News: PSHE

Cre8ability Session 5

This week, our Cre8ability group focused on the vital topic of relationships with family, loved ones, and friends, emphasizing the importance of sharing feelings. We explored strategies for navigating disagreements and arguments, learning how to constructively address conflicts and maintain strong bonds. A highlight of the session was the creation of personalized "family boxes." Each member designed a special box representing themselves and their family, a beautiful and tangible way to reflect on their unique connections. The session underscored the power of open communication and creative expression in building and sustaining healthy relationships. We are looking forward to our final celebration session next week.

Growing and Changing - Puberty - Menstruation

In Year 5 in our Growing and Changing unit, this week we looked at puberty but in particular menstruation. The children discussed key changes in our bodies with increased maturity and confidence. We also went through plenty of questions from our ‘Ask it’ baskets which enabled our less confident children to have usefulness discussed and answered. The children have really got involved in this particular unit and have tackled sensitive subject matter in a really sensible manner which shows how much they have really grown over the course of the year.

Reception: Butterfly Release Day

Today was a very special day for our Reception children as they released their butterflies. The children have been so engaged throughout the entire process of watching the butterfly life cycle, observing firsthand how they change and grow from caterpillars. It was truly wonderful to see their excitement as they finally released the butterflies. This experience has been a fantastic way for them to learn about nature and the amazing transformations that occur in the natural world.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Our Reception class thoroughly enjoyed their Muddy Monday session! They had a fantastic time finding various bugs and enthusiastically creating homes for them. It was truly wonderful to observe their engagement and curiosity during these activities. It was also wonderful to see the children becoming braver, climbing higher up trees, and collaborating to create a camp fire. They also loved foraging for different natural materials to continue their imaginative role-playing games. Additionally, the children enjoyed closely observing the wildflowers and using them to create lovely summer scents, showcasing their creativity and sensory exploration.

Transition day- Year 2- 3- Getting Ready for Year 3:

Today was an exciting day for the children in Year 2 as they got to experience Year 3. The children created their "bucket of kindness." Everyone wrote little messages, showing off their great handwriting, all about how they're going to spread kindness in Year 3 and to the whole school. It was lovely to see how much they care about making a positive difference. They also shared what they're looking forward to most in Year 3. We heard about their excitement for new clubs, amazing science lessons, learning new things, and the excitement of challenging themselves. It gave us a peek into their unique hopes and dreams. They also made bookmarks, for September and coloured in a pencil crayon for our display to show that even though we're all unique, when we work together, we make one amazing "box". It was an absolute joy to hear their stories and see all their wonderful, unique personalities shine through!

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Year 3- PSHE- Personal Space

This afternoon in our PSHE lesson, the children participated in a discussion and activities focused on personal space, physical contact, and body autonomy. The session began by exploring different types of physical contact, such as hugs, kisses, and holding hands, and the feelings associated with them. The concept of personal space was introduced, with children physically demonstrating what that area around their bodies felt like. A key part of the discussion revolved around the importance of respecting other people's personal space and understanding when it's appropriate to invite others into it (like during a game) or when it might be unintentionally invaded (like on a crowded bus). Arabelle and Lyla took an active role in demonstrating key concepts.They showed what personal space looks like, helping the other children understand the invisible bubble we all have around us. They discussed what to do if they feel uncomfortable about a touch, practicing phrases like Stop! or 'That makes me feel uncomfortable.'

PSHE - Growing and Changing in Year 4

As part of our PSHE session we have been looking at how our body changes during puberty, what parts of the body are the same for girls and boys and what parts are different. We also read Hair in funny places by Babette Cole and Where Willy Went. The children have really matured over the course of the last few sessions and it’s great to see them ask such fantastic questions surrounding this sensitive topic area.

Online Safety: Nintendo Switch 2

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Year 1 Science- Environmental Workshop

Yesterday, Year 1 had a fantastic time at an environmental workshop led by Georgina. She made learning about waste and recycling interactive and engaging, teaching them how to sort materials into the different coloured bins. The children left with some great new facts and shared these at the end of the workshop. Joey and Percy discovered that batteries should be placed in a carrier bag outside the bin to prevent fires. Callie learned that hard and soft plastics need to be separated, with hard plastics for recycling and soft plastics as waste. Olivia noted that hard plastics and metals go in the grey bin, Vienna shared that paper and cardboard belongs in the blue bin, and Haydn added that food waste should be put in the burgundy bin. All of our children received a recycling pack to take home which included a variety of follow-up activities, information for those at home, a certificate and a sticker.

Cre8ability- Session 3

Our Cre8ability group met again yesterday. The session focused on managing strong emotions and returning to a calm "Green Zone" for effective communication. The session explored how different brain parts control emotions and trigger fight/flight/freeze responses. Key to the learning was the "3 Ts" strategy: time (for a 90-second cool-down), talk (to discuss what happened), and think (about solutions). Practical activities included making calming glitter bottles to aid regulation, and crafting dream catchers and "Worry Warrior" dolls to help express worries. The workshop provided valuable tools for families to navigate emotional challenges more effectively. It was a wonderful session and they made some beautiful crafts to take home with them too, thank you Carol and Maria.

Year 3-The Great Big Live Assembly: A Journey Into Refugee Lives

Today, Year 3 joined hundreds of schools for The Great Big Live Assembly to mark World Refugee Week. Led by Krish Kandiah, the worship helped us learn about the lives of millions of children who have been forced to leave their homes because of war, violence, or danger. We discovered that over 43 million children and young people worldwide are refugees or displaced. Through stories and real examples, including a live connection with children living in refugee camps, we got a better understanding of the challenges these children face every day. Krish encouraged us to think about what “home” means and how important it is to show kindness, support, and hope to those who have lost so much. The worship helped us reflect on the courage and strength of refugees and inspired us to be more compassionate and aware of global issues.

Cre8ability Session 2

A selection of our children and parents had their second Cre8ability session. They explored their feelings using a fun and hands-on approach. Participants learned to sort emotions into red (negative), amber (neutral), and green (positive) zones, giving them a simple way to talk about how they feel. They also discussed how feelings can vary in intensity, from "a bit upset" to "miserable." The session also encouraged children to think about their favourite things and the positive emotions these bring. A highlight was clay modelling, where children and parents crafted figures representing themselves and their favourite items. This creative activity provided a fantastic way to express emotions without words. We are looking forward to our next Cre8ability session next Tuesday, thank you Carol and Maria!

Reception: Prayer in RE

For this week's outdoor learning session, Reception class focused on their RE prayer unit. We discussed how we can pray through song, words and actions too. This week we focused on the concept of prayer not just through words, but through an appreciation of the beautiful world around us – a world we believe is God's wonderful creation. It was a fantastic opportunity to foster a sense of awe and wonder in even our youngest learners. During our outdoor walk, we encouraged the children to stop, look closely, and truly see what was around them. We talked about how everything we observed, from the tiniest ant to the tallest tree, was something God made. We paused frequently, and at each stop, we invited the children to say "Thank you, God," and then to share something specific they loved about what they were seeing. It was wonderful to hear their unique observations –Eleanor thanked God for the grass; Annie thanked God for the animals; Minnie thanked God for India Mill; Thea thanked God for Darwen tower; Reggie thanked God for the flowers and Minnie thanked God for the water.. These simple acts of gratitude helped them connect their feelings of wonder directly to prayer. What was particularly heartwarming was how this experience naturally led us to talk about how we can look after God's world. The children, in their own words, came up with some fantastic ideas about being good "caretakers" of nature. We discussed how important it is not to throw litter and how we can help by picking up any rubbish we see. Their enthusiasm really shone through when we brainstormed even more creative ways to care for animals, such as making bird feeders for our feathered friends and even building "bug hotels" to provide cozy homes for insects! This outdoor RE lesson was a fantastic way to introduce concepts of spirituality, gratitude, and responsibility in a way that was accessible and engaging for our Reception children. They learned that prayer can be about thanking God for all the amazing things He has created, and that looking after our world is also a way of showing our appreciation.

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Whole School Worship - Resolving Conflict

Yesterday’s worship began with some fantastic news! A representative from East Lancs Hospice came in to tell us that our Hop, Skip and Jump event raised £163. Following this, Mrs Wilkinson introduced this week’s Year of Prayer theme: Favourite Places. We spent some time sharing our favourite spaces and then we talked about how God has created so many amazing and healthy spaces for us to enjoy. This led us on to considering the fantastic outdoor spaces we have around school in which we can enjoy time with our friends. We were introduced to our Year 5 peer mediators and Mrs Wilkinson explained how they are going to help us all resolve any fallings out between us and our friends. We are all looking forward to learning to compromise and play together more harmoniously.

Year 4 - Linking Schools Visit to St Matthew’s

Our Linking Schools project reached its final part on Monday with Year 4 visiting St Matthew’s C of E Primary in Blackburn. We had a fantastic day designing “together towns”, creating poetry about living well together and even joining an assembly with local author, Dan Worsley. We have thoroughly enjoyed learning about our new friends and sharing work throughout this year; it has helped us to realise our similarities and celebrate differences.

Cre8ability- Session 1

What a fantastic start to our "Nurturing Emotional Wellbeing in Creative Spaces" group today, expertly guided by Cre8ability! We saw parents and children connecting and expressing themselves through Picasso-esque art in a wonderfully calming atmosphere. Beyond the creative process, they discovered how colors can represent feelings and practiced calming techniques. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Carol and Maria for making it such a success – we can't wait for more next week!

Reception Father’s Day Outdoor Stay & Play

It was lovely for the children to have their special grown ups with them for an exciting outdoor stay and play. They loved playing football on the MUGA and showed some of the Dads how to use the outdoor gym! We would like to wish them all a very Happy Father’s Day for Sunday and a big thank you to everyone who attended.

Year 6 Debt Aware Money Skills Session

Year 6 completed module 6 of Money Matters, this week. This was all based around enterprise - a project or activity which is difficult, complicated or potentially risky. The children learned that an enterprising person is independent, positive, hard-working and resilient and looked at some famous examples. They also discussed what is involved in setting up your own business.

Donuts for Dads Event

Good afternoon, Thank you so much to everybody who came to our Donuts for Dads and for making the event a huge success. We haven't got an official total but it is around £300 so thank you so much for your kind donations. Further pictures will be available on our gallery on our website. https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/donuts-for-dads We do have plenty of doughnuts available so there will be a doughnut sale after school tomorrow to sell the remaining doughnuts for a donation. All of the money will be spent to benefit our children in school. Thank you to our FOSB and to our staff for helping to set up, for running and for tidying up after the event too. I will post the raffle draw results shortly. Thank you, Mrs Wilkinson

Year 5 - Money Matters

On Wednesday, Year 5 took part in their final session of the Money Matters programme, bringing to a close a fantastic series of lessons focused on financial education. The children have developed their understanding of key money concepts and today they explored the roles of banks, the importance of saving and how to make informed choices when spending. Through interactive discussions and real-life scenarios, the children reflected on how money is used in everyday life and why budgeting is a valuable life skill.

Reception: Class Worship

We started our worship across the Diocese with a call and response with God loves us, all the time, Amen. We discussed if we have ever done something wrong to a friend and if we have ever had to say sorry. This does happen in class and this is what our story is about today. The story comes from the New Testament and is about the Salvation. The story is called Jesus forgives Peter. Bishop Philip explained the story further. Bishop Philip asked us to imagine that we have done something really bad to somebody. He asked us what we would do the next time we see that person. Bishop Philip hoped we would walk towards them and try to mend the relationship. Peter pretended he did not know Jesus three times. He was full of guilt and shame. Peter swam towards Jesus to say sorry and wanted Jesus to forgive him. Jesus forgave Peter and said I love you. The friendship was mended. We discussed how when we do things that are wrong, it is important to be like Peter and say sorry to mend the friendship. Forgiveness is one of our Christian values and it is really important to help to make the world a better place so that we can all live well together. We ended our worship by singing Build up.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Reception class have had a fabulous time at Whitehall park. The children found treasures, built dens and bug hotels, found minibeasts, balanced and climbed trees too! It was lovely to hear the children's excited voices amongst the trees and they really enjoyed getting muddy too! The rain certainly didn't spoil a fabulous afternoon of living life in all its fullness!

Year 3- Understanding the Risks: Staying Safe Online

Today in class, we talked about staying safe online, especially when it comes to seeing violent content. About 70% of teenagers have seen real-life violence online in the past year, and it's not just a small problem. While some might actively seek it out, many encounter it through group chats or social media algorithms, meaning it can pop up even if you're not looking for it. After discussing these important points, Year 3 agreed on: they all need to be careful about what they watch and share, and how it affects everyone. If they ever see upsetting content or feel pressured to share something, they will talk to a trusted adult, like a parent and teacher.

Online Safety - Violent Content Online - Year 4

In our PSHE session today, we focused on our online safety. Violent content online is now witnessed by around 70% of teenagers through social media. 5% actively seek it out, most encounter it through group chats or social media algorithms. As a class we extracted key pieces of information from the leaflet and then discussed this in our groups. There are plenty of risks associated with online content and a key piece of information that we will take with us is that many older teens become numb to violent content after years of exposure, even admitting that they’re unlikely to ever report it!

Online Safety: Violent Content Online

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Year 4 - Linking Schools: Visit One

The Year 4 class were excited to welcome their link class from St Matthew’s on Monday. They started the day telling their visitors what they love about our wonderful school and about Darwen. They spent the day in teams collaborating and sharing through building towers and taking part in team games. We are so proud of how well our children welcomed their new friends. They were polite and accommodating and everyone had a wonderful day. We are looking forward to going to St Matthew’s for visit day two.

Year 3-Living Life to the Fullest at Rock and River

What an unforgettable day at Rock and River! Today, Year 3 embarked on their exciting class trip to Rock and River, a day filled with challenge, adventure, and growth. The aim of the day was to step outside comfort zones, try new experiences, and explore personal potential, and the children did exactly that! From the Low Ropes Course, climbing wall, and air bag jump, to Rafted Canoes, Sit-on-Top Kayaks, Paddle Boards, and the Mega Paddle Boards, every child embraced the challenges with enthusiasm and bravery. What made the day special was the way the children supported one another. There was a wonderful sense of encouragement, respect, and team spirit, with friendships strengthened through shared experiences and mutual celebration of each other’s efforts. Throughout the day, the children truly lived life to the fullest, laughing, learning, and pushing beyond their fears. Just as importantly, they embodied the Christian values at the heart of our school: courage, friendship and encouragement. It was a day of lifelong memories, an example of what can be achieved when we believe in ourselves and lift each other. A huge well done to every single one of them, they should be incredibly proud! All of the photos will be added to this album shortly: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-3-rock-and-river-2024-25

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Year 5- Peer Mediation training

Year 5 had their final peer mediation training session today. They role played a session, looked at scenarios that they could and could not mediate and looked at problems they might encounter. Year 5 have now been asked to apply to become a mediator by writing a letter. We can't wait to introduce our new peer mediators soon.

Year 1&2 Trip- The Crocky Trail

Today, our Year 1 and 2 children had an fantastic adventure on their trip to the Crocky Trail! The day was all about pushing boundaries and building confidence, and every child rose to the challenge with extreme courage. It was equally wonderful to see them encouraging each other every step of the way—cheering on their friends, offering a helping hand, and celebrating each other’s achievements with joy. Not only did they have a fantastic time, but they also represented the school beautifully. Their behaviour throughout the day was impeccable—polite, respectful, and full of team spirit. It was a brilliant day full of laughter, bravery, and unforgettable memories. Well done, Year 1 and 2—you were amazing! For all of the photos that were taken, please visit: https://stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-1-2-visit-crocky-trail

Year 1 Science and PSHE- Plants

In Science, Year 1 are learning about plants. They have planted cress, sunflowers, runner beans and mung beans and are excitedly watching them grow. This has also tied in with their learning in PSHE as they have had to think about taking responsibility for these seeds and ensuring that they are provided with the things that they need for survival and growth. 

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Reception: 5 Ways to Wellbeing

Our Reception class had a wonderful session focussing on wellbeing through being active, staying connected, and taking notice. The children thoroughly enjoyed their Forest Schools session, where they were actively running, exploring, and building together. This hands-on experience fostered both their physical health and their ability to stay connected as they collaborated on projects and supported each other's play. Creativity blossomed as they used "God's creations" to make art. Leaves, twigs, and pebbles became their media, encouraging appreciation for the natural world. This activity also promoted connection as they shared materials and ideas. Moments of quiet reflection helped the children practice taking notice. They listened to the birds singing, observed the beauty around them, and explored their spirituality by expressing gratitude for their environment. This encouraged mindfulness and a sense of wonder. These engaging activities provided valuable lessons in looking after their wellbeing through movement, positive relationships, and appreciating the present moment.

Random Acts of Kindness around our community

As part of our PSHE sessions we have been looking at mental health awareness, what fills our buckets and how we can spread kindness. We decided to complete random acts of kindness by sharing our kindness poems that we had written in class. Inside the poems we wrapped a hot chocolate and a biscuit for people to enjoy. It was so lovely to share these with our local community and the children were super excited to give them out. We put a smile on so many peoples faces and they really appreciated how much effort Year 4 had made. We look forward to sharing more about this in our Presentation of learning next week whilst it’s Mental Health Awareness week too !

Year 4 PSHE - Mental Health Awareness

In our PSHE lesson we have been looking at Mental Health Awareness. Mental health is everything. Mental health is more than just a small part of our lives.It’s connected to every little thing we do, every place we go and every person around us. Mental Health Awareness Week this year takes place from Monday 12 – Sunday 18 May 2025. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. In our sessions we have been learning how to fill our buckets with all the things that find us joy, writing Kindness poems and planning random acts of kindness.

Year 5- Peer Mediation training

Year 5 took part in their first peer mediation training session. They worked with Ben Harper from Quakers and staff and children from DACA. They learnt the rules of peer mediation to remain impartial, keep things confidential and to not do things for people but with people. The children learnt the 5 steps of peer mediation and had a go at roleplaying a session. We can't wait for our final day of training next Thursday.

Whole School Celebration-Living Life to the Full- Afternoon Tea

The afternoon tea, organised by the Smart School Council and RotaKids, was a wonderful celebration of our school family living life to the fullest. There was a lovely selection of cakes and biscuits, some homemade by the RotaKids the day before and some bought in. The children enjoyed chatting, laughing, and drinking hot chocolate together. We're thrilled to share that the event raised an impressive £256, which will go directly towards supporting our school. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the event and to all the staff who helped make it happen. A special thank you to our friends from Darwen Rotary who came along to support too. We look forward to hosting many more in the future!

Year 3 - Online Safety- Making Friends Online

This afternoon, Year 3 explored different scenarios where someone might think they are talking to a friend online, without realising it could be a stranger. We discussed how online interactions, especially in games or chat rooms, can sometimes feel like real friendships, even when we don’t know the person. Some children felt strongly that the people they play with online are their best friends. This opened up an important conversation about what makes a real friend, someone you see regularly, someone your parents or carers know, and someone you can trust in the real world. The children were reminded that while online games can be fun, it’s important to stay safe by never sharing personal information and always speaking to a trusted adult if something doesn’t feel right. The key message was clear: not everyone online is who they say they are, and staying safe is more important than winning a game or making a new “friend” online.

Year 3- PSHE-Celebrating Our Differences

In our PSHE lesson today, we explored the theme of celebrating what makes each of us unique. We began with a fun and interactive "stand up, sit down" activity. I read out a series of statements, such as "I prefer Velcro to shoelaces," "I like rain more than sunshine," or "I enjoy reading more than playing games online", and the children stood or stayed seated depending on whether they agreed. It was a lovely way to show that even though we’re all different, we can still learn from and enjoy each other’s perspectives. We then read the story of The Ugly Duckling and reflected on how the duckling might have felt being different from the others. This led to a discussion about the importance of kindness, understanding, and not judging someone based on how they look or what they like. To end the lesson, the children wrote kind and thoughtful things you could say to someone different from you, instead of using hurtful words. Their suggestions were creative and full of empathy. The powerful message we took away was that our differences are something to be proud of—and that we should always choose kindness.

Online Safety: Making Friends Online

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Year 4 - Linking Schools: Why Social Action?

As our Linking School project continues, the Year 4s have been considering things in their relationships, the school, the local area, the environment and the wider world that they care about. In today’s session, we listened to the Starfish Story and talked about how small, kind actions can have a big impact on others. We looked at the world around us and decided on some actions we could take to improve it. After sharing our ideas, we voted and decided that we would like to go on a class litter pick, and write to residents of a local care home. We will be carrying out our actions over the Summer Term.

Reception Dentist Visit

Reception had a visit from Darwenside Dental Practice to speak to them about their oral hygiene. They shared with us how we can look after our teeth by reducing the amount of sugary snacks and drinks we have between meals. They also spoke to us about the importance of brushing our teeth twice a day and visiting the dentist regularly for check ups. We are very lucky to have such wonderful Dentists who help us to keep our teeth healthy.

Year 3- Hop, Skip and Jump for East Lancs Hospice

Year 3 have 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.

Online Safety: Search Engines

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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.

Reception: Easter Artwork

For their Muddy Monday session, Reception class walked to Whitehall park and explored the Easter artwork our school family have created. The children enjoyed looking at the artwork and enjoyed listening to the poems that some of the children wrote. As a treat after, the children visited the playground. Also Reception class collectively walked 72.5km for the CAFOD's Big Lent Walk. Well done!

Year 5: Peer Mediation

On Wednesday Year 5 participated in their first Peer Mediation session in association with DACA and Ben from Quakers in Britain. Peer mediation empowers children to resolve conflicts peacefully and build important communication and problem-solving skills. The children are looking forward to their next two sessions and will then have the opportunity to apply to become a St Barnabas peer mediator. Our staff also had training on peer mediation yesterday too and are looking forward to seeing conflicts being resolved between the children and peer mediators.

Reception: Outdoor Fun

Reception class are really lucky to be able to access the MUGA and outdoor gym during their continuous provision time. They have practised their fundamental skills and also learnt how to share and take turns.

Online Safety: Instagram

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Year 5 Bikeability

Year 5 have been taking part in Bikeability sessions, where they have learned: how to correctly wear their helmet; how to make sure their bike is road-worthy; how to ride with confidence and control and how to ride their bike safely on the road.

Reception: Muddy Monday

The children explored Jack Keys for their Muddy Monday session. They enjoyed a walk, built sculptures, built a den, balanced on natural materials and collectively walked 58km to add to our CAFOD Big Lent Walk. Well done!

Year 2 - Big Lent Walk

Today, Year 2 embarked on their Big Lent Walk, exploring the scenic surroundings of Jack's Key. This provided a wonderful opportunity for the children to appreciate the natural beauty we are fortunate to have within our local area. During the walk, the children were encouraged to observe and identify signs of spring. They were delighted to spot daffodils, butterflies, and bees,  whilst enjoying being outdoors in the glorious sunshine. The total distance covered by Year 2 will contribute 75km to our overall Big Lent Walk initiative. We are continuing to strive towards our fundraising goal and would be grateful for any donations, however small, to acknowledge and support the children’s efforts. Donations to Cafod can be made here: https://schools.walk.cafod.org.uk/fundraising/st-barnabas-ce-primary-academys-big-lent-walk

Mother's Day Worship at St Barnabas Church

A huge thank you to the children who came to sing at the Mother's Day Service at St Barnabas Church. You were all wonderful and really made everyone smile with your singing and beautiful words about your Mummies. Thank you to parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles who came to watch too and for bringing the children so they could represent St Barnabas. Thank you to Mrs Araujo, Mrs Gardner and Mrs Hegarty for coming to support the children too and thank you to Rev Ben for inviting us to sing and for making us all feel so welcome. Photos and videos can be found here: https://stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/mother-s-day-celebration-at-st-barnabas-church Wishing all of our families a Happy Mother's Day, Mrs Wilkinson

Online Safety: Bluesky

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Year 4 - Linking Schools: Social Action

Today, Year 4 began the scene phase of our Linking Schools project, looking at different types of social action and discussing issues that they are passionate about changing. Each group recorded ideas for problems to tackle on a leaf, ready to add to our class kindness tree. In the next session, we will talk about how we can bring about change and vote on one idea to implement. Watch this space…

Year 1 D&T- Making Healthy Breakfast Pots

Today was the day that Year 1 have been waiting for. They have spent several design and technology lessons building up to this final lesson (making their healthy breakfast pot). Over the last couple of weeks, they have done some taste testing, learnt and practised some cutting techniques (bridge hold and fork secure) and planned and designed a healthy breakfast pot for a friend based on their preferences. They thoroughly enjoyed putting their new skills to the test by chopping up lots of fruit, making sure that they followed their design criteria correctly and tried their best to layer their ingredients to make them look a delight to eat. Well done Year 1!

Reception: Muddy Monday

Today our Reception children explored a different area of Whitehall Park. The children created bug houses and dens together. They also found some sticks and pretended to create fires and also used them as drum sticks. Some of the children tried to climb trees and it was lovely to see how brave they were all being whilst developing their fundamental skills. In addition, the children collectively walked 75km to contribute to our Lent Challenge. Well done!

Reception - Rock your Socks!

Reception are rocking their socks for World Down Syndrome Day. We have decorated socks in the creative area to show that everyone is special and unique in their own way. We will also be looking at the charity Mencap and what they do to support children with Down Syndrome, alongside learning some new Makaton signs to help us communicate with others.

Rock Your Socks For World Down Syndrome Day

Year 1 enjoyed rocking bright and funky socks today to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. We are very lucky in our class as we have Lenny who allows us to learn about and celebrate the amazing qualities of a child with Down Syndrome every day. However, we did take the opportunity to revisit and explore some of the things that we need to be mindful of and things that we can do to help children with Down Syndrome such as using gestures and signs to communicate, repeating words and phrases multiple times, being helpful, kind, encouraging and patient. We finished the day with Lenny handing out sweets for his friends to celebrate a special day. Thank you very much Lenny!

Year 3-Rock Your Socks For World Down Syndrome Day

Year 3 enthusiastically celebrated "Rock Your Socks" this afternoon for World Down Syndrome Day! Cassidy did a fantastic job teaching the children Makaton signs, and they were excited to learn new ways to communicate with Lenny, Cassidy’s little brother, who has Down syndrome. The children were fully engaged as they explored different ways to connect and communicate with individuals with Down syndrome. As part of our celebration, we learned about common misconceptions surrounding Down syndrome and took time to recognise and celebrate the incredible achievements and contributions of individuals with Down syndrome.

Year 3- Online Safety- Live Streaming

Year 3 discussed this week's poster about live streaming. Many children were aware of the dangers but were unsure how to block unwanted users. Some mentioned that they ignore or ask who someone is when they join. We also talked about the importance of speaking to a trusted adult, only playing age-appropriate games, and following the guidance of grown-ups when it comes to online safety.

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.

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!

Online Safety: Live-streaming

Livestreaming is a huge part of children’s entertainment with influencers shaping young minds. But are you aware of the risks? From misinformation to financial harm staying informed is key! Download the full #WakeUpWednesday guide – also available as a podcast – for FREE here >> https://ow.ly/z4Bh50Vk1ay

The Little Craft Club

This week at The Little Craft Club, they celebrated St Patrick’s day and had lots of fun together making Irish themed crafts.

Reception: Muddy Monday

The children in Reception walked 3.5km each this week to contribute further to our Big Lent Walk in aid of CAFOD. They walked to Whitehall Park and continued with their outdoor learning. This week the children found pine cones, climbed trees and found minibeasts. They also enjoyed creating dens and roleplaying around a camp fire!

