Scrumptious Production- KS2- Message of change and friendship
This afternoon, KS2 enjoyed a delightful end-of-year summer treat with the charming and magical production of 'SCRUMPTIOUS!' This gently interactive musical play told the sweet story of Sylvie, a sweetshop owner who loves her routine but learns to embrace change when a mysterious stranger arrives. The show beautifully conveyed the moral of the story: that while change can be daunting, it often leads to wonderful new experiences and friendships, encouraging us all to live life to its fullest. It was particularly fitting for the children as they prepare for big transitions, like moving from primary to secondary school or into a new class. The story was great with delightful descriptions of ice creams and different sweets, and even a magical book that played a key role. Getting the children involved in the narrative helped Sylvie be brave and adapt to her changing world, making for a truly memorable, funny, hopeful, and charming performance, the perfect treat to round off the summer term!
Edstart Jag Tag Tournament
Today we took part in the Edstart Jag Tag Tournament at Our Lady St John. We played against other schools from across the Borough and managed to secure some wonderful results. St Barnabas vs St Paul’s Hoddlesden - 12-0 win St Barnabas Vs St Anthony’s 8-0 win St Barnabas Vs Audley 14-6 win St Barnabas Vs Daisyfield Once we progressed to the Semi Final we met Audley again which resulted in a 18-0 win and then the final game was against St Anthony’s and we managed to come away with a sixth consecutive win of 12-0. Huge thanks to Marcus @Edstart for organising the tournament- it was fantastic to see everyone taking part with huge smiles on their faces and showing super sportsmanship. What a way to end such a successful sporting calendar! Go Team B!
Year 6 - Year of Prayer
We had a lovely time in Year 6 this afternoon, recapping some of their most memorable achievements this year. The children then cut out a shape and wrote about their achievements or drew pictures to represent them. They have some fond memories of their Year 6 journey. Some of the children asked if they could include an achievement from previous years too.
Whole School Worship - St Paul: Amazing Grace
In Rev Ben's collective worship this week, he started by asking us all to think of the most important thing someone ever said to us. The children shared examples of words of wisdom and good news, such as being told about a new sibling. Rev Ben shared some of the most important words St Paul ever said about the grace of God and being justified by Jesus's death, resurrection and ascension. He used role play to explain the complicated concept of grace and that God's grace isn't something which can be earned. The children acted out scenarios in which someone received something by working for it, and someone received the same thing just because the person chose to give it to them. Rev Ben went on to say that God's love is given to us all; we don't have to earn it. He reminded us that friendship with God develops from faith in Jesus.
Lancashire Schools Bee Stinger Netball
What a fantastic day we have had at the Lancashire Bee Stinger Netball Finals. We had the honour of representing the Borough after winning the Blackburn with Darwen School final a few weeks ago. We started off with an impressive 7-1 then went on to play several other matches which were a real mixed bag, but the children fought hard for every point and worked so well as a team. We are really proud of all of our children and it is such a big achievement to reach the Lancashire Schools finals. Small but mighty definitely sums us up!
Friday Celebration Worship
This morning's worship reflected on a very busy, yet rewarding week. all of our children got the opportunity to transition into their new year groups, we welcomed our new Reception starters into school, our Year 2 and Year 4 students enjoyed their visit to St Barnabas Church and many children also participated in another engaging Cre8ability session. Mrs. Govan thanked all entrants for the recent Rota Kids Art Competition, congratulating Luna, Beau, Olivia, Skye, Alayna, Lyla in EYFS/KS1 and Naomi and Edward in KS2, whose artwork will be displayed at the Darwen Heritage Centre over the Summer holidays. Our athletes achieved great success: Our Year 3 ,4 5 & 6 Athletics squad were winners at Witton Athletics on Monday evening, and a group of Year 3 and 4 children excelled in the Quad Kids competition, qualifying for the Lancashire School Games at UCLAN next Tuesday! We also celebrated our individual value award winners: Annie, Hendrix, Oliver, Noah and Carter in EYFS/KS1 and Lana, Isabelle and Grace in KS2 for consistently following Barny’s 4Bs and showing growth. Additionally, Year 1 and Year 3 were attendance winners, India Mill was the overall Value Award Winner, and Olivia, Leo, Lilly earned their pen licenses. We then congratulated our out of school achievers. Well done to Beau, Thea, Annie and Olivia for achieving their Explorers badge at Rainbows and Annie for being awarded Olivia at Rainbows, Thea for being a super gymnast, Willow for achieving backwards flip on the bars at gymfinity and for showing extreme kindness by donating her beautiful long hair to the Princess Trust, Reggie for achieving 20m in his swimming, Marley for ‘Star of the Day’ at the Edstart Multi-Sports Club for super listening and demonstrating outstanding dodgeball skill, Harry for showing super skill and teamwork in a football tournament and Mason for working towards the purple stage at The Darts Academy. To finish our worship, we had some beautiful prayers from Harry, Lilly and Callie who prayed for those in the midst of conflict and war, homeless people and those in Heaven. Mrs Ham wished us all a lovely restful weekend and we had a singalong to ‘The School Rules Song’.
