Image of Year 3- Music- Exploring Polyrhythms
20 May

Year 3- Music- Exploring Polyrhythms

This morning in music, the class moved on to polyrhythms. Since the children are now comfortable with the hits and rhythms they have been practising, this lesson introduced the concept of polyrhythms. The class was split into different sections, with each group playing a completely distinct rhythm at the same time. As they got more comfortable with layering these patterns, more complex rhythms were introduced to challenge them. This session was a great way to push the children who have already exceeded their regular lesson plans for this half term.

Image of Year 6 Junior Jam - Music
20 May

Year 6 Junior Jam - Music

This week was Y6's final week learning how to play African drums. Today, the children learned more about the cultural differences between ourselves and African countries and also watched videos of the drums being played. They were then tasked with composing their own rhythms and some children performed for the rest of the class.

Image of Year 5 - Computing
30 Apr

Year 5 - Computing

In this lesson, the children were introduced to the terms ‘melody’ and ‘hook’, with a focus on how hooks make songs catchy and memorable. Year 5 then used the app Garage Band to create their own hook using a range of instrumental sounds, before using this hook to write their own song.

Image of Year 5 Music
22 Apr

Year 5 Music

In Music, Year 5 continued learning how to play the djembe. After recapping the 3 main ways of hitting the drums (tone, slap and bass), the class began to learn words from a range of African languages and use them as a rhythmic guide for their playing. Counting and clapping exercises were used to rehearse increasingly complex drum rhythms, which were shared with the class.

Image of Year 6 Junior Jam - Music
22 Apr

Year 6 Junior Jam - Music

Year 6 had a fantastic music lesson with Junior Jam, this week. They learned a traditional Swahili song and then played the hand drum parts alongside the song. The end result sounded great!

Image of Singing Worship
13 Apr

Singing Worship

In our Whole School Singing Worship this morning, we welcomed everyone back into school with a joyful and uplifting sing. We began by singing My Lighthouse and then we sang Our God is a Great Big God, Sing a New Song to the Lord, Life is Always Better and ended our worship with a beautiful rendition of Waymaker. A wonderful way to start the new term!

Image of Spring Chicken
2 Apr

Spring Chicken

We ended the term on a high with an energetic sing-along to our favourite Easter songs before a very special visit from "The Spring Chicken" (otherwise known as Mr Mealor!).

Image of Spring Rocksteady Concert
1 Apr

Spring Rocksteady Concert

* Spring Rocksteady Concert * We were so super proud of our Rocksteady children for the way they performed with such confidence and passion this morning at their Spring Rocksteady Concert. It was brilliant to see the progress you have all made since the last concert at Christmas. Thanks Jess for your amazing patience, support and confidence building! A huge thank you to the parents and carers who came along to support. All of the photos can be found here and the videos will be uploaded to class dojo shortly. https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/rocksteady-spring-concert

Image of Heroes of Troy
1 Apr

Heroes of Troy

We are so proud of our drama club for their fantastic production of ‘Heroes of Troy’. We loved seeing you all shine on stage and it was amazing to see how much your confidence has grown over the last ten weeks. A huge thank you to Miss Woods and Mr Mealor for their support and direction. Also a massive thank you to all of the parents and carers who came to support. All of the photos are available here and the recording will be shared soon. https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/heroes-of-troy-drama-club-production

Image of Grace & Isaac star in Les Miserables
25 Mar

Grace & Isaac star in Les Miserables

Super proud of Grace and Isaac for their amazing performances in Les Miserables this evening at their opening night! It took so much courage to sing solos in front of a packed theatre audience and you both smashed it! Huge congratulations to the whole cast, you were sensational! It’s still Mrs Ham’s favourite musical and I think it’s now Mr Bloomfield’s!

Image of Year 5 - Music
18 Mar

Year 5 - Music

The children recapped their learning from last week before being introduced to scales. They learned the differences between major and minor scales and then played them on the ukulele. The focus was on playing the C major scales using different numbers of strings. At the end, the children performed their scales to the class.

Image of Let's Go Sing 2026
18 Mar

Let's Go Sing 2026

* Pure Magic at the Blackburn Ice Arena! * I am bursting with pride this evening after watching our incredible school choir perform at the Let’s Go Sing concert. Seeing them out there, singing their hearts out with such passion, was a moment I won't forget! What struck me most wasn't just the beautiful music, but the sheer enthusiasm and commitment our children showed. They didn't just learn the songs; they mastered every word and every action, performing with huge smiles and brilliant energy. * A Huge Thank You * Events like this don’t happen without a massive team effort behind the scenes: • To Mrs. Govan and Mrs. Wilkinson: Thank you for your tireless dedication, your lunchtime rehearsals, and for championing our young vocalists every step of the way. • To our Parents and Carers: Thank you for braving the cold at the arena to cheer them on! Your support in the stands means the world to the children (and to us). Our children represented the school perfectly tonight, behaving impeccably. They truly found their voices! What little superstars!