KS2 Sports Day Winners
We are so proud of every child who took part with enthusiasm, determination and team spirit. Whether running, jumping, cheering or supporting one another, you each showed what it means to “Achieve great things through learning and growing in a love-filled Christian family.” Sports Day is more than just winning races—it’s about celebrating effort, encouraging one another and showing resilience. It was fantastic to see so many parents and carers joining us and a huge thank you to everyone who entered the Toddlers, Mums and Dads races and thankfully nearly everyone came away injury free! Well done to all of our competitors and thank you to the staff, families and supporters who made the day so special. You truly helped create an atmosphere of joy, encouragement and community! All of the photos will be uploaded shortly to here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/sports-day-2025
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Year 3 - English- Presentation Of Learning- My name is not a Refugee
Year 3 presented their learning about refugees to the Year 2 class today. The session began with a clear definition of the word "refugee," helping the younger students understand this term. The children then went on to share some facts they had learned about refugees, for example, some refugees walk for miles and miles, refugees are just people, like you and me, who need a safe place to live and sometimes, refugees can only take a small bag, they have to leave their toys, schools, and homes behind. What brought their learning to life was the opportunity to meet some refugees yesterday and hear their stories firsthand. Sharing these powerful personal accounts with the Year 2 class was an amazing experience, allowing the students to grasp the concept of "living life in its fullness" even in the face of adversity. Naomi read out a prayer to keep all the children and grown-ups who have left their homes safe. Help them find a new, happy place to live. And help us be kind to everyone. Amen.
Whole School Worship with Rev. Matt
During our worship with Rev. Matt, we began with a fun but thought-provoking challenge of Chinese Whispers. This simple game highlighted how messages can become distorted as they are passed along. Rev. Matt then thoughtfully linked this to prayer, reminding us that unlike in the game, when we pray, our words are not misheard or changed—God hears us clearly and completely. He then read the story of King Hezekiah from the Bible, who turned to God in prayer during a time of great trouble. Through Hezekiah’s example, we reflected on the power of prayer, the importance of trusting in God, and how spiritual strength can guide us in difficult times. The worship encouraged us to think about how we can communicate with God openly and honestly, knowing that our prayers are heard and valued. It was a meaningful reminder of how spirituality can give us comfort, courage and clarity when we need it most.
Year 3- Year of Prayer- Fruity Smells
For our year of prayer, the children guessed the flavour of fruity tea bags and appreciated some of the amazing smells and tastes God has given us. When we think about all those delicious fruits and colourful vegetables like strawberries, crunchy carrots, and sweet bananas, we remember how amazing God is to provide us with such wonderful gifts.
Year 3- Music- Live lesson with Fleur East- World Music Day
This afternoon, our Year 3 students enthusiastically participated in a special Music Live Lesson with Fleur East! As part of "Access All Arts Week" and in recognition of World Music Day this Saturday, they explored the exciting world of rap, learning how raps are created and practicing essential skills like staying on the beat.
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Year 3-Exploring Spirituality Through Refugee Week
Today, as part of Refugee Week, 12 children from Year 3 visited a local church where they had the wonderful opportunity to meet refugees from 17 countries, such as Iraq, Palestine, Greece, South Africa, Afghanistan and Sudan. They listened to powerful, real-life stories of resilience, hope, and strength, gaining insight into these individuals' journeys and the challenges they have overcome. The experience helped to build empathy and deepen the children’s understanding of what it means to seek safety and rebuild a life in a new place. We ate food from Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Italy, Greece and drank Arabic coffee. The children sang songs for the refugees. Reverend Gilbert spoke to the children about how our donations to DARE - Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise have helped refugees and ensured they are always welcomed, and they encourage more donations, etc. This visit linked beautifully with our Spirituality school model of Windows, Mirrors, and Doors. Through Windows, the children looked out and learned from the lives of others, seeing the world through different perspectives. Mirrors encouraged them to look inward, reflect on their own lives, and think about how they might feel in similar situations. Finally, Doors inspired them to step out and consider how they can live more compassionately, supporting others and making positive choices in their own lives. The visit was a meaningful extension of our R.E. learning but also connected closely with Mrs Ham’s worship this week, which focused on raising awareness and showing solidarity with people in need. It encouraged our students to reflect on how they can contribute to a more welcoming and understanding world. Overall, today’s experience supported our whole-school aim of helping children to live life in all its fullness, by inspiring them to be open-hearted, thoughtful, and active in making a difference. #RefugeeWeek
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Year 3- French - Language and Culture
Today in French, the children began by exploring some interesting facts about French culture, then moved onto reviewing numbers through a song and game. They revised animal and number vocabulary by answering questions like ' What animal is it?' and 'How many are there? and recapped key grammar points such as adjectival agreement.