Year 4 - RE: Identifying Betrayal & Trust in the Easter Story

Our Easter topic in Year 4 is well underway now, and this week we were discussing what trust is and what it means to betray someone. We applied our knowledge as we investigated the Easter story for signs of betrayal and trust. We then chose one part of the story to represent each of these two concepts and explain our reasons.

Online Safety: Roblox

Roblox can be fun, but it's not without its risks including strangers, scams, harmful content, and more. Make sure you download your FREE copy of our #WakeUpWednesday guide – also available as a podcast – now! Download here >> https://ow.ly/uAj650VfPqs Listen here >> https://ow.ly/R1Yp50VfPSp

Reception: First Aider Visit

We had the pleasure of welcoming Marion into our class today. Marion has trained all of our staff to be first aiders and the children were also taught some basic first aid. They were taught why first aiders wear gloves, when to apply a plaster, how to put a bandage on and how to put somebody into the recovery position. Thank you so much for teaching us Marion, we learnt lots.

Whole School Worship - The Widow’s Offering

Today in our Collective Worship we acted out the Bible story of the Widow’s Offering. Mr Norris kindly acted in the role of Jesus, and we had 4 children from across Years 4 and 5 acting as the money givers. Each person acted out sharing a small portion of their wealth to charity, and then a poor widow came along and donated two coins. Jesus explained that the widow gave the most because she gave all she had. We all spent time reflecting on how we could give to others during Lent. Some ideas were we could take part in the Big Lent Walk and help to raise money for those who don't have as much food as us and we could show kindness to each other through our 40 acts of generosity such as donating our clothes and toys to charity. We said a special prayer for all of the things we are thankful for and each time Mrs Ham dropped a coin, we said Amen. We are thankful for our family, friends, pets, teachers, food, warm beds and God's creations. We finished our Worship by singing Rich in Kindness and Year 6 modelled the actions at the front.

Online Safety: Using Technology to Boost Reading Skills

It’s World Book Day today – the perfect time to celebrate reading in all its forms! The way we read is changing – social media captions, video game instructions, and e-books are all shaping modern literacy. But did you know digital tools can boost reading skills for young learners? This week, we’re sharing ten top tips to help parents and educators support struggling readers using technology! Get our FREE #WakeUpWednesday guide – also available as a podcast – and discover how to make reading more accessible and engaging! Download here >> https://ow.ly/y8eg50Vamjh Listen here>> https://ow.ly/GEBO50Vamji

Reception- Kindness Ripples

In PSHE we watched a video showing how kindness can have an impact on others and can be passed on. We then made a circle and created some kindness ripples by dropping a stone into water and watching the ripples grow and spread to represent how kindness can spread. We are aiming to spread kindness through our 40 acts of kindness challenge for Lent.

KS2 Buzz Education -National Careers Week

Today, KS2 took part in an engaging Buzz Education session, exploring the world of different careers. The children had great fun guessing various jobs from pictures and clues, sparking curiosity and discussion. This led to an in-depth exploration of a wide range of careers, where they learned about the skills and school subjects needed for each role. The session inspired the children to think about their future aspirations and how their learning in school connects to the world of work.

Reception: Police Visit

Our Reception class loved their visit from the Police Community Support Officers today called Annie and Reece. They learnt about their jobs, who to call in an emergency and the different police vehicles. The children also listened to the police siren, saw the flashing lights and were all able to sit in the police car.

2nd last month in the walk to school challenge

February’s WOW walk to school Top Ten challenge is finished! We are thrilled to have gained 2nd place on the leaderboard this month! Thank you to our parents and carers for encouraging their children to travel actively to school! This term’s #WOWTopTen schools in Blackburn with Darwen are:

Reception: Muddy Monday

Our Reception class went to Whitehall park for the first time for their Muddy Monday session. They found pine cones, climbed trees, looked for minibeasts and made dens. The children loved exploring the area for their forest schools session and we can't wait to visit again soon.

Year 5 Debt Aware

This week, Year 5 had a visit from Debt Aware. The focus was on the question - what is a budget? The children learned that a budget tells us three things: where the money comes from, where the money goes and how much is left over. These are better known as income, outgoings and disposable income. The children had to plan a budget based on wants vs needs. They also role-played being members of a family and thought about which wants/needs each person would have. The children really enjoyed this session and learned a lot about managing money sensibly.

Reception Visit to Imagine That

Our Reception class visited Imagine That today. They had a brilliant time using their imagination in imagination village, creating art making magnets and bags. They also made snow and slime! The children really enjoyed the dry ice experiments and loved the science room where we got to explore and learn. It was a wonderful trip where lots of memories were made. The staff commented on the children's behaviour and how amazing they all were, what superstars! For all images, please look at our gallery: https://stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/reception-visit-to-imagine-that

Year 6 Class Meeting - How Safe Do You Feel Online?

Year 6 had a fantastic pupil-led class meeting, this week. The focus was online safety and centred around the key question - how safe do you feel online? The children watched a Newsround interview discussing online safety and had group discussions and debates around the key question.

Online Safety: Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals has skyrocketed to success in recent months, currently boasting 40 million players but popularity doesn’t always mean ‘safe’. This week’s guide and the latest episode of the #WakeUpWednesday Podcast offers expert advice on the risks of this competitive online game, with tips on safeguarding younger players. Download here >> https://nationalcollege.com/guides/marvel-rivals Listen here >> https://nationalcollege.com/podcasts/what-parents-educators-need-to-know-about-marvel-rivals

Year 3- Debate- How safe do you feel online?

During our class debate, led by Ella and Alfie, the children unanimously agreed that they only feel safe online some of the time. This led to an important discussion about the steps we can take to feel safer in our daily lives. We emphasised the importance of speaking to a trusted adult when feeling uncertain or uncomfortable, as well as the need to use only age-appropriate apps and online platforms. Through this conversation, we reinforced the message that staying safe is a shared responsibility and that making informed choices can help protect ourselves and others.

Year 6 - Debt Awareness

Year 6 had a visit from Debt Aware, this week. The focus of this session was gambling and borrowing. The children looked at how the government and families spend money; explored the ways in which people can borrow money and why; talked about the potential dangers of short-term (pay day) loans and thought about what to look for when deciding whether to borrow money. In addition to this, we thought about what gambling is, the different types of gambling and why people might gamble. We played a few games and watched the Grand National, placing bets with pretend money.

Reception: Looking after our grown ups

Today in our PSHE session, we discussed how our grown ups look after us. Mrs Wilkinson explained that they do lots of jobs for us and look after us all so well because they love us very much. Mrs Wilkinson said sometimes our grown ups can be a little sad or tired because of all of the jobs they have to do. We discussed how we have helped our grown ups before. Ralphi said he has helped his Mummy with the washing, Eleanor said she has helped her Mummy with the cooking and Fiia said she helped her Mummy tidy up when she was sick. We discussed how hugs can make us feel really happy. We all hugged each other and all of our faces were beaming! Mrs Wilkinson then taught the children how to give each other a back massage. The children really enjoyed it and said they would do it on their grown ups to help them relax and would give them lots of hugs too.

Reception: Muddy Monday

What a beautiful afternoon it was for our Reception class. The children enjoyed splashing in muddy puddles and loved the sunshine on their faces. The children are working hard to improve their walking stamina, we are slowly getting there and it is lovely to see how much progress they are making. The children enjoyed climbing today over the stile to get to the field. Some of the children were a little worried to do it but showed great perseverance and determination, well done!

Year 6 - Safer Internet Day

This year’s Safer Internet Day is based around scams. Year 6 discussed what a scam is, the types of scams we can come across on the Internet and what we can do to keep ourselves safe, for example double-checking things that we see online and telling a trusted adult if we are unsure about anything. The children discussed with their partners how online scams made them feel and how the Internet is an excellent tool, if used correctly.

Year 3- iMedia- Age Restrictions on Games

Today in computing, Year 3 talked about staying safe online. Miss Latif showed the children some examples of websites that are restricted to help Year 3 understand why some sites aren't safe for everyone. After that, they used a word processor to make posters about online safety.

Year 4 - Year of Prayer: Foam Prayers

As we continue the Blackburn Diocese Year of Prayer, this week we took a moment to be thankful for our ability to move. We chose different whisking implements in order to create bubbles in our soap solution whilst showing gratitude for the fantastic things we can do by moving different body parts. We said thanks for our legs to play football, our mouths to speak and our arms to swim, to name just a few. We are really enjoying having the opportunity to explore different ways to pray and we’re already developing some favourites.

St Barnabas celebrates Safer Internet Day 2025

Today, we will be celebrating Safer Internet Day. We began today by a worship led by Mrs Wilkinson. We discussed how to stay safe online, what might happen online and what a scam was. We discussed how we wouldn’t speak to strangers on the street so we should do the same online and only speak to people we know. If something doesn’t feel right or we get a little scared, we should always talk to a trusted adult. It was lovely to see the children discussing the importance of staying safe online and we had lots of meaningful discussion during our worship. This will continue in classes throughout the day.

Reception- Safer Internet Day

Reception class learnt how to stay safe online on Safer Internet Day. We discussed where and how we use the Internet. The children said they use it on tablets, iPads, their grown ups phone and on their televisions. The children said they watch YouTube, play games and watch videos. We watched a video of Jesse who watched something scary online. Jesse told her Daddy and it made her feel safe and happy again. The children said they could tell their teachers, grandparents or parents if they ever felt worried or scared. We then learnt the ‘Funny Tummy’ song. ‘If it makes you feel funny in your tummy, worried scared or sad. Then you must tell a grown up you trust, like your teacher, Mum or Dad’.

Year 4 - Safer Internet Day

To celebrate Safer Internet Day 2025, the Year 4s learned how to become savvy cybernauts. They began by learning about the importance of setting strong passwords, and they played a game called ‘Guess the Password’ for which the children took turns rolling a dice to generate a password. Their partners then had to try and guess as much of it as they could. They also learned how to spot a scam and practised with a range of common scenarios.

Children’s Mental Health Week and Dress to Express Worship

Today was our special ‘ Dress to Express’ Worship to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week. The theme of Dress to Express this year is ‘Know Yourself and Grow Yourself’.  Children's emotional well-being is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health helps them develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults Our Heads and Deputies led the worship this week and started by telling everyone how they express themselves and they asked us all how we express ourself best. We heard that some children express themselves through playing football or other sports, dancing, listening to music and art etc. Mrs Ham showed us photos of how she likes to support her mental health through walking up huge fells with her dogs and her family. We then watched a clip from Inside Out the movie when Riley looked at various memories. We met sadness, joy, fear, disgust and anger. The children and Mrs Ham then acted out an emotion and the rest of the children had to guess what it was. We all feel different emotions but these affect our mental health.  5 Ways to Well-being are a great way to support our mental well-being such as: being physically active, connecting with others, learning new skills, giving to others and paying attention to the present moment (mindfulness). A question that the children presented asked ‘ How well do we really know ourselves?’ The children really enjoyed watching the clips and guessing the emotions that the characters were showing. The children shared when they too had experienced the emotions and how it made them feel. In another clip, we learnt about a boy named Malaki who felt like he was bad at everything he tried. Malaki was encouraged to ‘level up’ by his friends and people around him who cared for him. He was challenged to try a new skill which included skiing and ballet and tried his best with both. Although he wasn’t great at ballet he was awarded recognition for his determination and resilience.  The children were asked what they had learnt from the video and the responses were: to keep going even if you aren’t the best, to not fall at the first hurdle and you can do anything that you set your mind to. We are all unique and special and God gave us many talents, some of yet we might not have discovered. We should let our light shine for all the world to see.  We said our special Year of Prayer about our talents again and thanked God for the talents we have and the ones we are yet to discover. Our Heads and Deputies then finished with a special prayer for Children's Mental Health Week. To end our Worship we had the pleasure in listening to Renee, Molly, Alice and Lyla who read their acrostic poems ‘ Being Me’ and we sand 'Shine from the Inside Out' with our best singing voices and actions. What a wonderful way to start our day and a great end our Children's Mental Health Week, although we know that we need to focus on our mental health and wellbeing every day, not just this week.

Year 3- PSHE-Staying Safe Online: Spotting Scams and Fake Content

During our PSHE lesson, Year 3 discussed the importance of staying safe on the internet and how to recognise scams and fake content. We talked about common scams, such as fake competition messages claiming, “You’ve won a prize!” that trick people into clicking unsafe links, as well as fake emails pretending to be from banks or companies asking for personal details. We also looked at edited images that make things appear real when they are not, such as fake celebrity endorsements or photoshopped pictures used to spread false information. Parents should have open conversations with their children about these dangers, teaching them to check sources, spot warning signs like poor spelling and urgent messages, and always avoid clicking on unknown links. Encouraging critical thinking by asking, “Does this seem too good to be true?” helps children become more aware. Setting up safe browsing habits with parental controls and child-friendly search engines is essential, along with reminding children to always ask before downloading apps or making purchases. Keeping communication open ensures they feel comfortable reporting anything suspicious without fear of punishment. Finally, leading by example verifying information before sharing and being cautious with online messages, emails, and deals helps reinforce good digital habits.

Year 4- Online Safety - Scams and Fake News

As part of our online safety work and PSHE unit we have looked at the use of scams and fake news on the internet. The children discussed the risks of various examples such as click bait and phishing scams, sales and discount deals and false friendships. The children then highlighted key points of how we can stay safe by staying informed, talking it through and being proactive.

Year 5 - Children’s Mental Health Week

Today, Year 5 took part in a live Lyfta session focused on this year’s theme for Children’s Mental Health Week: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself. During the session, the children were introduced to a young girl from Azerbaijan and explored the places where she felt safe, as well as how she expressed herself through dance. Following this, the children reflected on their own safe spaces and the ways they express themselves.

Online Safety: Scams and Fake News

Figures from Ofcom claim that nearly 3.5 million British children have encountered a scam online, and it's vital we learn how to recognise their tactics and protect youngsters against them. This week’s guide and the latest episode of the #WakeUpWednesday podcast deal with the topic of ‘fake news’ and how it might be used to make scams seem more persuasive. Download here >> https://ow.ly/I65s50UTm0P Listen here >> https://ow.ly/5fp750UTm0R

Year 4 - Great Big Live Assembly

In Year 4, we took part in the Great Big Live Assembly for Children’s Mental Health Week. We heard stories from various children about how they try to look after their mental health and things that can affect their mental well-being. The children said their key takeaways were that there are children around the world getting only one meal a day, that these children have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, and also that it is important for us to address and share our worries so that they don’t get out of control.

Year 3- PSHE- Lyfta- Know Yourself, Grow Yourself: Exploring Mental Health and Aspirations Through Malahat’s Story

Today in class, our Year 3 students joined hundreds of other schools in a live Lyfta session, exploring the theme "Know Yourself, Grow Yourself" and the importance of children's mental health through the inspiring story world Dancing in the Land of Fire. During this engaging 45-minute session, our students, alongside thousands of their peers, reflected on self-awareness and well-being, inspired by the journey of 11-year-old Malahat, who dreams of becoming a world-famous dancer and building a new home for her family in Baku. The children were fascinated to learn about Azerbaijan, particularly its vibrant capital, Baku. Through this experience, they gained a deeper understanding of mental health, resilience, and self-growth. The session encouraged them to think about their own dreams, emotions, and personal strengths, helping to build their confidence and empathy. It was a valuable opportunity for them to develop a global perspective while also reflecting on their own well-being and aspirations.

Year 6 Worship - Children’s Mental Health Week

This week is Children’s Mental Health Week and this was our focus during class worship. The children listened to a live stream that gave strategies and advice for improving our mental health, for example that worry isn’t actually a bad thing, as long as we deal with it in a positive and healthy way. That dodging our worries doesn’t help us and that we should stop and think about our feelings and connect with others. We heard about the experience of other people around the world, for example refugees from the Ukraine and children living in Ghana. An important message we took away from listening to these individuals, was the importance of hope.

Year 2- The Great Big Assembly for Children’s Mental Health Week

Today we watched The Great Big Live Assembly. This week is Children’s Mental Health Week from 3rd - 9th February. The Worship featured Scarlett Archer who presents FYI on Sky TV. Scarlett highlighted how we can show our emotions in a variety of ways. We watched a clip from Inside Out ,the movie which highlights a range of emotions. Our mental health is like Riley’s computer system. It was once seen as difficult to talk about mental health but campaigns are helping to make people more aware of their emotions. We went through scenarios and watched clips from Inside Out to discuss how we feel. This included disgust, anger and joy. We all feel a range of emotions but they can sometimes get out of balance or control and this is when we need help with regulation. The best idea is to talk it out and use the rational thinking parts of our brains. It may be an adult, a friend or even a pet. What can we do to look after our minds? *Think about our feelings *Connect with others *Practice feeling hopeful How can we help a friend if they are feeling upset or struggling? *Just be there as a friend. Talk things through or suggest they can talk to an adult. We then met Daniel, a Ukrainian refugee who discussed his emotions when he first arrived in Britain, compared to how he feels now. his family and his friends were the people who got him through it and made him feel much safer. It was lovely to hear how far Daniel had come, even going to Downing Street to talk about his emotions with the Prime Minister!

Reception: Class Worship- Children's Mental Health Week

At the start of our worship we lit our candle and signed the trinity. We then burnt our Frankincense incense stick to create a calming environment. We discussed what mental health was. Mental health is all about our feelings and our emotions. We discussed how we know when we have good mental health. Eleanor said we have lots of friends, Marnie May said we will feel happy, Beau said we might feel excited and Luna said we will be able to complete lots of challenges. If we have big feelings that are negative, we might feel sad. We were reminded that it is good to talk when we feel sad. We discussed who we could talk to. The children said Mummy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandad and the teachers. We discussed what we could do to look after ourselves to make us feel good. The children said they could write, draw, colour, play football, play with our toys and play with our friends. We were reminded that feelings come and go but talking to someone we trust can help. Thank you to MHST for a wonderful worship. We finished our worship with a dance to make us feel good and then sang Who is the king of the jungle.

Year 3- Class Worship- Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

Year 3 participated in class worship today by joining the live assemblies for Children's Mental Health Week. This year’s theme, "Know Yourself, Grow Yourself," focused on helping children understand their emotions and develop resilience. As part of the session, the children made different facial expressions to show emotions such as anger, shock, and happiness, helping them recognise and understand their feelings to face challenges with courage and hope. Daniel, an 11-year-old refugee from Ukraine, shared his experiences of overcoming trauma and what helped his mental health. We also heard from children in Ghana about their creative approaches to well-being, supported by World Vision. This was a valuable opportunity to show that every child’s story matters and that no one is alone.

Year 3- Science -Why is doing different exercises regularly good for our health?

Today in Science, Year 3 scientists explored the question: Why is doing different exercises regularly good for our health? They discovered how activities like football and swimming benefit the body, while sleep plays a crucial role in supporting the brain. The class also learned that dogs need regular walks and fresh air to stay fit and happy, while giraffes exercise by walking long distances to find food and stretching to reach high branches. This investigation linked well with Children's Mental Health Week, reinforcing the importance of physical activity for both body and mind. Our Science Ambassadors, Cassidy and Naomi, took their roles seriously, proudly wearing their lab coats to support their peers. They provided guidance and assistance to those who needed extra support, ensuring that everyone could engage in the learning and investigation.

Year 1 Class Worship- Children’s Mental Health Week

Today in class worship, we engaged with the Blackburn with Darwen Children’s Mental Health Presentation on the theme of ‘Know Yourself and Grow Yourself.’ We started by discussing what mental health is. Olivia said that mental health is looking after yourself on the inside, Alessia said that it is having a happy heart and mind and Callie said that it’s about how you feel. We then thought about the following question, ‘What are the signs that our mental health is good?’ We recognised that our mental health is good when we are feeling happy, we can can concentrate and enjoy lots of things in our lives. Isabella said that this could be enjoying spending time with our family, Alayna said that this could be enjoying spending time with our siblings, Samuel said this could be enjoying going to places such as the play centre and Vienna said this could be enjoying playing with our friends or having some alone time to practise a skill or talent. We learnt that to have good mental health, we must recognise when we are feeling negative feelings such as sadness and anger so that we can support and comfort ourselves by doing something that we enjoy. We also learnt that if a feeling is becoming too big to manage or cope with and it is stopping us from sleeping, having fun or not being able to concentrate then we must seek support from someone that we trust. The children decided that they would ask the support of their mummy, daddy, other family members or teachers at school. To end our worship, we had some beautiful prayers.

Year 1 English- Following Instructions

To kickstart their new English unit on instructional texts, Year One had to listen to a series of instructions and carry them out in order to create and complete an obstacle course. They thoroughly enjoyed this and were very good at it. Year One spotted that instructions contain both time conjunctions and verbs. They will also learn that adverbs can be a useful part of instructional writing too. What a fantastic start to our unit and even better that it was during mental health week as we know how important exercise is to keep us happy and healthy.

Reception: Presentation of Learning all about Chinese New Year

This week, Reception class have learnt all about Chinese New Year. Today, they presented their knowledge to the whole school. They shared what they had made and a little bit about Chinese New Year. We learnt that this year is the year of the snake. The children made some wonderful lanterns, wrote Chinese numbers and also painted the animals from the great race. Some of the children even took part in a dragon parade. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of the school Reception, we learnt lots!

Year 6 Class Worship

Year 6’s class worship this week was led by our members of the Wow Group. They did a fantastic job of leading a discussion around the government’s recent decision to promote more educational content on social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok. The class talked about the influence that social media can have on us, both positive and negative.

Year 5 - Emotional Literacy

Today, Year 5 explored the concept of emotional literacy through a discussion about the poster. The class developed a strong understanding of what emotional literacy means and how it can help us navigate difficult situations. Together, we identified key ways to support one another during challenging times, including being understanding, recognising emotions in ourselves and others, showing empathy, offering help and practicing mindfulness to manage emotional difficulties. Through this discussion, the children reflected on the importance of kindness and emotional awareness in building a supportive and caring environment.

Online Safety: Supporting Children to Develop Emotional Literacy

Big and difficult feelings are part of growing up but they can be easier to handle with guidance and support. This week’s guide and the latest episode of our #WakeUpWednesday podcast offer expert advice on helping youngsters develop emotional literacy. Download here >> https://ow.ly/qUgp50UOPOF Listen here >> https://ow.ly/InKO50UOPOG

Reception: Muddy Monday

Today our Reception children braved the cold and went outside for an observational walk to Jack Keys. We focused on spirituality this week and really focussed on what we could see, hear and smell. We stopped and looked around at all of God's beautiful creations. It was lovely to take a moment to really focus on what is all around us. We had a wonderful afternoon and we were really impressed with the children's resilience with the weather and the amount of walking we did.

Year 6 Life Education Session

Year 6 had their Life Education session, this week. The focus was on decisions and choices, friendships, being assertive, drugs and body impact. The children watched and discussed scenarios and thought about what they would do in these situations. They talked about drugs and their impact on our bodies and how to deal with peer-pressure. The children learned a lot and really enjoyed the session.

Year 4 - Life Education

Our Life Education session today was called ‘It’s Great To Be Me’. In Year 4, the children learned about the importance of looking after their bodies and not putting harmful substances in them. They learned about drugs, including medicines and how they must only be taken by the intended person and in the dose advised. The children were particularly excited to see Harold the Giraffe again. They saw a short film with Harold and his friends resolving conflict and celebrating each others’ differences.

Year 5 Life Education Session

Year 5 really enjoyed their Life Education session this week. The focus was on friendship and the children watched different scenarios, discussing themes such as: drugs and body impact, assertiveness and standing up for what you know is right, even when that is difficult to do. The children also talked about health and mindfulness and even had a little hello from Harold the giraffe!

Online Safety: Health and Fitness Apps

From data privacy worries to potential costs, it’s important to understand the risks posed by fitness apps – especially for younger users. This week’s guide and the latest episode of the #WakeUpWednesday podcast address some concerns around these platforms. Download here >> https://ow.ly/HV3T50UKg31 Listen here >> https://ow.ly/ic8a50UBtAe

Year 2 - Our body and feelings

Today we had a very exciting workshop from Life Education. Even Harold came to visit, which was lots of fun! We spoke about our bodies and why it is important to look after them. We also spoke about how to protect our bodies from things that could harm us. To finish we discussed how different situations make us feel. We explored a story where Harold had accidentally hurt his friend’s feelings without realising. In year 2, this is something we speak about often. Sometimes your feelings can get hurt and it might not be on purpose but an accident. We are learning to know that if we talk to our friends we can resolve our problems without falling out!

Year 3- Meet the Brain!

This afternoon, Year 3 enjoyed a visit from the Life Education Van, led by Karen. She shared fascinating insights about how our brains work and emphasised the importance of energy, oxygen, and exercise to keep them healthy. The children were also delighted to reunite with Harold the Giraffe, who made a special appearance after last year’s visit. Harold was impressed by how much the children had grown and commented on their maturity.

Reception: PSHE

Karen from Life Education visited Reception today. She explained how we need food, drink, exercise and sleep to stay healthy. Karen explained how we need to make sure germs don't get in by washing our hands with soap and water. We might need some medicine and we need to ask a grown up. We watched a video of Harold. Before he ate his breakfast, he washed his hands. Karen brought Harold's wash bag to show the children what he uses to keep clean. Harold has a flannel, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste. Karen explained how it is very important to brush our teeth at least twice every day. Harold felt a little bit sad. Karen explained that if you feel a bit sad, you could cuddle a toy, play with a friend or talk to someone. Talking really helps when you feel sad and it can help you to feel better. Karen discussed a good bedtime. She explained how it is important to get an early bed time. We then took part in a calm and relaxing activity. At the end, we got to meet Harold, what a treat! Harold sang a song to us all about looking after our bodies and mind. Thanks Karen for a wonderful session.

Year 1 PSHE- Life Education Visit

Today, Year 1 had a life education session with Karen and Harold the Giraffe. We learnt that there are lots of different food groups that we need to be eating to ensure that we are consuming a balanced diet. We learnt about dairy foods such as cheese and yogurts which help to make our teeth and bones strong and healthy, protein foods such as chicken, fish, beans and eggs which support muscle growth, fruits and vegetables such as peas, broccoli, peppers and bananas which provide our body with vitamins and minerals to keep us fit and healthy all over and carbohydrate foods such as pasta, cereals, rice, porridge and potatoes which are good for giving us energy. We then talked about our organs (where they are located and what are their functions). We learnt that our ribs look after our heart and lungs, our heart pumps blood around the body, our lungs help us to breathe and our stomach breaks down our food which is called digestion. We learnt that our body absorbs the ‘good stuff’ from our foods and the ‘not so good stuff’ leaves our bodies when we go to the toilet. We then had a look at a packed lunch that Harold the Giraffe had packed. We talked about how his lunch box included bread (carbohydrates), tuna (protein), cheese (dairy) and a yogurt (dairy). We agreed that it was a great lunch but it could be improved by including a portion of fruit or vegetables. Alayna, Cici and Percy then shared their ideas for a balanced lunch. Alayna said that she would have an egg sandwich, apple, banana and a yogurt, Cici said that she would have a tuna sandwich, cucumber, carrots, grated cheese and orange juice and Percy said that he would have a ham sandwich, apple, yogurt and a boiled egg. To end our session, we watched a video and explored the the friendship between Harold the Giraffe, Kiki the Kangaroo and Derek the Penguin. We learnt that we must always think through what we are about to do before we do it to make sure that there is no risk of us upsetting or hurting anyone. We also talked about the importance of sleep for resting our brains, helping our bodies to grow and rebuilding our energy. Thank you to Harold and Karen from Life Education as Year 1 thoroughly enjoyed the session and learnt lots about how to stay fit, healthy and be a good friend.

