. We took part in the ‘Great Big Live Assembly’ where we went live to a refugee camp in Jordan. We learnt about the daily life in a refugee camp and listened to a Q and A, where pupils around the country asked Mohammed and Seedra questions about their lives as a refugee.
Year 3 History: The Stone Age
This term in History, Year 3 have been learning all about the changes from The Stone Age, through to The Iron Age. This week, we Iooked at what changed for people living in The Stone Age, from the Palaeolithic age, through to the Neolithic age. We learnt how weapons and clothing had developed and how at the beginning of The Stone Age, hunter gatherers would move around often, in search for food. As we approached the end of The Stone Age, people lived in settlements and would farm their animals and crops.
Year 3 PSHE: Sugar Smart Promise
This week in PSHE, Year 3 looked at how too much sugar in our diets can effect our health. We looked at the ‘Sugar Smart’ campaign and investigated the amount of sugar in popular drinks. We then looked at our daily sugar limit for our age and promised to swap a sugary drink for a more healthier option, such as water, milk and squash.
Year 3 Prehistoric Art: Mark Making
Year 3 have had a fantastic afternoon, using the natural materials collected on our walk earlier this week to experiment with mark making. This term, we have been focusing on prehistoric art and the class will be creating a cave wall painting! We thought about how during Prehistoric times, humans did not have paint and brushes like we do now, so instead would have used natural materials to create their artwork, like we have done today!
Year 3 Art: Collecting Natural Materials
On Tuesday afternoon, Year Three went on a walk to Whitehall Park, where we collected some natural materials to use in our next Art lesson. The children will be experimenting with using natural materials for mark making. We collected a variety of different materials, such as acorns, bark, sticks, leaves, conkers and moss!
Celebration Worship: King Charles III
This morning during celebration worship, we learnt all about the coronation of King Charles III, which will be happening this weekend. We spoke about some of the important things to look out for during the coronation and what it will be like when King Charles is coronated. We also spoke about some of the celebrations that are happening in Darwen this weekend, such as a street party on Monday in the town centre and a party in Whitehall Park on Sunday! We also celebrated all of our successes and achievements in school this week, such as TriKidz and our coronation picnic lunch! We finished our Worship by singing the National Anthem to the new King whilst waving our special coronation flags that our school have bought us. Our Trust have also bought us some special gifts of a commemorative coronation coin, a bookmark and sticker. Thank you Cidari Multi Academy Trust!
Year 3: King Charles III
This afternoon for class worship, we spoke about the coronation of King Charles III and the different events that are taking place to celebrate this exciting event. We also thought about how we should show mutual respect and tolerance to others and respect how we choose to celebrate the coronation.
Year 3: Coronation Art
To mark the King’s Coronation, Year 3 have created a collage of King Charles III. The class are going to take their artwork home with them, to keep as a way to remember this special historical event for many years to come!
Year 2 - Fire Safety
Year 2 had their fire safety talk by the local fire brigade. They explained and demonstrated the importance of fire safety inside and outside of the home. They explained how to deal with dangerous situations and what you would do if a fire broke out in the home. The children participated and tried on the fire safety gear and were really enthusiastic about wearing it. Year 2 completed the fire safety quiz at the end of the day and scored full marks.
Year 5 - Smart School Council - Movie Choices
This morning for our class meeting the children were able to vote on what genre of movie they would like to watch at movie night. We had the choice of action, Disney, comedy and sport. The majority vote in class was a sports film but let’s wait and see what the rest of the school vote for.
Whole School Assembly - Dogs Trust
Today’s assembly was led by Andrew from the dogs trust charity and his mascot ‘Duggie’. Andrew started the assembly by asking the children if they knew what the charity does, the children were keen to answer and said “it’s a charity for dogs who aren’t looked after properly.” Andrew explained that the trust takes in dogs who’s owners can no longer look after them, he said they then re-home the dogs to the most suitable owners to give the dogs the best life. Andrew told us that dogs trust re-home around 14,000 dogs a year. Andrew explained to the children that this assembly is all about learning how to be safe and act sensibly around dogs. Ella,Andrew and ‘Duggie’ demonstrated how to safely act around dogs and showed that you must always ask the owners permission before you stroke a dog.
