Image of Year 4 - Interfaith Celebration
19 Nov

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.

Image of Year 5 - Class worship: Interfaith Week
18 Nov

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.

Image of Year 1 Inter Faith Week
18 Nov

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.

Image of Reception class celebrate Interfaith Week
18 Nov

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!

Image of Year 2 Interfaith Week
18 Nov

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.

Image of Year 5 - Inter Faith Week
17 Nov

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.

Image of Year 6 - Interfaith Week
17 Nov

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.

Image of Year 3- R.E-Exploring Purpose with Rev. Ben
13 Nov

Year 3- R.E-Exploring Purpose with Rev. Ben

This morning, Year 3 had an inspiring visit from Rev. Ben, who shared insights about the concept of a "calling" from the biblical story of Samuel. Rev. Ben passionately highlighted that every job is important and can be a calling from God, whether it's being a doctor, a teacher, or a bin lorry driver . The central message was that whatever we choose to do, we can honour God and help others through our work. He also explained that the stole he wore is a significant vestment, representing his role as a minister, and the children even had the exciting opportunity to try it on. The children demonstrated great preparation and curiosity by asking Rev. Ben the questions they had prepared, which he took the time to answer. During a moment of thoughtful silence, children were encouraged to reflect on what God might be calling them to do. Rev. Ben, who has been a minister for six years, also shared openly about his own faith journey, beautifully stating that while he sometimes feels close to God, the true assurance is knowing He is always with him, guiding his path in ministry. We are incredibly grateful for Rev. Ben's visit, which provided a wonderful opportunity for our children to explore faith, purpose, and the importance of all vocations.

Image of Let’s Go Sing Workshop
10 Nov

Let’s Go Sing Workshop

On Monday our choir had a fantastic Let's Go Sing Workshop with Rose. She was so impressed with their enthusiasm and fabulous singing! They are looking forward to practising all of the songs ready for their concert in March. Mrs Ham told them about lots of other exciting choir events coming up soon too such as singing at Acer Lodge Care Home, our Christmas Fair, a lantern parade in Whitehall Park and our church Carol Service.

Image of Year 6: Remembrance Service
7 Nov

Year 6: Remembrance Service

Our Year 6 children took part in the Darwen Cemetery remembrance day service this morning and we were so proud of the remarkable respect that they showed. A huge well done to Mason for his lovely reading and to all of our children for their maturity and compassion when placing crosses on the graves of the soldiers who bravely fought for our country. After the service the children learned that the piper used to attend St Barnabas as a child so he let the children try on his special hat. As a reward for representing our school so brilliantly, the children got to enjoy their break time on the play area in Whitehall Park. #WeWillRememberThem #remembrance #remembranceday #lestweforget

Image of Year 6 - Money Matters
4 Nov

Year 6 - Money Matters

During our Money Matters session this week, the children learned about the importance of understanding money and how it is used in everyday life. The children explored different ways people earn, spend, save and budget money and discussed why making sensible financial choices is important. The children took part in engaging activities and role-play scenarios to help them think about needs versus wants and how to make responsible spending decisions. The session encouraged thoughtful discussion and helped the children develop a better understanding of how money plays a role in their lives and the wider world.

Image of Reception: Muddy Monday
3 Nov

Reception: Muddy Monday

The children in Reception went to Jacks Key for their Muddy Monday session. They found lots of natural resources to build bonfires in preparation for Bonfire night on Wednesday. The children then went on a rainy walk and showed great perseverance and resilience. The children all worked well together and it is lovely to see them continuing to develop during these sessions.