Year 3- Online Safety-TikTok

This afternoon, Year 3 discussed the TikTok app. Many children mentioned that they were unfamiliar with it or only used it under parental supervision. We explored the app's features, such as creating and sharing short videos, adding music, and using effects and filters. The children worked in small groups to discuss its advantages, such as creativity and entertainment, as well as potential risks and why it is age-restricted. This helped them understand the importance of using apps responsibly and with guidance.

Online Safety: Tik Tok

With 22% of its billion-strong userbase being between the ages of 13 and 17, the popularity of TikTok among the younger generation is indisputable. Providing entertainment in the form of a stream of short-form video content while allowing its users to post videos of their own the app has skyrocketed to prominence over the last few years, becoming a fixture in young people’s digital lives. Of course, with a platform as popular and gargantuan as TikTok, it can be intimidating trying to figure out how best to safeguard children and young people using the app. That’s why Wake Up Wednesday have released this brand-new guide to TikTok, detailing the main online safety concerns and suggesting strategies to reduce these risks for the app’s younger users.

Year 4 - Linking Schools: Curiosity Questions

In Year 4, we are preparing for our first online meeting with our linking class by thinking of curiosity questions. Before we can write good questions for our linking class, we needed to explore curiosity questions with each other. We played human bingo, in which we had to work in pairs to find one person to match each statement on our grid. We asked questions such as, “Are you left-handed?” and “Do you like pizza and chips?”, to get to know a bit more about each other. Then in our next session we will be considering questions for our friends at St Matthew’s.

Life Education Workshops

On either Tuesday 21st or Wednesday 22nd each class will have a special Life Education workshop led by Karen and Harold the Giraffe from Coram Scarf. The children have really enjoyed the workshops over the last couple of years and they supplement our PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Economic Education) curriculum. Harold the Giraffe scratch bookmarks will also be on sale for £1.00 for 2 bookmarks, 2 ribbons and a wooden stylus. The sessions will cover the following: Reception: All about me Year 1: My wonderful body Year 2: Feelings Year 3: Meet the brain Year 4: Great to be me Year 5: Friends Year 6: Decisions There will be an information session for parents on the Wednesday morning from 8.45-0.00am in the library area, should you have any questions or would like to know more about the sessions.

Year 5 - The CO Crew

Today, the children participated in a workshop delivered by the CO crew, where they learned about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO). The session covered key topics, including: What is Carbon Monoxide? A colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas known as the "silent killer" because it is hard to detect without special equipment. Where Does CO Come From? Produced when fuels like gas, coal, wood, or oil don't burn properly, with sources such as faulty boilers, stoves, fireplaces, and cars left running in enclosed spaces. The Dangers of CO Poisoning: Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and tiredness, and it can be fatal if not addressed. How to Stay Safe: The importance of installing CO detectors, maintaining appliances, and avoiding indoor use of outdoor equipment. The children engaged thoughtfully, gaining vital knowledge to help keep themselves and their families safe.

Year 5 - E-Safety - JustTalk Kids

During this E-Safety session, Year 5 explored a poster about the app JustTalk Kids. The children discussed the advantages of using the app, such as staying connected with friends, learning new skills and having a safe space to share their thoughts. They also examined the potential dangers, including oversharing personal information, interacting with strangers and spending too much time online. Through thoughtful discussions, the children reflected on how to use apps like JustTalk Kids responsibly. They emphasised the importance of setting boundaries, using privacy settings and always talking to a trusted adult if something feels wrong. This session highlighted the need for critical thinking and safe practices in the digital world.

Year 2 - Safety Seymour

This morning we welcomed Vanessa and Safety Seymour into our classroom. This workshop was focused on highlighting how dangerous Carbon Monoxide can be! We explored different places CO can be found in our homes and which appliances could produce CO. We found out the Carbon Monoxide is produced when fuel is not burnt correctly. Red flame is bad , blue flame is good. We learnt the steps to safety if we think Carbon Monoxide might be in our homes. It was great to learn about something new in class and gain knowledge that could be very useful.

Reception- Winter

Today we explored the snow and ice in groups. We talked about the season winter and what animals we might see in winter, what clothes we might wear, what the outdoors might look and feel like and our favourite and least favourite things about the season. The children came up with lots of their own knowledge about winter we discussed hibernation and animals who hibernate and deciduous and evergreen trees.

Online Safety in Year 4 - Using the Justalk Kids App

As part of our PSHE we looked at online safety both in and outside of school. Today we shared a poster that told us all about an app called Talkids. We looked at all the positive aspects and discussed these in smaller groups. Our main findings that we highlighted were: * specific to our group (13 and under) * a safe space to chat online * parental controls * helps prevent cyber bullying

Online Safety: Just Talk Kids

With 20 million users worldwide, JusTalk Kids is a hugely popular children's app - but what are the risks? This week’s guide and the latest episode of our #WakeUpWednesday podcast delve into the safety concerns of JusTalk Kids, and how to safeguard youngsters using the app. Download here >> https://ow.ly/nGtQ50UBtAb Listen here >> https://ow.ly/ic8a50UBtAe

Online Safety: Safety on Social Media

Ofcom has found that, overall, 99% of children in the UK are using social media. That’s almost 14 million young people using sites just like this one. So, how do we keep them all safe? This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide and the latest episode of our podcast give you expert advice on effective safety practices while using social media. Download >> https://ow.ly/yVbx50UtflM Listen >> https://ow.ly/mw1350UtflK

Reception: Outdoor Gym

Today, our Reception class took part in a circuit session to develop their gross motor skills. They spent one minute on a piece of equipment followed by a 40 second rest. They really enjoyed it and really developed in using the equipment to the best of their ability, well done!

PSHE -Valuing Difference Part 2 in Year 4

In today’s PSHE session the children started by discussing how we celebrate difference and treat each other with respect and fairness. We then moved on to identifying different celebrities and finding how they are different from one another and what are their attributes contribute to who they are as a whole person.

November WOW Winners - Year 3

Congratulations to Year 3 who have gained the most badges for the month of November for either walking, parking and striding or taking part in the 1K a day in school. It’s the second time that Year 3 have been awarded with the trophy so it shows how committed they are to active travel - well done!

Online Safety: Keeping Safe over the Festive Season

The winter break is almost here, and it’s time to kick back and relax – but there are still steps we can take to celebrate safely. Check out our freshly wrapped guide for parents and educators, with tips on holiday safety to keep youngsters protected this festive season! Download >> https://ow.ly/JCyE50UoWAV Listen >> https://ow.ly/hYl650UoWAU

Year 6 - What affect do different types of exercise have on my body?

Year 6 looked at the effect different types of exercise had on their heart rate. We started by taking our resting heart rate and then gradually increased the intensity of the activity we took part in. We found out that as the intensity of the activity increased, our heart rates also increased. Based on our previous learning, we concluded that, because the intensity of the activity increased, the more our muscles demanded water, nutrients and oxygen.

Year 4: How Do We Value Our Differences?

In our PSHE session today we looked at how we can develop our understanding of being reflective and value similarities and differences between people. We compared our identity with someone else’s, then looked at ten statements to reflect on. We were surprised by what we found and carefully considered moral, social, economic and cultural reasons. Finally we went on to identify three positive things about not everyone having the same ideas and values.

Reception: Road Safety

Our Reception children learnt how to cross the road safely today. They stopped, looked and listened and then let Mrs Wilkinson know when it was time to cross safely. They were all very sensible, well done!

Year 2 - Acts of Kindness

In our PSHE lesson this week, we looked at various ways we can show kindness and recognise kindness in others. We read a story in which some characters were showing kindness and others did not. We discussed why we are kind and sometimes why we could be unkind. After, we gathered in a circle and took turns to share one kind thing about the person to our right. The children showed great respect, taking turns and listening to their friends. It was a lovely way to end to our day!

Year 3- PSHE- Making Smart Choices Online

Today in PSHE, we learned how to be smart online detectives! The children worked in groups to identify which statements were true or false about the trustworthiness of websites. We also discussed the importance of checking if information on websites is reliable. We learned to use tools like fact-checking, website checkups, looking for multiple sources, and asking adults for help. We also listed some of the websites we know, like YouTube, BBC News, Instagram, Snapchat and Roblox, and discussed how some websites are more trustworthy than others. Just like we wouldn't believe everything we read in a book, we should be careful about the information we find online.

Year 1 - PSHE Pants Project

Today in PSHE we learned all about Pants Power and staying safe. We discussed who safe adults are that we can talk to both in school and at home. We then labelled parts of our bodies with the anatomically accurate labels. The children worked extremely hard to label their bodies and also remembered The Talk Pants Rules!

Year 6 - Road safety workshop

Today, year 6 visited DACA for a road safety workshop. The children listened attentively and explored the importance of minimising distractions when walking to school. In a world that is surrounded by technology, it is very easy to get distracted, but it is really important to take precautions when we are near roads.

Online Safety: Snapchat

Snapchat has been available for almost 14 years now. It’s expanded plenty in that time – adding new features, and with them, new risks. This #WakeUpWednesday, our guide and podcast are revisiting this messaging app, letting you know how to keep younger users safe. Download here >> https://ow.ly/tjPc50UfXWj Listen here >> https://ow.ly/5L9k50UfXWk

Reception: NSPCC PANTS Rule

In our PSHE lesson, our Reception class listened to the pantosaurus song and learnt all about the important of our private parts saying private. We discussed the 5 rules: 1. Privates are private. 2. Always remember your body belongs to you. 3. No means no. 4. Talk about secrets that upset you. 5. Speak up, someone can help.

Year 3- NO PENS DAY - Litter picking- Brainbox games-What can you remember in just 10 seconds?

Today, Year 3 celebrated No Pens Day thanks to our Smart School Council.  They combined learning by litter picking, demonstrating teamwork, communication, and a strong sense of kindness and spirituality. They even discussed how God and the community would be pleased with their efforts. In the classroom, they paired up for a fun game of BrainBox, boosting their memory, observation skills, and understanding of math and reading. Oracy skills were embedded throughout the day, as students listened attentively, took turns to talk, and engaged in thoughtful discussions.

Year 4 - Maths: Three Times Tables

Teamwork was key in our maths session today. In celebration of No Pens Day, our maths included a combination of singing, matching, playing online games and puzzle solving. We learned the three times tables and used this knowledge to create fact families. Our extension activity today was to complete a three times table Tarsia. It proved to be more difficult than they first thought, but it certainly challenged them.

Year 6 - Parliament Week

On Friday, Year 6 rounded off ‘Parliament Week’ with a meeting with Baroness Wilcox of Newport. Baroness Wilcox started the session with a presentation about the House of Lords before answering some questions that the children had prepared prior to the session. Some of the questions were fantastic and a big thank you to Baroness Wilcox for answering them so openly and honestly.

Educating Children on Spending and Saving

With Black Friday sales right around the corner, it's a great time to teach children about financial responsibility but how, exactly? In this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide and the latest episode of our podcast we’re offering top tips on educating children how to spend and save wisely. Download here >> https://ow.ly/c0XW50UaIRs Listen here >> https://ow.ly/SoTR50UaIRq

Year 6 - Fire Service Visit

This week, year 6 were visited by the fire service. They recapped the learning that they received in year 2 and moved onto the topic of ‘Roadsense’. As year 6 move to secondary school, they will no doubt become more independent and may be trusted to walk to school. It is really important that they keep themselves safe and make sure they are visible and give roads their full attention.

Year 6 - Parliament Week

This week, year 6 have spent some time getting to grips with Parliament and how the country is run. They discovered that Parliament is split into two houses: House of Commons and the House of Lords, and this Friday the children will actually get the chance to put some questions to Baroness Wilcox, who sits in the House of Lords. They will have the chance to ask questions about her role and the House of Lords itself. This is a fantastic opportunity which will be enriched further when we actually visit the Houses of Parliament during our London trip in March.

Year 4 - Smart School Council

The children were very enthusiastic about the Smart School Council question this time. They were asked whether or not they’d like to take part in NO PENS DAY. The answer was a resounding yes, with some children choosing ‘tidying up the war graves’ as an activity. There were many different reasons for their choices, including giving their hands a rest, making time for games and doing things for other people in our community. We’re now hoping for a YES from the rest of the school.

Year 4 - Science: Teeth

Our current science topic has definitely got the Year 4s buzzing. This week we explored our own teeth using mirrors, counted them with our tongues, learned about the different types of teeth and then recorded our findings on a diagram using a key. We watched a video of an investigation, which demonstrated what would happen if we had a mouth full of just one type of tooth and we wrote about the functions of each tooth type. There was even enough time to recap tooth brushing habits: two times a day for two minutes, tickling every tooth!

Reception: Exploring the Snow

Our Reception children enjoyed exploring the snow today. They worked together in small groups to build snowmen! They collected resources for the arms and they all had carrots for their noses. The children also found some icicles so we looked closely at them and how they had formed. It was also wonderful to look around at the winter sight and really feel the snow too. Our world is beautiful in all types of weather and what a treat we all had this morning.

Year 1- Children in Need

On Friday, Year 1 all made a super effort and came to school dressed in Pudsey merchandise, pyjamas or spots to help to fundraise for Children in Need. They all coloured in their own Pudsey and thought about the children who benefit from the generous donations of good people across England and Wales.

Year 1- Smoothie Bike

Yesterday, Year 1 took part in the smoothie bike experience with Aspens Catering. The children discussed different types of fruits that they liked and learned how many portions of fruit and vegetables they should eat every day. The children then helped to put the different fruits, yogurt and honey into the blender before using a special bike (with a helping hand from Donna) to blend the ingredients to create three delicious smoothie drinks. Last of all, they sampled their creations.

Year 5 - Fun in the snow

Year 5 had an amazing time in the snow today, building creative snowmen and making wonderful memories together. It was heartwarming to see the children laughing, playing, and truly enjoying the wintry weather. They also took a moment to reflect on the beauty of our snow-covered surroundings, sharing thoughts about how lucky we are to have such fantastic outdoor spaces to explore and appreciate as a school community.

Year 2 - Fire service visit

Cloughy and Fiona from Darwen Fire Service visited year 2 today. The enthusiasm in class from everyone was brilliant. The children had one main message to remember check your smoke alarms! We had role play, dressing up and waved them off in the fire engine. Thank you Cloughy and Fiona!

Reception: Muddy Monday

Our Reception children braved the cold today and went in search of twigs and sticks to create our own Stick Men at Jack Keys. We will be focussing on this story throughout this week and we will be making our own Stick Men to help us retell the story.

Whole School Thursday Worship with Rev Ben and Pudsey

In our Thursday Whole School Worship,Christine Baldwin, Community Champion from Asda Bolton kindly brought Pudsey Bear to visit us and say a big THANK YOU for our fundraising for Children in Need. They are currently working on a Fuelling Food Programme so that no child will grow hungry in the school holidays. Asda Bolton have raised ver 34 million pounds for Children in Need. The children were very excited to hear all about the project as well as meeting Pudsey. Following on from the visit, Rev Ben took over and we all showed respect by putting ourselves in our reflective prayer place. We began with the Trinity and focused our first discussion on what does it mean to treat someone with respect. Our answers included: being kind, treating someone just as you would like to be treated,when you are ok with difference and treating people equally. Our Bible story today was - A Jar and A Jug. The story focused on Elijah - Gods special messenger and his struggle with the drought. He trusted God that he would get through it with help from the widow and her son. The widow who believed in another God, didn’t believe they would live until she trusted in Elijah and his promise. God saw the widow as someone important and gave her a special job- to look after Elijah. It means listening to others, caring for them and seeing them how God sees them. We then looked at the important message “ Do to others as you would have them do you” Luke 6;31 We finished our Thursday Whole School Worship with a prayer and then we sang ‘ I can make a difference’

Teaching Cycle Safety

Teaching cycle safety to children empowers them to ride responsibly, reducing risks while out on the road. In advance of Road Safety Week, our next guide and the latest episode of the #WakeUpWednesday podcast explain how to keep kids safe when they set out on two wheels, helping them ride with confidence! Download here >> https://ow.ly/CQ8E50U5T5Q Listen here >> https://ow.ly/yiXL50U5T5O

Year 6 - Anti-Bullying Live Lesson

At the beginning of this week, Year 6 took part in a PSHE lesson and a CBBC live lesson that focused on Anti-Bullying Week. The theme this year is ‘Choose Respect’. Year 6 were made aware that disagreements are actually a natural part of life and that we can’t avoid them. However, what we do have control of is the ability to be respectful when we have a disagreement. If we manage to do this, a resolution is easier to find.

Year 1 PSHE- Odd Socks Day For Anti-Bullying Week

Yesterday, Year 1 celebrated Anti- Bullying Week by wearing their odd socks. Following on from the Collective Worship with Mrs Ham, we continued to explore the theme of respect. First of all, we played a game of ‘Huggy Bears’ where we had to get into a trio and hug each other on command. We talked about how hugging each other made us feel. Year 1 said it made them feel happy, smiley, loved and excited. We then explored other ways to build each other up and show both kindness and respect. Year 1 suggested clearing the path by stepping aside or moving an obstacle to let someone through, smiling at each other, sharing equipment, asking someone if they would like a hug, asking someone if they are okay, lining up smartly and sensibly and putting their hand up and not shouting out as ways of being respectful, to ensure that we all feel happy, remain safe and uninterrupted in our learning. All of the children then chose one that they think they could work on.

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.

Reception Celebrate anti-bullying week

Today the children came to school wearing odd socks to celebrate anti-bullying week. During our PSHE lesson we discussed how we can show respect and be a good friend to each other. These are some of the ideas the children came up with; “Be kind” (Max) “Be helpful” (Cassius) “Be friendly” (Willow) “Share” (Hadi) “Share toys” (Evie) “Be Respectful” (Reggie) “Help our friends if they are struggling with their work” (Oliver) “Listen to our friends” (Will) “Have kind hands with our friend” (Hendrix)

Whole School Worship: Anti-Bullying and Respect

Our worship today introduced the theme of Choose Respect for Anti-bullying Week. We heard from primary school children from around the country talking about the effects of bullying, the importance of respect and how we can change the way we speak to others. Mrs Ham invited up some of our pupils to act out various scenarios so that we could identify the potential bullying problem and suggest ways to correct it that benefit everyone involved. The children had some fantastic suggestions, which we can all try to use on the playground to resolve conflict. We spent some time reflecting on the meaning of respect and on how others may feel when they are treated with disrespect.

Odd Socks Day at St Barnabas

To launch Anti-Bullying week, we celebrated Odd Socks Day in style today with some brilliant demonstrations of uniqueness. The children showed off their odd socks to their peers and shared reasons for their choices that really showed off their different preferences and personalities!

Year 5 - Anti-Bullying Week

Year 5 embraced Anti-Bullying Week with Odd Socks Day, proudly wearing mismatched socks to celebrate individuality and this year’s powerful theme of respect. In their PSHE lessons, they reflected deeply on what bullying means, sharing personal insights on how to respond and support others in challenging situations. They discussed the importance of kindness, respect, and inclusivity, learning how even small actions can make a big difference in creating a safe and supportive school environment for everyone.

Year 6 Golden Time

After showing so much respect and gratitude at the Remembrance Service, Year 6 were rewarded with an early golden time on the new play area in Whitehall Park. It was wonderful to see them all having fun and getting along with each through comprising and waiting patiently. They also took risks and pushed themselves out of their comfort zone and it was great to hear them encouraging each other. Well done Year 6!

Online Safety: Encouraging Children to Choose Respect

Anti-Bullying Week is right around the corner, and this year’s theme is “Choose Respect”. When disputes arise among children, insults and rudeness can sometimes follow and it’s vital for us to show them a better way. Working with the Anti-Bullying Alliance themselves, we’re bringing you expert advice on how to do exactly that. Download >> https://nationalcollege.com/guides/choose-respect Listen >> https://tr.ee/mppP2QEa1w

Year 3- PSHE-Expressing opinions and listening to those of others;

This afternoon in PSHE, the children discussed several statements and placed themselves on a line to show their agreement or disagreement. We talked about topics like healthy eating, screen time, physical activity, and sugary drinks. After sharing their positions, the children explained why they chose those spots. It was a great opportunity to listen to different viewpoints and understand each other's thoughts.

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

WOW Year Group Winners for October

A huge WELL DONE to Year 4 who gained the most walk to school badges for the month of October! It was great to see so many more children gaining their badges this month now we can take part in school through choosing to do the 1K A Day too. Thank you to parents and carers too for all of your support with this super initiative.

Reception: Bonfire and Firework Safety

This week the children in Reception have been learning all about Bonfire night. They learnt how Guy Fawkes planned to kill the king using gunpowder. His plan failed and we now celebrate Bonfire night to remember. The children have learnt how to keep safe around bonfires and fireworks. We then created bonfires using playdough and fireworks using pens, pegboards, sand and paint.

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.

Reception: Developing our Gross Motor Skills

Today our Reception children challenged themselves to climb trees. They used their muscles in their tummies, arms and legs to help them to safely climb the trees. Some of the children swang on the branches and balanced too. Well done for being so brave!

Reception: Muddy Monday

Today for Reception’s Muddy Monday session, the children walked to Jacks Key. To celebrate bonfire night, the children collected twigs, sticks and leaves to create their own bonfires. The children had to work together as a team and did a brilliant job.

Year 3- Science- Sorting and Classifying Food

Today, Year 3 scientists continued their exploration of nutrition, building on their knowledge from Year 2. They identified the five key food groups: carbohydrates, proteins, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. They learned that a balanced diet, incorporating foods from each group, is crucial for optimal growth and health. Carbohydrates provide energy, proteins repair and build tissues, dairy strengthens bones, and fruits and vegetables supply essential vitamins and minerals. To reinforce their understanding, the children sorted pictures of food into their food groups and explained the benefits of each. Through this experience, Year 3 developed their scientific skills of observation, classification, and data presentation.

Year 1 Science and PSHE- Nightingale Farm Visit

What a wonderful time Year 1 had at Nightingale Farm on Tuesday morning. We petted the chickens and the goats, wandered around the barn exploring all of the farm animals (pigs, sheep, goats, chickens and ducks) and learnt lots about their diets.  We then completed an activity where we had to choose one of the farm animals, write which animal group it belonged to (mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish or bird) and what it likes to eat. Steph answered lots of questions that we had about the farm animals too. We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the park so thank you to Steph for warmly welcoming us and sharing her knowledge with us all. All of the photos can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-1-nightingale-farm-october-2024

WOW Ambassadors October Badge Challenge

In our Wellbeing Warrior meeting today, the WOW Ambassadors worked through each year group to highlight which children had managed to complete our weekly challenge of walking or park and striding once per week. It’s fantastic to see even more children gaining their badges now that they can also do this by taking part in the 1K A day in school if needed. The WOW Ambassadors can’t wait to announce the winners of the October Challenge in tomorrow's Celebration Worship.

Year 1 Science and PSHE- Nightingale Farm Visit

What a wonderful time Year 1 had at Nightingale Farm on Tuesday morning. We petted the chickens and the goats, wandered around the barn exploring all of the farm animals (pigs, sheep, goats, chickens and ducks) and learnt lots about their diets.  We then completed an activity where we had to choose one of the farm animals, write which animal group it belonged to (mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish or bird) and what it likes to eat. Steph answered lots of questions that we had about the farm animals too. We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the farm so thank you to Steph for warmly welcoming us and sharing her knowledge with us all.

Online Safety: Fortnite

Fortnite is a triumph in the gaming sphere. Fast-paced action in a cartoonish package – but 'cartoonish' doesn’t always mean ‘safe’. In this week’s guide and the latest episode of our #WakeUpWednesday podcast we’re discussing the online safety risks of this popular title. Download >> https://ow.ly/qyuR50TW3CO Listen >> https://ow.ly/QRhp50TW3CN

Year 6 - Money Matters

This week, year 6 welcomed a member of the money matters team into their classroom. It was great to hear them discussing potential careers they would like to pursue in the future and the mature responses they gave throughout the session.

Year 4 - Linking Schools: Who Am I?

Our Linking Schools project is due to start soon in Year 4. Today, the children learned a bit about the project and that we will be teaming up with a school from Blackburn across the year to share work. Further information will be going out to parents soon, but today was just an opportunity for the children to think about themselves and what is important to them. They used their ideas to decorate a piece of bunting and celebrate who they are.

Reception: I am Special

This week in PSHE, we thought about how we are all special. Beau said we are all unique. We discussed how we are all not the same and that is ok. Jasper said we all look different. Cassius said we all like different things. We sang a song about being special and thought about things we like and dislike. Some of the children liked things that their friends did not. We discussed how this is ok as we are all special.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Today, our Reception children went for a walk into our local environment. We went on a mile walk to Jack Keys reservoir. The children enjoyed looking at the reservoir, the fallen leaves and loved listening to the birds singing. The children really concentrated on what they could see and hear, exploring spirituality. It was a rainy walk and the children persevered and enjoyed splashing in the puddles too.

Year 1 and 2 at Break Time- Recycling Leaves

At break time, Year 1 and 2 enjoyed recycling the autumn leaves to make huge bouquets to give to their family members this Harvest Time.

Cre8ability

This week is our last Cre8ability session. We discussed what we could do when we feel different feelings. To cheer ourselves up, Harry said we could watch a film, Jacob said we could play together, Hendrix said we could go out for a walk and April said we could comfort someone. When we feel an emotion, it takes a minute and a half for us to feel an emotion and then it is the thinking time that happens after which makes an emotion linger. We created a lovely weaving craft today. Thank you so much to Carol and Maria for running such a wonderful group.

Year 6 - Black History Month Worship

Year 6 took part in a worship, that schools across the country joined, to celebrate ‘Black History Month’. We discussed how we can ensure that all children feel welcome in school and explored some inspirational figures. One Individual that stood out to year 6 was Ruby Bridges. She is an American civil rights activist who attended a formerly all-white school at the age of 6. Despite having to be escorted into school and jeered at daily, she battled adversity in order to get the best possible education for herself.

Online Safety: Horror Films and Age Ratings

https://ow.ly/n4Pl50TLKP2 spooky season, plenty of young people will be breaking out the popcorn and giving themselves a fright But let’s ensure that what they’re watching is appropriate. In this week’s guide and podcast episode, we’re offering expert advice on horror films and age ratings. Download here >> https://ow.ly/gCJU50TLKP5 Listen here >> https://ow.ly/IOA050TLKP4

Year 3- PSHE- Friends are Special

Year 3 had a fantastic time exploring the meaning of friendship in our PSHE lesson today. We used Harold the Giraffe, Kiki the Kangaroo, and Derek the Penguin to discuss the qualities of a good friend and how to maintain strong friendships. We discussed the qualities and strategies of a good friendship. such as A best friend is someone you trust and care about deeply. Good friends are kind, trustworthy, honest, loyal, and respectful. Even best friends can have disagreements, but it's important to forgive and understand. Ways to make up with a friend include talking about it, apologising, spending time together, and being a good listener.

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

Hello Yellow Day

To celebrate and raise awareness for World Mental Health Day, all the children and staff dressed in yellow to show their support. During a special worship, the children danced to happy songs. We reflected deeply on our emotions, exploring how they shape our inner lives and how we can find strength in times of struggle. We discussed the importance of nurturing our mental well-being through kindness, prayer, and community support. This spiritual reflection reminded us that we are never alone in our challenges; by turning to our faith and embracing hope, we can find peace and resilience within ourselves.

