Year 6: Coram Life Education
This week, year 6 had their Life Education session, which focused on making decisions. The session began with a recap on how we can keep our bodies healthy and the importance of mental health. The session then moved on to discussing drugs: that they change the way a person thinks, feels and behaves and that there are legal and illegal drugs. The children learned that medicines contain drugs and that medicines can sometimes be unsafe if used incorrectly. The session ended with a discussion around how we can avoid peer pressure and what is meant by being a bystander or an upstander. The children really enjoyed this session and learned a lot, conducting themselves in a very sensible and mature manner.
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Year 2 - Life Education Visit
We had a visit from Life Education this week. We spoke about staying healthy and our feelings.
Year 1: A Visit from Harold the Giraffe
Year 1 had a very exciting visit from Harold the Giraffe, who came to teach us all about our wonderful bodies and how to keep them healthy! The children learned why breakfast is so important, helping our bodies get ready for the day with lots of energy for learning and playing. Harold showed us different types of foods and how they help our bodies in different ways: Dairy foods such as cheese, yoghurt and milk are full of calcium, which helps keep our teeth and bones strong. Protein foods like fish, beans, eggs, chicken, chickpeas and peanut butter help to build strong muscles. Fruits and vegetables such as peas, grapes, apples, aubergine, peppers and bananas help keep us healthy and we should try to eat 5 a day! Carbohydrates including bread, porridge, pasta, potatoes, Weetabix and rice give us the energy we need. We also talked about having a balanced diet, with a mix of all these food groups. Harold helped the children understand more about their bodies too. We learned that: Our skin keeps us safe and protects our body. We need to breathe oxygen to stay alive. Food goes into our stomach, where it gets digested to give us energy. The session also reminded us how to stay healthy and safe by: Washing our hands to get rid of germs. Understanding that medicine should only be taken with help from a grown-up. Finally, Harold talked about our feelings and friendships and why it’s important to say sorry if we do something wrong, even if it was an accident. Year 1 were fantastic listeners and really enjoyed meeting Harold the Giraffe. It was a fun, engaging session that helped us learn how to look after our bodies and each other!
Year 4 - Science: Air Pollution
The Year 4 super scientists undertook some fieldwork this week. They will be comparing the level of air pollution in 4 areas within our locality and so they suggested some areas to test and off we went to place our test cards. One side of each card was covered with a thin layer of Vaseline with the idea that some particles released from vehicles and machinery will stick to the cards and we can observe and discuss the level of pollution in each area. We also took a reading of the noise level in each area using a decibel meter so that we could determine whether there is a link between noise level and pollution level.
Year 4 - Life Education
The children love a visit from Harold the Giraffe and the Life Education team. Today, the Year 4 class learned about ways to look after our bodies and our wellbeing. Beginning with a look at our bodies’ basic needs, we considered how we can take care of ourselves physically. The children learned why sleep is so important and that sometimes our bodies may need medication to bring them back in balance. They also learned about some problems associated with misusing drugs. Our session also covered friendships and diversity, highlighting the positives of being different to each other. After short video clip of Harold and his friends at a theme park aided a discussion about conflict resolution with particular attention on having different interests but finding a compromise. Finally, the highlight of the session was a visit from Harold.
Year 3- P.E-Sugar Detectives: Our GULP Project
Today, our pupils became "Sugar Detectives" as part of the GULP (Give Up Loving Pop) project. The children investigated a variety of popular drinks to uncover the hidden sugars they contain. Using their mathematical skills, they completed a comparison table detailing the total volume of each drink and the specific sugar content. The highlight of the lesson was converting grams of sugar into the actual number of sugar cubes to create a visual representation of what we are consuming. A key takeaway for our detectives was the importance of reading labels carefully; they discovered that while some bottles are 500ml, the nutritional information is often only listed for 100ml, requiring them to calculate the total amount for the whole bottle.
Year 3- PSHE and Life Education Session-Meeting the Brain with Harold and Friends
Today, Year 3 welcomed Karen from the Life Education van for an engaging session titled "Meet the Brain." The children explored how to make healthy choices, specifically learning to differentiate between helpful medicines and harmful substances like nicotine. To keep their "brains ticking" and maintain focus, the session was punctuated with high-energy "stretch and wriggle" moments. The pupils also focused on the importance of looking after our lungs and the risks associated with smoking. This learning was brought to life through a story about Harold the Giraffe and his friends preparing for a talent show. When Harold and Derek began to argue about who could take part, the children helped Kiki understand Eli’s clever suggestion for resolving the conflict. They explained how the friends could use their individual talents together: Harold singing while Derek played the trumpet. It was a fantastic lesson in friendship, compromise, and teamwork that perfectly complemented our focus on healthy bodies and minds.