Whole School Worship with Rev.Matt
Today’s worship began with an exciting race, where three pairs of children took part — each child carrying a partner on their back. This fun activity led us into our Bible story: “Was Paul worried?” In the story, we saw how Paul remained strong — not just for himself, but for others too. Even in difficult times, he encouraged and supported those around him. We reflected on the idea that sometimes, we are called to look after others, especially in important or challenging situations. The children then discussed the questions: How are others strong for you? How can you be strong for someone else this week? To conclude our worship, we were reminded that being strong doesn’t always mean being the loudest or the fastest — sometimes, true strength is shown through kindness, patience and standing by someone when they need us most. We left worship thinking about how we can be a source of strength and support for others in the week ahead.
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Year 5-6 Transition Day
Today, Year 5 enjoyed their transition day as they prepare to move into Year 6. The day was filled with creative and reflective activities to help the children begin thinking about the exciting journey ahead. They started by creating self-portraits, celebrating their individuality and recognising the unique qualities they will bring to Year 6. Next, they designed their own personalised hoodies — a fun and expressive way to mark the beginning of their final year at primary school. Each design reflected their personality, interests and the confidence they’re developing as they grow. Finally, the children designed their own Achievement Jars, filling them with hopes, goals and things they want to accomplish in the coming year — both personal and academic. This thoughtful activity encouraged them to set intentions and aim high, reminding them that Year 6 is not only a time to shine, but also a chance to grow.
Year 6 R.E
Year 6 have been continuing comparing Christianity and other world faiths. This week, the children watched videos and held class discussions about similarities in the way that all of these religions practise their faith. It has been a very interesting topic!
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Darwen Primary Schools Athletics Winners 2025
We are so immensely proud of our amazing athletics squad for winning the Darwen Primary School Athletics at Witton Park tonight! They showed so much determination and put in a great deal of effort, as well as showing fantastic encouragement to each other. A huge thank you to Mrs Gardner for her coaching and organising all of the paperwork. Thanks also to Mrs Araujo, Miss Kachwalla and Mr Prescott for their support and for being great marshals. Thank you to our parents and carers for your support and for transporting your child. I am one proud Headteacher tonight! We might be small, but we are mighty! All of the photos can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/witton-athletics-winners-2025
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Friday Celebration Worship
This morning, we kicked off our worship by looking back at our incredibly busy yet fantastic week, focusing on how we can all flourish together. The stories of the Unforgiving Servant and the Earth Shake were central, allowing us to explore the Christian Value of forgiveness and the importance of seeking evidence. This week was also a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our amazing school during the SIAMS inspection on Tuesday. Mrs. Araujo took some of the children from our WOW group to the prayer tent in the old St. Paul’s Church grounds in Hoddlesden, many of our children enjoyed another fabulous cre8ability, Forest School, Multi-Sports and Choir session and our Year 1 and Year 4 gained valuable insights from an environmental workshop about waste and recycling. Then came the well-deserved recognition for our students! We proudly congratulated our individual value award winners: Reggie, Olly, and Eva in EYFS and KS1, and Naomi, April, Sonny, Mason, Summer, and Freddie in KS2. These children were celebrated for working exceptionally hard across the curriculum and always striving to be their best, both academically and personally. Our attendance winners were also highlighted, with huge congratulations to Year 1 and Year 2 for achieving an outstanding 100% attendance, and Year 4 for an impressive 99.8% attendance. Further congratulations went to India Mill, who were our overall value award winners with a fantastic 669 points, and the children in Year 5 and 6, who clinched the DPSSA Netball league final for the second year running. The celebrations didn't stop there, as we also acknowledged the amazing achievements of our children outside of school. A huge well done to Callie for being ‘Student of the Year’ at Martial Arts, Max for being ‘Player of the Week’ at Little Darreners, and Eva and Alice for representing their dance school in a recent show. Archie was recognised as the ‘Most Improved Player’ for Mill Hill Juniors Football Club, while Marley was ‘Star of the Day’ at the Ed Start Multi-Sports Club. Lydia was awarded Olivia at Rainbows for doing her promise, and Eleanor and Olivia earned a badge for their courage on rides during a trip to Gulliver's World with Rainbows. Alfie competed in a recent tournament, receiving a trophy for being part of the team that won the Europa League and also being ‘Player of the Match.’ In swimming, Jack achieved his Bronze award, Elsie and Vienna received their 200m certificate, and Naomi reached Level 5. Lyla was ‘Star of the Day’ in her lyrical, and Scarlett was named the Under 8s Coaches’ Player for 2024/2025 at Rivington Netball Club. Olivia earned a medal for her football team's unbeaten season, Desmond received the Parents’ Player trophy at football, and James was recognised for being a great team player. Daisy achieved a gold award in a recent gymnastics competition, Peyton earned her yellow belt at kickboxing, and Eliza successfully completed a recent triathlon. To conclude our worship, we were treated to some beautiful prayers from Olivia and Callie, who prayed for peace around the world and offered thanks for our beautiful world and all the wonderful people in our lives, including our school family. Mrs. Ham wished us all a lovely, restful weekend, and the worship ended on a high note with a singalong to ‘My Lighthouse’.
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Year 6 R.E
In R.E, Year 6 have been looking at Christianity and Islam, comparing the ways in which both religions describe God. The children watched videos and researched Muslim names for Allah. They discovered that there are actually a lot of similarities between how the two religions regard their God.