Reception - Hello Yellow Day

Today we have enjoyed taking part in activities to support Hello Yellow Day. We have been doodling what makes us happy and have been talking about the different feelings we all have. We know that there are lots of grown ups around us who can help us with big feelings but we must always ask when we need help.

Year 3 - PSHE- Hello Yellow Day

Following our whole-school worship,to celebrate and raise awareness for World Mental Health Day, Year 3 wore yellow to show our support for mental health awareness. We also learned about some top tips to help people who might be feeling down such as: Allowing children to express their feelings through art and Dance, sing, or play instruments to release emotions . We then watched Emily and Harry's story on BBC Newsround about the importance of talking to a trusted adult.

Year 5 - Hello Yellow Day

To support this year’s Hello Yellow Day, Year 5 enthusiastically created their own unique badges, each representing what made them special. With this year’s theme, "Wear it loud and wear it proud," the children confidently showcased their badges and spoke about them with pride. Afterward, we engaged in a meaningful discussion about mental health and well-being, exploring the different ways we can take control of and improve our own mental health by focusing on activities that bring us joy and comfort.

Cre8ability

This week at Cre8ability we focussed on who our special people are. We discussed how we all have similarities and differences. These differences help us to be unique. We all decorated a box with all of our favourite things. We talked about how we should celebrate our differences and ensure everybody is included.

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.

St Barnabas do Hello Yellow Day 2024

Today in school, we celebrated Hello Yellow Day 2024. Hello Yellow Day is a day when we can show our support for young people and let them know they're not alone with their mental health. Thousands of children came together to make World Mental Health Day that little bit brighter by wearing something yellow and donating to YoungMinds. Right now, the world is a really tough place for children and young people to grow up in. We want young people to know that they don’t have to go through this alone. Things can get better. Because we stand brighter, together.  At St Barnabas, we celebrated through our whole school worship led by Mrs Ham and her minion friends, Harry, Hamza, Daisy and Rosie. Each class then used their PSHE session to explore Hello Yellow Day further and it was clear to see that every class made a super effort with their outfits too. What a super day being loud and proud in yellow. #HelloYellow

Teaching Children Fire Safety

Remember, remember … 5 November is approaching fast, but of course fire safety isn’t only important on Bonfire Night. Help children recognise the potential risks with a timely reminder of fire safety essentials in this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide and accompanying podcast. Download here >> https://ow.ly/Y2lm50THEhe Listen here >> https://ow.ly/lOLi50THEhf

Craft Club: Emotion Plates

Today at the Little Craft Club the children made emotion plates. They discussed all of the different emotions and the children chose 4 to put on their plates. They have a peg to attach to the emotion that they’re feeling at any time. Super crafting!

Cre8ability Session 4

This week we continued with our learning on emotional regulation. We focussed on how music can affect our emotions. We listened to lots of music and discussed how we felt after it. Music works the left and right side of the brain so it is really therapeutic. We then explored and had the opportunity to play some African drums. Carol taught us how to play the drums. We learnt bass, tone and slap and how to do a rumble on the drum. The children all created their own rhythm and we did a call and response. We then drummed along to ‘we will rock you’. We finished our session with some mindfulness colouring.

Online Safety: In-game Chat

Chatting to others in a game can be a great way to connect as you enjoy your hobby together. It’s not always quite so wholesome, however. Our newest #WakeUpWednesday guide and the latest episode of our podcast offer expert advice on the risks of in-game chat! Download here >> https://ow.ly/olvZ50TAgSJ Listen here >> https://ow.ly/ePvP50TAgSO

Reception: Forest Schools

This week, we explored our forest schools area in our school grounds. The children built dens and did lots of imaginative play inside the tree. Lots of children even climbed a tree! The children really enjoyed getting muddy too!

Year 5 - Teamwork

In this lesson, Year 5 focused on collaborative learning, with a special emphasis on teamwork and communication. The children were tasked with the challenge of constructing the tallest possible tower using only six sheets of paper. This activity required them to work together, share ideas, and plan their approach, highlighting the importance of listening, cooperation, and problem-solving. Throughout the challenge, the children had to manage their time effectively and adapt their strategies as they encountered obstacles, demonstrating resilience and collective decision-making. The exercise not only reinforced the value of teamwork but also allowed the children to reflect on their individual contributions to the group’s success.

Cre8ability Session 3

This week we focussed on emotional regulation. We looked at how to manage our emotions. Carol and Maria reminded us of the green for calm, orange for feeling overwhelmed and red for anger bottles. We discussed how we can stop going from calm to angry. There are three words that we focussed on to calm down: time, think and tell. We need to take some time, think about what we can do to calm down and talk to someone, it could be a person or an animal. We need to be careful to not make a decision when we are angry. You are 25 when you have fully developed emotional intelligence. We have big expectations of our young children but they still have a long wait to go to develop in emotional maturity. Today we made a calming glitter bottle to help the children take time to calm down, a worry warrior to talk to and a worry catcher to take your worries away.

Online Safety: Instagram

With around 1.6 million teenage users, Instagram has become a favourite hangout for many youngsters online. Despite having so many young members on the platform, it poses its fair share of risks. In this week's guide and latest podcast episode for #WakeUpWednesday, we’re bringing you expert advice on how to keep children and young people safe on Instagram! Download here >> https://ow.ly/gfNu50Tv2wu Listen here >> https://ow.ly/ViQx50Tv2wt

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.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Reception class had their first Muddy Monday session and they walked up to our school field. The children stayed close to each other whilst walking and they all managed to get to the field safely. The children enjoyed rolling down the hill, racing and finding bugs in the grass. It was pouring down but the rain did not stop the,. They are looking forward to next week's Muddy Monday.

Online Safety: Final Fantasy XIV

Swords , sorcery and epic quests! MMOs let you join people from round the globe on a grand adventure – but even a fantasy world can present some very real risks. This week's free guide >> https://bit.ly/4e5Y8jc And #WakeUpWednesday podcast >> https://spoti.fi/3yV3ue4

Year 4 Gratitude and Mindfulness Appreciation

Year 4 enjoyed playing on the outdoor gym and MUGA in the beautiful sunshine. We felt so much gratitude for our lovely surroundings of fields, Darwen Tower and much more all around us.

Cre8ability Session 2

We began our session finishing off our Picasso artwork. Today we thought of words beginning with each letter of the alphabet to link to our emotions. We then discussed feelings and how they can make our tummies feel strange. Jacob said that green is calm, Leonora said orange can make us feel overwhelmed and Eve said fizzy red can make us feel angry. Our aim is to be in green mode but we need to recognise when we are moving into orange so that we can prevent ourselves from moving into red and feeling angry. Our craft this week was using clay. The group all chose their favourite things to sculpt. It was a lovely time for parents and children to spend time with each other and have some fun.

Year 6 - DACA Visit

Earlier in the week, year 6 were visited by Mrs Lewis and Dominic (a previous St Barnabas pupil) who spoke about life at DACA. This gave the children who are thinking about attending DACA in September an insight into what they can expect.

Reception: Sharing

Today, we discussed one of our 4 Be's: be kind and focussed on our Christian value of friendship. We discussed why it was important to share. Max said we can make friends, Reggie said it is kind, Olivia said it is nice, Beau said that if we don't then it would make people feel sad, Thea said sharing is caring and Zachary said it will make everyone happy. The children have been really trying to share resources with each other. Well done!

Year 4 PSHE - Team work

In our PSHE sessions we are looking at Me and My Relationships. This week we focused on teamwork and how we can show this both in and out of the classroom. We discussed how this links to our 4 B’s, Christian values and British Values too.

Year 6 - What makes a good play leader?

Today, Year 6 spent their P.E. lesson thinking about the qualities of a good play leader. They took part in a relay race and had to create a group image that displayed symbols representing these qualities. We spoke about the importance of being prepared, observant, patient, understanding and a good communicator. I’m sure year 6 will be great role models to the younger children in our school.

Online Safety: Supporting Children to Manage Conflict Effectively

Being able to manage conflict effectively is a key skill for all to learn but it can be tricky for young people to know exactly how. This #WakeUpWednesday, we’re offering expert advice on helping children avoid and manage conflict effectively. Check out this week's free guide >> https://bit.ly/3TneFa5 And the latest episode of our #WakeUpWednesday podcast here >> https://spoti.fi/3zpZXIt

Reception: Outdoors

Our Reception children explore outdoors in all weathers. We are trying really hard to put on our puddle suits and wellies independently. The children have enjoyed playing on our bikes, in our superhero cave, in our mud kitchen and sandpit and with our resources under our canopy.

Reception: Our First Lunchtime

Today, our Reception children enjoyed our first lunchtime together. They all held their trays and independently ate their lunch. The children then enjoyed playing with the children from years 1 and 2. Well done!

Year 6 - Picture News Worship

Year 6 took part in a virtual worship which followed on nicely from our class worship. It focused on the clean up and the importance of community in the aftermath of this summer’s riots, that took place up and down the country. We discussed how we can all come together, no matter what our background, and work towards a common goal.

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.

Wellbeing Warriors 2024-2025

A lovely warm welcome to our newly appointed Wellbeing Warriors. Following our class vote, we are pleased to announce that Desmond, Eliza, Alice and Darcy are going to lead all our new initiatives in school including supporting with our WOW travel plan which will continue this year. We have made the challenge much more achievable by offering the children who can’t walk to school the opportunity to take part in the 1k once a week with their class teacher instead and this will count as their walk once a week and ability to gain the monthly badge. Please keep your eyes peeled for upcoming events.

Reception- Exploring our outdoor area

Our reception children had lots of fun exploring our outdoor area in their puddle suits and wellies. They enjoyed making mud pie and worm soup in the mud kitchen. They showed us their fantastic physical skills when bike and scooter riding and balancing on the assault course. Some of the children chose to built cars and super hero caves using the Lego in our construction area.

Year 5 - Move and Learn

Today, Year 5 took part in Move and Learn hosted by Blackburn Rovers Community Trust. The children explored a variety of topics including: diet, fitness, importance of staying healthy, changes to the body when undergoing physical activity and how to make healthy meal choices. The children took part it lots of team building games and classroom based tasks to enhance their learning and understanding.

Online Safety: Supporting children going back to school

It’s the start of September, and the new school year has begun. Let’s make sure the kids have a successful return! This #WakeUpWednesday, we’re letting you know how to support children as they go back to school after the holidays. Download here >> https://bit.ly/3MvP8rd

Year 5 - What is the Bible?

Year 5 have been exploring the key question, what is the Bible? The children have gained a deeper understand of the library of the books the Bible contains and how this has helped Christian’s all over the world. We looked at how it influences our decisions and helps guide people in times of difficulty.

Reception: Our First Day Group 1

This morning we welcomed our first group to Reception. They were superstars and settled in really well. They enjoyed exploring our indoor classroom today. We are so glad they have joined our St Barnabas family.

Whole School Worship: Jesus the Good Shepherd

We were all so happy to have everyone back for our first day of the school year. In our first worship we recapped and celebrated all of the amazing ways we live out our school vision and what Jesus meant when he said we should have life in all its fullness. We heard about His teaching of the sheep and the gate and learned that He wished for all of us to use Him as our gate to God; that we can have a good life if we follow His word. We then recapped our 4 B's school rules and our Christian Values. Our teachers will be looking for our children to demonstrate these in order to gain values points each day and get on our 'time to shine' board. We reflected on what we are looking forward to this year and how we will achieve great things and live life in all its fullness.

Reception: Our First Day Group 2

This afternoon we welcomed our second group to Reception. They were superstars and settled in really well. They enjoyed exploring our indoor classroom today. We are so glad they have joined our St Barnabas family.

Reception: Our school rules

Today, we introduced our school rules: The 4 B's. We explored what be ready, be kind, be respectful and be safe meant. We all discussed how we need to be kind and share toys with each other, look after and tidy our classroom, listen to each other and sit beautifully on the carpet to name a few. We all then made a handprint to say we would follow our school rules.

Online Safety: Worry and Anxiety

When it feels like the whole world’s on your shoulders, sometimes all you need is a helping hand. This #WakeUpWednesday, we’re looking at the impacts of worry and anxiety on children – and how best to help them manage these burdens. Download here >> https://bit.ly/3S5qDVi

Year 1 Panda Paramedic First Aid Bronze Award

This morning, we welcomed Dawn the paramedic into our Year 1 classroom to complete our Basic First Aid Bronze Award. First of all, Dawn asked us how we treat a burn. We knew that we needed to run it under cool water but our guesses for how long this should be done for were way out. Eventually, we came to the right answer which is 20 minutes. Dawn them showed us how we give first aid to someone with a graze. We all practised applying a plaster without touching the part of the plaster that will touch the graze. Then we learnt how to treat an open wound and got the opportunity to practise bandaging a wound for our friend. Finally, Dawn told us about anaphylaxis. We learnt that anaphylaxis is an extreme allergic reaction where there are symptoms such as extreme swelling. In this case, we found out that we need to use an EpiPen to treat someone. We practised using an EpiPen by reciting the rhyme ‘Blue to the sky and orange to the thigh’. Dawn explained that we do this for 10 seconds and that the thigh is a big muscle which is why we do it there. Dawn also said that we need to call 999 because anaphylaxis is an emergency. When you dial 999, Dawn said that the first thing you will be asked is what service you require and for a medical emergency you will ask for the ambulance. Then , Dawn said that the ambulance will ask for your home address so it’s really important that we all know this. Dawn gave us some scenarios and we had to day whether we would phone an ambulance. We said yes for someone who has collapsed and was not responding, complaining of a pain in their heart and looking pale and having an asthma attack and struggling to breathe/talk in full sentences. Dawn also explained the dangers of dialling 999 for a joke. Thank you Dawn. Year 1 learnt lots about basic first aid.

Year 3- Panda Paramedic First Aid Silver Award

This afternoon, we welcomed Dawn, a paramedic, into our Year 3 classroom to help us complete our Basic First Aid Silver Award. Dawn began by asking us how to treat a burn. While we knew to run it under cool water, our guesses for how long it should be done were way off. Dawn clarified that the burn should be cooled under running water for 20 minutes. Dawn then showed us pictures of a child with a graze, a sprained ankle, and a bump to the head. The children informed Dawn that if they have a head injury at school, their parents receive a message so their families can keep a close eye on them. Next, Dawn demonstrated how to give first aid to someone with a broken arm. We all practised putting slings on each other's arms. Though the children found it tricky at first, with practice, they got the hang of it. Dawn also asked the children how to help someone who is choking. The children knew to pat the person's back but were unsure for how long. Dawn clarified that you should strike five separate times between the person's shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. The children then had a turn to practice this on a dummy. Dawn then asked the children to name the four emergency services. She was impressed that they could identify them all: Police, Fire, Ambulance, and Coastguard. She added that you can also request mountain rescue if needed. Before finishing, the children asked Dawn what inspired her to become a paramedic and how long she had been doing this work. Dawn shared that she initially wanted to be a vet but was put off by the idea of having to put animals down, which she found very upsetting. She finds her current job much better because she is always helping people and has been a paramedic for over 15 years. They worked brilliantly as a class and were awarded a certificate for their participation. 

Reception: Muddy Monday

Wow! What a year we have had in Reception. The children have made so much progress during our forest schools sessions. They have improved in their stamina, risk taking, problem solving and imagination skills. We have loved seeing all of the children blossom and made the most of our last Muddy Monday session together!

Year 3- Rock and River-

Year 3 had an amazing day at Rock and River today, participating in various challenging activities, including the low ropes course, climbing tower, airbag jump, rafted canoes, sit-on-top kayaks, paddle boards, and mega paddle boards. Despite finding the water cold, nothing stopped them from jumping in and getting wet! They had an absolute blast, demonstrating our school's Christian values by being brave and showing courage, determination, and respect throughout the day. Their behaviour and manners were so impressive that even the instructors were in awe.

Year 3- Rock and River

Year 3 had an amazing day at Rock and River today, participating in various challenging activities, including the low ropes course, climbing tower, airbag jump, rafted canoes, sit-on-top kayaks, paddle boards, and mega paddle boards. Despite finding the water cold, nothing stopped them from jumping in and getting wet! They had an absolute blast, demonstrating our school's Christian values by being brave and showing courage, determination, and respect throughout the day. Their behaviour and manners were so impressive that even the instructors were in awe.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Reception enjoyed our Muddy Monday session at Whitehall Park. After our growth mindset assembly today, we made sure we used our growth mindset instead of our fixed mindset to challenge ourselves and take risks. The children really engaged with this and it was wonderful to see how far they have come since they started with us. Well done!

Year 5 - Bikeability

Year 5 took part in the first session of Bike Ability. The children learnt how to: ride a bike safely and sensibly, check their bikes are suitable for the road, ensure brakes are working and ensure they are conducting themselves in a safe manner. They then went out on their bikes with the instructors and learnt how to correctly use their bikes on the main roads.

Online Safety: Online Trolling

Sadly, it can be all too common to encounter mean-spirited comments online – but we don’t have to give them the time of day. This week, our #WakeUpWednesday guide offers expert advice on safeguarding children against “trolling”. Download here >> https://bit.ly/45ReBnR

Year 5 Transition

Today, it was year 5 transition. The children created a portrait of themselves and created personalised hoodies that represented their hobbies and interests. The children had an excellent day moving up to Year 5 and have shown maturity and an eagerness to learn.

Year 3 Move Up To Year 4

The Year 3 class had a fantastic day being Year 4s for transition day! They spent time getting to know each other with a game of human bingo, creating a unique piece of artwork, taking part in the Picture News Olympic Assembly and painting with cotton buds. They all settled really well in the classroom and demonstrated Barney’s 4 Be's perfectly.

Year 5 - Balanced Arguments

Year 5 have begun researching one of the most debated topics - should animals be kept in Zoo’s? The children found out a number of alarming facts that are against Zoo’s such as: that animals have 1800 times less space in zoos than in the wild and animals are not evolving the way they should. But found many compelling reasons why animals should be kept in zoos such as: they live longer, stop species becoming extinct and it can advance medicine. The children will use these arguments to create their own balanced argument.

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.

Year 3 - Carbon Monoxide Workshop- Year 3

Emily delivered a workshop today as part of the CO Safety Assembly and Class Workshops, designed to raise awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO). Year 3 students learned a lot about this invisible and dangerous gas, known as the hidden danger because it can't be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or touched. The children enjoyed the video and fun activities and are ready to spread the word as Safety Assistants.

Online Safety: Gambling

You may have noticed an increase in betting adverts lately – courtesy of the Euros. Gambling, however, poses a risk to young people all year round. This #WakeUpWednesday, we’re letting you know how to safeguard children from the hazards of gambling. Download here >> https://bit.ly/4bosr29

Year 5 - RotaKids

Year 5 RotaKids decided on their school project that they will have children guessing the number of sweets in a jar for a chance to win the full jar. The money that they raise will help go towards some new Chromebook's.

Reception: Mindfulness

Each morning before we start our day, Reception class begin a mindfulness activity. This helps us to feel calm and ready to start our day. All children participate in the activity and are very sensible throughout. Well done!

Reception: Muddy Monday

Reception had a very busy forest school session today. They enjoyed exploring in the shaded area of Jacks Keys. They found a fox hole and enjoyed exploring and creating their own storylines. They made houses for different animals and roleplayed a story about a fox coming out during the night. Some of our children climbed trees and managed to climb higher than usual. We are so proud of the children and love seeing how far they have come. Super perseverance, challenge and determination was seen from them all!

Year 6 - Safety Seymour

Today, Year 6 took part in the Safety Seymour workshop. The children discussed and explored the dangers of carbon monoxide and discussed how they can spot it in their homes as this is something that cannot be detected by our senses. The children explored a variety of ways that if carbon monoxide is detected, what can be done to mitigate the spread of the harmful gas.

Year 5 - The CO2 Crew Workshop

Today, Year 5 took part in the Safety Seymour workshop. The children discussed and explored the dangers of carbon monoxide and discussed how they can spot it in their homes as this is something that cannot be detected by our senses. The children explored a variety of ways that if carbon monoxide is detected, what can be done to mitigate the spread of the harmful gas.

Online Safety: Promoting Physical Wellbeing

With the Euros in full swing, plenty of children are taking to the pitch but perhaps we can keep them active all year round. This #WakeUpWednesday, we’ve put together some expert tips on promoting physical wellbeing to children and young people. Download >> https://bit.ly/3KM4Pdc

Year 4 - Class Worship: Supporting Refugees

In our class worship in Year 4, we learned about the rights of the child and how these protect us from harm and cruelty. We read some first hand accounts of refugees fleeing their countries and tried to understand what actions might have led to their escape and how they might have felt in that situation. The children then discussed how they could help refugees in their community and elsewhere in the world. The class came up with some very considerate ideas.

Year 4 - Linking Schools: Courageous Advocacy

A few weeks ago, the Year 4 class discussed a number of ideas to improve our community and decided on one issue to focus on. After a vote, the children decided they would like to tackle vandalism in the area. This week, we walked to Whitehall Park to assess the damage and found much of the equipment to be unsafe to play on. We took pictures of the problem areas and the children have decided they want to write to their local MP to ask him to repair the park. We are really hoping for a reply!

Reception- forest school

The children had a great time exploring our outdoor forest school area. Some children chose to climb trees, some went on a bug hunt, some built dens and some children let their imaginations run wild. It was lovely to see the children so confident and engaged with their outdoor play.

Reception: Outdoor Provision

We are so lucky in Reception to have a huge outdoor area. Today our children went in our immediate outdoor area where they were digging for treasure, problem solving to create a house, roleplaying pirates and creating an obstacle course. Some of our children chose to practice their running and ball skills on the MUGA and then some of our children used the outdoor gym to improve their motor skills. What a fun afternoon we have all had!

WOW Badge Winners for May

Huge congratulations to all of the children who have managed to ‘Walk Once a Week’ or ‘Park and Stride’ once a week during the month of May. We saw so many children receiving their badges but we can only have one overall class winner and that went to Year 5 ….again! Well done to all involved and keep up the hard work.

Year 3- PSHE- Drowning Prevention Week- Water Safety in the home

During our class worship, we learned about water safety at home. The children watched the water safety animation and discussed danger signs and when to shout for help. We also took a moment to thank God for keeping us safe around water in our homes, pool, and beaches.

Year 4 - The Big Debate - Should parents be able to access their children’s social media?

As part of our class worship this morning, we completed our big debate on whether or not parents should be able to access their child’s social media accounts? We know that social media can have both a negative and positive impact on children. We also found that OFCOM completed a survey in 2020 which showed that 30% of children aged 5-7 years had a social media account! Reasons for ‘should’ were : It could protect the child from danger It can support with mental health if the child is struggling to deal with issues It can correct negative behaviour ( the parent can intervene) Reasons for ‘shouldn’t’ included: It’s invasion of privacy They can learn their own way about e-safety There are other ways of checking on your child Overall our class voted 22 people for their parents checking and only 5 opposed it.

Reception PSHE - Our Daddies

In preparation for Father’s Day, we have been thinking about why our Daddies are so special and why we love them. Teddy said ‘I love my Daddy because he helps me build things.’ Hollie said ‘he helps me do jigsaws.’ We have made some very special cards to show our Daddies how loved they are.

Online Safety: Fair play and friendly competition

With #Euro2024 about to start, a little competition could be great fun provided nobody crosses the line. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide lets you know how to nurture a healthy competitive spirit in children and young people, encouraging them to play fair. Download >> https://bit.ly/3z0cQIT

Year 6 Money Matters

Year 6 had their final money matters session this week led by Debt Aware- Money skills for life. They at enterprise and entrepreneurs.

Year 1 and 2 visit BeWILDerwood

Our Year 1 and 2 classes had a fantastic time at BeWILDerwood in Cheshire. They showed lots of courage when taking part in a variety of challenging activities such as den building, wobbly wires, slippery slopes, the mish mash maze, the broken bridge, storytelling and crafts. For all of the photos, please click here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-1-2-bewilderwood-trip-may-2024

Year 6- Islamophobia Workshop

This week, year 6 took part in an islamophobia workshop. They discovered what islamophobia is, why we have islamophobia and how we tackle the issue. The overriding theme from the workshop is that it exists from a lack of education around the Islamic faith and it can be tackled through education. This will allow the children to make informed choices as they go out into the world.

Year 6 RSHE

On Friday, year 6 took part in an RSHE session with Karen from Coram Life Education. This session focused on how the children’s bodies can change and how they can keep safe as they grow up. Year 6 listened attentively and acted in an extremely mature manner.

Online Safety: Encouraging Healthy Friendships

Flourishing friendships can be an important aspect of a happy life - but what does a healthy relationship look like? This #WakeUpWednesday, we’re offering expert advice on encouraging healthy friendships among children and young people. Download here >> https://bit.ly/4auaaQD

Reception: Active Explorers

It has been wonderful to see how our Ducklings are developing in problem solving and how they are all actively exploring all areas. They are constantly wanting to improve their work and are able to complete tricky tasks independently. This week, our Ducklings are learning all about dinosaurs and have created some fabulous Diplodocuses, labelled dinosaurs, created a dinosaur habitat and painted some marvellous dinosaurs whilst telling the class some wonderful facts about the knowledge they have learnt so far. Keep it up!

Forest school club

This week the children had a great time building dens which opened so much up for their imaginative play. The children created leaf tickets to enter the den. They gave each other different roles within the game. It was great to see the children all playing cooperatively together and using brilliant team work.

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 - Coram Life Education Session

Year 5 had their Coram life education session where the class discussed the changes that occur within our bodies and why those changes occur. The children discussed both male and female changes to educate each other and to remain empathetic towards the changes that occur for both males and females.

Online Safety: School Avoidance

This #WakeUpWednesday, our guide looks at some of the causes of school avoidance and the impact it can have, and provides some helpful tips on how to support children with any challenges they are experiencing. Download >> https://bit.ly/3V1czhq

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 2 - Fire Service Visit

On Monday, the fire service visited year 2. However after 10 minutes they received a radio call saying there was an emergency so they were needed somewhere else in Darwen. Thankfully Firefighter Clough was keen to come back so on Tuesday morning we got to do it all again. We spoke about how we should react should we ever be in a fire. We also discussed ways to help reduce danger in scary situations. We also spoke about the importance of smoke alarms in our homes. All the children were asked to check their smoke alarms were working at home. We had water guns, wigs, hats and plenty of jokes to make this a memorable visit!

Year 1- Road Safety Visit

This afternoon in Year 1, we had visit from Road Safety Officer Katie. We learnt the Green Cross Code which is to only Cross the road when we have stopped, looked, listened and thought. Katie then talked to us about how we should put this into practice when we are making decisions concerning our roads. Katie then spoke to us about the dangers of having our shoe laces undone, being on an electronic device and wearing headphones whilst crossing the road as well as running across a road and following a ball or other object that has rolled into the road. We discussed these in depth and decided that anything that would result in us being distracted, not being able to hear properly or potentially resulting in us falling and being stranded in the middle of the road would be incredibly dangerous and we should take precautions so that they don’t happen . Katie then shared one of the most common ways for people getting hurt whilst crossing the road. This is when people cross the road between two parked cars. We learnt that by doing this, you can’t see the oncoming traffic properly and the oncoming traffic can’t see you. Therefore, Katie told us that we must cross the road in a safe place where you have full visibility of the road and the oncoming traffic has clear visibility of you. Late at night, this would mean that you would also need to wear fluorescent and reflective clothes and/or accessories. Katie gave us lots of these- thank you! Throughout the lesson, we took to the crossing and practised some of these road safety skills that we had learnt. To end the lesson, Katie talked to us about the importance of a seat belt. She told us that the seatbelt should sit positioned between our shoulder bone and hip bone and then securely fastened. Katie also told us that we needed to be a certain height in order for this seatbelt to fulfil its job of keeping us safe. All of us were measured and we all discovered that we need a booster seat to ensure that we are the appropriate height for the seatbelt to do it’s job. Thank you to Katie for a very informative session.