Year 5 Life Education: Friends
Today, year 5 had their Life Education session, focusing on friendship. They began by discussing what we need to do to keep our bodies and minds healthy; thinking about how these things affect our behaviour, mood, growth and development. The children talked about the importance of good mental health and how we should aim to: be mindful, connect with others, be active, be creative and try to give to others. This led into the topic of healthy friendships and conflict resolution. The children discussed what it means to be aggressive, passive or assertive when trying to solve arguments with our friends. The session ended with a discussion around standing up to peer pressure.
Year 5 - Speak Out with the NSPCC
Jan from the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) visited Year 5 today about the different types of abuse that children may experience. The class talked about how to identify when abuse might happen, including the differences between bullying and cyberbullying. The key message about staying safe was to speak out to trusted adults about any concerns that children may have alongside using the Childline website and phone number 0800 1111.
Reception: Muddy Monday
Today is known as Blue Monday, but our Reception class decided to rename it "Happy Monday" by participating in the five steps to wellbeing. The children focused on being active and taking notice of our special world. During their walk, they were mesmerised by the fog and gave thanks for the birds, insects, dogs, and trees. They returned to school excited to share what they had observed with their peers during "snack and chat." If you are feeling a bit low today, we encourage you to try going for a walk and taking a moment to appreciate the world around you.
Year 2 NSPCC visit - Speak Out. Stay Safe.
In Year 2, we had a visit from the NSPCC. We learned more about safe adults (both in school and out of school), what we can do if we are upset or worried and how to contact Childline.
Year 6 - NSPCC
Year 6 enjoyed their NSPCC talk, which focused on the importance of speaking out and staying safe. The session reminded the children about Childline and how it can support them if they are worried or need someone to talk to. Through discussion and clear, age-appropriate examples, the children learned about trusted adults, personal safety and where to seek help. The talk provided an important opportunity for children to ask questions and deepen their understanding of keeping themselves and others safe.
Reception: Stay and Play
We loved welcoming family members from Reception class to our stay and play session. It was lovely to see some children from pre-school attending too. The children completed lots of challenges together and showed how busy they are with their learning in class. Well done! Stay and play continues next Wednesday at 9am.
Year 3-Oral Health & Physical Activity
Today, Nathan delivered the second GULP (Give up loving pop) session, focusing on the importance of oral hygiene and making healthy drink choices. The session was split into active and classroom-based learning: Physical Activity: The children participated in 30 minutes of high-energy exercise, playing a game where they had to "run away from plaque" and earn points for "cleaning" their teeth. Classroom Learning: We explored the impact of sugary drinks on health and discussed practical ways to avoid them. To see the effects of sugar and acid firsthand, the children carried out an egg experiment, which provided a great visual representation of how tooth enamel can be damaged. Practical Skills: Every child received a toothbrush and toothpaste to encourage consistent dental care at home. The children were fully engaged and absolutely loved the session.
Choir- Let's Go Sing Workshop
Our choir had their final workshop from Rose today in preparation for their Let's Go Sing concert on Wednesday 18th March. Rose was extremely impressed with the children. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here: https://iceaccount.co.uk/lets-go-sing/event/?event_id=8360 Please choose tickets in yellow block to see the children. Thanks, Mrs Wilkinson
100 Years of Blackburn Diocese
In order to celebrate 100 years of Blackburn diocese, we took part in a whole-school virtual assembly that focused on the many successes and achievements of the diocese over the past century. Bishop Philip welcomed schools from across the diocese and shared an engaging story about the travels of the Wise Men, linking these to themes of faith, journey and community. The children greatly enjoyed seeing and feeling connected to other schools within the diocese and were excited to take part in a shared celebration. The assembly provided a valuable opportunity for pupils to reflect on their place within the wider diocesan family, strengthening their sense of belonging and understanding of our shared faith. The event was engaging, inclusive, meaningful and it helped bring the history and mission of the diocese to life for the whole school community. We are looking forward to taking part in a variety of centenary 'All for Jesus' activities and worships over the year.
