Whole School- Be the Change: Our Kindness Workshop
This morning, Years 1-6 took part in an inspiring 'Kindness Workshop' delivered by Krish, centred on Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote: "Be the change you want to see in the world." The children explored the three pillars of kindness, being friendly, generous, and considerate, and brainstormed simple everyday actions like smiling, sharing, hugging, complimenting, etc. We looked at powerful, real-life examples from 52 Lives, a charity founded by Jamie in 2013, including Clare from Australia and Andrea from Romania, whose £5,000 operation goal was doubled to £10,000 by kind strangers. This sparked a wonderful discussion about how fortunate we are to have the NHS in our country compared to places where healthcare is very expensive. After watching a video of a young boy comforting an upset football fan after Portugal beat France, the children learned that kindness is actually scientifically proven to make us happier, give us healthier hearts, slow down ageing, and help us live longer. Best of all, kindness is contagious; a single act can spread to 125 people! During the workshop, the children had the opportunity to share kind words with their peers in pairs. They mentioned that giving and receiving compliments felt anywhere from a bit "weird" to really "joyful". At the end of the workshop, the children had a quiz with a series of questions. Arlo, Jack, Molly, Beau, Sophia, Phoebe, Elijah, Eden, Isaac, James, Desmond, Chay, Declan, and Archie did a brilliant job answering the questions, showing great listening skills, and everyone demonstrated our 4 school rules exceptionally well. Afterwards, the children went back into their classrooms to complete their kindness activities. They had a fantastic time making chatterboxes, bracelets, letters, poems, and posters. Lots of kindness has been shared today, and we will definitely continue to share it. We must remember that kindness doesn't cost anything, so we should all use it more.
Year 3- PSHE- Spreading Kindness
After our 'Kindness Workshop', we put our values into practice by creating personal postcards for each other. Every child took the time to write down kind words, compliments and encouraging messages for a student. It was wonderful to see everyone's faces as they handed out the cards and read the thoughtful messages from their peers. This workshop was a fantastic reminder of how a few small, kind words can make a big difference and help us look after one another in our school community.
Wraparound Care is coming to St Barnabas!
🎉 Exciting News! On-Site Wraparound Care is Coming to St Barnabas! 🎉 We are delighted to announce that starting in September 2026, we will be offering our own on-site wraparound care service, exclusively for our children! We have partnered with Progressive (formerly Progressive Sports) to deliver high-quality, activity-focused care right here on school grounds. Progressive is the perfect fit because: They provide a strong sports element, creative, wellness, and discovery activities—all popular choices from our parent survey! We will be working closely with them to ensure their provision meets the same high expectations for behaviour and support that we maintain during school hours. Affordable & Flexible Options: We’ve negotiated affordable rates and flexible sessions for our families: Breakfast Club (7:30 am–8:55 am, including breakfast): £5.00 per session. After School Club (3:20/3:30 pm–6:00 pm, including a snack): £8.00 per session. Reduced Session Price: Only £6.00 if attending after a school enrichment club! A 10% sibling discount is available, and Tax-free/Universal Credit childcare vouchers are accepted. Progressive will also offer holiday clubs during some school breaks. We are confident this new service will offer affordable, convenient and high-quality care. Please read the attached letter for further information.
Year 3- Class Worship- Do We Learn More From Winning or Losing?
Today in class worship, we explored a news story about the recent Men’s FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, where Manchester City and Chelsea competed. We used this event to reflect on the question: "Do we learn more from winning or losing?" Under our theme "More Than a Winner," we focused on the Christian value of Faith and read from 1 Corinthians 9:24–25, which compares life and faith to running a challenging race. We discussed how, while only one team can walk away with the physical trophy, the true value of any competition lies in giving our absolute best, developing self-control, and building an honest character. During our group discussions, the children shared that we learn more from losing, but it's great to win too. We noted that while winning is thrilling, losing often teaches us the most valuable lessons about effort, resilience, and how we can improve next time. We even reflected on an inspiring quote from footballer Mohamed Salah, who shared that he always looks at his weaknesses and works on them to become a better person and player. To close our worship, we sang the historic hymn "Abide With Me" as a moment of unity and reflection, and said a final prayer asking for the strength to persevere, to value our shared efforts, and to always choose kindness and integrity.