Year 3- R.E-Exploring Sikh Beliefs: The 5 Ks and a Way of Life
In today's R.E. lesson, our theologians explored the 5 Ks of Sikhism: Kesh (uncut hair), Kara (a steel bracelet), Kanga (a wooden comb), Kachera (cotton undergarments), and Kirpan (a ceremonial sword). These are the five articles of faith that Sikhs wear as a commitment to their beliefs and values. They discussed the significance of each of the 5 Ks and why they are important to Sikhs today. We also explored the Sikh code for living and considered how following this code might influence a person’s choices and lifestyle. Through group discussions and illustrations, children examined different scenarios and thought about what decisions a Sikh might make based on their faith. They were also allowed to handle and observe artefacts and photographs of the 5 Ks, helping them connect more deeply with the topic. The children recorded their thoughts and reflections using a structured framework to support their understanding.
Whole School Worship - Refugee Week
In Collective Worship today, we continued looking in detail at the Lord’s Prayer. This week we are focusing on ‘give us today our daily bread’. We had lots of ideas about what Jesus meant when He said these words. Of course, food and nutrition was mentioned, but the children said that this can also mean other things we need daily in order to live life in all its fullness, such as love, kindness, a safe place to live, clothing, education, fun and freedom. Mrs Ham then introduced Refugee Week and we looked through our spirituality opening to learn more about it. We were surprised to learn that some well-known people in Britain came as refugees, like Rita Ora and Mo Farrah and we also discussed how Jesus was a refugee when Mary and Joseph had to flee with him to Egypt. We also spent some time celebrating our work with D.A.R.E (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise) . As a school, we have collected toys, books, Easter eggs, tinned foods and toiletries to help out our local refugees. Some of our Year 3 children will be taking part in a special Refugee Week Tea Party tomorrow at the United Reformed Church and will be meeting a number of refugees and will learn more about what has led them to come to Darwen. Hamza told everyone how he was a refugee from Kenya when he was only 3 and he was given a warm welcome at St Barnabas. Lana shared how her Grandma was a refugee from Palestine. We then reflected on how we can continue to support refugees and give them a warm welcome into our community, just as Jesus wanted us to love our neighbours as ourselves. We watched a video celebrating 80 years of the Moomins and learnt that the Moomin House became a refuge for all different animals who had to leave their homes. We reflected on how we want St Barnabas to be like the Moomin house where everyone feels welcome, accepted and loved.
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.
A Brilliant Week of Living Life in its Fullness!
Dear Parents and Carers, What a fantastic and incredibly busy week we've had, truly embracing life in its fullness here at St Barnabas! We are so proud of all our children and grateful for your continued support. This week has been packed with memorable moments: *Our Year 4 children had a wonderful visit to their linking school, St. Matthew's in Blackburn, fostering new connections and experiences. *Years 1-5 enjoyed a special trip to Darwen Library for the Literature Festival, inspiring a love for reading and stories. *We're incredibly proud of Year 1 for trying so hard with their phonics screening and our Year 4 children for being absolute stars in their multiplication times check. *Our amazing netball team secured two more super wins, and our cricket team represented our school family brilliantly, showing great sportsmanship. *Years 5 and 6 successfully completed their last "Money Matters" sessions, gaining valuable life skills. *Our Year of Prayer has continued to be great fun with an "I Spy" game, and in Worship, we focused on significant themes like Pentecost, St Barnabas Day, and Saul on the road to Damascus. *Our Donuts for Dads day and Father's Day Stay and Play were huge successes – a massive thank you for all your generous donut donations and to our FOSB for their support! And finally, we were thrilled to be awarded with an attendance award for being in the top 10% of schools nationally! This is a fantastic achievement for our whole school family. For all of this week's news from each class, please click here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news Looking Ahead to Next Week We have more exciting events planned: Wednesday: 9.00- Reception Class Stay and Play. Some of our Year 3 children will be attending a Global Tea Party with DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise) in recognition of Refugee Week. Thursday: The final evening of the DPSSA netball league. Good luck to our team! Friday: Sports Day! EYFS and KS1: 9:15 AM - 10:30 AM KS2: 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM All children should come to school wearing their PE kits. Parents and carers welcome to spectate. Please bring something to sit on as seating is limited. Please note: If it rains, Sports Day will be postponed to the following Friday. In its place, we will have our Inter-House Sportshall Athletics competition led by our fantastic Sports Leaders. Upcoming events can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/events Thank you all for your continued support in making our school such a vibrant and thriving community. We do, however, need to remind everyone to park courteously of our neighbours. We have received reports of parking across drives, which causes inconvenience for residents. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated. Also, a quick reminder about our upcoming Table Top Sale in Whitehall Park this Saturday from 1.00-4.00pm, which aims to raise funds for the park that we all enjoy using. Finally, we want to wish all of our Dads and Grandads a wonderful Father's Day this Sunday! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!