Year 3 Welcome Blackburn Rovers for GULP Project
We are delighted to welcome Blackburn Rovers to Year 3 for a four-week programme. They are delivering the GULP (Give Up Loving Pop) campaign, a fantastic initiative by Food Active, to help our students understand the health risks associated with sugary drinks. Today, the children kicked things off by learning all about what’s really inside their favourite sodas and how to make healthier choices.
Year 3 visit the Rose Garden
It was a lovely morning as Year 3 followed the church service with a walk to the rose garden. The children took great pride in spotting their own artwork and their siblings' pieces.
Year 3, Living Life to its Fullness- Whitehall Park
After viewing the artwork in the Rose Garden, Year 3 received a surprise treat: a visit to Whitehall Park. Joined by Year 4, the children made the most of the fresh air and sunshine before heading back to the classroom. It was a beautiful reminder of the importance of living life to its fullness, finding joy in creativity, friendship, and the world around us.
Whole School Christmas Church Service
This morning, our whole school enjoyed a joyful and reflective visit to church to celebrate the Christmas season together. During the service, children from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 confidently shared the work they have been doing in class, exploring the true meaning of Christmas and the special joy, hope and kindness that Jesus brought to others. Their contributions helped everyone to pause and reflect on the importance of love, generosity and togetherness at this special time of year. We also enjoyed singing a selection of our much-loved Christmas carols, filling the church with festive cheer. A highlight was watching our whole-school Christmas video, which captured many of the wonderful activities and celebrations from the past couple of weeks. The children thoroughly enjoyed seeing themselves on screen taking part in the festivities and were especially delighted to see members of the school staff joining in and having fun. It was a warm and uplifting celebration that truly reflected the spirit of Christmas and brought our school community together. A huge thank you to Parents and to all who attended to celebrate with us. We wish you a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Choir singing at Darwen Market
Thank you Darwen Market for inviting our choir to sing today! We had a wonderful time spreading festive cheer on the way through waving to cars and wishing everyone that we met a merry Christmas! It was brilliant to bring some Christmas joy to our community and thank you so much to the parents and grandparents who came along to support the children!
Church Carol Service
A huge thank you to the children who came to our church Carol Service on Sunday evening. Your lovely singing has helped to get everyone in the festive mood. Thank you St Barnabas Church. Darwen. for inviting us to take part in the special service. Thank you for the chocolates too, the children loved those on Monday morning.
Year 4 - RE: Hanukkah
In the Year 4 RE session this week we had a special visitor. A member of our school family came into class to share her Jewish faith and the story and customs of Hanukkah celebrations. We also had the opportunity to ask some curiosity questions.
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Reception class visit the Rose Garden
Reception class enjoyed their visit to the Rose garden. They looked at all of the Advent art and some of the children were proud to see their artwork. The children sang carols together and they all went to the playground as a special treat.
Year 1 RE: Advent Trail
This afternoon Year 1 took a visit to Whitehall Park so that we could see all of the Advent Art created by our school, which fit nicely into our RE topic surrounding the true meaning of Christmas. As we walked to the park, we thought about the Nativity story. Once we arrived, we discovered that the Wise Men brought Jesus three special gifts: gold (to show respect that Jesus was a king), frankincense (to show that people would worship Him) and myrrh (to show that Jesus would understand suffering). We tried to see if any of the artwork showcased the Wise Men. We discussed that most precious gifts are not expensive, but they have thought and meaning behind them. We also thanked God for the most special gift of all, Jesus.
Year 2 - We met Father Christmas
On Friday we had a fantastic Christmas party and met Father Christmas. We were so pleased to receive a special gift from him.
Year 5 - Whitehall Park
On Tuesday, we visited the rose garden at Whitehall Park to see the wonderful Advent art made by the talented children of St Barnabas. Afterwards, we took advantage of the dry weather by spending our break time on the swings.
Rocksteady Christmas Concert
We were so proud of Rocksteady Rock Stars for their amazing performances in their Rock Concert yesterday. It’s been wonderful to see how much their confidence has grown over the last few months. We are also super proud of Mr Mealor for performing brilliantly on the drums and Mason for singing amazingly well with him! Thanks so much Jess for being so amazing with our children. The photos can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/rocksteady-christmas-concert and the videos have been added to class dojo.
Author Visit to KS1 and Year 3: Janek Puzon
We had a special visit from an author this morning, Janek Puzon. He read his new book “Dean the Baked Bean and his Karaoke Machine”. It was about a baked bean who loves singing on karaoke. The children sat amazingly whilst listening to him read the story and enjoyed it. They also asked some fantastic questions such as: How many books have you written? Do you enjoy being an author? Where do you write the books? How do you write a book? Which is your favourite book that you have written? We are very excited for our delivery of his books to our school library!