.png)
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.
Whole School Worship - Pentecost
This week, Tuesday’s worship focussed on the Christian celebration of Pentecost. Mrs Ham began by asking the children what they remember about Pentecost, to which some children replied, “When the Holy Spirit came”, “Fire on people’s heads” and “When they spoke in different languages”. We watched a film about a group of pandas waiting for a special gift of some new musical instruments. They woke very early for the delivery but they had the wrong day and the gift wasn’t due until the day after. They had a bedtime story about Jesus’ disciples waiting for a wonderful gift, but they were unsure when it would arrive. Suddenly a strong wind blew and they all had flames on their heads and a warm feeling inside, they knew God’s power had struck them and he was living inside their hearts. Jesus will always be with them and he asked them to always be with him as he was with them. They ran into the streets and Peter shouted to the people that Jesus had rescued them and that Jesus’ love is never breaking and always and forever. Even though not everyone could speak the same language, they all still understood Peter’s words. Mrs Ham told us that Pentecost is also known as the birthday of the church. We all then sang one of our favourite hymns, “He Is Alive” to finish our Pentecost celebration.
Year 3- R.E- Exploring Religions and their values.
Today in R.E., Year 3 explored four religions, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, by looking closely at their unique places of worship, such as the Gurdwara, Mandir, Vihara, and Mosque, as well as the core rules that guide their followers. The children were incredibly inquisitive throughout the session, asking lots of questions as they discovered the many striking similarities these faiths share, such as the commitment to charity and a deep respect for community and life. The lesson concluded with a thoughtful discussion on why all religions have rules in the first place, helping the students understand that these guidelines aren't just restrictions, but are designed to provide moral guidance, encourage peace and harmony, and help believers practise spiritual discipline.
Year 3 Botanical Drawings-Inspired by Yellena James
For their final piece of artwork, the Year 3 artists have developed and applied a comprehensive range of foundational drawing skills. The children began by analysing form, successfully contrasting geometric shapes within the classroom environment with organic, irregular shapes found in nature. Through structured practice, they developed essential pencil control, learning to sketch lightly to allow for continuous refinement, while utilising complex lines and marks to convey texture and detail. Furthermore, the children mastered shading techniques to effectively represent light and shadow. These skills were directly applied through the close observation and drawing of both fresh and artificial flowers. Heavily inspired by the organic, intricate style of artist Yellena James, the children successfully integrated line, shape, and tone into imaginative botanical drawings.
Mad Science After School Club-Cosmic Bubbles
In the final lesson for the after-school club today, our future scientists explored the final frontier. They looked at planets, stars, and crashing meteorites before the children invented and named their very own galaxies. They then used straws to blow bubbling, frothy cosmic art to represent their creations. It was a wonderfully messy and out-of-this-world way to finish a fantastic term of 'Mad Science Club'.
Year 3- The Big Debate Club- Is it better to preserve traditions or embrace progress?
In class today, we took part in the Big Debate Club to discuss whether it is better to preserve traditions or embrace progress. Led by Harry and Charlie, the session was a fantastic showcase of oracy skills, with everyone focusing on active listening and critical thinking to weigh up both sides of the argument. The discussion explored how traditions provide us with a vital sense of identity and stability, while progress allows us to evolve and fix the mistakes of the past. We also celebrated our success in raising £163 for the big bake sale.
Year 3- French- Learning about the French Traditions
In French class today, Year 3 focused on revising key questions and developing retrieval skills through a match-up task. The children explored the cultural side of the language by learning about famous traditions and festivals in various French-speaking countries, discussing why the French language is so globally significant.
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.
.png)