Year 3 Dogs Trust Workshop
This morning, Year 3 have taken part in a workshop with DogsTrust. We spoke about how it’s really important to provide dogs with a choice. We spoke about the importance of how to behave around dogs and when a dog is eating, drinking or chewing, we must leave them alone and give them space. The class were really engaged with the workshop and we have learnt so much, about how to stay safe with dogs.
Year 3 Super Slime!
To celebrate British Science Week, each class were given the opportunity to vote for a science experiment that they would like to try out this week. Year 3 voted for Cornflower Slime! We have had great fun this afternoon, experimenting with making slime and thinking about if slime is a solid or a liquid, along with learning how slime is different to water!
Year 4: Smart School Council - All about Autism
In our Smart School Council session today, we looked at how we can promote awareness of autism, in particular, Autism Awareness Week 2023. The children discussed the options very sensitively and highlighted that some people have siblings that are also autistic and have varying needs.
Year 5- P.S.H.E- Our Emotional Needs
The children worked in pairs to design their own character who is the same age as them. They then discussed the needs of their characters, thinking about their strengths and weaknesses, what they like and dislike and how their character feels about themselves. We then explored situations which we don't find easy and created examples of positive coping strategies. These included; speaking to somebody about how you're feeling; writing down your worries if they're on your mind a lot of the time-some people find this helpful.
Year 3 Science: Exploring contact and non-contact forces
This week in Science, Year 3 have been exploring contact and non-contact forces. We started by learning about different types of forces, such as push, pull, air resistance and gravity. We then thought about the effect that different forces can have on an object. Finally, we took part in a range of different activities to investigate contact and non-contact forces, such as kicking a ball, sanding wood and throwing and catching.
Year 5- Religious Education- How does it feel to be victorious?
During our R.E. lesson this afternoon, we discussed the term 'Victory' as a starting point for our class discussion. Some of the things that came to mind were celebration, achievement, brave, joy, happiness and determination. The children then discussed what victorious meant to them and if victory and winning were the same thing. We then watched some of the greatest sports events. Many athletes hope to win, but they also strive to beat their personal best (PB) and so, even if they come last, if it is their personal best, they have been victorious.
Year 5- Rotakids- Discussing our next project
This afternoon, the Year 5 class received a certificate for the outstanding work that they are doing. The children could discuss the work they have already done for the local community and the international project. The children were keen to share their next project, a movie night for KS1 and KS2 to raise money for our school minibus.
Year 3 World Book Day - Stories that fill our Happy Tank
To celebrate World Book Day, Year 3 have been sharing their favourite bedtime stories and thinking about the stories that fill up their Happy Tank. Each child has created a book review, for their favourite book. We then shared our book reviews with the rest of the class, to give each other recommendations of books and authors!
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Year 3 World Book Day: Design your own book cover competition
To celebrate World Book Day, the whole school have taken part in a 'Design your own book cover' competition. The book cover could be a favourite book, or a book that the children might want to write themselves one day! Year 3 loved creating their own entries and we have had such a variety of book covers, from 'Space Boy' to 'World War Ant'!
Year 2 - Interview role play
During our English lessons we are looking to write an interview with Traction Man. We used role play methods to inform our writing and discussed many ideas, got into character and generated vocabulary and expressive techniques.
Year 3: Performing our own dialogue!
Over the past few weeks, Year 3 have been looking at the clip 'Soar'. The story begins with a young girl called Mara. A thirteen-year-old who dreams of one day becoming an airplane designer. But every day, she test flies her model airplanes in the fields behind her house and every day, they crash. She is feeling downhearted and wants to give up, until a young boy falls from the sky and changes everything! We have been discussing how even though there is no dialogue in the clip, we can still follow the characters and understand their journey. In this lesson, we started to create our own dialogue for the story in pairs! This was also a great opportunity for the children to practice their performance and drama skills! Next week, we will be planning and writing our own playscripts for 'Soar'.