Year 3 Meet Author Janek Puzon
Today, the children had the pleasure of meeting an Janek Puzon an author. He read out loud the story Dean the Baked Bean and His Karaoke Machine. This picture book tells the story of Dean, a small but mighty baked bean who doesn't quite fit in with the rest of his tin. While all the other beans are content to sit quietly in the sauce, Dean has a big dream and an even bigger voice. The central themes are: Embracing individuality: Learning that it's okay to be different from everyone else in your "tin." Following the reading, the children engaged in a Q&A session, by asking about the author's journey, his creative process for generating new ideas, and the role of his illustrators. He concluded by mentioning that his works are available on various platforms, including on Amazon. The children are super excited about getting hold of one of his books which will be available at our school library soon. They were particularly fascinated to learn about the editing and proofreading process (which they recognise from using their purple pens), understanding how crucial it is to polish a book before it's published.
Reception: Muddy Monday
Reception class really enjoyed their Muddy Monday walk to Jacks Key reservoir today. There were lots of muddy puddles to splash in which was great fun. The children had to jump over a stream which they all enjoyed and loved talking to each other along the way.
Whitehall Park Christmas Lantern Parade
A huge thank you to everyone who braved the wind and the rain this evening to attend the Whitehall Park Christmas Lantern Parade. The children had great fun creating their own lanterns and going on a very muddy walk around the park. We are so proud of all the children who sang so brilliantly and brought festive cheer to everyone. Thank you Whitehall Park Supporters Group Darwen for inviting us and for the yummy sweet treats!
Year 2 Pantomime Visit - Snow White
Year 2 really enjoyed their visit to the pantomime on Tuesday. Oh no they didn't! Oh yes they did!
Singing at Acer Lodge Care Home
We are so proud of the 8 children, who were selected based on their effort in Monday's singing worship, who sang at Acer Lodge Care Home on Wednesday. They brought lots of festive cheer to the residents and it was wonderful to see them joining in with the bells we gave out. The children were over the moon to get a surprise visit from Santa himself, who thanked the children by giving them each a selection box. Rosie gave some letters written by herself and her Year 4 class to the residents to introduce themselves and tell them about themselves. We hope the residents enjoyed reading them.
Year 5 - Snow White
The children had a great time at Blackburn Empire Theatre watching the pantomime Snow White. The children enjoyed every minute as they heckled the evil queen Horibella, celebrated the love of Prince Charming and Snow White and tried in vain to warn Tilly that there was a ghost behind her. They sang and danced along to every song and during the intermission, the children had an ice lolly.
Year 1: Fun at the Snow White Pantomime
Year 1 had such a great time at Snow White. The ice lollies were especially good! They all joined in really well and were so sensible travelling to and from the theatre. I am so proud of their behaviour today.
Y6 Whole School Pantomime - Snow White
Today, the whole school enjoyed a visit to a Snow White pantomime. The children were captivated by the lively performances, music and humour. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the festive season together.
Snow White Pantomime
The children had a brilliant time today at Blackburn Empire Theatre. The whole school watched Snow White. It was wonderful to see their faces light up, Christmas is in full swing at St Barnabas! All of the photos will be uploaded shortly to here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/snow-white-pantomime
Reception- Snow White
Our Reception class have had a very busy day. After performing in their very own Nativity, we went to watch Snow White at Blackburn Empire Theatre. We loved shouting at the wicked witch and we loved cheering and dancing. The children all had a brilliant time and enjoyed eating an ice lolly at the interval too, what a treat!
Year 4 - Snow White
The Year 4s thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Empire Theatre in Blackburn. Along with the rest of our school, we went to watch this year’s pantomime, Snow White. The excitement was building as we boarded our coach. And the fun didn’t stop the entire time we were there. The children’s highlights seemed to be singing along to K-Pop songs, shouting “6, 7” and being squirted by water pistols. There was plenty of dancing and audience participation - all the things our lively Year 4 class love. What a fantastic afternoon out!
Year 3 'Living Life in All Its Fullness' Our Panto Adventure!
Today, we truly embraced living life in all its fullness with our incredible trip to the pantomime! From the minute we got on the coach marked the start of a fantastic adventure. The performance was amazing. The children fully immersed themselves in the festive spirit, enthusiastically joining in with all the songs and music, cheering the heroes, and shouting the catchphrases. A special moment of unexpected joy was seeing Elijah randomly picked from the audience to collect a prize on stage.