Year 3 - Road Safety

This afternoon we had Katie from Blackburn with Darwen council visit us to teach us all about road safety. We practiced how to cross the road safely and how to use a zebra crossing. We also learnt about lollipop people and how hi-vis works and why certain people will wear a hi-vis jacket.

Year 1 Class Worship

Today in class worship, Year 1 explored the question, ‘How are you the same as and different to your friends?’ First of all, the children spoke to a partner and had to tell them something that they like, have or enjoy doing and ask them whether they liked, had or enjoyed doing it too e.g. I have a brother, do you? I enjoy playing football, do you? Or I like to eat pizza, do you? After this discussion, the children had to feedback to the whole class on similarities and differences that they had found. Following on from this, we discussed how we realise that we are all similar in a lot of ways but also very different. The children then completed an activity in pairs where they had to explore colouring 6 trainers in different ways but using the same 3 colours. This highlighted exactly what we had just been talking about. To end our lesson, we touched on the second question which was, ‘How can shops make sure everyone feels represented?’ We talked about how this is important to make everyone feel included despite our differences. The children came up with some wonderful suggestions such as making mannequins have different skin tones, disabilities such as prosthetic legs, being in a wheelchair or missing a limb and displaying mannequins of different heights and sizes. Well done Year 1.

Year 2 - Junior Jam Computing

This week in computing the children created digital images to show emotions. This involved designing their own emojis and adding various objects that can make them feel a certain way. For example we had an amazed face with fireworks in the background. The children really enjoyed making their own emoji.

Year 6 KOOTH workshop

On Friday, year 6 took part in a virtual workshop with KOOTH. KOOTH is an online, anonymous mental well-being platform for children. The children can sign up to this service by: visiting the website, selecting sign up, select their area (Darwen, Lancashire) and filling in a few details (DOB, gender, ethnicity, username). This service can provide support for SATS or anything else that the children may be worrying about.

Reception: Healthy Minds

In PSHE, our Ducklings discussed how we can keep our minds healthy. We explored the 5 ways to wellbeing: mindfulness, staying connected, being active, trying something new and giving to others. Hollie suggested we could play with our friends, Callie said we could dance, Haydn said that playing outside will help us to feel good, Alayna said we could talk, Percy said try a new sport and Vienna suggested and could make food for people. We then took part in a mindfulness session using peer massage.

Year 5 and 6 Hop, Skip and Jump for East Lancs Hospice

Last Friday, year 5 and 6 took part in a fundraiser for East Lancs Hospice. It involved them hopping, skipping and jumping around the school yard. They took part with such enthusiasm. Well done year 5 and 6!

Online Safety: Ofcom Media Report 2024

99% of children are now regularly online, making Ofcom’s Media Use and Attitudes Report a must-read for parents, carers and educators. This #WakeUpWednesday, we’ve got a breakdown of Ofcom’s most eye-catching #OnlineSafety findings Download here >> https://bit.ly/4aV1h3J

Reception: Healthy eating

This week we have discussed how many fruits and vegetables we should eat every day. The children told us their favourite fruits and vegetables and we discussed how it is important to try new foods. We spoke about the different food groups and what they job was. Thomas said healthy food makes us strong, Vienna said that healthy foods can make you feel good and Callie said healthy foods can keep your teeth health.

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.

Y4 Class Worship - Can you learn to persevere?

As part of our class worship this week, we looked at if we can learn perseverance. We looked at how Jasmin Paris who became the first female runner to complete what is thought by many to be the world’s toughest race. She crossed the line in March with less than 100 seconds to spare. The main point that we discussed is how this will go on to inspire others and test the limits of people’s capabilities. We also looked at inspirational quotes from famous people and finally wrote our own.

Year 5 - Earth Day

As part of Earth Day 2024, year 5 have been exploring the variety of ways that we can protect our planet. The theme this year is about plastic pollution and how we can reuse and recycle more to protect our planet. The children created door handles and wrote on them the many ways that we can protect and save our planet.

Year 2 - Class Worship

Today we had our class worship! As it has been World Earth Day this week, we used resources from Sir David Attenborough and Children in need. This has linked nicely with our Geography topic of Hot and Cold Places. At the end of the day we watched highlights of Planet Earth III. The episode we chose was narrated by children as anyone can have a voice for nature.

Online Safety: Shopping Platforms

Everyone loves an online deal! The trouble is, scammers know that too – so they often lurk around online marketplaces, hoping to fleece the unwary. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has tips for staying safe on shopping apps. Download here >> https://bit.ly/3QgvsKs

Walk to School Summer Worship

As part of our new Walk to School initiative, we took part in a virtual worship this morning. It was to highlight events that will be taking place over the summer term. We also looked at how children travel to school in different countries and found that some children have to go to school in a boat and some children in China have to climb 2500 ft up a mountain side using a rope ladder! The schools that took part, shared why walking to school helped us and we said that it helps us to clear our mind, be with nature, how it helps to keeps us fit and de- stress. The events that are due to take place are Walk to School Week 20-24th May and the WOW Top Ten Challenge when schools try to increase their walks and gain a top ten place on the leader board which is 3-28th June. Our WOW ambassadors are looking forward to promoting these exciting events and will be planning something very exciting!

Reception: Outdoor Games

Some of our Ducklings today decided to play a game of Scarecrow tig. They wanted Mrs Wilkinson and Mrs Thompson to catch the children and the children had to work together to avoid being caught. They had to negotiate obstacles, look for good hiding places, accurately run around the playground and help their friends. We had a super time and can’t wait to play more outdoor games together!

Year 4- The Big Debate - should we put restrictions on fast food intake?

In our Class Worship this morning we took part in The Bg Debate which asked; Should the amount of fast food people are allowed to eat be restricted? We learned lots of new facts including- 37% of all American adults have a least one fast food meal per day and that in the UK, 26% of all adults are classes as obese. We also questioned who judges what fast food actually is? Not all fast food is viewed as unhealthy and it also helps poorer families as some fast food is cheaper. As a class we voted that WE SHOULD restrict the fast food and the children debated both sides of the argument very well!

Online Safety: Energy Drinks

A hefty boost of energy during a slump can be a massive help but drinks loaded with caffeine are far from the best option. This #WakeUpWednesday, we're addressing the risks of consuming energy drinks and showcasing healthier alternatives. Download here >> https://bit.ly/3W0dDCU

Reception: Forest Schools

Our Ducklings love our forest school sessions at Whitehall Park! Letting their imaginations run wild is so important for their development. They enjoyed developing their gross motor skills too whilst exploring the outdoors.

Online Safety: WhatsApp Breaking News!

Breaking news! WhatsApp has lowered its age limit to 13! With potentially more young people joining the chat, it is even more important that parents and educators are fully aware of the risks associated with this platform. Refresh your knowledge and get expert advice on keeping children safe online with our Wake Up Wednesday Guide Download here >> https://bit.ly/3t0WKLY

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.

Online Safety: Managing Exam Stress

“You may turn your papers over … now.” ⏱✏️ With SATs only around a month away, our timely #WakeUpWednesday guide has some expert advice on helping children and young people to manage their pre-test stress

Online Safety: Clickbait

The 10 Worst #OnlineSafety Fails (You Won’t Believe Number 6) That get your attention? Clickbait works by appealing to our emotions and curiosity – but where exactly do those links lead? Download our #WakeUpWednesday guide and find out Download here >> https://bit.ly/4axHN4K

Reception: Easter Artwork

Our Ducklings enjoyed viewing the artwork in the Rose Garden. They looked at the Easter story and tried to describe each picture.

Reception: Forest Schools

Our Reception children explored a different area of Whitehall park today. They made fairy houses, balanced on beams, built dens and climbed trees.

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.

Well-being Club

For our final session, we walked to Jack Keys and enjoyed a nature walk! It was lots of fun and it was lovely to enjoy the outdoors with everyone.

Reception: Firefighter visit

Reception had a special visit from firefighter Andy this afternoon to teach us about the very important job of a firefighter. First we watched a video about Francis the firefly with a very important message about not playing with matches. We then looked at a uniform a firefighter wears when they attend a fire - we thought it was very funny when Mrs Govan tried it on! Mrs Govan said it was very heavy and smelt of smoke! Andy talked about other types of incidents the fire team help with, such as car accidents, rescuing people from tricky places and animals too!

Year 3- Class Worship- World Down Syndrome Day

Today, on 'World Down Syndrome Day', Year 3 proudly wore mismatched socks to raise awareness for Down Syndrome. We learned that individuals with Down Syndrome are just like us-they go to school, have friends, and enjoy everyday activities. We celebrated our differences and thanked God for making us all unique and special.

Online Safety: Encouraging open conversations at home

It’s good to talk. Whatever the problem, an honest chat - delivered with a little compassion - can help. This #WakeUpWednesday, our guide has expert tips on encouraging and maintaining open conversations with children. Download >> https://bit.ly/49iJ2nn

Reception Dentist visit

This morning reception had a visit from two dentists who were here to tell us all about how we can keep our teeth and gums healthy. Reception were keen to ask questions and listened well. Super work Reception!

Reception: Muddy Monday

Our reception children really enjoyed our Muddy Monday session today at Whitehall park. They climbed up trees, created a cafe, travelled on a ‘steam engine’ and created a bug hotel. Super imaginations!

Online Safety: Developing Healthy Sleep Patterns

Irony klaxon. This week, #WakeUpWednesday is all about going to sleep! We’ve got together with Minds Ahead to bring you some expert tips on helping children and young people to develop a healthy sleeping pattern.

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.

Reception: Easter Artwork

Today, during our Muddy Monday session, we collected lots of green natural objects to create palm leaves for our Easter art work. The children worked together as a team to create their art work. You will be able to view our artwork soon in the Rose Garden at Whitehall park.

The Big Plastic Count

THE BIG PLASTIC COUNT We're excited that our school is joining the Big Plastic Count initiative from March 11th to 17th. The issue of plastic waste affects us all, and our young ones must have a say in finding solutions. Click on the link below for more information. https://youtu.be/x0nQHO7Mw-k?si=76vpk8Hf9wXOKqn1 During this initiative, your children will play a vital role in gathering evidence about what happens to our plastic waste. This information will be used to advocate for change at national and global levels, urging UK ministers, supermarkets, and major brands to take action towards phasing out plastic production. In the coming days, your child will receive a ‘Let’s count tally sheet’. Count as you throw from Monday 11th March morning until Sunday 17th March! Simply mark every piece of plastic package as you throw it away on the tally sheet. We encourage you to support them in this activity, and they can then input their findings at home using the unique class link provided on their class page between 18-31 March. Once all the results are in, we'll create our class footprint and share it with the children. We appreciate your continuous support in involving our pupils in these significant initiatives. Thank you, Smart School Council and Miss Kachwalla

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.

Online Safety: Tekken 8

#WakeUpWednesday … WINS! This week’s knockout guide fills parents and educators in on the latest edition of the fighting game Tekken – highlighting potential #OnlineSafety risks and suggesting how to help young gamers play more safely. Download >> bit.ly/3v0UtSw

Reception- fire fighter visit

This afternoon we have had a visit from the firefighters from Darwen fire service. The children were taught about the firefighter uniform, smoke alarms, emergency numbers and how to stay safe. We then went to have a look at the fire engine, we listened to the sirens and saw the flashing lights and we all had a go a firing water from the hose.

Forest School Club

In forest school club we have been making stick people. The children found the sticks they wanted to use and thought about how they wanted their stick people to look. We learned how to do a square lashing to hold the sticks together. When we finished our stick people the children chose to have a game of stick in the mud.

Year 1- Mrs Ham Reads to Year One on World Book Day

Year One loved listening to Mrs Ham, our headteacher, read them stories today as part of our World Book Day celebrations. Mrs Ham read, ‘When Cookie Crumbled’ and ‘When Jelly Had a Wobble.’ We talked about times when we have felt anxious or nervous like Jelly and how we can show kindness to our friends to reassure them if they feeling anxious or worried. We also reflected on how it is great to be unique and express ourselves however we like, just like the cookie.

Big Lent Walk: both targets achieved!

Wow! We have achieved both of our targets already for the Big Lent Walk. A huge thank you to our wonderful children and families for taking part to help us to travel 385.4km (so far!!) Thank you to everyone who has sponsored us so far- our families, friends and the community. Your generosity means so much. We still have just under 4 weeks of Lent left so I am sure we can continue to add more km to our distance travelled and raise more money for this wonderful cause. You are not too late to get involved so please send your pictures and total km walked to either myself or Mrs Ham. Donations can still be made here: https://schools.walk.cafod.org.uk/fundraising/st-barnabas-big-lent-walk?utm_medium=email&utm_source=PostOffice&utm_campaign=DS_EVENTS-LFC_Trans_NthDonation Thank you for your kindness and generosity,

Year 3- Big Lent Walk

This afternoon, Year 3 went on the 'Big Lent Walk', covering a distance of 2.8 km. A small donation has been made to CAFOD to help fight poverty worldwide. We also had fun being Geologists exploring different kind of rocks.

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.

Wellbeing Club

Mrs Wilkinson really enjoyed spending time with some children from Years 1 and 2 for the start of their wellbeing club. They discussed why it is important to look after ourselves and how we can be kind to ourselves. We then made friendship bracelets and looked at affirmations and coloured in some affirmation posters.

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.

Reception: Imagine That Educational Visit

Wow, what a fantastic day our Ducklings had today. We visited Imagine That in Liverpool and had lots of fun! The children did lots of experiments with dry ice, made magical snow and made slime too. They used their imaginations in the roleplay area, painted a car, explored the creative area and made their own magnets. They were well behaved and represented the school beautifully!

Online Safety: Experiencing Bullying

Hard to identify and even harder to stop. Bullying continues to be a problem which can ruin young lives: this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has expert advice for trusted adults on ways to support young people who are being bullied.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Our Ducklings enjoyed our Muddy Monday session today at Whitehall park. They were super explorers! They found pine cones, natural resources for their dens and also different minibeasts.

Year 2 - PSHE

Year 6 Fire Service Visit

At the end of last half term, year 6 were visited by the fire service. They did a recap with the children on what they covered in year 2, and delivered some new content. Two of the most important takeaways from the session would be to test that your smoke alarms work each month; this could be done on your birthdate to avoid forgetting. Secondly, make sure you have a fire plan in place at home and that everyone living in the property understand this.

Year 6 Money Matters

The focus of year 6’s money matters session was gambling. The children gained an understanding of how addictive gambling can become and the impact it can have on someone’s life. This was illustrated really clearly to the children in a game they played in which they could place bets with artificial money.

Online Safety: Self-regulation

Learning the art of emotional control. Young ones can sometimes find it difficult to manage their feelings – this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has expert advice on how trusted adults can help children learn to self-regulate. Download >> https://bit.ly/3OSiIc2

Year 4 - Meeting Our Linking Schools Class

The children were so excited to meet their Linking class this week. We had a Zoom meeting with the Kestrels class from St Matthews in Blackburn, in which we introduced ourselves, taught and learned some sign-supported English and played games. I think their favourite game was ‘Draw An Object’; the children had to hold their whiteboards on their heads and draw the instructed object without looking. Needless to say our attempts were hilarious and nothing like what they were supposed to be!

Reception: Police Visit

Wow! What a special treat! The children had a visit from PC Uzair and PCSO Debbie. It was fantastic and the children were able to take turns in the police car. We even got to press the horn to make the siren work! We learnt about their job and how they make sure everybody is safe. We also got to see some of their equipment and found out about their special numbers. I’m sure this is a memory the children will never forget.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Our Reception class really enjoyed our Muddy Monday session at Whitehall park. We looked at some habitats for different minibeasts that we found and also enjoyed creating dens and continued to take risks climbing trees. They walked 3.84km and enjoyed contributing to the Big Lent Walk!

Mad Science After -School Club- Missions Nutritious

Today, in our after-school club led by a scientist, the young children investigated the energy content of food by burning a stale crisp and using the released energy to heat water. We discovered that one crisp equals 6 calories. This was super exciting to watch. The young scientists also measured their energy expenditure by jogging on the spot. For our final experiment, the children filled a bottle halfway with water and then poured in about 100ml of oil. They then observed the oil float on the water. They were fascinated by this observation. We also estimated the length of a child's intestine during the session, adding to our exploration of the human body. They're eagerly looking forward to next week's experiment with slime.

Dress to Express 2024

What a fantastic day we’ve had celebrating Dress to Express! It was lovely to get together as a whole school to raise awareness for Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Every single member of our school family certainly dressed to express themselves and made themselves heard as we all have a voice. Well done to all of the children that spoke about why they had chosen their outfits and how it allowed them to express themselves.

Year 6 Dress to Express

Mrs Ham discussed in worship that the theme of children’s mental health week is ‘My Voice Matters’. Today, year 6 have really expressed themselves and shown just how unique they are.

Reception Express Yourself

Reception have loved expressing themselves today for Mental Health week

Year 1- Dress to Express

Year 1 made a wonderful effort for ‘Dress to Express Day.’ We had children dressing as their favourite Disney character or princess, dressing as superheroes, dressing in party clothes as they love to party and attend celebrations , dressing as a unicorn, wearing their favourite colours, wearing all things sparkly, wearing football kits and sport clothes to express their love of sports and wearing pyjamas to express their love of relaxing and being snuggled up. Well done Year 1. We loved hearing how you like to express yourselves.

St Barnabas Big Lent Walk

Good morning, Next Wednesday 14th February, is the start of Lent. During Lent, our school will be fundraising for CAFOD. We will be taking part in the big Lent walk where we will collectively try and walk 200km. Please help us to raise as much money as possible by sponsoring our whole school family. If you have been on a walk, please either sponsor and leave a message with how many km you have walked or send me a message and I can update our page. We will also be walking during the school day in our classes to achieve our target so any sponsorship will be greatly appreciated. Your sponsorship can change lives. Every £1 raised through the Big Lent Walk will help fight poverty globally in countries like Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. This year, CAFOD’s Lent Appeal is helping fishing communities feed their families in Liberia, and SCIAF’s Wee Box Appeal is focused on women and girls in Rwanda facing gender-based violence. Also in Ethiopia, CAFOD and SCIAF are working together to respond to the devastating food crisis there. Years of drought caused by the climate crisis means families are no longer able to cope, but your support means we are working with people right now, providing them with water, emergency food and healthcare. With your hard work and sponsorship this Lent, we can change families’ lives for good and tell poverty to take a hike. Please access our page here where you can sponsor your child: https://schools.walk.cafod.org.uk/fundraising/st-barnabas-big-lent-walk Thank you for your kindness, Mrs Wilkinson

Year 4 Safer Internet Day Rap

Today we had a special Safer Internet Day Worship with each class performing their very own raps. Year 4 collaborated on an extra special one and it was great to see them perform in front of the rest of the school and bust their moves. Well done Year 4!

Safer Internet Raps

*PROUD POST* A huge well done to Years 1-4 for their fantastic safer internet raps this morning & to Year 5 for introducing our safer internet worship. Please have a watch of the videos on class dojo. After the Safer Internet Day worship on Tuesday, Mrs Wilkinson set them the challenge of performing a rap to the whole school to advise them how to keep safe online. This week is also Children’s Mental Health week and the theme is My Voice Matters so this was a great opportunity for the children to use their voice. Some of the children were nervous about performing in front of the whole school but they showed lots of courage and did brilliantly. Over the next few years we are going to be involved in an oracy project with our Trust called Voice 21. This will develop our children’s oracy skills and develop their confidence when speaking in small groups and large groups. Well done, you are superstars!

Year 4 - Safer Internet Day

In Year 4, we celebrated Safer Internet Day by writing our online safety rap. We practised performing it and we can’t wait to show the rest of the school on Thursday.

Reception - Chinese New Year

Reception have been learning about the celebration of Chinese New Year. We listened to the story of the great race and found out how the animals have a year named after them. We also learned about how people across the world prepare for Chinese new year by cleaning their houses, decorating and spending time with family and friends. We also learned to say ‘Kung Hei Fat Choy’ which means Happy New Year.

Online Safety: Monkey

It’s a jungle out there! If a platform where young people can video chat with random strangers sounds like an #OnlineSafety risk which is – quite frankly – bananas, you’ll want to check out our #WakeUpWednesday guide to Monkey. Download >> https://bit.ly/42vYVVA

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.

Safer Internet Day

This morning our whole school enjoyed a special worship, focusing on how to stay safe on the internet to celebrate Safer Internet Day. We discussed why it is important to raise awareness. We looked at what technology looked like compared to now. We then looked at what can happen online and how important it is that we know what to do if we come across something that makes us feel uncomfortable. The children discussed how we can speak to Mrs Ham, Mrs Wilkinson, our teachers, our sports coaches and our families if we feel we have seen something we shouldn’t have. We also discussed why our parents might check our devices and how our grown ups, including our teachers always want to keep us safe. We then joined lots of other schools from all around the country on a special assembly to discuss safe and unsafe things which may happen online. The importance of passwords, checking the settings so they aren’t sharing information with people they don’t know and also what to do if people they don’t know try to contact them online. Every Wednesday, we post guidance on how to keep safe online. Please have a look and discuss the National Online Safety posters with your children. The online world can be wonderful as long as we know how to use it safely.

Reception celebrate Safer Internet Day

We read the story of Jessie and friends which was all about keeping safe online. We discussed what to do if we feel worried or if something doesn’t feel right. We discussed how we should always tell someone. Percy said to tell our grandparents, Vienna said Mrs Thompson, Ida said Mrs Wilkinson, Millie said your older brother or sister, Holly said Mrs Ham, Joey said Miss Reynolds, Cici said your parents, Samuel said your Aunty and Uncle and Ed said Mrs Govan.

National Online Safety: Safer Internet Day 2024

It's #SaferInternetDay! The National Online Safety #WakeUpWednesday guides are available to download for free, empowering our whole school community to keep children safe in the online world. We post one every Wednesday so please looo out of them! Explore hundreds of resources for parents, carers and educators >> https://bit.ly/3KPyuDh #OnlineSafety #OnlineSafetyDay #SaferInternetDay2024

Reception: Muddy Monday

Our Ducklings enjoyed exploring the forest schools area in Whitehall park. Their imaginations were really flowing. We found dinosaur shaped claw leaves, eggs, some of our children created a roleplay restaurant and we had squirrels climbing up the trees!

Year 6 PSHE

In PSHE, year 6 focused on the qualities of good friends. We started by discovering that it is okay for friends to have different views and interests. We did this by presenting a series of statements and noticed that there were so many differences within our year 6 class: some agreed and some disagreed with the statements. We ended the lesson with the children explaining what they felt were the most important qualities of friendship. Not only did they have to list the quality, but justify why it is important.

Year 2 - PSHE

This week in PSHE, we are still looking in particular at rights and respect. We read the book ‘My mouth is a Volcano’ by Julia Cook, in the book, a boy struggles to keep his emotions regulated. We thought about when we can be in similar situations at school. Recently, it has been difficult to remain calm on the playground when games don’t go the way we wanted. We spoke about different strategies to use to help us regulate emotions in those difficult situations.

Online Safety: Persuasive Design Online

#SaferInternetDay is nearly here! Reflecting the “managing influence” strand of this year’s theme, our #WakeUpWednesday guide unpacks ‘persuasive design’ – and uncovers some common but often hidden #OnlineSafety risks to young people. Download >> https://bit.ly/3HEhihl

Reception: Forest Schools

Today, our Ducklings explored Jacks Key. They worked in small groups to collect resources to create elf and fairy houses. They had to explore the environment to find the best twigs and leaves to use. They also had to work as a team and communicate with each other. Well done!

Reception: Colour Mixing

Our Ducklings have been learning to become more independent with our painting easel. They can now squirt the correct amount of paint into a palette and have explored mixing colours to create their pictures.

Year 1 PSHE- Valuing Difference

As part of their PSHE lessons, Year 1 are learning to not only understand that we are all different but also appreciate and celebrate each other’s differences. They started their lesson by looking at a picture and recognising some of the similarities and differences between Derek, Harold and Kiki. They spotted similarities such as all three of them being mammals, having body features such as arms, legs, eyes and a mouth and all of them being able to smile but they also spotted differences such as them being different heights, having different eye colours and also having different body features such as Harold having a long neck and Kiki having floppy ears. Then they watched a video and discovered that they also were different on the inside because they had different interests and hobbies. To end our lesson, we played a game where Year 1 had to stand up and swap places if one of the statements applied to them e.g. they had brown hair, they had blue eyes etc.. We recognised that we didn’t all stand up for every single statement that was read out because we are all different. We discussed how it’s good that we are all different because the world would be pretty dull if we were all the same. We also talked about how learning new games, facts and developing new hobbies from other people is both interesting and fun.

Online Safety: MyLOL

FYI … it’s MyLOL: A “dating app for teens” poses evident #OnlineSafety risks – especially when its age verification is far from robust. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide tells parents and carers what they need to know. Download >> https://bit.ly/3Ueo5pK

Reception: Keeping safe

During our PSHE session, our Ducklings discussed how to keep safe both indoors and outdoors. They looked at risks around school and we discussed what could happen. Some of our children designed an obstacle course and we had a group of risk detectives and health and safety officers! They examined the risks and made sure it was safe for our children to use.

Reception- Exploring our outdoor area

We have had a lovely time exploring the outdoors this afternoon. We went for a windy walk around our school grounds and then we had lots of fun on our new outdoor gym, which the children were so excited to use.

Year 4 Class Worship - Picture News - Is an e-reader better than a book?

In Class Worship this morning we focused on Picture News, which asked the question - Is an e-reader better than a book? A study from Spain found that print reading could boost skills by six to eight times more than digital reading. Our class was a complete split but the children discussed their ideas behind their choices and then looked at various ways in which we can read. We then looked at what we prefer to read and ordered these from favourite to least favourite. Reading messages from friends came top and reading instructions was our least favourite!

Year 3- Class Worship- Is an e-reader better than a book?

Today in class worship, we watched this week's story on reading. Year 3 had the opportunity to read from cereal boxes, leaflets, letters, magazines, game instructions, and emails. Some children like reading on screens, especially cereal boxes during breakfast. But most think reading from a real book is better because you can touch and feel it, and some books have cool stuff you can touch and smell. We acknowledged that learning to read requires perseverance and resilience, qualities for which we can take responsibility and we are lucky to have many chances to read. Books can take us to new and exciting places, and we're thankful for the gift of reading, thanking God for everything, especially the ability to learn to read.

Reception: Rhyme and Story Time

Our Ducklings enjoyed their first rhyme and story time of 2024. We sang lots of songs and read Oi, Frog! The children enjoyed joining in with the rhyming couplets. Rhyme and story time continues next week at 9am. Our Reception parents, toddlers and pre school children from our community are welcome to join us.

Online Safety: Smartphone safety

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Reception: What’s safe to go onto our body?

Today in PSHE, we discussed what is safe to go onto our body. We drew around two of our friends and discussed what we put onto our body during the day and at night. The children came up with lots of different objects. We then discussed why we use them. Leila said we put plasters on to stop us from bleeding. Joey said we put a scarf on to stop us from getting cold. Alayna said we use soap to stop germs from spreading and Lydia said we use shampoo to keep our hair nice and clean.

Reception: Snow much fun!