Friday Celebration Worship
This morning, we started our worship by reflecting on our very busy yet wonderful week. This week, we celebrated St Barnabas Day on Wednesday and remembered Him as the encourager. Mrs Ham explained that next Friday 20th June is Sports Day which will be the perfect opportunity for us all to be an encourager just as St Barnabas was. Mrs Ham also congratulated all of our school for achieving the 'National School Attendance Award' for our attendance being in the top 10% of all Primary Schools in England. We then reflected on our highlights of the week. We dedicated time to prayers for perseverance and resilience, aligning with the Diocesan Year of Prayer. Worship sessions included a reflection on Ascension and Pentecost with Mrs. Ham, and a focus on transformation with Rev. Ben. Year 4 visited St. Matthew's as part of their linking schools project. We celebrated Father's Day with two special events: a "Stay and Play" session in Reception and the "Donuts for Dads" event, successfully run by FOSB and Mrs. Wilkinson. The first Cre8ability session took place, and Years 1-5 enjoyed attending the Darwen Literature Festival at Darwen Library. Our sports teams also achieved notable success, with the Year 6 cricket team representing the school exceptionally well at Darwen Cricket Club on Wednesday, and the Year 5/6 Netball Squad securing another two victories in the DPSSA Netball league, maintaining their impressive unbeaten record. This week, we were pleased to announce several awards. Year 1 and Year 3 were recognised as our attendance winners. Darwen Tower earned the weekly value award with 289 points. Furthermore, River Darwen was celebrated as the overall value award winner for the last half-term and will be rewarded with a non-uniform day and disco, with the date to be announced shortly. We then moved on to congratulate our individual value award winners which were Fiia, the whole Year 1 class for their amazing phonics this week, Frankie, the whole of Year 3 for their fantastic behaviour at the Literature Festival, Year 4 for being superstars at their linking schools visit to St Matthews, Matthew and Freddie. We then moved on to our out of school awards. Ava was recognised as a fabulous mini medic and scientist at Squirrels; James was awarded "Beaver of the Week" for his success and perseverance in the treasure trail and consistently making positive choices; Seb achieved "Player of the Week" in football; Mollie was recognised as a superstar at Rainbows; Eleanor earned her Rainbows Bronze and Health awards; Marley demonstrated kindness and helpfulness at Rainbows, achieving her Rainbows Silver and Health awards; Desmond, Charlie, Sonny, and Leo were commended for their fantastic efforts in a recent football tournament; Charlie achieved Stage 5 in his swimming; Thea was "Star of the Week" at gymnastics for her incredible vault and bar work; Eliza reached won the Silver Cup Final at the weekend and was recognised for being an incredible goalkeeper; Grace achieved bronze in ballet, silver in acro and tap, and was named "most hardworking dancer" in a recent dance competition; and Summer was celebrated as "Star of the Week" at ballet. To end our worship, we had some heartfelt prayers. Mrs. Ham led prayers for all the victims and their families affected by the tragic aeroplane crash yesterday, travelling from India to London, and encouraged us to be grateful for the many amazing things in our lives, including our families. We also heard some beautiful prayers from Sofia and Callie, who prayed for those in conflict and war, and expressed gratitude for our wonderful world and the beautiful people in it. Mrs. Ham explained that Rev Ben and Rev Matt would be holding a special 24/7 week of prayers that we could all get involved in and wished everyone a lovely, restful weekend. We closed our worship with a singalong to 'Shine from the inside out'. Slides can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/about-us/church-and-worship#tab-4370