Year 5 - RotaKids
Darwen Rotary Club visited us again to inspire us for our next project in the new year. We talked about how our shoebox collections helped refugees in Darwen and further ideas on how to support our school and international communities. The children were inspired by the principles and ideals of the Rotary Club and are already full of ideas for the future. We also received badges and certificates confirming our role as RotaKids.
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Year 5 Carbon Monoxide Workshop
On Tuesday, Year 5 had their carbon monoxide workshop. During this workshop, the children watched videos and took part in group/drama activities to help them learn: what carbon monoxide is and that it is known as CO; that you cannot see, smell, hear, taste or touch it; the effects carbon monoxide can have on our bodies and also how we can keep ourselves and our homes safe. The children received and brought home packs containing helpful information regarding CO.
Year 4 - Interfaith Celebration
This year, to celebrate Interfaith Week, Miss Kachwalla led a series of workshops explaining what being Muslim means to her. The children develop a better understanding of different faiths when they learn directly from believers, especially how their faith impacts their daily lives. Miss Kachwalla gave a fantastic presentation to the children, in which she explained how she lives out the 5 pillars. She introduced her experience of Hajj and introduced us to some of the foods that the Prophet ate. We also had the opportunity to ask some of our own curiosity questions. We then returned to our classroom to taste some of the foods mentioned, including dates, olives, figs, melon and wholemeal bread with honey. Also this week, Years 3 and 4 watched a special recorded worship delivered by Imran from Muslim Learner Services. The children learned about how easy or difficult it is for many Muslims to follow the 5 pillars in Britain today. They also played some thumbs up/down quizzes and watched a tour of a mosque in Bolton.
Year 1 Inter Faith Week
Year 1 have really enjoyed learning about Islam this week and what life is like as a Muslim. In our worship with Miss Kachwalla we learnt about the 5 pillars of Islam, she showed us her prayer mat and spoke about pilgrimages. Year 1 asked ‘how do Muslims celebrate Eid?’ which really excited them. They also asked ‘Why do you dress differently to us?’ which Miss Kachwala explained was about modesty. We also tried some traditional Muslim foods. The children really enjoyed honey on toast and melon, but they were not keen on dates, figs and olives.
Year 5 - Class worship: Interfaith Week
In class worship, we continued exploring the Islamic faith. We learned about famous British Muslims such as Mo Farah and Amir Khan before considering some true or false statements about Islam. The children did very well, getting 9 out of 10 correct. These included whether or not Muslims could drink alcohol and if they worshipped Allah or Mohammed. We discussed the 5 pillars of Islam before learning more about a mosque in Bolton.
Reception class celebrate Interfaith Week
Reception class had a highly engaging week exploring Islam and the life of a Muslim. During their worship session with Miss Kachwalla, the class delved into the Five Pillars of Islam. Miss Kachwalla enhanced the learning by demonstrating her prayer mat and discussing the significance of pilgrimages. The children really enjoyed listening to Miss Kachwalla and enjoyed looking at her special clothes. Miss Kachwalla explained why certain foods were significant to Islam. They enjoyed tasting honey, wholemeal bread, melon, figs and olives and found out that Muslims eat these to keep healthy, help our bodies and to give us energy too. Thank you so much Miss Kachwalla, we have really enjoyed learning all about your religion!
Year 2 Interfaith Week
We tasted some special foods and learned about the 5 Pillars of Islam. Thank you Miss Kachwalla for sharing your faith with us.
Year 5 - Inter Faith Week
Miss Kachwalla kindly told Year 5 all about her faith - Islam. She told us about how the 5 pillars of Islam are rules to guide Muslims. She showed us pictures of her trips to Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem and told us about her pilgrimage to Mecca. Miss Kachwalla also showed us her prayer mat and discussed how prayers allow her to feel closer to God. To celebrate Inter Faith Week, we tried foods recommended by the Prophet for being healthy and natural: dates, bread, figs, honey, olives and melon.
Year 6 - Interfaith Week
This week we celebrated Interfaith Week with Miss. Kachwalla, who shared what being a Muslim means to her and how her faith guides her daily life. During her workshop, she introduced the children to the key beliefs and practices of Islam, including the importance of kindness, community and prayer. The children asked thoughtful questions and showed great curiosity. To end the session, the children enjoyed tasting a selection of traditional foods from her culture, giving them a wonderful chance to experience and appreciate something new.