Year 3 - World Down Syndrome Day
The Year 3s rocked their socks today for World Down Syndrome Day. Not only did they wear some funky socks, but they also learned a bit about Down syndrome, took part in a Makaton quiz and decorated a paper sock to show off their uniqueness.
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Blackburn with Darwen Schools Swimming Gala
What a fantastic evening we have had taking part in The Blackburn with Darwen Swimming Gala! We had ten children taking part tonight and they were an absolute credit to our school. We had some new events today but we faced the challenge head on and came away with some great results. Boys IM - Bronze medal for Desmond Boys Backstroke - Bronze medal for James Boys Butterfly - Silver medal for Desmond Boys Breaststroke - Silver medal for Jenson. Huge thanks to everyone involved, especially the families who came to support! Go Team B!
Whole School Worship with Rev Ben
Our Whole School Worship was led by Rev Ben this morning and he started by thanking the children who took part in the ‘ Let’s Go Sing ‘ concert at Planet Ice as they were so amazing and represented our school beautifully. Next, our game was The Fruit Challenge. Neve, Jacob, Darcy, Grace,James and Elijah had to name as many fruits as possible, continuously without any hesitation or repetition. It sounded easier than it was, but as it went on it became harder and harder. This was all about remembering things. Our Bible story was also about remembering things - The Last Supper. The Last Supper was Jesus’ final meal with his 12 closest friends (disciples) before his death, celebrated during Passover. He washed their feet to teach service, shared bread and wine to represent his broken body and poured-out blood, and commanded them to love one another and remember him. Christians believe that Jesus died so that those that trust Him can be forgiven. Jesus gave Christians this special meal to help them remember. Rev Ben asked us ‘ What happened in today's Bible story? ‘ and ‘ What does Holy Communion help Christians to remember?’ The children gave some lovely answers which included the fact that Jesus gave up his life for us with the bread representing Jesus' body which was broken on the cross and the wine represents his blood. We finished our Worship by singing Jesus strong and Kind.
Year 3- English- Speaking and Listening: The Iron Man
In English today, the class read Chapter 3 of The Iron Man together, focusing on the moment the Iron Man is lured into the scrap metal pit. Instead of writing in their books, the children spent the session developing their oral skills by describing the Iron Man's massive feast. They practised retrieving specific details from the text to build descriptive sentences out loud. It was a great opportunity for them to use talk tactics, such as building on each other's ideas and instigating new points of view, to bring the scene to life through high-quality discussion.
Kids with Bricks Lego Club
This week's theme in our Kids with Bricks Lego Club was flying machines. We watched our weekly video, which gave us some fascinating facts about the very first aeroplanes, inspiring our own amazing creations - we had UFOs, aeroplanes, hover crafts and more! The children had a lot of fun. A special well done to our Builder of the Week, Eliza!
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Wow Group: Tree Planting
What a fantastic afternoon our WOW group had on our school grounds! They had a wonderful time planting a brand-new orchard across two different areas of the school- next to the MUGA and next to our infant yard. We added a variety of plum, apple, and pear trees to our landscape, and it was a great learning experience for everyone involved. Ian and Aileen joined us to explain the life cycle of the trees, teaching the children how they will first burst into blossom during the spring and early summer. They learned that once those flowers are pollinated, they will begin the transformation into delicious fruit, just in time for the start of the autumn term. WOW group really got stuck into the hard work, digging the holes, positioning the trees, and carefully installing guards and stakes to keep them secure. It was a joy to see them working so well as a team, showing great care for our new environment. We are all really looking forward to watching these trees grow over the coming years, and we certainly can’t wait to eventually taste the fruits of our labour!
Year 3- Food Technology- Exploring Seasonal Food
This afternoon, we explored the world of seasonal eating and discovered where our food actually comes from. We learned that while supermarkets provide us with a huge variety of ingredients year-round, importing food from overseas can lead to a larger carbon footprint and increased waste. By choosing to eat food that is in season in the UK, like summer strawberries or autumn pumpkins, we can support our local farmers and help protect the environment. Using our UK seasonal food wheels, we identified which crops flourish in our temperate climate. This knowledge will be essential over the next few weeks as we begin to design and bake our very own seasonal tarts.
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Year 4 History- Converting Anglo-Saxons to Christians
Today we looked at various Missionaries who came to England to convert the Anglo Saxons to Christianity. The children worked in groups, to identify why they came to Britain, where they came from and how they managed to convert the Anglo Saxons from paganism to Christianity.
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Year 5 - Music
The children recapped their learning from last week before being introduced to scales. They learned the differences between major and minor scales and then played them on the ukulele. The focus was on playing the C major scales using different numbers of strings. At the end, the children performed their scales to the class.
Enough is Enough: Help Us Keep Our Pavements Poo-Free!
Enough is Enough: Help Us Keep Our Pavements Poo-Free! At St Barnabas CE Primary Academy, our children are fed up. No child should have to start their school day playing a game of "dodge the dog poo" just to get through the school gates. Our students have decided to take action! They’ve been busy creating eye-catching posters to remind dog owners of their responsibilities, and we’re making it easier than ever to keep our local area clean. * No Poo Bag? No Problem! * We know sometimes you just forget a bag. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our parents who own The Animal Garden, we now have a permanent poo bag dispenser installed outside the school! They have kindly committed to keeping it regularly stocked, so there are no excuses left for leaving a mess behind. * A Sparkling Clean Start * A massive shout-out to GJB for their amazing community spirit! They’ve spent time power washing and sanitising our pavements for free, clearing away the stains so our children can walk to school without bringing "surprises" home on their shoes. Thank you for making our entrance feel fresh again! * A Friendly Warning * We love our local dogs, but we need owners to step up. Just last week, a huge mess was left directly in front of our school gate—only 2 metres from a bin and right underneath a fine warning sign! Please be aware that we are carefully monitoring our CCTV for offenders. Let’s work together to keep our community a clean, safe, and hygienic place for our children to learn and play. Thank you to our amazing community for helping us keep our pavements poo-free! #StBarnabasAcademy #CleanStreets #CommunityAction #PickUpAfterYourDog #TheAnimalGarden #GJB
Year 1 RE: Easter Story
Today, Year 1 retold the events of the Easter story through freeze frame drama. We told the story of Palm Sunday, Last Supper, Jesus is arrested, Good Friday, the tomb and the Resurrection. We discussed why the Easter story is important to Christians and how this links to new beginnings. The children had to choose one part of the story that they thought was the most important and why.
Online Safety: Online Trends Encouraging Violence
Violent clips, online conflicts and shock-value challenges can spread rapidly across social media platforms. Many young people are exposed to this content through algorithms or messaging groups, even when they were not actively searching for it. Our latest #WakeUpWednesday guide explores how viral trends can encourage risky behaviour, normalise violence and create anxiety or fear within communities. The guide also highlights: • The emotional and legal risks of sharing violent content • How social media algorithms amplify harmful material • Practical advice for parents and educators Download the guide and support safer online conversations with young people: https://vist.ly/4vah7 #OnlineSafety #Safeguarding #DigitalWellbeing #WakeUpWednesday