Year 3 Life Education Visit
This afternoon, the class have completed a workshop with Coram Life Education, all about the brain! We thought about how the brain sends our body messages and how messages from the brain can travel at 250 miles per hour! We also thought about things that are healthy and harmful for the brain. Overall, we found out that it’s important to keep our brains healthy by having mindful moments, being active and getting creative!
Year 3 Smart School Council Meeting
This week during our smart school council meeting, we discussed the most important part about having a job. The class had some fantastic discussions and overall, we thought that it was important to have a job that you enjoy and to be able to spend time with your family.
Christmas Service at St Barnabas Church, Lead by KS2
This morning, the whole school came together for our Christmas Service at St Barnabas Church, lead by KS2. Over this term, KS2 classes have been preparing short presentations for the service, about an element of Christmas that they have been focusing on in R.E. In Year 3, the class presented pieces of artwork, focusing on the shepherd's visiting Jesus in the stable and being in the presence of God. Year 4 looked at Christingle's and created a fantastic rap, about the meaning of the Christingle and Jesus being the light of the World. Year 5 spoke about how different countries celebrate Christmas around the World. Finally, Year 6 spoke about Advent and what it means to them. Some children also shared their hopes and dreams for the future. The WOW Group also helped to lead parts of the service and we sang a selection of Christmas Carols as a whole school. Overall, we really enjoyed learning about different elements of Christmas and KS2 presented their learning brilliantly!
Year 3 D.T: Making our Christmas Photo Frames
Year 3 used either wooden lollipop sticks or wooden dowels to create their photo frames. Some children painted their materials, before using a hot glue gun to create the frame. The children who chose to use the dowels, used a saw to cut the wood down to the correct size. We will be evaluating our finished products and thinking about what worked well and what we would change, if we were to design and make our photo frames again.
Year 3 D.T: Christmas Photo Frames
Over the course of this term, Year 3 have been busy planning and designing their own Christmas themed photo frames. We started by looking at existing photo frames and thinking about how we wanted to create our own free standing frames. The children then thought about which materials they would like to use, to create their photo frames. Some children have used wooden lolly sticks to build their frame, whilst others used wooden dowels and cut them down to the correct size. We are so pleased with the finished products and can't wait to purchase them at the Christmas Fair!
Year 5 - PSHE- Lend us a Fiver
During our P.S.H.E lesson today, the children have role-played a situation where one child is asking the other to lend them them five pounds. However, the lender needs to feel confident about lending the money and ask the borrower why they want to borrow five pounds. As a class we discussed the reasons and found solutions to prevent borrowing money. We then learnt about Martin Lewis who is an expert on giving advice on money matters and thought about what advice he would give.
Year 5- School Council Class Meeting- How can we make school feel cosier?
Before we started our class school council meeting today, Rio (leader) read out the results from the last meeting. The highest vote went to allocate litter pickers from each class to keep our school grounds tidy. This week, we discussed how can we make school feel cosier, with the days getting colder. Our note-taker Kaitlyn collated results and found that all of the group voted for option 2 "be allowed to bring in their favourite blankets to wrap up with in class".
Year 3 RE Artwork
Year 3 have produced some fantastic pieces of artwork, representing the shepherds visiting the stable and being in the presence of God.
Year 3 Maths: subtracting two numbers, across a ten.
Over the past few weeks, the class have been busy looking at addition and subtraction, using the column method. We started with adding two 3- digit numbers without exchanging, before moving onto adding and subtracting across a ten and a hundred. Today, we looked at subtracting across a ten. The class are developing a good understanding and we will be continuing to embed and practice the column method, throughout Year 3.
Year 3 R.E: How does it feel to be in the presence of God?
In R.E this term, the class have been exploring how the presence of God impacts people's lives. To begin with, we discussed the meaning of presence and how we know someone is present with us. Over the past few weeks, we have been looking at pieces of artwork that represent the shepherds visiting Jesus in The Nativity Story. Each child chose a piece of artwork that they were most inspired by and created their own piece, representing how God was present, during the birth of baby Jesus. The class will be presenting their artwork in church on Friday 16th December, during our whole school service at St Barnabas Church.