Our Ducklings loved exploring the snow today! They learnt how to make snowballs and we discussed the shape of them and how they look like balls we throw! We problem solved to build a snowman and enjoyed creating snow angels. The children loved throwing snowballs at Mrs Wilkinson and Mrs Thompson! We had lots of fun!

Year 3- Art- Mood Board

Today in art, Year 3 created mood boards uniquely representing their personalities. They carefully selected various craft items that showcased who they were. The children drew pictures of things they enjoy, used words and colours that highlight their personality, chose personal images of places that are significant to them, cut out images that they found appealing and selected pieces of coloured fabric, pastels and crayons to express their feelings and mood.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Our Ducklings enjoyed exploring a different forest schools area of Whitehall park. They created dens, roleplayed in a restaurant, searched for hedgehogs and loved climbing trees.

Rhyme time and Story time returns

Reception parents and carers are welcome to come and join us for rhyme and story time. Younger siblings, preschool children and toddlers are more than welcome to join us too. This half term rhyme time will be on Wednesday 17th, 24th and 31st January between 9-9.30am in our school hall.

Year 3- Life Education

Year 3 had a brilliant time in their Life Education session with Karen. They learnt all about the brain and how to look after ourselves and our mental health. They then talked all about friendships and how to compromise with our friends and how we can't always get our own way.

Year 1- Life Education Session

Today, we had a life education session with Harold the Giraffe. We learnt that there are lots of different food groups that we need to eat to have a balanced diet. We learnt about dairy products which are good for our teeth and bones, protein which is good for our muscle growth, fruits and vegetables which give us vitamins and minerals to help us to keep fit and healthy and fight illness and carbohydrates which are good for giving us energy. We then talked about our organs. We learnt that our heart and lungs are protected by our rib cage. Our heart pumps blood around the body to give us energy and our lungs help us to breathe. We then learnt that when we’ve eaten our food it goes into our stomach to be digested and the ‘good stuff’ is taken in by our bodies to give us energy and the ‘other stuff’ leaves our body when we go to the toilet. We then had a look at a packed lunch that Harold the Giraffe had made to take to the park. We talked about how his lunch box included carbohydrates(bread), tuna (protein), a yogurt (dairy) but he didn’t have any fruits or vegetables so he was hoping that his friends at the park might have some to give to him. When they got to the park, Derek had made a huge fruit sculpture out of some fruit but Kiki destroyed it when she thought she was being kind to Harold by getting a piece of fruit. This made Kiki really upset and Derek really angry as his hard work had been destroyed. We talked about how this situation could be made better. Year 1 said that Harold needs to explain the situation to Derek of him wanting some fruit and Kiki trying to help him get some but accidentally destroying his sculpture in the process and then Kiki and Harold should offer Derek a hand to rebuild his sculpture. Year 1 said the lesson that they had learnt from that story is to make sure that they think very carefully before they do something to check that it won’t upset anyone. Then, Year 1 had to think about what foods they would include in a packed lunch. The rules were that the packed lunch had to included foods from different groups so that they were having a balanced diet. Archie said that he would pack a chicken sandwich, a cheese string and some cucumber and tomatoes which was a fantastic balance. Finally, we finished our session thinking about the importance of sleep and with a visit from Harold and listened to him singing us a song.

Year 2- New Outdoor Gym!

This afternoon, we were excited to explore our new outdoor gym. There are lots of machines that we needed to learn how to use. The children loved learning how to use each machine and learning new exercises. We will definitely be visiting our outdoor gym in future P.E sessions, lunch time and golden time.

Year 6 PSHE- Life Education Session

Today, year 6 were visited by Karen from Coram Life Education. The theme of the session was decisions and how decisions can have a huge affect on our lives. They discussed drugs and how they fall into different categories: legal, illegal and medical. To finish the session, they watched a video about how friends can sometimes try to influence our decisions and not always in the right way. It demonstrated really clearly why it is so important that we choose our friends wisely and surround ourselves with like-minded individuals.

Year 5 - PSHE Coram Life Education

Today, Year 5 participated in a Coram Scarf life education session that discussed: the importance of keeping our bodies healthy, how amazing our bodies are and how best to look after them, discussed the role that controlled drugs play within the body, friendships, the importance of healthy friendships and how best to be a good friend. We looked at and practised the difference between being aggressive, passive and assertive when dealing with conflict and issues within friendship groups. Finally the class discussed and took part in role play when given a variety of scenarios related to friendship issues.

Online Safety: Free speech vs Hate speech

Out of order? Or simply outspoken? This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide can help young people to recognise the difference between free speech and hate speech – and to understand why this complex area is an #OnlineSafety risk Download >> https://bit.ly/3S8wSb4

Reception PSHE - All About Me!

Karen and Harold the giraffe visited us and talked about what we have inside our body to help us stay alive. Under our ribs we have our heart that pumps blood around our body and our lungs to help us breathe. There are 3 important things that give us energy - food, drink, and the air we breathe. Then we had a look inside Harold the giraffe’s wash bag to see how we can keep our bodies clean and healthy. We also learned that it is important for our bodies to have regular exercise and the different ways we can help ourselves to feel better when we are feeling sad. Lastly, we talked about how important rest is for our bodies, especially sleep because this helps us to grow.

Year 4 - Life Education

The Year 4s thoroughly enjoyed their Life Education visit this week. The focus was about celebrating being unique and not always having to do what their friends are doing. The topics of health and the effects of drugs such as nicotine, caffeine and alcohol were also covered.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Our Ducklings visited the forest schools area of Whitehall Park today for the first time. They enjoyed exploring and also had a go at making camp fires and bug houses.

Life Education Workshops

Good afternoon parents and carers, it has been lovely to have the children back in school today and to see them catch up with their friends. They are all excited to try out the new outdoor gym and over the week they will be shown how to use all of the equipment correctly, before we start out lunch and break time timetable next week. On Wednesday or Thursday this week, each class will have a special visit from Harold the Giraffe from the life education programme and will take part in the following PSHE workshop. Reception: All about me Year 1: My Wonderful Body Year 2: Feelings Year 3: Meet the Brain Year 4: It's great to be me Year 5: Friends Year 6: Decisions The children always really enjoy the interactive sessions and get a lot out of them, which is why we pay for the life education sessions each year. On Thursday morning parents and carers are welcome to drop in from 8.45am-9.00am to see Karen from Coram Life Education and ask any questions you might have about the sessions.

Online Safety: Setting up parental controls on new devices

Safe to use right out of the box? This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide explains how to set up parental controls on some of the most popular internet-enabled devices – reducing #OnlineSafety risks while increasing the festive fun! Download >> https://bit.ly/41LLOzn

Reception: End of term treat

We are so proud of our Ducklings . They have completed their first term and it has been lovely watching them all blossom. As a treat, after viewing the art in the rose garden, we all had a play on the playground equipment. We had so much fun together.

Year 6 PSHE- Respecting differences

This half term, year 6 have been focusing on valuing difference. We have discovered that although we may be different, there are many positives that can arise from those differences. On the other hand, we have considered the negative impacts differences can have. Today, we focused on the phrase ‘Put yourself in someone else’s shoes’. By doing this, it allows us to think about how different people view things. Sometimes, we need to take a minute to think about what we say as we can unintentionally upset someone. We concluded the lesson by looking at some comments and whether they were respectful or disrespectful.

Online Safety: Tech-free Christmas

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Year 6 Debt Awareness

This week, year 6 had a visit from the debt awareness team and carried on with their learning from last year. This time, they discussed jobs and working life. They looked at reasons why people choose their occupation; the average income of various jobs and potential careers that they may like to pursue.

Year 2 - PSHE

This week during PSHE, we continued to look at how words and actions can be appropriate or inappropriate. Today we looked at how sometimes physical touch is nice and loving. Physical touch should either be from a friend or trusted adult and if it makes you feel uncomfortable then it is not appropriate. We thought of different occasions where we are touched in a nice way by special people in our lives.

Online Safety: Disney +

‘Tis the season for family movie nights. Many parents will be turning to Disney+ for exactly that reason – but how free from #OnlineSafety risks is the House of Mouse’s streaming service? Our #WakeUpWednesday guide delves into Disney+ Download >> https://bit.ly/485Ykve

Online Safety: The Online Safety Act

New laws, new responsibilities? With the Online Safety Act now coming into effect, our #WakeUpWednesday guide this week highlights some key areas that the fresh legislation covers – and what this means for UK education providers Download >> https://bit.ly/47WzvSG

Reception PSHE- Feeling left out

Today Reception have taken part in PSHE where we discussed how our friends might feel if they were left out. Our Ducklings had some wonderful ideas of how we can help our friends who might feel left out and what they can do to make sure no one feels left out in our class. Well done Reception, lovely speaking and listening!

Online Safety: Black Friday and Cyber Monday

There are bags of #OnlineSafety pitfalls to watch out for on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has tips to help defend your money while you discover the discounts . Download >> https://bit.ly/47JgQJF

Year 3 - P.S.H.E- The Risk Robot

Today in P.S.H.E., we looked at our third lesson on 'Keeping Safe'. I described different risky situations, and the children had to decide whether the situation was a high, medium, or low risk by following these gestures: putting their hands on their heads for high risk, folding their arms for medium risk, and putting their hands on knees for low risk. We went through various scenarios like crossing a busy road, drinking from an unlabelled bottle, playing near a railway line, singing in front of the whole school, and playing in the school rounders/netball/football team. We then emphasized the importance of following the rules, using proper equipment, and practising good sportsmanship to create a safer and more enjoyable playing environment.

Year 4 - Linking Schools: Poems

The class are LOVING our linking work. We have a couple of pieces ready to send to St Matthew’s now, including these poems we’ve been working on. We have been thinking about the things we love and the things that make us unique. We hope Kestrels Class enjoy reading them.

Year 3- Science- The importance of nutrition food labels.

In Science this afternoon, Year 3 have been learning about nutrition food labels. They now know that the labels on the packaging tell us what's in the food, help us pick healthy options, and give detailed info about the different food groups in a product. For their activity, the children were provided with different food packets. They looked at the labels and decided if the food was a good choice for every day or just once in a while. They know it is important to have a balanced diet. The more green light a label displays, the healthier the food is.

Year 2 - PSHE

During anti-bullying week, we have been looking at the impact our words and actions can have on others. We have been reflecting on times where we have shown kindness to others and how that made us feel. Some children said they get a funny feeling in their tummy when they are kind to their friends. We continued to look at bullying and if someone is unkind towards us, what should we do next? We discussed various people the children would tell if they're upset or worried. These included family members, friends, school staff and other trusted adults. We wrote these people onto our helping hands to help us remember all the people that can help us.

Reception Children in Need

Reception have enjoyed coming to school in their spots for Children in Need Day. We talked about why we have a day for Children in Need and how it helps lots of children in the UK to feel safe and access the support they need. We completed some Pudsey bear activities in our provision too.

Odd Socks and Shoes Day at St Barnabas

Wow! A huge THANK YOU to you all for taking part in Odd Socks and Shoes Day to launch Anti-Bullying Week. There were so many wacky and unique combinations. The Wellbeing Warriors found it so very hard to choose one winner from each class, but after much deliberation, they will be announcing the winners in Celebration Worship tomorrow.

Year 6 Class Worship- Anti-bullying Week

In year 6, we carried out a class worship on anti bullying. We listened to the song ‘Brave’ by Sara Bareilles and discussed how we have to be brave when we are exposed to bullying, whether we are being bullied or are witnessing it. We discussed how it is linked to our British values: how everyone is individual and how we should tolerate differences rather than target people for liking different things. We ended our worship by relating back to this year’s theme, ‘Make a noise about bullying’, and discussed who we could speak to if we ever come across any forms of it.

Online Safety: Smart TVs

Are you watching TV? Or is the TV watching YOU? As internet-enabled televisions become the norm, this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has some useful #OnlineSafety tips to help parents ensure their children are viewing safely Download >> https://bit.ly/47w5VD5

Year 3- Anti-Bullying Week

The whole school kicked off Anti-Bullying Week on Monday by embracing individuality by wearing odd socks and shoes that reflect our unique personalities. Today in class, the children worked in small groups to create shout-out messages, each displayed on a sock.

Year 4 - Odd Socks and Shoes for Anti-Bullying Week

In Year 4, we were proud to show our individuality through our odd socks and shoes on Monday. Just look at those funky feet! After our worship on anti-bullying, some of the children shared how they would help someone who was being bullied. What a kind and supportive bunch we have in Year 4.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Today our Ducklings visited the war memorial at Whitehall park. We had a look at the photographs and pictures of soldiers, their uniform and their armour. We noticed that there were only boy names so we discussed why. A few of our children found their forenames too! We then walked back to school through Jack Keys so we could get a little muddy!

Whole-School Worship: Odd socks day to launch Anti-Bullying Week

Today, to mark the start of Anti-Bullying Week, we were all invited to come to school in odd socks and shoes to express our individuality. We learned how to spot the signs of bullying and what to do if we think someone is being bullied. We saw some brilliant acting skills from some of the children who acted our some bullying scenarios. We talked about the Christian and British values we should be showing to each other at all times. At St Barnabas, bullying is not welcome so we made a noise by shouting that out in different year groups and we loved joining in with Andy and the Odd Socks 'Make some noise' song.

Reception: Odd socks and shoes day

Our ducklings enjoyed wearing odd socks and shoes to launch anti-bullying week. We described what a good friend is and how we can be kind to each other.

Year 5 - Anti-Bullying Week

This week St Barnabas have launched anti-bullying week. To mark this occasion the children have come dressed with odd socks and shoes to show that we are all special and unique. During worship time the children discussed what bullying is? What we can do to stop it? If we see bullying, what can be done about it? The children all showed their individuality and personality through their odd socks and shoes.

KS1- Anti-bullying week lunch time crafts

Today at lunch time we decided to set up on station for children who wanted to get creative. We created our own odd socks to follow on from this morning’s worship about anti-bullying week and Odd Socks Day.

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 5 - Parliament Week

This week Year 5 have been exploring the role of MP’s as part of parliament week. The children learned all about the different Houses of Parliament and discussed their role within society and the importance of the decisions that they make. The children explored the variety of processes that take place within the Houses of Commons and the benefits of our democratic system. The children then had the opportunity to discuss and choose an issue that they care strongly about and what they would change to make their issue better for society. The children came up with some excellent ideas about little changes that can have a huge impact on issues such as: global warming, NHS, homeless and many more. Year 5 then acted out a parliamentary debate and debated on many issues arguing back and forth about issues that they feel strongly about.

Online Safety: Microtransactions

Does “free to play” really mean what it says? Many hit games cost nothing to download but make their money via microtransactions – a growing #OnlineSafety concern for parents of young gamers. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the details.

Year 4 Smart School Council

In today's Smart School Council session, we discussed if we should take part in National No Pens Day on Wednesday 29th November. The children looked at whether it would be a good idea to focus more on speaking and listening activities all day or not. It was a unanimous vote with all six groups voting to take part and suggesting great reasons to do so. We can’t wait to hear the whole school outcome!

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!

Online Safety: X

Would you get an A for your knowledge of X? This #WakeUpWednesday, our free guide tells parents and carers about the #OnlineSafety risks – both new and familiar – to stay alert for on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Download >> https://bit.ly/3Mq6t5p

Reception- I’m special. You’re special.

Today Reception class met Harold the Giraffe and he told them all being special. He taught them a special song called ‘I’m special. You're special.’ and the children loved joining in. They looked at themselves in the mirrors and told themselves and each other that they are special. We then shared the things that we like and don’t like with Harold. We all like and dislike different things, which is one of the ways that makes us all special and unique. We then chose some nursery rhymes that we like to sing and wind the bobbin up, at superfast speed, was definitely our favourite.

Online Safety: EA Sports FC 24

The most exciting signing of the season? EA Sports FC 24, “the new FIFA”, has arrived … but how well does it defend against #OnlineSafety threats? Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the essential info for parents of young football fans. Download >> https://bit.ly/3tzZeBe

Reception: Muddy Monday

Today our Ducklings explored our local environment. We learnt all about road safety. The children learnt to stop, look and listen every time they got to a road. We then went to Jack Keys and had a look at the reservoir. Super walking and exploring!

Hello Yellow Day Poster Competition Winners

This morning in Celebration Worship, our Wellbeing Warriors announced the winners of the Hello Yellow Day Poster Competition. Huge congratulations to our Key Stage 1 Winners : Mila and Molly and Key Stage 2 Winners : Summer, Lily, Lucy and Alice. Thank you so much to everyone that took the time to create a poster. They were of such a high standard and lovely, bright and colourful with wonderfully positive affirmations on them.

Online Safety: Roblox

Building your knowledge! The massively popular world-creation game Roblox has finally been released on PlayStation. Our updated #WakeUpWednesday guide reminds parents of the potential #OnlineSafety risks to watch out for. Download for FREE here >> https://bit.ly/3QhfZu7

Year 3 - PSHE - Be Internet Legends

Today we joined an online assembly hosted by Google. We talked about how to be internet legends and to stay safe online, how we feel about using the Internet and about limiting our time to try and keep a healthy balance.

Be Internet Legends - Wellbeing Worship in Year 4

In the Be Internet Legends Wellbeing special Worship this morning, we looked at how we can look after our digital wellbeing. We discussed lots of ideas and focused on the importance of finding a balance with our on screen use. Year 4 absolutely loved taking part in the group chats and were amazed when we got two personal shout outs! We are going to look at the top 5 tips again in our PSHE session tomorrow and design posters that share these messages.

Wellbeing Worship

This morning, year 6 took part in a virtual wellbeing worship. The focus of the session was that any time spent online should make you feel good and not bad. One of the presenters compared online time to eating doughnuts and explained that although doughnuts are very tasty, too many of them would not be good for you. This applies for screen time too.

Year 6 PSHE

During ‘Hello Yellow Day’, year 6 were looking at triggers. We focused on what makes them feel angry, stressed and upset. We discussed how it is really important to be aware of these triggers and to have some positive coping skills when they are activated. Year 6 suggested some of the following strategies: count down from 10 to 0; go and do something you enjoy; draw a circle on the palm of your hand and surround yourself with positive people.

Whole-School Worship: Hello Yellow Day

Today we are celebrating Hello Yellow Day for World Mental Health Day by dressing in yellow. In worship, our Heads and Deputies dressed as Mrs Ham's Minions and they explained all about Hello Yellow Day. We learnt that we all have mental health and there are things we can do when we don't have good mental health. We made each other smile and feel happy by dancing and singing together with the minions to 'Happy'. We then joined a special live assembly with lots of other primary schools in Blackburn and Darwen, which was led by the Mental Health support team. We talked about our worries and how we can shrink them using mindfulness techniques. Thank you to everyone for dressing in yellow to raise awareness of mental health and remember that it is good to talk to our friends, parents, teachers and other trusted adults if we are worried about anything.

Reception celebrate Hello Yellow Day

Our Ducklings loved wearing yellow today to celebrate world mental health day. We discussed who we could talk to if we felt sad or unhappy. Alayna said we could speak to a teacher, Callie said we could speak to a positive grown up, Millie said we could tell our Mummies and Olivia said we could tell our Grandma’s. We then discussed what we could do to make us feel happy. Percy said we could play with our toys, Cici said we could go for a run, Hollie said we could read a book and Edward said we could sing a song!

Year 5 - Hello Yellow Day

Today we celebrated Hello Yellow Day. As a class and school we raised awareness of mental health and how important it is to have a secure and healthy mental state. We wore yellow to symbolise that awareness and during class time we looked at the variety of ways we can improve our mental health and how our actions and words can have a negative impact on people around us. It was amazing to see all the children celebrating and raising awareness

Year 3- Hello Yellow Day

Following our whole school worship to celebrate 'Hello Yellow Day', Year 3 showcased their creativity by making artwork on the theme of kindness, using affirmations and illustrations. We also explored the importance of talking to a trusted adult about any worries they may have.

Reception Hand Hygiene

Reception have been learning about the importance of good hand hygiene. We talked about germs - what is a germ and how do they spread? We used glitter to show how quickly germs can spread to others and make them poorly. We also experimented to see if water alone would get rid of the glitter germs and found out that the germs were still on our hands after using water. We finally managed to clean all the germs off when we used soap and warm water to clean all the areas of our hands.

Online Safety: Among us

Among Us: fairly safe, or pretty sus? Our updated #WakeUpWednesday guide to the hugely popular sci-fi deduction game tells parents and carers of young Among Us fans which #OnlineSafety risks they need to be watchful for. Download >> https://bit.ly/3LNQQ7D

Reception: MUGA Fun

Reception class are so lucky to have access to our MUGA throughout the day! Our outdoors is always open no matter the weather. The Ducklings enjoy putting on their puddlesuits and wellingtons to practise ball skills and their fundamental skills.

Well Being Warriors Poster Competition

Good morning In our Worship this morning our Well Being Warriors launched their poster competition for Hello Yellow Day on Tuesday 10th October. They would like the children to design a brightly coloured poster that includes positive affirmations and promotes Hello Yellow Day 2023. The competition will be for KS1 and KS2 with a prize for each. All entries will need to be handed to Year 4 Well Being Warriors by Friday 6th October with name and year group on the back. We can’t wait to see your entries - good luck everyone! From Mrs Gardner and The Well Being Warriors

Year 3- Science- Investigating how you can stay safe in the sun.

Today in our science lesson, we acted like scientists and investigated how the sun affects special beads that change colour when they meet UV light. We also tested if sun cream works. To do this, we used UV beads and put different factors of sun cream on them. Then we went outside to see how the beads reacted when the sun touched them. This showed us that the sun gives us energy, but it can also be bad for our skin if we don't protect ourselves. Too much sun can give you a sunburn. The beads without sunscreen changed color, the ones with lower factor sunscreen changed a bit, but the ones with factor 50 stayed the same color, showing that they were well protected.

Reception: RE God’s Plan

This week in RE, our Ducklings were thinking about God’s plan for us. We had a special visitor, baby Rupert who came so that we could compare how we grow. We decided Rupert wasn’t ready for school just yet. “He can’t walk” said Bella, “He can’t ride a scooter” said Haydn. Hollie said that he could only play with baby toys. We then thought about God’s plan for us as we grow up. We discussed what we wanted to be when we grow up. Percy said a rock and roll star, Thomas said a builder, Harry said a farmer and Elsie said a nurse.

Reception: Climbing skills

Today, our Ducklings have been using their strength, balance and coordination skills to climb and balance on our trim trail and climbing equipment.

Online Safety: WhatsApp

97 million messages. Every. Single. Minute. Our updated #WakeUpWednesday parents’ guide to WhatsApp examines the latest features on the world’s most-used messaging app – and what #OnlineSafety issues they might raise for children. Download >> https://bit.ly/3t0WKLY

Reception: Elmer

This week, our Ducklings have read the story of Elmer. We learnt how we are all special and unique. We then created our own Elmer’s using playdough, created unique marks on Elmer and used the colours to create our own elephants for Elmer day.

Reception: RE

Last week our Ducklings learnt about the creation story. Following on from this, we learnt about how we are all unique and how God made us all to be special. We looked at our hands and fingerprints and learnt how nobody is the same as us! God made us all special. We read a story called ‘When God made you’.

Year 3- Make a Splash in Their First Swimming Lesson

Year 3 had an incredible start to their swimming lessons today. The instructors divided the children into two groups, taking into consideration their prior swimming experience. We were immensely proud of their confidence and dedication. We look forward to witnessing their continued progress in the water over the coming weeks.

Year 5 - Be internet legends

This morning year 5 participated in the be internet legends live assembly. The assembly discussed all the key aspects of online safety and why it is important to remain safe online. They discussed how the internet was an amazing platform for people and how it has changed to world to make things more accessible to people. The assembly discussed the potential threats that can happen online and how to avoid them and know when to alert a trusted adult of a potential danger. They gave lots of tips and advice how to maximise your online activity while remaining as safe as possible. The key aspects the assembly discussed are: - Be sharp - Be alert - Secure - Kind - Brave

Year 3- Be Internet Legends Back to School Assembly

Today, the Year 3 class joined the live assembly delivered by 'Be Internet Legends'. During the assembly, the children learned about online safety, how to protect themselves and using strong passwords. Five key points that were highlighted throughout the session were; Sharp, Alert, Secure, Kind and Brave — these are designed to equip children with the key skills needed to stay safe online including critical thinking and empathy.

Year 1- Be Internet Legends

Year 1 watched the ‘Back to School- Be Internet Legends Assembly.’ We learnt and discussed some very important ways of staying safe on the internet. We know that we should not share information such as our full name, the school we go to or where we live with anyone over the internet and that we should have a tricky password that is hard to guess when we are creating one.

Year 6 - Internet Legends

Today, year 6 took part in the ‘Internet Legends’ workshop. They took part with such enthusiasm, but never lost sight of the message it was tying to get across. They were taught to: - Be sharp and think before you share. - Be secure by using and not sharing strong passwords. - Be kind and respect each other even when you are online. - Be brave by telling a trusted adult when you are in doubt about anything.

Online Safety: Setting Boundaries

Parents and carers have entered the game! Power up this #WakeUpWednesday with our practical tips to setting gaming boundaries – a useful tactic for helping to protect your young gamer from #OnlineSafety hazards while they play. Download >> bit.ly/44W4VGx

Reception: Fun in the rain

Our Ducklings love to go out in all weathers. Today the children enjoyed exploring in our sandpit. Some of the children were making soup in our mud kitchen and some children enjoyed making a volcano!

Reception: The Colour Monster

Our Ducklings have read the story ‘The Colour Monster’. They have explored the feelings of calm, love, fear, happiness and sadness. The children have created a feelings jar, painted their own colour monsters and discussed when they have experienced different feelings.

Year 3- Swimming- What to expect?

This afternoon Year 3 had a talk with one of the swimming instructors at Darwen Leisure Centre, ready for our first swimming session on Friday, 15th SEPTEMBER. The instructor answered any questions the children had about swimming lessons and explained what to expect. We also had a good chat about pool safety and we shared some of our thoughts and worries about going swimming. The children are super excited about their first swimming lesson next week.

Year 5 - Move and Learn

Year 5 have taken part and completed the Blackburn Rovers move and learn session. During the day the children took place in both classroom based and physical activities. Classroom based activities included: learning about balanced diets and why it is important to have a balanced diet, importance of hydration, body and mind and all the benefits of physical activities. The practical elements included team games and ball activities that led nicely into each classroom based session. The children worked really hard and enjoyed the competitive nature of the games and thrived in the teamwork elements of the games.

Online Safety: Live Streaming

Has live streaming brought a flood of risks? Many young people enjoy broadcasting on the internet in real time – but not knowing who might be watching is just one of the #OnlineSafety hazards, as our #WakeUpWednesday guide explains. Download >> https://bit.ly/3r1s5xp

Reception: Outdoor Exploration

Today, the children really enjoyed exploring our outdoor area. They continued to build on their friendships and played in the sand area, water area, construction area, roleplay house, stage and made some lovely drawings on our easel! They also enjoyed using the scooters and bikes and investigated how the outdoor physical equipment worked. The children had some milk and snack too to keep themselves cool in the sunshine. Well done to you all!

Year 5 - Teambuilding

Year 5 have had a brilliant past two days and had a chance to take part in a variety of team building activities. They have been excited to see all their friends and have worked really well on settling back into school, class rules and routines while keeping up with high expectations.

Reception: First day at school

We are so proud of our Ducklings on their first day at school. They have all been superstars. They have been making new friends, exploring our classroom and doing lots of super talking. What a super start to their school journey!

