Whole School Worship - St Paul: Amazing Grace
In Rev Ben's collective worship this week, he started by asking us all to think of the most important thing someone ever said to us. The children shared examples of words of wisdom and good news, such as being told about a new sibling. Rev Ben shared some of the most important words St Paul ever said about the grace of God and being justified by Jesus's death, resurrection and ascension. He used role play to explain the complicated concept of grace and that God's grace isn't something which can be earned. The children acted out scenarios in which someone received something by working for it, and someone received the same thing just because the person chose to give it to them. Rev Ben went on to say that God's love is given to us all; we don't have to earn it. He reminded us that friendship with God develops from faith in Jesus.
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Year 5 - Striking and Fielding
Today, Year 5 continued their unit on striking and fielding, focusing more closely on striking the ball with accuracy and exploring tactics to use effectively during gameplay. The children worked on improving their hand-eye coordination, positioning and decision-making skills, applying these in small team games to develop a deeper understanding of both attacking and defensive strategies.
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Year 5 - Year of Prayer
As part of this week’s Year of Prayer reflections, the children took time to think about their personal and collective achievements over the past year. They each cut out shapes to represent something they were proud of—whether it was a goal they had reached, a skill they had developed or a moment that made them feel proud. These shapes were then displayed on the classroom windows, coming together to form a vibrant and meaningful collage that celebrates all we have accomplished as a class community.
Friday Celebration Worship
This morning's worship reflected on a very busy, yet rewarding week. all of our children got the opportunity to transition into their new year groups, we welcomed our new Reception starters into school, our Year 2 and Year 4 students enjoyed their visit to St Barnabas Church and many children also participated in another engaging Cre8ability session. Mrs. Govan thanked all entrants for the recent Rota Kids Art Competition, congratulating Luna, Beau, Olivia, Skye, Alayna, Lyla in EYFS/KS1 and Naomi and Edward in KS2, whose artwork will be displayed at the Darwen Heritage Centre over the Summer holidays. Our athletes achieved great success: Our Year 3 ,4 5 & 6 Athletics squad were winners at Witton Athletics on Monday evening, and a group of Year 3 and 4 children excelled in the Quad Kids competition, qualifying for the Lancashire School Games at UCLAN next Tuesday! We also celebrated our individual value award winners: Annie, Hendrix, Oliver, Noah and Carter in EYFS/KS1 and Lana, Isabelle and Grace in KS2 for consistently following Barny’s 4Bs and showing growth. Additionally, Year 1 and Year 3 were attendance winners, India Mill was the overall Value Award Winner, and Olivia, Leo, Lilly earned their pen licenses. We then congratulated our out of school achievers. Well done to Beau, Thea, Annie and Olivia for achieving their Explorers badge at Rainbows and Annie for being awarded Olivia at Rainbows, Thea for being a super gymnast, Willow for achieving backwards flip on the bars at gymfinity and for showing extreme kindness by donating her beautiful long hair to the Princess Trust, Reggie for achieving 20m in his swimming, Marley for ‘Star of the Day’ at the Edstart Multi-Sports Club for super listening and demonstrating outstanding dodgeball skill, Harry for showing super skill and teamwork in a football tournament and Mason for working towards the purple stage at The Darts Academy. To finish our worship, we had some beautiful prayers from Harry, Lilly and Callie who prayed for those in the midst of conflict and war, homeless people and those in Heaven. Mrs Ham wished us all a lovely restful weekend and we had a singalong to ‘The School Rules Song’.
Marvellous move up day!
We have had a super ‘move up day’ today and all of the children have met their new teachers and took part in lots of different transition activities. It was wonderful to welcome our new Reception class and their parents into our school family too this morning.
Whole School Worship with Rev.Matt
Today’s worship began with an exciting race, where three pairs of children took part — each child carrying a partner on their back. This fun activity led us into our Bible story: “Was Paul worried?” In the story, we saw how Paul remained strong — not just for himself, but for others too. Even in difficult times, he encouraged and supported those around him. We reflected on the idea that sometimes, we are called to look after others, especially in important or challenging situations. The children then discussed the questions: How are others strong for you? How can you be strong for someone else this week? To conclude our worship, we were reminded that being strong doesn’t always mean being the loudest or the fastest — sometimes, true strength is shown through kindness, patience and standing by someone when they need us most. We left worship thinking about how we can be a source of strength and support for others in the week ahead.
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Year 5-6 Transition Day
Today, Year 5 enjoyed their transition day as they prepare to move into Year 6. The day was filled with creative and reflective activities to help the children begin thinking about the exciting journey ahead. They started by creating self-portraits, celebrating their individuality and recognising the unique qualities they will bring to Year 6. Next, they designed their own personalised hoodies — a fun and expressive way to mark the beginning of their final year at primary school. Each design reflected their personality, interests and the confidence they’re developing as they grow. Finally, the children designed their own Achievement Jars, filling them with hopes, goals and things they want to accomplish in the coming year — both personal and academic. This thoughtful activity encouraged them to set intentions and aim high, reminding them that Year 6 is not only a time to shine, but also a chance to grow.