Whole School Celebration Worship
During celebration worship, we celebrated all of our achievements in school this week! We announced the values awards winners in every class and the attendance winners for KS1 and KS2! At the end of our worship, the youngest child in school had the special job of putting the star on the top of our tree! We also welcomed Miss Horsfall to our school family. She will be teaching in the Reception class whilst Mrs Govan is on maternity leave. Congratulations to all of our children and staff members, for another fantastic week in school!
Year 3 D.T: Designing our Christmas Photo Frames!
The class have been busy this week in D.T, designing their own Christmas Photo Frames, to make and sell at the Christmas Fair! We thought about the different materials that we will be using to make our frames and how our frame is going to be free standing. The children also identified who their photo frame is going to be made for and their overall design. Every design is slightly different, and the children cannot wait to get started with making their frames, over the next couple of weeks.
Year 3 D.T: Investigating ways of making free-standing structures.
This week in Design Technology, the class looked at different ways to make a free-standing structure. In groups, the children had a variety of different materials and had to work together, to make a particular structure. We discussed how to make a successful structure and the different techniques we can use, to stable and strengthen a structure.
Year 3 Inter Faith Week
This afternoon, Miss Kachwalla spoke to the class about the religion of Islam. Earlier in the week, Year 3 came up with some questions that they wanted to ask Miss Kachwalla, about her religion. The class really enjoyed learning about Islam and exploring some of the similarities between Christianity and Islam.
Year 3: Trying food that Prophet Muhammad liked
As part of Inter Faith week, Year 3 tasted a selection of Sunnah Food. During a workshop with Miss Kachwalla, the class learnt about some of the food that Prophet Muhammad liked. We tried olives, dates, pomegranate, melon, cucumber, cheese, pitta bread and yoghurt! The class particularly enjoyed dipping the pitta bread in the olive oil and yoghurt!
Year 3 DT: Strengthening Paper
As part of our Photo Frames unit in DT, Year 3 have been exploring different ways of strengthening paper, by using rolling, folding and twisting techniques.
Year 3 PSHE: Who can I reach out to?
This week is Anti Bullying Week and this year’s message is all about reaching out. Today, Year 3 thought about who the trusted people are in their lives and who they could reach out to, if they needed to talk to someone. #OddSocksDay #AntiBullyingWeek #ReachOut
Year 3 English: The Last Bear
This term, Year 3 will be writing their own adventure/mystery stories, based on the novel 'The Last Bear' By Hannah Gold. On Monday, we explored the text title and front cover and thought about what the main themes in the text might be. We then explored the setting of the story 'Bear Island'. We discussed whereabouts Bear Island may be located and explored the island, using google maps.
Year 3 Science: Nutrition Labels
This week in Science, Year 3 have been learning about the nutrition in the food we eat. We started by learning how to find and understand nutrition labels on our food. We then thought about which foods would be a healthy option, and which should be an occasional treat, based on the information provided on the food labels. The children were surprised that some food and drinks, such as fruit juices and cereals ,include a high amount of sugar and may not always be the healthiest choice.
Year 3 Darwen Library Visit
Year 3 have had a fantastic morning at Darwen Library! The class took part in a workshop with children’s author Dan Worsley. Dan spoke to the children about how he became an author and what inspires him to write! We then had the pleasure of listening to some of Dan’s short stories. The children also had the opportunity to ask Dan questions about his job and how to write a book! The class loved listening to Dan and were inspired by his enthusiasm and enjoyment for creative writing and story telling!
Year 3 RE: Harvest
In RE, our topic this term in Year 3 focuses on the festival of Harvest. This week, we started by thinking about some key questions, such as ‘Why do we celebrate Harvest?’ and ‘Who are we actually giving thanks for?’. Following on from this, we then looked at how Harvest is explored and mentioned in The Bible.
