Year 6 SATs have finished!!
💙 To our wonderful, grown-up “Ducklings," As you finish your SATs week, I wanted to take a moment to tell you exactly how incredibly proud I am of every single one of you. Watching you tackle these SATs with such positivity, grit, and quiet confidence has been the absolute highlight of my year. It feels like only yesterday that most of you were my little Ducklings in Reception. Nearly seven years ago, you walked into school with oversized jumpers, perhaps a few nerves, and a lot of wonder in your eyes. Back then, we were celebrating small victories like lining up straight or learning to write our very first letters. The transformation from those tiny Ducklings into the confident leaders and role models of the school you are today is nothing short of amazing. It has been great to have so many wonderful additions to our class throughout the years too. You have grown in so many ways that a test paper could never measure: * Your Kindness: The way you support one another when things get tough. * Your Resilience: How you’ve bounced back from challenges over the years including lockdowns and remote learning. * Your Character:The unique, funny, and brilliant individuals you have become, with a dash of sass! While these tests are a way to show what you know, they don’t show who you really are. They don't capture your talents in art, your skills on the sports field, your beautiful singing voices, or the way you make your friends laugh. You have navigated this week with your heads held high and I’ve loved that you have been more focused on our breakfasts together being of the ‘highest quality! than worrying about the tests. You aren't just "ready" for the next chapter; you are going to soar. Once a Duckling, always a Duckling—but my goodness, what magnificent wings you have grown! Well done, Year 6! Roll on the London trip and your Greatest Showman Production!! With much love and admiration, Mrs Ham 💙 P.S. A huge thank you to your parents for their amazing support throughout your time at St Barnabas. P.P.S A massive thank you to every single staff member that has played a special part in your journey throughout your time at St Barnabas. A special thanks to Mr Bloomfield, Mrs Irshad and Mrs Pendlebury for their support leading up to and during the SATs. What a fabulous team!
Year 6 Junior Jam - French
This week in French, year 6 have been practising adjectives to express the reasons for their interest in a particular job. The children thought about which jobs they would/would not like to do in the future, using adjectives to explain why. They also had fun playing a few class games, trying to describe and guess each other's jobs.
Year 6 - What does community mean to us?
This week in PSHE, Year 6 explored the meaning of “community” and reflected on the important role communities play in our lives. The children had mature and thoughtful discussions, sharing that communities help us to feel a sense of belonging, purpose, love, friendship and support. The children recognised that we are all part of many different communities, including our families, school, friendship groups, sports teams, clubs, faith groups and local neighbourhoods. Each child designed and decorated their own jigsaw piece to represent the different communities they belong to and the people who are important to them. The pieces were then joined together as a whole class puzzle, creating a wonderful visual reminder that although we are all unique, we each play an important part in the Year 6 community. The activity encouraged the children to celebrate both individuality and togetherness, reinforcing the importance of inclusion and connection within our school community.
Year 6 Junior Jam - Computing
Year 6 have enjoyed another lesson working on their remixes of popular songs, using the 'GarageBand' app, adding more live loops and altering the tempo and key of the song. They all enjoyed listening to each other's songs.
Year 6 - Expressing our views of Jesus
Today during our RE session, the children focused on expressing their own views and understanding of Jesus. They explored how Jesus can represent guidance, hope, love and faith in people’s lives. Using creativity and reflection, the children designed and created their own crosses to symbolise their personal interpretations of Jesus and what He means to them. The children thoughtfully selected different images and symbols to include in their designs, such as lighthouses to represent guidance and safety, pathways to symbolise direction and following the right path, gates to show welcome and new beginnings and flowers and elements of nature to reflect beauty, growth, peace and creation. The activity encouraged the children to think deeply about their beliefs and express their ideas in a meaningful and imaginative way.
🌟 Good Luck, Year 6! 🌟
A massive well done to our incredible Year 6 pupils who have officially kicked off their SATs week! 🚀 We are so proud of the effort and determination you’ve shown throughout your preparations. This morning, it was wonderful to see everyone enjoying a relaxing breakfast together, fueling up and sharing some smiles before the hard work began. You tackled the first two tests today with such confidence and enthusiasm—keep that positive energy going! ✨ A Quick Reminder... While we want you to do your best, always remember: SATs do not measure everything. > They don’t measure your kindness, your creativity, your athletic talents, or the amazing person you are becoming. You’ve got this, Year 6! Get some rest tonight, and we’ll see you tomorrow for round two. 💪📚✨ #Year6 #SATsWeek #ProudSchool #Determination #GoodLuck
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Smart School Councillors Raise £163 for 'The Brain Tumour Research'.
A huge thank you to all the parents and children for your incredible support at our recent bake sale; thanks to your generosity, we successfully raised £163.00 for ' The Brain Tumour Charity'. Our Smart School Councillors did a fantastic job organising the event and helping with the baking, resulting in an impressive spread of 180 biscuits and 100 fairy cakes. These funds will make a huge difference, allowing us to pay for 10 DNA preservation tubes and provide much-needed comfort to a child following their diagnosis by sending them a Brainy Bag and a cuddly bear. We are so proud of our students hard work and grateful to our wonderful community for helping us provide this vital support.
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
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Bee Stinger Netball Heat Winners
This evening we took part in the Bee Stinger Netball Heats down at Darwen Vale High School. Many of Team B had never played Bee Stingers before but they worked hard and managed to come out heat winners! We are so proud of how they conducted themselves showing respect and resilience the whole way through.
River Darwen Disco
Today, River Darwen enjoyed their disco and came in their own clothes to celebrate earning the most Value Points last half term. Thank you DJ Bloomfield for hosting!
Year 6 - Fair Trade
Today during our geography lesson, Year 6 explored the importance of fair trade and the vital role it plays within global trade. We began with an oracy-based diagnostic question, which enabled the children to make meaningful links to prior learning, particularly around import and export. This discussion helped to surface their existing understanding and misconceptions. Following this, the children developed their geographical knowledge by creating a heatmap of the world. The children identified and coloured countries that participate in purchasing fair trade products, allowing them to visualise global patterns and consider which regions are more actively involved in supporting fair trade practices. To deepen their understanding, we also discussed why fair trade is important, including how it supports producers in developing countries, promotes ethical trading practices and contributes to more sustainable livelihoods. The children engaged thoughtfully with these ideas and demonstrated an increasing awareness of their role as global citizens.
Year 6 - Managing Exam Stress
During our Year 6 class worship, we discussed how to manage exam stress as the children approach their SATs. We talked about how these feelings are completely normal and explored practical ways to cope with them, such as taking time to relax, talking to someone we trust and keeping a positive mindset. We also reflected on the importance of trying our best without putting too much pressure on ourselves. We reminded ourselves that tests do not define who we are, we are all unique individuals with many strengths, talents and qualities beyond the classroom.