Year 1 DT Baby Bear’s Chair

Year 1 have been working really hard today to try and build a chair out of only card and masking tape for a teddy bear to sit on. They have been making nine cylinders and trying to connect them with masking tape to create a suitable and stable structure. They have shown great resilience and kindness towards each other when faced with this challenge. Well done Year 1!

Reception: Muddy Monday

Today the children showed lots of courage and perseverance as they enjoyed a very wet Muddy Monday adventure walk. They splashed their way through puddles and really enjoyed walking in the rain. It was our last session and the children said it was one that they will never forget!

Online Safety: Summer

Here comes the summer! Being realistic, the long school holiday probably equates to increased screen time for many children. Our #WakeUpWednesday poster has some pointers to help young ones steer clear of common #OnlineSafety risks Download >> https://bit.ly/3rntYnY

Year 4 - Linking Schools Litter Pick

The final part of our Linking Schools project was to make a pledge to take part in social action. Year 4 chose to do a community litter pick. The council supplied the equipment and off we went, cleaning up Knowlesly Road, Watery Lane and Whitehall Park. We filled 3 bin bags and 2 recycling bags - a super effort, class!

Online Safety: Rumble

Get ready… to… Rumble! This video-sharing platform has surged in popularity – but with #OnlineSafety risks including controversial contributors and extreme views, is it suitable for young people? Our #WakeUpWednesday guide finds out. Download >> https://bit.ly/44a0cli

Year 4 - Visiting our Link School

Another fantastic experience with our linking class! This week, Year 4 visited St Matthew’s Primary School in Blackburn for our final team project. We visited the Mosque next door to learn about its features, and we took part in team crafts. We have loved our year of linking!

Bikeability Cycle Training- Year 5 and 6

Today, our Years 5 and 6 participated in the Bikeability cycle training program. This program focuses on teaching practical skills and knowledge for cycling on today's roads. The aim was to give our children the confidence to ride their bikes and enjoy the many advantages that cycling offers. They had the opportunity to learn about safety and other important aspects of cycling from four experienced coaches.

Year 5- Science- Identifying changes that take place during puberty

In science this afternoon, the children were learning about some of the changes they may experience during puberty. We recapped the unit's learning so far to summarise the changes they have experienced since birth. The children then worked in pairs and labelled the body parts that change during puberty. We then discussed some of the important ways that the children can look after their bodies during puberty, such as washing more frequently, eating a healthy and balanced diet and ensuring they get enough sleep.

Year 6 PSHE

In year 6, we discussed water safety during ‘Drowning Prevention Week’ and talked about the importance of the water safety code and looked at the effect drowning has had on families.

Online Safety: Amino

Is Amino a no-no? It’s a social media platform which encourages interaction and user-generated content – but should young people be amenable to Amino? Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the essential #OnlineSafety info you need. Download >> https://bit.ly/44nRZt8

Year 4 - Linking Schools Visit Day 1

Last week, we welcomed our friends from St Matthew’s to join us for a day of team building. We had a fantastic day building towers and taking part in team games. We are so excited to visit our link class at their school next week.

Reception: Muddy Monday

We continued our learning by comparing two local environments, Knowsley Road and Jack Keys reservoir. Seb said there are lots of animal habitats at Jack Keys. Albie said there are lots of trees at Jack Keys. Fletcher said it is much quieter at Jack Keys. Piper-Jo said there are more children at Knowsley Road. Heidi said there are more cars at Knowsley Road. Super comparison. We finished exploring by enjoying a short forest schools session.

Online Safety: AI Chatbots

“How are you today?” AI chatbots are among the most talked-about digital developments of recent times, but how safe are they for young people? This week’s #WakeUpWednesday assesses these ‘virtual friends’ from an #OnlineSafety perspective. Download >> https://bit.ly/42PExNL

Year 5 - PSHE- Stay Safe Around Water- National Drowning Prevention Week

This week it is Drowning Prevention Week and in our PSHE lesson today we focussed on essential knowledge to keep safe around water. The children learned the importance of seeking help, following pool rules, wearing life jackets, and constant supervision.

Year 4 - Great Big Live Assembly for Refugee Week

Year 4 enjoyed being part of the Great Big Live Assembly this morning. We learned a lot about refugees and how they are being welcomed into our society. It truly has been a day of welcoming others as we welcomed our friends from our link school too. More photos to follow

Year 5- Class Worship- Refugee Week 2023

Today, Year 5 took part in the Great Big Live Assembly for Refugee Week. During the assembly, we learned about the journeys of refugees from different parts of the world. We had the privilege of hearing from Mohammed and Sidra, two incredible individuals who have had to flee their countries and start anew at the Za'atari refugee camp. Mohammed and Sidra shared their inspiring stories of resilience and courage with us. They spoke about the challenges they faced, but also about their determination to rebuild their lives despite the hardships. Let us continue to foster empathy, understanding, and support for refugees within our school community and beyond.

Smart School Council in Year 4

In our Smart School Council session we discussed the things that we would miss the most from this academic year. The children had to select from 1- the teachers 2- the person they sit next to 3- a certain topic 4- nothing( bring on the next year). We had a unanimous decision - the children will miss their teachers the most next year!

Year 5- PSHE- Growing and Changing

During our PSHE lesson on Growing and Changing bodies, we explored various types of feelings and how words can impact people. As part of an activity, we played emotions bingo. Each child was given a card or shared one with a partner. I randomly called out emotions from a list, and the game continued until someone exclaimed, "Bingo!" Throughout the game, it was interesting to observe if there were any emotions that the children had never encountered before. We finished the lesson by saying, "I always feel happier when..." This made them think about things that make them happy. It was a way to help them understand their own feelings better.

Online Safety: Money Muling

“Easy cash, no strings attached” Young people are being recruited via social media to serve as money mules, ‘washing’ illegal funds through their bank accounts. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide profiles this developing #OnlineSafety risk Download >> https://bit.ly/3Nt8Zss

Year 4 - Linking Schools Preparations

What an exciting time in Year 4 as we prepare to welcome our Linking Schools class! On Tuesday, Kestrel Class from St Matthew’s in Blackburn are due to visit us at St Barnabas for a day of team building and collaborative learning. We have been making name tags, banners, local area maps and preparing a few conversation starters and topics in order to help our visitors feel at ease in our amazing school.

Reception: Blackpool Zoo

Reception class had a brilliant time at Blackpool Zoo. They saw Orangutans, gorillas, penguins, sea lions, elephants, lions, flamingoes, aardvarks, camels, tortoises, giraffes and we also went on a dinosaur safari! The children’s behaviour was exemplary and it was lovely to put our learning into context.

Year 5 - Science- Identifying the key stages of a mammals life cycle

In Science, the children discovered that most mammals have very similar life cycles. They learnt that humans have similar life cycles to other mammals, making comparisons to dogs. They explored the key developments during each of the stages of the human life cycle - foetus, baby, child, teenager/adolescent, adult and old age and demonstrated their understanding by drawing the human life cycle. They then created a list of as many different mammals as they could think of and conducted some research on the gestation periods of different animals.

Year 6 PSHE- Kooth & transition

Year 6 had a visit from Heather from Kooth, an organisation who provide free, anonymous mental health support to young people. She focused on the children’s transition to high school and shared with them how Kooth actually works. The children seemed to really take in everything that was addressed and it was brilliant to see how open and honest the children were about their move to secondary school.

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.

Online Safety: Influencers

Under the influence? For many young people, social media influencers are ‘the new rock stars’ – but how much of these emerging celebrities’ content can really be trusted? Our #WakeUpWednesday highlights potential #OnlineSafety risks Download >> https://bit.ly/3MuGbhK

Year 4 - Linking Schools

After discussing the things that we care about most in the world last week, Year 4 has spent this week considering how we can take social action to improve the things we care about. “Kindness” was definitely a key theme. Next, we will decide on 3 actions and share them with our linking school, St Matthew’s, Blackburn.

Reception - Police Car Visit

This morning, we had a surprise visit from the police officers. The officers visited us in Spring Term as part of our Superheroes topic but sadly couldn’t bring the car to their visit. They were excited to return and show reception class the police car. The children loved pressing the horn to hear the sirens and see the lights flash.

Year 3 PSHE Dental Health

Year 3 have been discussing how they can maintain good oral health. This included food choices and also how and how often they brush their teeth. Each child was given a toothbrush and toothpaste, we encouraged the class to make sure they ‘tickle each tooth’ when brushing their teeth, twice a day to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

Online Safety: Well-being Online

It’s given us online gaming, social media and streaming but the internet also exposes us to things that don’t make us feel good about ourselves. Our #WakeUpWednesday poster has some simple tips for protecting young people’s wellbeing Download >> https://bit.ly/3pL5mos

Year 4 - Linking Schools

As we began Phase 2 of our Linking Schools project, we spent some time considering what things in our world that we care about. We wrote our ideas on paper leaves ready to go on our class kindness tree.

East Lancashire Hospice Cheque Presentation

Today we welcomed Jackie from East Lancashire Hospice to present a cheque for our hop, skip and jump fundraiser. We raised £373.50. Thank you to you all for your kind donations.

Year 5 - Class Worship Eurovision

This afternoon we talked about how the UK is holding the Eurovision for the first time since 1998. We talked about how music can affect us emotionally whether it makes us happy and energetic or can make us cry. The children certainly felt a range of emotions when listening to a variety of songs.

Online Safety: Telegram

Special delivery: it’s Telegram. This popular messaging app boasts formidable encryption and speedy delivery – so why is it often regarded as an #OnlineSafety risk? Our #WakeUpWednesday guide helps you read between the lines on Telegram. Download >> https://bit.ly/3pr0GDS

Mental Health Parent Webinars

The week commencing 15th May is ‘Mental Health Awareness Week’. After much success of hosting some parent webinars back in February for ‘Children’s Mental Health Week’, the Mental Health Support Teams are rolling out some more. The topics for the week will be: My anxious child Helping with exam stress Psychoeducation around worry They’ll take place at 10am and 6pm, Monday 15th to Thursday 18th May and it’s for parents, teachers, carers, children and young people, in fact anyone can join.

Coronation Style Selfies

Coronation Style Selfies with Year 4

Online Safety: Smart Watches

Time to get smart about watches? Wearable tech is usually considered 'cool' by young people, with smartwatches at the forefront – but are they safe from #OnlineSafety risks? Trusted adults can find out in our #WakeUpWednesday guide. Download >> https://bit.ly/3NyjNpO

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 1- Hop, skip and jump!

Year 1 took part in the hop, skip and jump challenge in order to help raise money for the East Lancashire Hospice, which the children have been learning about today during their class worship. They have really enjoyed the activity and wearing their Easter crowns!

Year 5 - Hop, Skip and Jump

On Monday we hop, skipped and jumped our way around the MUGA to help raise money for East Lancs Hospice. Today during class worship we have learnt all about East Lancashire Hospice and what they do.

Online Safety: Wizz

Your quick guide to Wizz. It’s a trending social app that matches young users with potential new friends … and it’s not without #OnlineSafety hazards. Check out our #WakeUpWednesday guide this week for all the biz about Wizz. Download >> https://bit.ly/3ncXmLT

Monday Worship: Looking after God’s World

Mrs Ham showed the children the big frieze and focussed on the creation. This morning we thought about Earth Day and God’s creation and had a think about all of the things that are damaging God’s creation. We threw globes around the room to think about how we are damaging our Earth. We watched a video of Greta Thunberg who is helping our world. Greta challenged world leaders to take action on climate change. Greta shared some advice to help look after the world and the children shared their ideas of how we can make a positive difference. Finn said “we can stand up for what is right”, Hamza said “use both sides of paper”, James said “stop throwing litter on the floor”, Darcy said “turn the tap off to save water” and Annabel said “switch off the lights”. The children looked through a bin and had a think about what they could do with the items instead of just throwing items into a bin. Eliza chose a bottle. Some of the children said they could use it for junk modelling, you could reuse it or you could use it as a bath toy. Harriet chose a Maltesers box. The children suggested you could use if to make a fairy house or a puppet. Harry chose a plastic bag. Ella said that you could use it as a bin bag and Scarlett said you could reuse it when you go shopping. Rosie chose some paper and the children discussed how it could be used to make a paper aeroplane and then put into the recycling bin. This week, Mrs Ham asked us all to think about how we can help to protect God’s creations and how we can protect our world. We finished our worship by singing ‘God’s world’.

Year 4 Smart School Council

In our Smart School Council session this morning, we voted on which movie we would like to watch at the Rotakids movie night. It was a split decision in the end between a comedy or sports film. We look forward to hearing the whole school vote.

Year 5- Earth Day

To celebrate 'Earth Day' we have made promises to look after our planet. The children have promised to use less water, recycle more, walk to school and plant a seed. They will make these simple changes to help protect our planet.

Year 2 - Class Worship

During our class worship we have been looking at the new alarms that are coming to every phone in the UK to warn people of any emergencies that may be occurring in their local area. We discussed many positives and negatives and agreed that it will save lives.

Online Safety: Ofcom Report

Are kids risk free in ’23? Evidently not. Ofcom have just published their yearly report into children’s digital activities and the #OnlineSafety risks they face. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has some key findings for trusted adults. Download >> https://bit.ly/40maDzn

Year 3- Earth Day

In Year 3 we have been celebrating ‘Earth Day’ by thinking about how we can take better care of our planet and local area. They each made a promise which they will try to stick to, to help our environment.

Reception: PSHE Bouncing back when things go wrong

We read the story ‘Rosie Revere, Engineer’. As a class, we discussed what shy meant and how you might feel. We then looked at what we could do if we can’t do something straight away. We discussed how we should try our best and don’t give up.

Online Safety: Fortnite

This week … it’s Fortnite. A new season of the phenomenally popular online battle game dropped last month – our #WakeUpWednesday guide scopes out this latest update for potential #OnlineSafety risks to its legion of young players. Download >> https://bit.ly/3ZS4Scs

Year 5 - PSHE Friendship

Today in PSHE we talked about the qualities of friendship and what it means to be a good friend. Out of a collection of qualities the children chose what they thought were the best qualities of friendship. They voted that trust, listening attentively and offering to help were the top three qualities.

Online Safety: Echo Chambers

In some areas of the internet, there’s no such thing as ‘the middle ground’ – but why are they an #OnlineSafety risk to young people? This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide finds out , Download >> https://bit.ly/3zvXgld

The Happy Tank in Year 4

We have been lucky enough to take part in another Happy Tank workshop this morning. We listened to John Magee, the Kindness Coach whilst he shared parts of his book, using our breathing techniques and positive affirmations. We are going to work hard on filling our lives with happy habits.

Year 6 PSHE- Autism Awareness

This week has been ‘Autism Awareness Week’ and we have learnt that autism is a condition that affects how a person’s brain works. It may make it harder for people to communicate, make friends and understand social situations. We looked at how we are all unique so the children produced their own hoodie designs to express how they are different to everyone else.

Year 3 - Kindness matters

Today year 3 have had a zoom call with our kindness coach John, who shared some information about his new book ’The Happy Tank’. We spoke about how it is normal to feel all kinds of different feelings. We tried some calming techniques including controlled breathing, as a class.

Year 5 - Dogs Trust visit

Today we had our workshop with The Dogs Trust. The class were fantastic and really took on board what was said and asked some fantastic questions. We learnt that we cannot judge a dog just by its breed and that all dogs have their own personalities.

Year 1 DT Healthy and unhealthy foods Walk to Sainsburys

Today Year 1 walked to a local supermarket to look at different types of foods that are unhealthy and healthy for breakfast. In design and technology lessons we are looking at different types of breakfast foods and where foods come from. The children enjoyed finding different types of food in the aisles in Sainsburys and seeing the variation of products on offer. They had a super walk in their wellies where we got a better look at India Mill chimney and even got to go down the slide in the park on the way home too.

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 5- PSHE-Celebrating Autism Awareness Week

Last week, our Communication Team set the question for pupils to vote on what they wanted to learn about, and the children voted to learn about autism. We are proud to celebrate democracy and British values by giving our pupils the opportunity to have their say in what they learn. In PSHE today, we celebrated Autism Awareness Week by learning about Marvellous Max, a child with autism. The children were fascinated to learn about the unique qualities that children with autism possess, such as their exceptional memory skills, which can be beneficial for their friends. Being different is awesome and we should all celebrate our unique qualities.

Dogs Trust Visit in Year 4

Today we were lucky enough to have a visit from The Dogs Trust. We had a whole school worship and then a workshop in our classroom. In the workshop, we were ‘Dog Detectives’ looking for clues and evidence. We looked at various scenarios with different dogs including Stan the Staffie, Cassy the Cockapoo and Hector the Husky. What a fantastic way to learn about dogs!

Autism Awareness Week in Year 4

In our PSHE session today, we looked at Autism Awareness Week. We looked at what autism is, how people are at different levels on the spectrum and the many famous people who have autism, including Albert Einstein and Lionel Messi.

Reception- Muddy Monday

We have had a lovely muddy Monday out in the sunshine. The children were looking at signs of spring on our walk around our school today. The children used a checklist to find all sorts of things we may see in spring. The children were also looking through cloud detectors to see which type of clouds were visible today. The children decided it was the cumulonimbus clouds they could see.

London 2023

We are off! Our Year 6 children, Mrs Ham, Mrs Price, Mr Prescott and Mr Tierney are so excited for their trip to London. We can’t wait to visit the Natural History Museum, Houses of Parliament tour and workshop, Lion King Musical, Science Museum, Imperial War Museum and a tour of London sights.

Year 4 Picture News - Should we all be entitled to an opinion?

In our class worship this week we have focused on Picture News. We looked at the news article about Gary Lineker and how his Tweet led him to be dismissed from Match of the Day. We had some great conversations and came to the decision that we should all be entitled to our own opinion, but we need to choose our words very careful as these could be hurtful.

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 4 PSHE - Positive Periods

In Year 4 we have been looking at puberty and how our bodies change. This week we focused on menstruation - what it is, how it happens, how often and how to manage periods. We looked at lots of different types of sanitary wear including panty liners, sanitary towels, tampons, menstrual cups and period pants.

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.

Reception- Muddy Monday

We had our muddy Monday session in our school area yesterday. We went onto the top field for a game of stuck in the mud and some of us enjoyed rolling down the banking. Whilst we were on the field we found a frog, the children were really interested in the frog and they were very caring towards it. We then had a walk through the willow tunnel and went onto our playground to play some games, such as ‘duck, duck, goose’ and ‘hot potato’. We had so much fun!

Reception: Dental Hygiene

Today, the children learnt all about the importance of dental hygiene. They learnt how to brush their teeth properly and what food and drinks to not eat and drink as much of to look after their teeth. The children practised cleaning teeth and showed us their beautiful, sparkling teeth.

Reception - Doctor Visit

Today Reception class welcomed Dr.Chloe who came from Blackburn Hospital to talk to us all about her job. She explained how she loves to help people and even told us about her therapy dogs, Alfie and Patrick. The children asked some fantastic questions all about what is inside her doctors bag and Dr.Chloe showed us her stethoscope and showed us how it works. Thank you Dr.Chloe, we had a wonderful time!

Celebration Worship Value Points Winners

In our Celebration Worship this morning we spent time reflecting on why we came to school in non- uniform- our school council chose to raise funds for families who have been affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. We also celebrated our Value Ponts Winners across both Key Stages and it’s so lovely to see how our values are being shown by the children and how they are working hard both in and out of the classroom. We had so many other things to celebrate this morning such as Let Girls Play Football Event, Let’s Go Sing and the verse speaking competition. The list of Super Sports Stars was never ending this week which is so great to see! Attendance Winners were Years 2 & 6 and Value Points Winning house team was River Darwen.

Reception - British Sign Language

This morning, Reception children enjoyed a British Sign Language session. We discussed when we might need to use sign language. Some children remembered signs that they used in nursery, at home or in Worship. We learned the BSL signs for hello, how are you, good morning, good afternoon and good evening. The children enjoyed practising signing to each other.

Reception- Police Officer Visit

This morning we had a visit from our local PCSO’s Gail and John and ‘Darren’ the police teddy bear. We were ready with lots of questions to ask them and we also answered some amazing questions they had for us. We were taught all about ‘stranger danger’ and how to keep ourselves safe. We also got to hear the police officers on their radios and we got the opportunity to try on some of their uniform, which we found out was very heavy. We all really enjoyed our visit.

Year 1 Police Safety Talk

Today Year 1 met PCSO Gail, PCSO John and PCSO Darren the bear to talk about what the police do, stranger danger and how to stay safe in our community. They asked some super questions, tried on a police vest and were shown the equipment the police wear to communicate and capture evidence whilst working. We looked at how the police get around and the different vehicles they might use. We also all got a photo and cuddle with Darren the bear.

Year 4 - Linking Schools Zoom Meeting

The class have loved meeting their link class today. We played games with our linking friends, like Would You Rather...? , Red Card Green Card and Draw a Picture in which children had to draw a picture on their whiteboards while it was balanced on the top of their heads. Thank you St Matthews- we can't wait to meet you soon!

Online Safety: Safe and Healthy Online Habits

It’s almost Red Nose Day! In support of Comic Relief, our #WakeUpWednesday guide has got some top tips on helping children and young people to build their digital resilience – minimising the impact of #OnlineSafety threats.

North West Air Ambulance Visit

We had the pleasure of welcoming Laura from North West Air Ambulance Charity today. Laura explained that the air ambulance colours are yellow and blue. North West Air Ambulance service is a charity and Laura’s job is to help raise money to keep the ambulances in the sky. The charity looks after over 8 million people and provides free emergency pre-hospital care. In addition to helicopters, the charity also has emergency vehicles. They are used when it is foggy, at night or when it is deemed not safe to fly. Darcy held the emergency bag that the crew carry. It is heavy and has everything they need to treat an injured person. The ambulance also carries blood on board. Wilson showed everybody the jacket that the crew wear and Harry showed the helmet that the crew required to wear. We watched a video which showed an air ambulance in action. Laura explained to us what happens in an emergency. We played Simon says to role play what we should do. If we notice somebody has hurt themselves, we would look around to check if it was safe and then go and find a trusted adult to call to 999. If there wasn’t a trusted adult around, it would be up to us to call. The crew would then be dispatched. Once the helicopter lands, there is a Lucas machine that can perform CPR if necessary so that the paramedic and doctors hands are free to help the patient further. Laura said it is brilliant that we have our invacuation procedure to help air ambulances land safely. Thank you to Mrs Price for teaching the children what to do in an emergency. Air ambulances can land on a beach, a field, a stadium, a car park and a helipad. Laura thanked everybody and said that St Barnabas are now part of the crew! Donations can still be made on parent pay to support this charity and during Lent it is the perfect time to give something back.   The charity needs to raise 12 million pounds each year in order to provide the amazing service and it relies solely on donations. Thank you to everybody who has donated so far. 

Reception- Firefighter Visit

Today the children in reception had a visit from Firefighter Foy! He told us all about his job and fire safety. The children asked lots of brilliant questions and they were really excited to try on the firefighter helmet! Lots of children have decided that they want to be firefighters when they grow up, because they want to help people. Thank you so much to Firefighter Foy for an amazing talk and for the firefighter goodies! We hope to see you again!

Smart School Council in Year 4

In our Smart School Council session this morning, we discussed whether or not we feel like we can share our problems with others. We also discussed our answers in more detail. Georgie was our class leader and Noah was our note taker and they both did a great job!

Online Safety: iPads

Getting to the core of Apple’s market-leading tablet

Reception: Caring for our Environment

Today, we discussed what recycle, reuse and reduce meant. The children discussed what bins we find at school and what bins we have at home. We discussed why it is important to recycle. Did you know that some bottles can be recycled to make a part of a plane? The children were amazed! The children went outside to look at our recycle bins as they look very different to the ones we have at home. We also discussed how we can reduce waste and reuse. The children did some junk modelling to show how we can reuse boxes and different objects. We discussed how important it is to look after and care for our world.

Year 1 Medicine Safety

Year 1 have been learning about medicine safety and looked at different empty medicine boxes. They discussed what the different types of medicine were and looked at the difference between harmful and helpful items. We discussed the importance of adults always administering medicine and looked at different scenarios where medicine might be administered safely. The children then worked in groups to sort items into harmful, helpful or both of these categories.

Forest School- Lunchtime Club

What a brilliant first week of Forest School we’ve had! We’ve had an introduction to forest school and some time to get to know each other and our likes and dislikes. The children have been so enthusiastic and excited to give ideas on how they want our new forest school area to look and what they would like to focus on. We have some children who are fountains of knowledge when it comes to mini beasts and wildlife, these children are really excited to create bug houses, bird feeders and bird boxes. We have some children who are keen gardeners who would like to plant some new flowers and vegetables. We are looking forward to seeing what next week has in store for us.

Scrooge by Charles Dickens

This morning all of the children enjoyed watching a theatrical production of Scrooge, which is a stage adaptation of the classic story 'A Christmas Carol', which was written by Charles Dickens. We were so proud of how well they joined in and the performers said they were a fantastic audience and couldn’t praise our school enough for the warm welcome they received. The children said 'It was even better than the film', 'It was amazing', 'I loved the songs' 'Everyone needs to show kindness' and our Year 6 children said this had made them even more excited to go and see the Lion King in London with school in a couple of weeks! The classic story highlighted our school focus on kindness as mean Scrooge learnt to be kind after being visited by three spirits who showed him the error of his ways. A huge well done to Daisy for showing lots of courage when she was chosen to join the actors on stage. Thank you so much FOSB for paying for the performance. It was a delight to see the childrens' faces as they were a picture and made several of our staff team, including myself, rather emotional watching them. What a great end to world book day week!

PSHE Year 4 Puberty and Hair in Funny Places

In our PSHE session today we have looked at what boys and girls have in common and what is different. We labelled different body parts using the correct scientific words such as vagina, ovaries, eggs and womb on a female and penis, testicles and sperm on a male body.

Reception - People Who Help Us

This week Reception children have learned about people who help us, specifically doctors. We discussed the jobs of doctors and nurses and when we may need to go to hospital. We practised putting plasters and bandages on and designed a doctors bag thinking about what they may need inside it! We loved exploring the doctors equipment in the role play area including stethoscopes and thermometers. We are excited to meet a real life radiologist in a few weeks time.

World Book Day: The Cub Without a Mane

Today, we welcomed Raysa Farah into our school to read and talk about her new book as part of our World Book Day celebration. Raysa is a successful florist who has now written a story after her little boy was diagnosed with leukaemia. 'My little boy S'aad was diagnosed with ALL in Spring 2022 at the age of two. From this experience I have found strength in writing an empowerment book for children and their carers. I want to help empower young children to feel like they’ve got a voice. The book follows a lion cub who loses his big, wild mane after developing leukaemia, but shows bravery to continue being himself and not let his illness get him down'. If you would like to order a copy of the book Raysa has offered a special price of £6.50, payment can be made through ParentPay. Thank you, Mrs Wilkinson

Sharing Our Love Of Reading in Year 1

During World Book Day, Year 1 read and shared their books from home and our school library with great enthusiasm. They each stood up in front of the whole class to show their chosen book that either ‘fills their happy tank’ or is a great bedtime read. The children read and shared their books with their friends and designed a book cover for their favourite book too as part of a competition. In the afternoon an author came in to read their new children’s story to them and they were able to ask questions and take part in an activity celebrating their uniqueness in their house groups. We also made book buddies that they have taken home with them today amongst other activities.

Year 4 - Linking Schools

Today in our Linking Schools session we were exploring our similarities and differences and preparing for our inter-class Zoom session in two weeks’ time.