Year 3 History: 50 years of St Barnabas
This afternoon, Year 3 went for a walk to see the original St Barnabas School buildings. We then came back to class to look at pictures and school artefacts from 50 years ago to present. Some of the children found their grandparents names on some of the pictures and we thought about how the school has changed over the past 50 years!
Year 3: Prayers of Hope
Today in R.E, Year 3 thought about some of their aspirations and hopes for the new academic year. Each child wrote their own prayer of hope to add to our prayer tree, in the worship area.
Class Worship- Year 5
During our class worship, the children have watched the resignation speech delivered by our current Prime Minister. We discussed about his feelings and why he felt it was the right time to step down from his role. Some of the children were quite sad watching the speech because they felt that everyone makes mistakes and Mr Johnson commented about this being the best job ever. However, some children felt that it was really important to stick to the rules that you make and maybe it was time for him to step down.
Year 2 St Barnabas Church Visit
Year 2 have had a lovely afternoon visiting Lillian and Glenda at St Barnabas Church! Lillian spoke to the children about the different things that happen in a Church and the different things that you will find in a Church, like the altar, font and lectern. We then created our own crosses and created our own class family of people. The children also managed to have a quick play on the organ!
Year 2 R.E: Jacob's Dream
This term in R.E, we have been exploring The Church and why it is a special place for Christians. We starting by thinking about our own special places and how we feel, when we are in our special place. This week, we looked at how holy and special places are represented in The Bible, with the story of Jacob's Dream. We read the story together and discussed the key messages, such as how in Jacob's Dream, he found his special place, talking to God and dreaming about heaven. The children then created their own artwork, representing Jacob's special place.
Year 2 Blackpool Trip!
Year 2 had a fantastic day at Blackpool on Tuesday! Our class topic this term is ‘Beside the Seaside’ so the aim of the trip was for the children to experience a day at the seaside and think about the activities that we do now at the seaside and comparing this to the Victorian’s. We played on the beach, listened to a talk about beach safety, went to the the top of Blackpool Tower and walked along The North Pier! The children showed so much respect to the general public and represented St Barnabas brilliantly! Well done Year 2!
Year 4- The Big Debate
Today we took part in ‘The Big Debate’ where we looked at the question - Should mothers stay at home and look after their children? We looked at points for why some children agree and some children disagree. The children were very mature in their reasoning, but we had the majority of the class adding that mothers should have a choice about being a stay at home mum.
Year 2 D.T: Wacky Windmills!
During the summer term in D.T, Year 2 have been learning all about the purpose uses of windmills. We completed some market research to look at the different types of windmills and the materials that are used to make them. We then spent some time designing our own windmills and thinking about the materials that we could use the make them. This week, the class brought their designs to life and made their own windmill's using classroom materials and their own designs. We then evaluated our windmill's and thought about what we might do differently next time, to ensure our bases are strong and sturdy.
Year 2 English: Making predictions!
In year 2, our topic this term is 'Beside the Seaside'. This week in English, we started a brand new unit. The class were given the book cover for the story that we will be exploring over the next couple of weeks. The children then made their own Title predictions, based on evidence from the front cover. The class are so excited to find out the Title of the story and explore the main character!
Year 2 History
This week in History, we started our Victorian Seaside topic. To start, we thought about the things we think of when we think of the seaside. We then discussed together the places we think of, when we think of the seaside. Over the next few weeks, the class will be exploring what seaside resorts were like in the past and comparing them to now.
Kooth Workshop- Year 6
Today Year 6 have had a session with Kooth, here we spoke about changes, in particular moving to high school. Kooth spoke about the resources on their websites showing how they can benefit the children while changes are happening or if they are experiencing worries. We spoke about self care and how we can look after our mental health in a positive way. The children asked some brilliant questions today and were very respectful of each others comments throughout. For further information please see the following website: https://www.kooth.com/
Year 6 Prevent Workshop
Today Year 6 have taken part in a ‘Prevent Workshop’. The focus was ‘radicalisation’. There were lots of big words used throughout the discussions, for example, manipulation, grooming and extremism. As a class they were very mature, asking some great questions and engaged well with the topic. Well done Year 6!
