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B Team Football Festival
A huge well done to the B Team football squad who competed in a fantastic festival, playing against lots of schools across Blackburn and Darwen. The team played amazingly well, winning a variety of competitive games and showing great teamwork, determination and sportsmanship throughout. You all represented the school brilliantly – we are incredibly proud of your effort and attitude.
Year 5 - English
Having completed our persuasive letters promoting Fair Trade products, the children had the opportunity to read their letters out loud. The aim was to be as persuasive as possible, using techniques learned from famous speeches of Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King. The children considered how language choice, repetition, pauses, volume and body language can engage an audience and convince people of your argument.
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Year 5 - Science
We continued our topic of Space by exploring why the Moon appears as different shapes and sizes in the night sky. The children revisited core concepts such as how the Earth rotates on its axis and how the Moon orbits the Earth. Combining these ideas with the light from the Sun, the children were able to understand how the different phases of the Moon emerge. We worked in groups to simulate the solar system using torches and table tennis balls, allowing children to see the phases in real time.
Year 5 - Growing Our Future
Year 5 visited Jacks Key to contribute to a new micro forest in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire County Council Treescapes. Even though the weather was inclement and the ground was muddy, the children embraced the opportunity to get their hands dirty and plant our trees. It was also a great way to support our mental health and wellbeing for Children's Mental Health Week. We cannot wait to see how it grows!
Year 5 - Pancakes
Because pancake day (Shrove Tuesday) is during the half term break, we had the great fortune of having early pancakes made for us by the professional bakers from Fruitilicious. The children deserved their treat after helping to plant trees in our new micro forest in Jacks Key. A special thanks to Miss Kachwalla, our Design and Technology leader for organising this treat!
Year 5 - Music
Year 5 developed their aural skills by playing music by ear, focusing on pitch and rhythm. We identified these features of songs before repeating them on keyboards and playing short melodies. The lesson finished with groups performing to the class.
Year 5 - PSHE
Because it is Children’s Mental Health week, we had a special lesson considering what mental health is and how to look after it. We talked about the range of human feelings and how there are bigger and smaller emotions. They can affect all of us in different ways but talking to a trusted person about our feelings can help us understand them. We discussed who the children might want to talk to and how they can be a good listener.
Whole School- Safer Internet Day 2026-Centered on the responsible use of AI.
To mark Safer Internet Day 2026, Mrs Araujo led a special Worship centered on the responsible use of AI. The session started with the Heads and Deputy Heads signing the Trinity. The children then watched a short video and discussed how AI can assist us in our daily lives. Through a fun identification game, pupils practised spotting AI-generated images and learned that because AI can make mistakes, its results are not always true or accurate. This helped our children understand the importance of being cautious and informed digital citizens.
Year 5 - Science
We discussed how the anti-clockwise rotation of the Earth causes the transition of the Sun across the sky, rising in the east and setting in the west. Then we used this knowledge to build a sundial, mimicking the Sun’s journey by using torches and using shadows to link the position of the sun to different times of day.
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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!
Year 5 - PE
In gymnastics, Year 5 worked in pairs to apply the rolls, jumps and balances they have been learning in order to make a coordinated routine. The children incorporated different forms of travel and body shapes (e.g. tuck and pike) into their routines. Next week, they will perform their routines and give feedback to and receive feedback from each other.
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Year 5 - Storytelling through rap
As part of National Storytelling Week, Year 5 learned about how to tell a story through rapping. We discussed how to use a 4 beat structure to build our rap lyrics around, going faster with more words and slower with fewer. The children then wrote and performed their raps to the class, using rhyme, alliteration and phrasing to tell the world about their amazing super powers.