Online Safety: NGL

FYI, it’s NGL

Whole School Worship - Fairtrade Fortnight

In Worship today, we began by lighting a special candle and had a moments silence to pray for the families affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Mrs Ham then showed us some foods that she had bought over the last week. We then had to guess why Mrs Ham was showing us these foods and what was special about them. Darci said that they were all fairtrade products and Hamza spotted the fairtrade logo. Mrs Ham explained that today was the start of Fairtrade Fortnight. We joined in with a quiz about fairtrade products, thought about our foods, where they come from and how climate change is affecting farmers and their crops in tropical countries. We also thought about how the Fairtrade Foundation supports these farmers, and how we can do a bit by opting for Fairtrade products. We reflected on how we can show kindness and support our neighbours around the world by buying Fairtrade products and how we can show our Christian values of generosity, friendship and respect this Fairtrade Fortnight and through Lent.

Reception: Muddy Monday

As part of our learning all about caring for our environment, we went on a litter pick around our local area. We used our fine motor skills to collect the litter using the litter pickers. We collected lots of litter and all received a certificate and sticker for being great litter picking superheroes. Thank you to Blackburn with Darwen Council for providing all of the resources we needed for our litter pick.

Year 1- Food origins

In PSHE yesterday afternoon we had a look at different food origins. We had a really good discussion about where our food comes from. We had a go at putting foods into Origins. This will eventually help Us to create a healthy breakfast in a couple of weeks time.

Year 2 - Class Worship

This week during our class worship we have been discussing the horrific incident that occurred in Turkey and Syria. Children discussed the devastating effects that it must have on family and what we can do and are doing as a country to show our support to all those affected. Some of the ideas we came up with are: - Sending food and water - Providing tents and beds for people to sleep in - Praying for all those affected - Sending specialist teams such as doctors, nurses and teachers.

Celebration Worship- Dress to Express- Mental Health Week

The Year 4 class led our 'dress to express' worship this morning for 'Children's Mental Health Week'. The children had prepared lines about mental health, which they presented with confidence and maturity to parents and the whole school. They spoke about how we can all look after our mental health by doing activities we enjoy. They also shared their favourite clip about kindness and stressed how important it is to be kind to each other and the positive impact being kind has on our mental health. The Year 5 Well-being warriors also presented prizes to our winners from KS1 for their amazing artwork which represented their feelings on a drawing of a jar. They finished by singing their favourite song ' My Lighthouse' and prayers led by Tyler and Grace. Thank you Year 4 and to all of the parents, carers and grandparents who joined us.

Year 5- Dress to Express

This week, the Year 5 class have carried out multiple activities to celebrate 'Mental Health Awareness Week'. Today, the children wore their favourite clothes to express how they're feeling inside.

Reception - Children’s Mental Health Week

We have really enjoyed children’s mental health week. The well-being warriors visited our class and told us a story about being kind to ourselves and each other. We then designed our own kindness jars. We also created pictures of ourselves and discussed how we are similar and how we are different and what makes us special and unique. On Friday, it was Express yourself day. We all chose clothes and accessories that represented our personalities and interests.

Year 6 Money Matters

Year 6 had a visit from the money matters team this week. They discussed issues such as gambling and borrowing. The children took a keen interest in the issues raised as it is something that could directly affect them in the future.

Year 2 - Collective Worship

During our class worship we looked at the story with the Wales national football team. They are one of very few national football teams that have granted men and women equal pay. We looked at equality within sports and across the world and we all talked about how anybody can play football. The society we live in is and should be inclusive and we all have the potential to be amazing.

Year 2 - Building bridges

In science, we have been looking at the use of everyday materials. We looked at what makes a strong and sturdy bridge. We took a trip to a local bridge to investigate the material used. We then used the materials we could find to make a bridge of our own. We explored: strength, support, structure and how big a bridge can be.

Wellbeing Workshop in Year 2

Today our Well-being Warriors led another one of their fantastic workshops as part of Children’s Mental Health Week. The children looked at lots of different feelings, how we can manage them and that it’s ok to feel sad sometimes. We look forward to finding out our class winners for the feelings jar activity tomorrow in Celebration Worship.

Year 5-The Mind Walk- Mental Health Awareness Week

This afternoon, the Year 5 class stepped out of their classroom to appreciate God's wonderful nature around school. The children took this time to clear their minds, talk to their friends, giggle and just really enjoy being out. It was lovely to see everyone just enjoying themselves.

Wellbeing Warrior Workshops for Children’s Mental Health Week

As part of Children’s Mental Health Week 2023, our Well-being Warriors have been going into Foundation and Key Stage 1 to deliver workshops around mental health. They have looked at the story ‘Lucy’s Blue Day’ and highlighted how it’s ok to have good and bad days. The children then completed an activity on a feelings jar which they loved.

Year 3 Safer Internet Day 2023

This year for Safer Internet Day, Year 3 have been thinking about what should be kept public or private online. We discussed the importance of keeping personal information private, such as addresses, phone numbers and passwords. We then thought about age restrictions for games and online sites and discussed what we can do moving forward, to ensure that we are using the Internet in a safe way. We also came up with some great activities that we could do during the day, which do not require the Internet, such as playing a board game and going for a walk with our family!

Kooth - Online mental health and wellbeing support for 10-18 year olds

Good afternoon Year 6 parents and carers, I have spoken to your child today about an online mental health and wellbeing support for young people called Kooth. We have watched a video about the services they offer and there is further information included in the attached letter. Heather from Kooth will be leading a session with our Year 6 children in the summer term and will focus on transition to high school and the Kooth support service. I have given the children a leaflet so they are able to access the service if they wish. For further information on how to help your child with their mental health and wellbeing, please see the following page on our website under the tab of advice and support. https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/key-information/safeguarding

Reception- Safer Internet Day

In class we read a story for internet safety day, it was all about Smartie the penguin and how he could keep safe when using his tablet. The children listened so well and came up with some super ideas of how Smartie could keep safe and what he could do in certain situations. We had a discussion all about stranger danger and said that the best thing to do if something pops up on our tablets that we aren’t sure about is to tell parents, carers, grandparents or another trusted adult they know who could help.

Year 5 - Safer Internet Day

Today for Safer Internet Day we discussed whether we need to share everything online. We looked at a scenario about a boy sharing a video of his friends online which ended up causing a fall out. The class shared their opinions on what the boy could have done to prevent this. The children made some very sensible comments and were able to think of some useful solutions for the situation.

Year 5 - Money Matters

We had some great fun with Mr Souter today when he came to talk to us about managing money. We discussed different types of budgets, deficit, surplus and balanced. We talked about which is the best type of budget to have and decided that a surplus budget allows us to have more of our wants and can help in times of emergency.

Year 1- Safer Internet day

Today for Safer Internet Day we discussed games and personal information online. We looked at lots of scenarios and we decided whether that was safe to share online or not. Year 1 made some very sensible comments about what we should do. We finished the day with a story about Smartie the penguin and his tablet. We learnt that you should always tell a trusted adult if you have any problems online.

Year 2- Safer Internet Day

Year 2 have been celebrating all the amazing ways we use the internet but have been focusing mainly on our digital footprint to ensure that we remain safe online. We discussed: - Do not believe everything you see online - Do not post anything that isn’t kind - If I see something that makes me feel uncomfortable tell a trusted adult, report it and block it - Play with people we know - Most importantly keep having fun! - Understand age limits and respect those limits - Keep microphones and cameras off when online gaming with people who you do not know.

Year 2 - Happy Tank

As part of our kindness challenge and children's mental health week, we have created our own Happy Tank. Year 2 have created many affirmations to spread kindness through our class and within the school. Some examples are: ‘I matter in this world’ ‘I am amazing at what I do’ ‘We can make a difference’ ‘I am loved and I am needed’

Year 4 Random Acts of Kindness

As it is National Random Acts of Kindness Day on Friday 17th Feb Year 4 have been out and delivered our very own kindness packs to our local community. Let’s make kindness the norm and put a smile on people’s faces.

Year 1- What makes a balanced diet?

In PSHE we looked at what foods we should eat to help us stay healthy. We talked about a balanced diet and what foods we should eat to make our diet balanced. We also learnt some big words such as carbohydrates, protein and fibre. We finished off by creating our friend a balanced lunch.

MHST Parent Webinars

Good morning parents and carer, Next week it is Children's Mental Health Week. Here are some parent webinars from the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) to help you support your child's mental health. There are four webinars focusing on anxiety, social media and mental health, low mood and the importance of sleep. Please see the attached flyer for further information.

Reception Forest Schools- Muddy Tuesday

On Tuesday we had a forest school session in our school grounds. The children were split into five groups with six children in each. Each team were given a pet log to build a shelter for. The children worked amazingly well together and showed great teamwork and co-operation. Each team successfully built a natural shelter for their pet.

Reception- Our Forest School Restaurant

We built a shelter in our mud kitchen area. The children wanted to create a restaurant, they came up with dishes such as mud pie, pizza and spaghetti to serve in their restaurant. The children also asked for some chalk to create their own chalkboard menu. They then invited children in and served them their creations. What brilliant imaginative play reception!

Year 5- Class Worship- Social Influencers

During our class worship this morning, the Year 5 class explored the term ' Social Influencer' in detail. The children then came up with a list of people that they look up to and admire, such as; football player, actor, singer, golf player, darts player, BMX rider and a Diablos. We then discussed why they look up to these people in detail. I then showed the children three drinks which I had prepared earlier, In order to influence the children I made them believe that the orange juice was by far the best drink. We then took votes on which drink they would choose to drink, from apple juice, Vimto and orange juice. It was great to see that the children were not influenced by my choice because the majority of the children voted for the apple juice. We then discussed the choices we make, we can choose the people we want to listen to, be influenced by and follow. Jesus always set a good example when he told others to do something, such as to love each other, he did it himself. He asked his followers to do the right thing. Whilst influencers may guide some of our choices, It is important for us to remember both positive and negative consequences. Every child has the right to be protected from social media.

Year 4 Class Worship - How much control do influencers have over our choices?

In our class worship we looked at how much control influencers have over our choices. The latest craze for PRIME was our key topic and we definitely know a lot about it! We discussed that although the influencers may guide some of our choices, it’s important for us to remember to make our decisions with an open mind, considering both positive and negative consequences.

Year 6 PSHE

This week in PSHE, year 6 discussed their online activity and strategies we can all use in order to stay safe online.

Year 5- P.S.H.E- Negative Effects of Social Media

In PSHE, Year 5 have been discussing the positives and negatives of social media by exploring the impact that online content can have on a person's well-being. We discussed apps, privacy settings, cyber-bullying, trust, friendship, and respect and looked at different scenarios. The children agreed that it was important to have a small circle of friends which whom you know, trust, and enjoy spending time with. In small groups, the children thought of activities a person can take to look after their well-being with a balance of online and offline activities.

Reception: Keeping safe indoors and outdoors

This week, the children in Reception went on a hunt to see how many things could be dangerous and how many things keep us safe. Archie spotted the benches and said that they could be dangerous if you didn’t use them properly. Eddie pointed to a fire door and said that you would open this if there was a fire. Connie found a wet floor sign and we discussed how this would be used to stop you from slipping. Fletcher found cones outside which are used to stop people from parking on the path. Charlie pointed to the rail and said that we hold this to stop you falling on the stairs.

Smart School Council in Year 4

As part of our Smart school Council session today, we discussed what makes a better dining experience. Our Class Leader Freddy and Notetaker Grace gave everyone the time to discuss the five different options. In Year 4 we decided that having our lunch in our classroom would make a better dining experience.

National Online Safety: Twitter

New year, new Twitter?

Reception: Keeping ourselves safe

Reception have been learning all about what is safe to go into their body. They discussed what happens if they are poorly and how we should never use medicines on our own. They learnt that they should never put anything in their mouths unless a grown up knows such as a family member or teacher.

Year 1- Friendship and kindness

In PSHE today we looked at friendship and some scenarios we might get into at home or at school. We acted out some of the scenarios and thought how we might feel if this happened to us and how we could deal with it. We had some very grown up conversations about being good friends and being kind to each other.

Planning our class worship for Children’s Mental Health Week

Today we have been looking at how we can plan our very own worship to highlight Children’s Mental Health Week which takes place on 6th-12th February this year. The theme this year is ‘ Let’s Connect’ so we have looked at what we can do as a school community to promote this.

Year 6 Life Education session

In year 6, we had a visit from Megan from ‘Life Education’ who delivered a session around making decisions. Year 6’s responses were really mature and I was so impressed with how much they engaged in the session. I think one of the main points the children will definitely take away is that it is okay to challenge your friends if you think they are making the wrong decision. It is okay to say no!

Year 6 PSHE

In PSHE this week, we have focused on mixed messages in the media. We discovered that we need to make sure any information we come across has come from a reliable source and that not everything we see is reality. It is important that we have our own mind and if we are unsure of anything we ask a trusted adult.

Year 1- feelings and healthy living workshop

In year 1 we had a visit from Megan and Harold the giraffe. Megan discussed our feelings and emotions and how we can deal with them. We also spoke about many ways in which we can live a happy and healthy life and year 1 did a great job coming up with lots a creative ideas of how we can stay happy and healthy. Thank you Megan and Harold!

Year 4 - Life Education Session

Year 4 really enjoyed their session with Life Education. They learned about self-value, self-care, celebrating uniqueness and when it is good to compromise. They also had a visit from Harold the Giraffe. We’re never too old for a visit from Harold.

Year 1- Road Safety

Year 1 had a visit from Andy yesterday to learn all about road safety. We learnt lots of things such as be bright and be seen when outside and what things we could wear to be seen. A huge thank you to Andy for providing our class with a high viz vest and key ring. We also learnt how important a car seat is and that we need a car seat until we reach 135cm or we reach our 12th birthday. Andy measured all of our children and we all got a special sticker as none of the class were 135cm so all need to sit in a car seat.

Reception- All About Me

Reception had a visit from Megan and Harold the giraffe. They taught us what to eat and drink to say healthy, where our body parts go, what to do to keep germs away and what happens if you are poorly. We loved our visit, thank you!

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 5- Life Education Workshop- P.S.H.E

Year 5 has thoroughly enjoyed the workshop delivered by Megan and her friend Harold the Giraffe today. Harold was particularly pleased to see familiar faces from last year, he also commented on how grown up the children looked. The children have learnt that all medicines are drugs but not all drugs are medicines, and to always ask a trusted adult before taking any medicine. We also looked at the qualities of a good friend and discussed which qualities are considered important to them. We also watched a short video about staying healthy for our well-being; by eating and drinking the right thing, exercising, mindful colouring and doing things that make you happy.

Year 2 - Life Education

In year 2 we had a visit from Megan and Harold the giraffe from Life Education. We discussed our feelings, emotions and how we can deal with them. We talked about many ways in which we can live a happy and healthy life and year 2 did a great job coming up with lots a creative ideas. Thank you Megan and Harold!

Mental Health Support Team January Newsletter

Please find attached the latest newsletter from the mental health support team, who we work closely with in school. This month there are some great tips and signposts for ways that parents can support their own mental health and wellbeing, as well as their children's mental health and wellbeing. For all of the newsletters from the Mental Health Team, please click here https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/parents/newsletters

Coram Life Education & SCARF workshops

Coram Life Education & SCARF is the UK's leading charity provider of PSHE and wellbeing education in primary schools. Over the next couple of days all of our children in school will have a fun and interactive PSHE workshop delivered by Megan and her friend Harold the Giraffe, from Coram Life Education. Reception: All About Me Year 1: Feelings Year 2: My Wonderful Body Year 3: Meet the Brain Year 4: It's great to be me Year 5: Friends Year 6: Decisions The children really enjoyed the workshops last year and they learnt a great deal. These sessions are part funded by the local authority and the school have contributed the rest. Our staff will also be having training on Coram resources that can be used in PSHE lessons. If you would like to speak to Megan and learn more about the workshops or how you can support your child with their personal, social and health education, you are very welcome to call into school from 8.45-9.00am this Wednesday morning. There is also a website with information for parents about how you can support your child's wellbeing, help them develop a growth mindset and how to talk to them about sensitive issues etc. https://www.coramlifeeducation.org.uk/family-scarf

Wellbeing Warriors - Idling Campaign

Our Well-being Warriors have been out and about today with their campaign posters about the prevention of Idling. See if you can spot them around our school area and encourage everyone to turn their engines off whilst waiting for their children or doing drop offs.

Year 4 PSHE - Our Feelings

In PSHE we have been looking at how the different things that happen every day can make us feel good or not so good. We looked at ideas on how to deal with the ‘not so goods’ such as talking to someone, doing something to take your mind off it, breathing techniques and counting to ten.

Year 4 Smart School Council

In our Smart School Council session we discussed what is the most important thing about having a job. The children worked really well within their group and our Class leader -Harry and Key Notetaker - Josh, led the session like pros!

Reception: What is safe to go onto our body?

This week we have been looking at things that are safe to go onto our body. We discussed what we should wear, how different objects can help us, what can keep us healthy and clean and what to do if we have hurt ourselves.

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 4 PSHE - Prejudice and Discrimination

In our PSHE lesson we looked at the terms prejudice and discrimination. We discussed how we can form ideas about people and judge them before we even get to know them. We also completed a ‘mind reading’ activity based on only a characters name and picture. Some super discussions were had along with some great new vocabulary to add to our word banks.

Wellbeing Warriors New Campaign

Our Wellbeing Warriors have been extremely busy creating new posters to highlight ‘Idling’ around our school and the dangers of it. Idling is the term used for when a car is stationary but the engine is still running. This creates harmful toxic emissions that can make us really poorly. The Wellbeing Warriors want to spread this message, especially to our parents and carers so we will be out with our posters over the next week to promote our new campaign and record any idling that we see, especially directly outside our school boundary.

Rainbow Support in Qatar - Year 4

In our class worship today, we looked at how many people believe that football should be for everyone and the issues surrounding the England football team being prevented from wearing the One Love armbands to support LGBT+ community.

First Aid At Work

Today, some of our school team completed session one of our ‘ First Aid at Work’ Qualification. We looked at the role of a first aider, prioritising casualties and Primary/ Secondary Assessment. We looked at DARE - Danger Response Airway and Breathing then finally moved on to performing CPR and problems that may occur during resuscitation.

Odd Socks Day at St Barnabas

What a great way to spread the message that we are all unique and can show kindness wherever we go. A huge THANK YOU to our Well-being Warriors who managed to visit every class in school to see all of the weird and wonderful efforts. Another thank you must go to all of the children who entered the BwD Anti- Bullying Week Poster competition. Any successful entrants will be announced on Friday so fingers crossed Team B will have some children put forward.

Monday Worship: Anti-Bullying Week

Today is the start of anti-bullying week. We have all worn our odd socks to show that we are all special and unique. Yesterday was world kindness day. The children said that every day should be world kindness day! We listened to Andy Day about odd socks day. The theme for anti-bullying week is reach out which means talk to somebody about bullying to say it is not ok. During anti-bullying week, we will focus on the Christian values of friendship, respect, courage and forgiveness. We will also focus on the British Values of mutual respect, individual liberty and tolerance. Bullying is when somebody does something mean and they keep doing it again and again. James said the victim would feel “really sad and emotional”. Mrs Ham explained the acronym STOP. If someone does something Several Times On Purpose then it is bullying and we should Speak To Other People. We played a game where the children had to put their thumbs up if they thought the action was bullying and thumbs down if they thought if wasn’t. Mrs Ham asked what would happen if they saw bullying taking place. James said he would tell them to stop, Eli said tell the teacher. It takes courage to do something about bullying. During our reflection we thought about how we are all different and how we need to treat each other with respect. We finished our worship by listening to Andy and the odd socks song.

Year 1- Odd socks day

❌We have kicked off Anti bullying week with odd socks day. We started off the day with an amazing worship about how important it is to reach out to stop bullying. ❌

Year 5- Odd Socks Day- Anti-Bullying Week-

Year 5 wear 'Odd Socks' to mark the start of Anti-Bullying Week. We're celebrating that we are all unique and that being different is okay.

Year 5- Speak Out Workshop- NSPCC

Following on from our virtual assembly, today we had two visitors from the NSPCC team delivering a 'Speak Out Workshop'. The children watched short clips and then had to decide in small groups whether that was bullying or not. We had some great responses. The children exclaimed that sometimes it all depends on the length of time and whether it was a one-off. It is vital that children reach out to stop bullying. They were reminded about talking to a trusted adult or putting a note in their class worry box.

Reception: Odd Socks Day

Reception enjoyed wearing odd socks to kick start Anti-Bullying Week. We celebrated being unique and all decorated our own odd socks. We all discussed what a good friend is and how we all need to be kind to each other.

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 2 - Anti-Bullying week

Children in Year2 wore odd socks to raise awareness of anti bullying week. All the odd sock combinations were amazing.

PSHE in Year 4 - Respect

In our PSHE session today, we looked at our Christian value RESPECT and how we can show this to our peers and adults within our school environment. We watched a short video and then highlighted different examples of respect, discussing how it is a positive feeling or action shown towards something or somebody.

Money Matters- Year 5

The children in Year 5 have had an invaluable session with Mr Souter today. They have been learning about how to manage money. They were first introduced to two key words ' WANTS' and 'NEEDS'. They then sorted a list of items into two categories; WANTS', such as a new mobile phone, new trainers, new bag etc. 'NEEDS', food, warm clothes, roof over our head and reading glasses. We then looked at different types of bank cards and how easy it was to get hold of a credit card. But after learning about the huge interest that can mount up if you can't pay off the money that you borrowed, the children decided that it wasn't a good idea to have one. The moral of the session was to only buy the things that you need and are essential not what you want because it has been advertised and it looks great.

Year 4 - NSPCC Virtual Worship

In Year 4, we watched the NSPCC virtual worship and learned about the importance of sharing our worries with a trusted adult.

Year 2 - Remembering all those who fought

Year 2 took a trip to go and see all the war memorials that are in Darwen cemetery. We looked at all the people who fought and took part in the war from Darwen, we discussed the conditions and respected all those that gave their lives for us.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support in School

Good morning parents and carers, please find attached the latest newsletter from the Mental Health Support Team. Mental health and wellbeing is given the highest priority in our school and is a big focus on our school improvement plan each year. We know that if children, staff or parents aren't emotionally well and happy then this can be a barrier to effective teaching and learning. In school both myself and Mrs Wilkinson are trained mental health first aiders who provide support and signpost support to children, parents and staff. We also have an Educational Mental Health Practitioner called Hazel Broadfield who works with us to provide families with support with mental health issues. We also have two trained ELSA's in school, Mrs Hegarty and Mrs Lyons, who provide emotional literacy support to specific children throughout school. Mrs Gardner, our PSHE lead also has a group of Wellbeing Warriors that help to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing and organise events. They are organising an Odd Socks day next Monday and have led a poster competition to launch Anti-bullying week. If you or your child are experiencing any issues linked to mental health and wellbeing, Mrs Wilkinson and I are always available to speak to on either informally on the yard or through arranging a meeting. Alternatively, there are also sections on our website where different services and groups linked to mental health and wellbeing are signposted. https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/key-information/safeguarding https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/parents/community-groups There are also services and groups signposted on the MHST newsletters. MHST run a Parent Support Group. It is an online group which is currently topic based. It is a space where information is shared with discussion between parents. Last group's topic was Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, where we explored what OCD is and how to support your child. There is no pressure to contribute or have your camera or microphone on, there is a chat function to contribute to the session. The next topic is Social Anxiety Wednesday 23rd November 2022 @ 6-7pm online via microsoft teams Please email [email protected] for a link to the meeting.

Smart School Council -How can our Peace Garden be improved?

In our Smart School Council session this morning, we discussed how our Peace Garden could be used more effectively. We looked at five options. Will was our class leader and Hamza was chief note maker and they did a fantastic job! We looked at British values, especially democracy as part of our discussion process. Our final decision was option 2- to have peace garden monitors.

Year 6 Class Worship- NSPCC

Today, year 6 joined in with a NSPCC virtual worship. The theme was all about speaking out if we ever have any worries and the amazing resource available to the children in ‘childline’.

NSPCC- Year 5

During our class worship this morning, we watched an online assembly led by the NSPCC, about speaking out and staying safe. We learnt about children's rights and discussed what we feel is most important to us. We all have the right to speak out and stay safe!

Year 4 - Linking Schools

This week, we have kicked off our Linking Schools project in Year 4, learning a little bit about our link school, St Matthew’s in Blackburn, and creating bunting about ourselves and what we enjoy.

Reception: Muddy Monday

Today, the children in Reception learnt how to cross the road. With their partner they stopped, looked and listened and shouted “Clear!” to Mrs Wilkinson when it was safe to cross. They all remained very alert and looked all around them. We then went to the park to collect some sticks in preparation for our bonfire pictures.

Year 1- Hand hygiene

Year 1 have been learning the importance of hand hygiene this morning. We did a couple of experiments to show how important it is to wash our hands. Kasim showed our hands under the special lamp and then showed them again after washing our hands with soap and water. Year one were amazed at the results!

Reception Hand Hygiene

Reception have been learning about hand hygiene this morning and how we can protect ourselves from germs and bugs. The children experimented with a special cream which they rubbed into their hands and it acted as the ‘germs’. They then looked at their hands under a UV light to see where all the germs were. Then they washed their hands carefully, making sure they cleaned in between their fingers, the backs of their hands and their fingernails where most germs stay. They checked their hands again with the UV light after washing them and could see the places where they had not washed properly.

Year 4 - Hand Hygiene Workshop

A huge thank you to LCC for delivering a hand hygiene session to Year 4 today. The children were shocked to discover that their hand washing may not always be sufficient in removing germs, especially those who put their hands under the black light. We will definitely be spending more time washing our hands going forward.

Year 5 - Move and Learn

We did it!!! The children in Year 5 have completed a 5-week Move and Learn Project through Blackburn Rovers. Consisting of a series of classroom and physical education sessions, plus home-based family challenges, they have learnt about the importance of physical activity and how to eat a balanced diet and lead an active lifestyle. Well done!

Food Technology- Year 5- Move and Learn

This week, the children have used their knowledge from the Eatwell Guide to prepare and cook a balanced meal at home with their parents or carer.

Year 6 -Lunch time Hello yellow Hunt.

I’ve never seen Year 6 so excited to do a hunt around school. What a fun session we had today, we went on a hunt to look for 10 yellow objects that had been hidden around our school. A huge thank you to our minions for helping out again!

Year 2- Hello yellow Hunt.

What a fun session we had today, we went on a hunt to look for 10 yellow objects that had been hidden around our school. The excitement and competitiveness was on another level! Well done to yellow team for finding all the objects and being the first ones back.

Year 1- what’s special to us?

On Monday year 1 brought in pictures or objects that are special and unique to them, this linked in nicely with Hello yellow day as they also spoke about their feelings and how their special person or object made feel.

Year 1-Harvest.

In R.E we have been talking about harvest around the world. Wow what an amazing variety of food God has provided us. We tasted a few different fruits but also different varieties of the same fruit. We tasted red and green apples and discussed if they tasted and smelt the same.

Year 3- Hello yellow Hunt.

What a fun session we had today, we went on a hunt to look for 10 yellow objects that had been hidden around our school. The excitement and encouragement from year 3 was amazing to see! Well done to blue team for finding all the objects and being the first ones back.

Year 1- Hello Yellow.

What a super busy day we’ve had in year 1. We loved dressing up in yellow and talking about our feelings. We had a special worship for hello yellow day ran by the minions which was amazing ,they told us it’s ok to not feel ok and to speak up if we ever feel like this.