Reception class contribute to the Big Winter Wander
A huge well done to our wonderful Reception children, who showed incredible determination today taking part in the Big Winter Wander! Our little explorers braved the elements to complete an impressive 2.55km trek around Jack Keys, taking in the sights and sounds of the season while showing fantastic team spirit. We are so proud of how well they handled the distance and represented our school. If you would like to celebrate their achievement and support our fundraising efforts, please consider making a contribution directly to our school page at https://socialsync.app/fundraiser/cr-nzymxvnokwdn?currentTab=feed. Every donation makes a real difference, and we thank you for your wonderful support!
Amazing Attendance Award
* Big News: National Attendance Award Winners! * We are absolutely delighted to announce that St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy has been recognised with another National School Attendance Award for the Autumn 2025/26 term! Thanks to our amazing pupils and families, we have ranked once again in the Top 10% of all FFT primary schools in England for our attendance. * A Heartfelt Thank You * To our parents and carers: this award belongs to you too. Thank you for your continued support, your communication, and for ensuring your children are through the gates and ready to learn every single day. We couldn't have achieved this "Top 10%" status without your commitment. * Why Attendance Matters * Regular attendance isn't just about certificates; it’s about giving our children the best start in life. When children attend school regularly, they: * Build Strong Friendships: Consistency helps children develop social skills and lasting bonds. * Boost Confidence: Staying on track with lessons prevents the "catch-up" stress and keeps them feeling capable. * Unlock Potential: Every day in school is a new opportunity for a "lightbulb moment" that could spark a lifelong passion. Let’s keep this incredible momentum going into the next term! Go Team St Barnabas! ✨ #SchoolAttendance #Top10Percent #StBarnabasDarwen #NationalAttendanceAward #EducationMatters #ProudSchool
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NSPCC Times Tables Rock Star Challenge
Today, Key Stage 2 battled it out on Times Table Rock Stars as part of the NSPCC challenge. Throughout the day, children showed fantastic determination and focus as they competed, earning points and contributing towards St Barnabas’ whole-school score, as well as the overall North West total. Thanks to everyone for their great effort in dressing in numbers or as rock stars. A huge well done to all pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 for your amazing effort, resilience and competitive spirit. You should be incredibly proud of your contribution and the enthusiasm you showed throughout the event! Thanks to everyone who has donated to NSPCC. Donations can be made on parent pay!
National Storytelling Week in Year 4
We had a lovely end to the week in Year 4. We had the pleasure of welcoming Caterina ( Luna’s Mummy and one of our Governors) into Year 4 where she shared the story of The Twits by Roald Dahl. The children really enjoyed listening to the story and we would like to say a huge thanks to Caterina for taking the time to come into class and read.
Friday Celebration Worship
Today’s Celebration Worship was a joyful opportunity to recognise the many achievements, values and successes across our school family. We began by celebrating our learning and enrichment activities, including our focus on numbers and regular participation in Times Table Rock Stars, where children have shown great enthusiasm and determination through battles. We also reflected on our fundraising efforts for the NSPCC, showing our commitment to caring for and protecting others. A special mention was given to the WOW group for leading Messy Church, which was a fantastic example of teamwork, creativity and faith in action. Our values awards were proudly presented to Bowen in Reception, Ava in Year 1, Cici in Year 2, Heidi in Year 3, Martha in Year 4, Ivy in Year 5 and Edward in Year 6, each recognised for living out our school values in their everyday actions. The Pen License awards were given to Mila in Year 3 and Chloe in Year 4 for their excellent efforts in handwriting in all subjects. We also celebrated our team value points results. Darwen Tower finished in fourth place, Whitehall Park in third, River Darwen in second and India Mill in first place. The overall winning team across the half term was River Darwen, well done to everyone for showing perseverance, teamwork and respect. There were many sporting and extracurricular achievements to celebrate. Bo took part in a BMX bike race with 24 competitors and finished an impressive 14th overall and he was the youngest. Chester was awarded a medal for his excellent swimming, while Maggie earned