Year 1: English
Year 1 have been trying really hard with writing their sentence snakes. This is a grammar focus lesson. Today we focused on adding -s or -each to words to make them plural. They have to count and organise the words in my sentence. Then they practise their own sentence orally before going away to write it. They have been trying really hard to also remember capital letters, finger spaces and full stops.
Online Safety: Character AI
Character.AI enables users to create and interact with AI-powered characters that can behave like friends, mentors, fictional characters or romantic partners. While these tools can feel engaging and emotionally supportive, they also introduce important safeguarding, wellbeing and privacy considerations for children and young people. Our latest #WakeUpWednesday guide supports parents, carers and educators in understanding the risks and opening constructive conversations around AI companionship. The guide explores: • Inappropriate content and unreliable advice • Emotional dependency and blurred boundaries • Privacy concerns linked to personal information • Warning signs such as secretive or excessive use • Withdrawal from real-world activities and relationships • Practical steps around age settings, limits and reporting concerns With clear, accessible guidance, this resource helps adults support safer, more balanced and informed use of AI character platforms. Access the guide here: https://vist.ly/5hs5g #Safeguarding #OnlineSafety #ArtificialIntelligence
Year 1 RE: Where Does Our Food Come From?
In RE, we had 6 mystery foods. The foods were banana, chocolate, mango chutney, pineapple, rice and dates. The children had to taste test each food. Then, they listened to three clues to decide where the food had come from and put the food on the map.They were very shocked to find that none of these foods originate in the UK and have to travel for us to eat them. We made sure we thanked God for the food that we had and for allowing us to try food from other countries.
Year 5 - Computing
Year 5 used the Garage Band app to create sonic logos for different brands. We analysed Coca-Cola advertisements and identified the different sounds that contribute to its brand identity. The children then had to create a short sonic logo that matched a brand of their choice.
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Year 5 - English
In English, we used drama to explore the feelings of a person exploring the surface of Mars. We first considered the positive and negative emotions of being the first to step upon a new planet far from home, exploring and collecting scientific data. Then we acted out the role of the astronaut, considering how those emotions can be shown through action and dialogue.
Year 3 - Class Worship: Rainbow Promises
Our class worship this week was all about Noah’s Ark. Liz read the story and told us about how Noah kept his promise to God and waited until it was safe and the floods had gone before releasing all the animals from the ark. Reverend Craig then told us about how important it is to follow God's instructions. He also asked us to reflect on how well we follow instructions from the trusted adults in our lives. After the video, the children created rainbows and wrote promises about things they would like to change, for example, promising to tidy their rooms or practise their handwriting.
Year 3 - Art: Ancient Egyptian Patterns
The children are enthralled by our art topic this half term. In Year 3, we are studying the Ancient Egyptians in history, and our art unit compliments this perfectly as we practise the skills required to create our own Egyptian scrolls. This week, we used different media to create an authentic-looking background . We studied ancient Egyptian paintings and portrayed some of these on our backgrounds once they were dry.
KS2 Football Club
Today at Football Club, the children focused on game-based activities, exploring different conditions and challenges within each phase of the game. The children developed their ability to recognise when to attack, defend and transition, applying their skills and decision-making in realistic game situations.
Open Days for our September 2027 intake
💙Is your child starting Reception this September? 💙 We warmly welcome parents, carers, and children to come and see our school in action. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet our school family and enjoy a guided tour with our Headteacher, Mrs Ham. 📅 Open Day Dates & Times: Tuesday 22nd September: 9.00 - 10.30am Wednesday 7th October: 2.00 - 3.30pm Thursday 15th October: 2.00 - 3.30pm Monday 9th November: 9.00 - 10.30am Thursday 19th November: 9.00 - 10.30am Friday 27th November: 2.00 - 3.30pm 📝 How to Book Your Tour: To secure your place on one of our open days, please complete our booking form: 👉 https://forms.gle/DxqPdvyXDx1Xmd918 To get a feel for our school and what we can offer your child, please see our news page on our website: https://stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news and our photo galleries: https://stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-gallery-category/our-gallery Please also keep your eye on our website for the dates of our stay and play sessions that will soon be coming up for our current Reception parents and carers and pre-school children, parents and carers. We look forward to meeting you and your child! 💙😀
Whole School Worship - Recycling Week
Today's Worship focused on Recycle Week which runs from 14th ~20th September. Mrs Ham asked the children what they knew about recycling and then shared images for them to talk about. We started with an image of the beach and the children spotted that it was a mess and full of rubbish. Milk bottles, plastic bag, plastic plates, bottles, fishing nets, a broken plastic chair and a pizza box. Why would all of these things end up in the ocean? Next we watched a video that told us that 300 million tons of rubbish is produced every year and only 40% of this can be recycled. In recent studies scientists found that out of 500 fish collected, a third of them had plastic inside their stomachs. Top tips from the video were: *Make sure you always throw rubbish in the bin *Don’t use plastic if you don’t need it *Always try to recycle So why recycle? 25 bottles can make a fleece By recycling 1 glass bottle we could produce 5 hours of energy to run a Nintendo Wii What can we do? Reuse your recyclables Finally, Mrs Ham set us all a challenge to see if we can be recycling rescuers at home and create new things out of the waste that we would normally pop in our grey bin. We then reflected on how we can care for our planet that God created.
Reception: Elmer
The Reception classroom has transformed into a vibrant hub of creativity and self-expression this week, with pupils diving headfirst into the wonderful world of David McKee’s iconic storybook character, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant. The children have engaged in open, thoughtful discussions exploring their personal likes and dislikes, using Elmer’s journey of self-acceptance as a springboard for understanding empathy, inclusion, and identity. Creatively, the setting was a hive of activity as children constructed their own patchwork collages and explored multi-coloured patterns. The hands-on learning extended into physical exploration as well, with pupils measuring and experimenting with elephant footprints to build spatial awareness, comparative vocabulary, and early mathematical understanding. We are looking forward to the grand finale later this week, as pupils assemble and decorate their own custom Elmer crowns in preparation for a class parade. The upcoming parade will give the children an opportunity to showcase their artistic achievements, march to rhythmic music, and proudly celebrate their individuality together as a class.
Keep Fit Club
Pupils from Years 3 to 6 launched into the autumn term with fantastic energy during their very first Keep Fit Club session at Jacks Key. The children made the most of the fresh air as they walked, jogged, and ran around the grounds, pacing themselves while encouraging each other every step of the way. What a brilliant first session!
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