British Science Week- Year 1- Exploring Chemical Reactions
This morning in Year 1, we carried out an exciting experiment called Exploding Lunch Bag! The children were amazed as they watched a sealed bag suddenly pop. Using baking soda and vinegar, they observed how a chemical reaction created gas, causing the bag to expand until it burst. They discussed what was happening at each stage, making predictions and thinking scientifically about why the reaction occurred. Our Science Ambassador, Noah, was a fantastic helping hand during the experiment. Then we planted mung seeds in a sealed bag with moist cotton wool, the children came up with different suggestions about what might happen next. Some wondered whether the seeds would sprout faster in a warm or cool place and questioned if adding more water would speed up the growth. While others were eager to see if theirs would grow faster than Reception’s.
British Science Week- Reception- What can we 'Flush Away'?
We have kicked off Science Week with a blast! Miss Kachwalla, our Science Lead initiated a discussion about what can and cannot be flushed down the toilet, encouraging the children to think critically about the impact of their choices. This activity helped develop observational skills and apply knowledge to real-life situations. The class explored key questions, such as: Have you ever flushed any of these items? What happened to them? Which materials broke down when flushed, and which did not? Why is it important to only flush items that break up easily? To investigate further, the Reception class conducted a practical experiment by shaking a bottle containing tissue, paper towel, and toilet paper for 15 seconds. They then observed how each material responded to water, noting which broke down and which remained intact. This helped them understand why only toilet paper, wee and poo should be flushed, while other materials can cause blockages. Science Ambassadors Cassidy and Naomi were on hand to support the lesson, helping to guide discussions and assist with the experiment. As an extra challenge, the children planted mung seeds in a sealed bag with moist cotton wool and used talk tactics to predict what might happen next. Will they disappear? Change colour? Explode? After just 24 hours, the seeds should start to pop open and sprout. Within 3 days to a week, they’ll be fully sprouted, and after a few more days, tiny leaves will start to emerge. This hands-on activity will allow them to observe germination in action and track the changes over time.
World Book Day in Year 4
What a wonderful World Book Day we have had in Year 4. The theme for this year's World Book Day is Get Ready to Read Your Way which encourages us all to read wherever and whenever we want. This morning we started our celebrations with a whole school worship which was led by Miss Flynn and the librarians. The children loved joining in with the quizzes and interactive games. Next we took part in an online workshop with the author Pamela Butchart. She also wrote A Monster Ate My Packed Lunch and The Great Crisp Robbery. The most recent book that Pamela has written is Diary of a Future Billionaire and she talked about how she created this fantastic story. It’s about being at home rather than school. Pamela was worried that her new book might not be as popular as her Izzy books. The main character is called Ben and here are his thoughts: So here's the thing about me. I'm a billionaire. An actual REAL-LIFE billionaire! And you know how some people who get rich say stuff like, "I can't believe it!" and "I never thought it would happen to me!" Well ... I CAN believe it. And I KNEW it would happen to me. Because I PLANNED IT. I PLANNED to become the world's RICHEST ten-year-old. And you know what? It WORKED The children have asked if we can buy the book and read it as our next class novel so this shows how enthusiastic they were about the whole workshop. Following this we played match the teacher to their favourite book which we found rather interesting and then we went to various classes around school to listen to St Barnabas school staff read their favourite books. It was so nice to hear the children come back and talk so enthusiastically about what they had listened to. Finally this afternoon, we created special WBD bunting with our favourite novel on and discussed why we had chosen these. What an amazing experience and huge thanks to Miss Flynn for organising!
Year 3- Class Worship- Is it important to feel proud of where you come from?
The Times newspaper recently surveyed young people aged 18 to 27 about their perspectives on life and living in the UK. The results revealed a range of opinions, with 4 out of 10 respondents expressing pride in being British. Year 3 engaged in a discussion, unanimously agreeing on the importance of treating everyone fairly, as they believed this is what Jesus would want. The Bible and other sacred books teach that everyone is valued and has a place in the world. Following this, the children were asked to thank God for helping them appreciate the good in their surroundings and celebrate the uniqueness of each place. To end the worship, the children sang This Little Light of Mine.
