Kids with Bricks Lego Club
This week's Kids with Bricks Lego Club theme was 'Hot or Cold'. We watched our weekly video, all about the hottest and coldest places around the world. We were tasked with creating a vehicle or creature that is suited to extreme temperatures. A special well done to our Builders of the Week: Elsie and Vienna!
Year 4 Tennis Winners
🏆 SMALL BUT MIGHTY! 🏆 Huge congratulations to our Year 4 Tennis Team for winning the BWD competition at Blackburn Northern Tennis Club! 🎾🥇 Mrs. Ham is incredibly proud of the team's determination and fantastic sportsmanship. You played with heart and represented us brilliantly! 🌟👏 We certainly are small but mighty! 💪 #TennisChampions #BWDCompetition #Year4 #ProudSchool #TeamWork
Year 5 PGL
🧗♂️ What an Unforgettable Adventure! 🏹 Our Year 5 students have just returned from an incredible three-day residential at PGL (and yes, for those wondering, that stands for Parents Get Lost! 😉). From the moment they arrived, the energy was electric. Over the last three days, our young adventurers threw themselves into every challenge, including: • Raft Building: Testing their teamwork (and their buoyancy!) 🌊 • Archery: Finding their inner Robin Hood 🎯 • Problem Solving: Using those brilliant brains to crack tough codes 🧩 • Survival Skills: Learning how to thrive in the great outdoors 🌲 • Climbing & The Giant Swing: Reaching new heights and facing their fears head-on! 🎢 🌟 Heart, Courage, and Community Beyond the activities, what truly blew us away was their courage and determination. Whether they were dangling from the giant swing or navigating the woods, the way they shouted words of encouragement to one another was heart-warming. They behaved brilliantly throughout the trip and were a true credit to our school. We couldn't be prouder of the resilience they showed! 🙌 A Huge Thank You This trip wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing staff. A massive thank you to Mr Mealor, Miss Lyons, and Mrs Faux for giving up their time and working around the clock to ensure the children had a safe and life-changing experience. Welcome home, Year 5! Rest up—you’ve certainly earned it. 💤✨ #Year5 #PGL #SchoolTrip #AdventureAwaits #ProudSchool #Teamwork #MakingMemories All of the photos can be found here: https://stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-5-pgl-may-2026
Year 6 - What does community mean to us?
This week in PSHE, Year 6 explored the meaning of “community” and reflected on the important role communities play in our lives. The children had mature and thoughtful discussions, sharing that communities help us to feel a sense of belonging, purpose, love, friendship and support. The children recognised that we are all part of many different communities, including our families, school, friendship groups, sports teams, clubs, faith groups and local neighbourhoods. Each child designed and decorated their own jigsaw piece to represent the different communities they belong to and the people who are important to them. The pieces were then joined together as a whole class puzzle, creating a wonderful visual reminder that although we are all unique, we each play an important part in the Year 6 community. The activity encouraged the children to celebrate both individuality and togetherness, reinforcing the importance of inclusion and connection within our school community.
Year 1 PE: Throwing and Catching
Year 1 continued to practise their skills of throwing and catching. We introduced chest passes to make straight, quick throws and practised catching the ball with our arms out ready to receive. Year 1 noticed that if you have a larger distance between a partner, it was easier to bounce pass the ball.
Year 3 - Class Worship- How can music bring people together?
In class worship today, we explored the theme "Together in Tempo," focusing on the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. We discussed the Christian value of Joy and how music acts as a powerful tool for communication, bringing people from different cultures together. To conclude, the children sang "My Lighthouse" to celebrate how sharing a song can create unity and connection.
Year 6 Junior Jam - Computing
Year 6 have enjoyed another lesson working on their remixes of popular songs, using the 'GarageBand' app, adding more live loops and altering the tempo and key of the song. They all enjoyed listening to each other's songs.
Reception: Class Worship
Our Reception class shared a heart-warming Songs of Praise worship today to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week. It was a beautiful start to the morning spent exploring our emotions and supporting one another through the power of music and reflection. The children sang their hearts out to some of our favourite songs, including "I Can Make a Difference," "My Lighthouse," and "Build Up." These songs helped us think about how we can shine and use our words to encourage our friends. We finished our worship with moving Thank You Prayers, where the children shared their gratitude for family, friends, and the things that make them feel happy.
Year 3- P.E-Rugby: Mastering the Three Touch Ball
In P.E. today, the class focused on Invasion Games through a game called Three Touch Ball, which is based on Rugby skills. The children worked on mastering the swing pass, learning to form a 'W' shape with their hands and swinging the ball from chest to hip height toward their target. We also practised receiving by watching the ball into the hands and bringing it back to the chest to prepare for the next move. Beyond the physical skills, we focused on tactics such as running into space, using hand signals to communicate, and working as a team to pass the ball at least three times before scoring in the hoop. Finally, the children took turns acting as officials, ensuring everyone followed the rules and played fairly.
Kids with Bricks Lego Club
Last week's Kids with Bricks Lego Club theme was 'Mega Machines." We watched our weekly video, which gave us facts about some of the biggest and most powerful machines around the world. We were then tasked with building our own, either copying those we learned about in the video, or imagining our own. A special well done to our builder of the week - Frankie! A new Kids with Bricks club for next half term will shortly be going live on the website on Wednesday 13th May: https://www.kidswithbricks.com/
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Reception: All About Minibeasts
The Reception class had a truly unforgettable afternoon thanks to Fiia and her dad, Adam from the Animal Garden who introduced the children to an incredible array of minibeasts. The session was packed with tactile learning, starting with the massive Giant African Land Snails and the fascinating life cycle of Pachnoda bugs, which the children learned eventually transform into vibrant fruit beetles. The class also got a glimpse into the animal food chain by meeting Mario worms, cockroaches, and locusts—the "snack pack" typically used to feed pet lizards. The highlight for many was the tarantula gallery, featuring the Red Rump tarantula (appropriately named for its red "bum") and a South American Curly Haired tarantula affectionately known as "Chewy." The children learned about their unique defense mechanism: the ability to flick itchy hairs at predators to stay safe. By examining a discarded tarantula skin, the students were able to get an up-close look at the spider's teeth and red mouth without any risk. The excitement continued with the arrival of the sleek Asian Forest Scorpions, adding an extra layer of mystery to the day. The afternoon concluded with a wonderful takeaway about how spiders do not have a brain! They simply know how to live. Thank you so much to Adam and Fiia, we learnt so much!
Year 1 RE: How Do Muslims Welcome Babies?
Today in RE, we explored the question: How do Muslims welcome babies? We learned about Aqiqah, a ceremony that many Muslim families use to welcome a new baby into the community. We discussed some traditions that may take place during Aqiqah, such as cutting the baby’s hair, giving to charity and gathering with family and friends to celebrate. We then compared similarities and differences between Aqiqah and Baptism. The children identified that Baptism often involves the use of water and oil, whereas Aqiqah may involve cutting the baby’s hair. We also discussed that, in Christianity, people can be baptised at different ages, not only as babies. The children recognised that both celebrations can represent belonging, welcoming and the importance of family, faith and community.