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History in Year 4
In our history lesson today, Year 4 explored why trading was important to the Vikings. They had to describe what the Vikings traded with, identify trading routes and find out if the Vikings should be classed as traders or raiders. We found out that traders journeyed across Europe and obtained and exchanged many different types of goods that included honey, glass, pottery vessels, metals and animal fur.
Year 4 - Science: Volume & Amplitude
In Year 4, we are currently studying sound through our science lessons. This week, we were investigating the connection between amplitude and volume. We learned that volume is the loudness of sound and is measured in decibels, and that amplitude measures the height of the sound waves. After playing some digital simulations, we saw that when we increased the volume, the height of the sound waves increased. We then conducted an investigation into whether the height from which an object is dropped would affect the volume of the sound created on impact with the base. The children dropped a marble onto a drum from increasing heights and used a data logger to measure the volume in decibels. They recorded their results and then presented them in a line graph ready to discuss their findings.
Year 4 - PE: Sprint and Relay
This week in athletics, the Year 4 class applied the sprinting skills they have learned and developed new skills for taking part in relay races. They began with an aerobic warm up and played chase games to develop correct arm positioning for successful baton exchange. This was followed by some practice with batons, transferring them from one team mate to another as smoothly and seamlessly as possible. Their aim was to be able to pass and receive a baton whilst moving. Once the children had had a chance to develop this skill, they put it into practice through team races. They had all improved dramatically by the end of the lesson.
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Year 4 - Linking Schools: Zoom Meeting
We had the great pleasure of working with our link class at St Matthew’s again this week, on a Zoom call. During this session, we played Rock, Paper, Scissors and Acts of Kindness Charades. Both classes were very good at guessing the acts of kindness. We also listened to a retelling of the Starfish Story and joined in with the actions. The children thoroughly enjoyed the session and they are looking forward to our final preparations before visiting St Matthew’s in June.
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
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Mad Science Club- Our Sticky Science Adventure
In today’s Mad Science After School Club, our young scientists explored the incredible world of chemistry by looking at the building blocks of everything around them! The children dove into the process of constructing and deconstructing molecules to understand how polymers are formed. Putting their knowledge to the test, the children successfully created their very own Potty Putty using simple household ingredients like PVA glue and a magic activator. By mixing these together, they witnessed a "cross-linking" reaction where liquid molecules hooked together to create a stretchy, bouncy, and gooey solid. It was a fantastic, hands-on way to see how everyday materials can be transformed into a brand-new scientific creation.
Celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s 100th Birthday in Year 4
Today we took part in a very special Picture News Worship where we celebrated Sir David Attenborough’s 100th Birthday! We found out so many amazing facts and when we looked ourselves we loved these examples; 1. He is older than sliced bread 2. He almost never became a TV presenter 3. More than 50 species are named after him 4. He once collected fossils and salamanders as a child 5. His gorilla moment became television history 6. He doesn't like rats 7. His brother was a Hollywood heavyweight 8. He never learned to drive We then listened to a special message from Sir David Attenborough and other schools had sent him some very special messages and cards. They designed these on special recycled card to work towards protecting our planet. Next we were asked to think about three things. One example was “ Why do we think Sir David has become such such a popular advocate for the natural world?” The children came up with some very thoughtful and interesting responses. Finally, a special guest visited the worship. It was Steve Backshall and he talked passionately about how Sir David has inspired him on how to look at the natural world. Year 4 loved taking part in this very special worship today and we send our best birthday wishes to Sir David Attenborough.
Year 4 - RE: Symbols of Faith
In RE this week, the children explored some typical religious features from different places of worship. Initially, nine pictures of religious features and symbols from churches, mosques and synagogues were displayed around the room and the children walked around the room, writing their best ideas around the pictures. The children then learned some information about each feature/symbol, including what it is called and its link to scripture. The children then had to match the symbols with their names and their links to scripture.
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Year 4 - Class Worship: Is It Ever Right To Lie?
A philosophical debate helped us to answer a very widely contested question in our class worship during polling week. Stephen Fry introduced the story of King Lawrence the Lion who introduced a law against telling lies of any kind. Within the story, there were examples of lies that hurt others and lies that protect others. There were also quotes from famous philosophers who have argued both sides. Then it was over to the children. In groups, the children used their talk tokens to take turns in putting forward their ideas. We focussed on the skill of summarising and so each group had a note taker who summarised the main points discussed in their groups when presenting to the rest of the class. We then considered what Jesus would say about lying. The majority of the class agreed that telling a lie can sometimes be a good thing if it spares someone being hurt.
Amazing Attendance Award- Top 10% Nationally
🌟 We’ve Struck Gold -Amazing Attendance Award 🌟 We have officially been honoured with another National School Attendance Award for the 2025/26 Spring Term to go with our 2025/26 Autumn Term Award. Thanks to the incredible dedication of our children and the unwavering support of you—our parents and carers—we have been ranked again in the Top 10% of all FFT primary schools in England. Excellent attendance isn't just about a certificate; it’s about ensuring our children have every opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed alongside their friends. Being in the top 10% nationally is a massive achievement and speaks volumes about the value our families place on education. 🙏 A Heartfelt Thank You 🙏 We know that getting the children up, ready, and through the gates every morning takes effort. This award belongs to you and your children just as much as it belongs to the school. Let’s keep this amazing momentum going into the Summer Term! 🚀 #StBarnabasProud #AttendanceMatters #TopTenPercent #SchoolSuccess
DT - Food Technology in Year 4
In our fourth DT session, we worked over two afternoons to design and make our packaging for our biscuits, make the mixture, roll and cut out, bake and then finally decorate. The children have been so creative with their designs and they were very proud of the end result! It was fair to say that it was a struggle to not gobble them up instead of taking them home.
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Master Biscuit Bakers in Year 4 Group 1
Here is the evidence that Year 4 did a marvellous job in DT with creating their very own biscuits from packaging to toppings. As you can see from their faces, they were very proud of their end product.