Year 3- 40 Days of Kindness – Day 1
Following this morning’s school worship, where Mrs. Ham introduced the 40-day kindness challenge, we began Day 1 today. As we explored the similarities between Lent and Ramadan, we discussed how both are times to feel closer to God, give things up or fast, and give back to others. To start our challenge, each of the 31 children drew a picture, some chose suns, love hearts, stars, rainbows, books, cups, flowers, and even ice creams. At the end of the day, Chloe went around with a basket and handed each child a picture created by someone else. This small but thoughtful act brought smiles to everyone’s faces and reminded us how simple gestures can brighten someone’s day. We also spoke about the importance of kindness, especially during break and lunchtime when small disagreements can happen. Instead of only giving to our best friends, we challenged ourselves to give selflessly and spread kindness to others, seeing the joy it can bring. This discussion helped us reflect on how our words and actions shape the friendships and community around us.
Year 6 R.E - Who Was Jesus?
In R.E, Year 6 have been thinking about how Christians describe Jesus. They used the Bible and watched a video of the story of Zacchaeus as sources. The children also thought about their own opinions on who they think Jesus is.
Year 5 Debt Aware
This week, Year 5 had a visit from Debt Aware. The focus was on the question - what is a budget? The children learned that a budget tells us three things: where the money comes from, where the money goes and how much is left over. These are better known as income, outgoings and disposable income. The children had to plan a budget based on wants vs needs. They also role-played being members of a family and thought about which wants/needs each person would have. The children really enjoyed this session and learned a lot about managing money sensibly.
Year 6 Class Meeting - How Safe Do You Feel Online?
Year 6 had a fantastic pupil-led class meeting, this week. The focus was online safety and centred around the key question - how safe do you feel online? The children watched a Newsround interview discussing online safety and had group discussions and debates around the key question.
Year 3- Debate- How safe do you feel online?
During our class debate, led by Ella and Alfie, the children unanimously agreed that they only feel safe online some of the time. This led to an important discussion about the steps we can take to feel safer in our daily lives. We emphasised the importance of speaking to a trusted adult when feeling uncertain or uncomfortable, as well as the need to use only age-appropriate apps and online platforms. Through this conversation, we reinforced the message that staying safe is a shared responsibility and that making informed choices can help protect ourselves and others.
Year 6 - Debt Awareness
Year 6 had a visit from Debt Aware, this week. The focus of this session was gambling and borrowing. The children looked at how the government and families spend money; explored the ways in which people can borrow money and why; talked about the potential dangers of short-term (pay day) loans and thought about what to look for when deciding whether to borrow money. In addition to this, we thought about what gambling is, the different types of gambling and why people might gamble. We played a few games and watched the Grand National, placing bets with pretend money.
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Whole School Worship- How to make an enjoyable lunchtime?
Our whole school worship today began with the signing of the Trinity by the Heads and Deputies. Mrs. Araujo then led the worship, introducing our new behaviour focus: creating a calmer and more enjoyable lunchtime experience, while continuing to practice the good manners we have already learned. Mrs. Ham highlighted the importance of feeling safe at school, emphasizing that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure a secure and supportive environment for all. To help improve lunchtimes, Mrs Araujo used a data logger to measure noise levels in the dining hall, which ranged from 79.5 to 80.5 decibels as loud as a truck! Many children noted that the high noise levels were overwhelming, made them want to cover their ears, and could prevent them from hearing important instructions in an emergency. During the worship, children worked with talk partners to discuss the question: If we use good table manners, how could this improve our lunchtimes? Through these discussions, they identified key areas for improvement, such as sitting properly at the table, using a knife and fork to eat, and avoiding walking while eating to reduce choking risks. The WOW group played a key role in visually demonstrating positive lunchtime behaviours. They were featured in photos and role-play scenarios, modelling both the correct and incorrect ways to behave in the dining hall. These demonstrations helped reinforce the importance of eating safely and respectfully. To support these changes, new posters have been placed around the school, reminding everyone to face the table while eating, lean over trays or lunchboxes to avoid spills, and wait until they have swallowed their food before getting up. These expectations will continue to be reinforced through modelling, praise, and reminders, ensuring that lunchtimes are a safe, calm, and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Year 6 - Safer Internet Day
This year’s Safer Internet Day is based around scams. Year 6 discussed what a scam is, the types of scams we can come across on the Internet and what we can do to keep ourselves safe, for example double-checking things that we see online and telling a trusted adult if we are unsure about anything. The children discussed with their partners how online scams made them feel and how the Internet is an excellent tool, if used correctly.
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