Year 2 D.T: Wacky Windmills!
This week in D.T, Year 2 explored how to make strong bases. The class were given a selection of materials in groups and had a go at making a structure, using lolly sticks, glue and string. We thought about why it is important for buildings to have strong bases and in the coming weeks, we will be designing our own windmill's.
Year 2 Science: Plants!
This term in Science, Year 2 are learning all about plants. In class, we have been exploring why plants need water, light, and a suitable temperature to grow well. As a class, we have planted some broad beans in the following conditions: watered and warm, watered and cold, dry and warm and dry and cold. Over the next few weeks, we will be monitoring each plants growth and explaining what has happened to each plant, based on it's conditions.
Smart School Council- Year 5
The children in Year 5 were super excited about our first class meeting. Smart School Council which has been launched by Mrs Govan will give our children the opportunity to have a strong voice in the running of their school. Eva was chosen as the meeting leader and Bobby was our notetaker, both very important roles which they took seriously. We went through a series of questions. Subsequently, the class discussed the key question in their groups and each group voted for an answer that they all came to an agreement on. The votes will now be collated and discussed with the communication team.
Year 2 PSHE: Dental Health
This week in PSHE, Year 2 have been learning about dental hygiene. We thought about the different sugary foods we eat and how it is important to have a balanced diet, as this will help our teeth to stay healthy! We looked at how we can look after our teeth, by brushing our teeth twice a day for 2 minutes. Each child received a Colgate tooth brush, tooth paste and information pack to take home with them!
Year 4- SMART School Council
This morning we held our first SMART School Council meeting in Year 4. We had a Class Meeting leader and a Class Meeting Notetaker. Because so many of us wanted to take the role, we used Class Dojo randomiser to select the pupils. Sophie and Freddie led the meeting and we looked at which example would have the most impact on improving our environment. We worked in groups and the majority thought that to stop littering would have the biggest impact on our planet. Year 4 had a great attitude and discussed ideas with confidence and maturity.
Interactive Transitioning Session
Today Year 6 took part in an interactive transitioning session with St Wilfrids and Darwen Vale. They were able to ask Year 7’s from each school any questions they had and spoke openly about any worries or concerns they might have regarding starting high school. The staff and children from St Wilfrids And Darwen Vale were brilliant and even those children not attending these schools learnt a lot about what is to come.
Money Matters Visit
Today Year 6 welcomed a visitor into their classroom, Mr Souter, who led a session around budgeting. Here year 6 took part in class discussions around, wants and needs, understanding the importance of having a ‘surplus’ income and what can happen if we overspend. Year 6 were very mature throughout, asking relevant questions and will hopefully use this information wisely when it comes to their own spending/ saving.
Year 2 Artwork inspired by Andy Goldsworthy
This term in Year 2, the class have been exploring the work of Andy Goldsworthy. We collected natural materials and created our own natural art.
A visit from The Dogs Trust in Key Stage 2
We had a lovely gentleman called Andrew visit us today in KS2. Andrew works for The Dogs Trust who care for 14,000 dogs in 22 rehoming centres across the country. We looked at when it is best to leave dogs alone and give them space and safe, positive behaviours around dogs. A huge thank you from us to Andrew and Dougie the mascot dog.
Year 2 World Book Day
We have had a fun filled day in Year 2, celebrating all things reading! We shared our favourite books, authors and characters with each other and designed our own book covers! We also completed a piece of artwork for our whole school reading display, focused around the beautiful wordless picture book ‘Journey’ by Aaron Becker.
Year 2 English: Persuasion
This week in Year 2, we started our new English unit on persuasive writing. We have looked at how Disney persuade us to visit Disney Land, with the use of exciting leaflets and advertisements! We are building up to writing our own creative writing piece, where the children will be persuading parents and carers to keep a dinosaur as a pet!
Year 2 English- Dinosaurs!
We introduced our new English unit today in Year 2! We thought about the reasons for and against keeping a dinosaur as a pet and gathered some different facts about dinosaurs! We even had some dinosaurs leaping onto our tables, when exploring an augmented reality book!