Year 5 - Human Life Cycle
During this science lesson on the human life cycle, the children explored the stages of growth from birth to adulthood, with a particular focus on the rapid development that occurs during infancy. After discussing key milestones in a baby’s first year—such as weight gain, increasing height and motor skill development—the class worked collaboratively to interpret a set of data showing the monthly growth of a baby. Using this information, they constructed line graphs to visually represent changes in height and weight over time. The activity helped reinforce their understanding of how humans change and grow during the early stages of life.
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Darwen Primary Schools Athletics Winners 2025
We are so immensely proud of our amazing athletics squad for winning the Darwen Primary School Athletics at Witton Park tonight! They showed so much determination and put in a great deal of effort, as well as showing fantastic encouragement to each other. A huge thank you to Mrs Gardner for her coaching and organising all of the paperwork. Thanks also to Mrs Araujo, Miss Kachwalla and Mr Prescott for their support and for being great marshals. Thank you to our parents and carers for your support and for transporting your child. I am one proud Headteacher tonight! We might be small, but we are mighty! All of the photos can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/witton-athletics-winners-2025
KS2 Racket Sports Club
As part of the KS2 Racket Sports Club, the children focused on table tennis. They developed essential skills such as hand-eye coordination, agility and quick reflexes. Through a range of fun and competitive activities, the children learned how to serve, rally and score. The children gradually improved their technique and confidence. The club also encouraged teamwork, sportsmanship and resilience, as they supported each other in developing their gameplay and understanding of the sport.
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Friday Celebration Worship
This morning, we kicked off our worship by looking back at our incredibly busy yet fantastic week, focusing on how we can all flourish together. The stories of the Unforgiving Servant and the Earth Shake were central, allowing us to explore the Christian Value of forgiveness and the importance of seeking evidence. This week was also a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our amazing school during the SIAMS inspection on Tuesday. Mrs. Araujo took some of the children from our WOW group to the prayer tent in the old St. Paul’s Church grounds in Hoddlesden, many of our children enjoyed another fabulous cre8ability, Forest School, Multi-Sports and Choir session and our Year 1 and Year 4 gained valuable insights from an environmental workshop about waste and recycling. Then came the well-deserved recognition for our students! We proudly congratulated our individual value award winners: Reggie, Olly, and Eva in EYFS and KS1, and Naomi, April, Sonny, Mason, Summer, and Freddie in KS2. These children were celebrated for working exceptionally hard across the curriculum and always striving to be their best, both academically and personally. Our attendance winners were also highlighted, with huge congratulations to Year 1 and Year 2 for achieving an outstanding 100% attendance, and Year 4 for an impressive 99.8% attendance. Further congratulations went to India Mill, who were our overall value award winners with a fantastic 669 points, and the children in Year 5 and 6, who clinched the DPSSA Netball league final for the second year running. The celebrations didn't stop there, as we also acknowledged the amazing achievements of our children outside of school. A huge well done to Callie for being ‘Student of the Year’ at Martial Arts, Max for being ‘Player of the Week’ at Little Darreners, and Eva and Alice for representing their dance school in a recent show. Archie was recognised as the ‘Most Improved Player’ for Mill Hill Juniors Football Club, while Marley was ‘Star of the Day’ at the Ed Start Multi-Sports Club. Lydia was awarded Olivia at Rainbows for doing her promise, and Eleanor and Olivia earned a badge for their courage on rides during a trip to Gulliver's World with Rainbows. Alfie competed in a recent tournament, receiving a trophy for being part of the team that won the Europa League and also being ‘Player of the Match.’ In swimming, Jack achieved his Bronze award, Elsie and Vienna received their 200m certificate, and Naomi reached Level 5. Lyla was ‘Star of the Day’ in her lyrical, and Scarlett was named the Under 8s Coaches’ Player for 2024/2025 at Rivington Netball Club. Olivia earned a medal for her football team's unbeaten season, Desmond received the Parents’ Player trophy at football, and James was recognised for being a great team player. Daisy achieved a gold award in a recent gymnastics competition, Peyton earned her yellow belt at kickboxing, and Eliza successfully completed a recent triathlon. To conclude our worship, we were treated to some beautiful prayers from Olivia and Callie, who prayed for peace around the world and offered thanks for our beautiful world and all the wonderful people in our lives, including our school family. Mrs. Ham wished us all a lovely, restful weekend, and the worship ended on a high note with a singalong to ‘My Lighthouse’.
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Collective Worship- Seeking Truth and Evidence
Today's worship began with the children singing the song "Jesus Strong and Kind." Following the song, James, Jack, and Lily from Year 4 signed the Trinity, adding a visual element to the worship. Next, the whole school participated in a "Spot the Difference" challenge. Rev. Matt then shared a message emphasizing the importance of delving deeper to find the truth, stating that the Bible provides accounts based on evidence, not made-up stories. He read the Bible story "The Earth Shakes," with children actively participating by acting out the movements described. To encourage reflection and the concept of "living life in all its fullness," the children paired up for a "Question Time," pondering how they could find out more about Jesus. The idea was put forward that we can learn about Jesus by doing what he did and by exploring historical accounts, reflecting how deeply faith is woven into our experiences. The worship concluded with a prayer asking for help to seek evidence.