badges at Brownies for completing a range of activities, including finger painting. Jack received a certificate for completing an 800m swim and Grace was celebrated for being given the role of Young Cosette in Les Misérables and for getting through to the next round of West End Calling auditions. Thea was awarded a certificate for excellent listening in gymnastics, Marnie May achieved a certificate for swimming 50 metres and Mollie earned a medal for diving in swimming. Eleanor was recognised for her commitment to hobbies at Rainbows, particularly swimming and piano and Cassius received a trophy for his strong goal scoring in football. We also celebrated our gymnastics team, who performed exceptionally well on the vault and demonstrated excellent body management in a competition against other schools. They showed great courage and respect and achieved a fantastic fourth place. Attendance was also celebrated, with Year 1 and Year 6 being recognised for their efforts. We finished with some important reminders for the coming weeks. The Big Winter Wander is underway and we are encouraging everyone to get outside and enjoy walking together. Please remember to send in photos of your adventures. Next Thursday, we will be helping to create a micro forest on Jacks Key by planting trees, so children will need to bring their wellies. A big thank you to Miss Kachwala for organising a visit from professional bakers who will be making pancakes for everyone. We also reminded children about Dress to Express next week and that there are still places available for Lego Club next half term. We ended our worship with a thoughtful prayer, beautifully led by Ella and Mason. A wonderful celebration of effort, achievement and community spirit, well done everyone!
Inter- House Sports -EYFS, KS1 and KS2
Today we held another Inter/ House Sports event which was led by our awesome Sports Leaders. Our infants focused on football whilst Key Stage 2 did Benchball. It was amazing to see every child across school joining in with huge smiles on their faces. What a super end to a busy week!
Year 3- PSHE- Healthy Choices & Big Debates!
On Friday in PSHE, Year 3 explored the "Big Questions" surrounding our health and well-being. We discussed how the choices we make every day, from what we eat to how much we sleep, impact how we feel. The children took part in a debate centred on two important statements: "Children should not be allowed to choose their own lunchtime meals." "Children should not be allowed to use a computer, tablet, or phone for at least an hour before bedtime." It was great to see the pupils using such respectful language as they explored different viewpoints! They considered how blue light affects our sleep quality and debated the balance between enjoying technology and giving our brains a rest. We finished the session by creating our own "Top Tips" for staying active and improving our sleep.
Year 3: Maths Rockstars for NSPCC Number Day!
On Friday, Year 3 took part in the NSPCC Number Day, a fantastic "mega maths" event to raise money for a great cause. It was wonderful to see the classroom transformed as the children "Dressed Up for Digits," sporting everything from number-related clothing to full-on Rockstar outfits! The highlight of the day was our high-energy T.T. Rockstars battle, where the children channelled their inner rockstars to compete and sharpen their times tables skills. Through various numerical games and activities, Year 3 proved just how much fun maths can be while helping to support the vital work of the NSPCC.
Reception Maths - Comparing amounts
This week, our Reception mathematicians have been busy comparing quantities up to 10 by mastering the key vocabulary of more and fewer. Through hands-on activities like matching groups of objects and lining them up, the children are learning to identify which sets are larger or smaller.
Year 4 PE Relay Baton Exchange
In our PE session today we were focusing on Sportshall Athletics, but in particular the baton exchange in relays. The children worked super hard on their exchange between each other and developed their techniques in various ways over the course of the lesson .
Year 4 PSHE Preparing for Mental Health Awareness Week
Year 4 have been working hard on their Mental Health Awareness Week Worship which they will lead next Friday morning. In our PSHE lesson we have being using our oracy skills to project our voice and ensure that we are loud and clear when we speak. We can’t wait to share it with everyone and highlight the importance of good mental health.
Year 1: Special Visitor
As part of National Storytelling Week, we invited parents and carers to come into school and read. Year 1 were very excited as Annie’s mum, Natalie, came and read to us. She chose to read Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson, one of our favourite authors! Thank you Mrs Eccles, the children absolutely loved the story!