SPECIAL EVENTS
Prayer Space Day: July 2023
It was such a wonderful day, Prayer Space Day. So many activities and ways to pray from saying the Lord's Prayer with a parachute, or learning it in sign language to making a light house. Thank you to our staff, Revd Julie, governors and volunteers who helped to make the day the memorable day that it was.
A skittle prayer
Saying 'The Lord's Prayer' in British Sign Language
'The Lord's Prayer' with a parachute!
End of KS2 Production 2023: Pirates of the Curry Bean
Shiver mi timbers - what a fantastic production by our Year 5 and in particular Year 6 pupils. It was a long show - over an hour, yet they never took a prompt and sung their little hearts out. They danced too. And oh my goodness, how we laughed. Well done!
Sports Day: July 2023
Another great day of good teamwork and children competing against each other. All children wanted to do well but also encouraged each other. We also enjoyed using our running track for the first time. The weather was kind and the parents all enjoyed it. Good day.
Y6 to Winmarleigh
A great time was had by all our Year 6 pupils for their 4 night stay at Winmarleigh PGL. The big swing of course is always a favourite! Thank you to Mrs White and Mrs Lahey who went with the children this year whilst Mr Haines was on paternity leave.
Singing Group Performance: An Old Time Music Hall
I was SO impressed with the children who took part in this performance. We have been learning the songs for a Victorian style Old Time Music Hall from September in our after-school singing club. Along the way, some children left the group, but we were left with 16 enthusiastic and talented children aged from Year 3 to Year 6 who fully engaged with the concept. We added movement, costumes, comedy and sketches. Parents were fully involved and came up to take part in Old McDuckworth's farm (hilarious), Chick chick chick chick chicken and the Lambeth Walk. They even joined in with the singing of 'Down at the Old Bull and Bush' at the end. The children got a well deserved standing ovation. I was SO proud of them.
This is some of the feedback received from a parent...
I just wanted to email you to say WOW and a big WELL DONE to you all. The huge amount of work you have put in was obvious for all to see and the audience were kept entertained from start to finish. The children watching the production must get a mention too, fantastic behaviour! Thank you
Below are a couple of videos and some images. If you want to see more videos go to our 'singing group' page in Extra-curricular activities (here)
Visiting author: Brian Beresford
Brian is a former headteacher of Barrowford St Thomas. He is now an author and offered a free session to share his book, plus share some music (he is a good pianist). He was great and the children from Y2 to Y6 were fully engaged for an hour.
The Grand Opening of our running track: May 2023
Having received £10K from Northstone and Peel L and P, plus £1000 from our PTFA FOSTS, we have managed to build a new running track on our school field. Our field has always been too wet and muddy to use throughout the year, so we are delighted that our children can now access this space in all weathers throughout the year to improve their fitness - and have fun! We had a grand opening ceremony on Friday 12th May, a super way to celebrate the end of SATs week! The running track was opened by our MP, The Right Honourable Andrew Stephenson. Following a competition, the track was named 'The Right Track' by our Year 2 winner, Sienna. As Sienna said, all the students in St Thomas including herself are on the right track in their education. It is important to exercise, to keep healthy and fit and that will happen if you are on the right track! Well done Sienna. Each year group ran around the track to their chosen piece of music. We also invited staff and pupils from Barrowford Primary who we hope will also be able to use our track and leaders of the uniformed organisations from our church who we hope will use the track in the evenings and at weekends. We want our track to be enjoyed by the community, not just by us. The afternoon ended with all staff and children enjoying an ice-cream, again paid for by Northstone and Peel L and P. Thank you!
Red, white and blue day - celebrating the King's coronation: May 2023
On Friday we organised a special day to celebrate King Charles III Coronation. We learnt all about the coronation and the coronation regalia. We dressed in red, white and blue and enjoyed a lot of artistic activities. We even enjoyed a special coronation dinner.
Pendle Music Service: April 2023
We were delighted to welcome members of Pendle Music Service into school. They played a variety of instruments for the children and encouraged them to start music lessons.
Egg decorating competition: March 2023
We were overwhelmed, as always with the standard and creativity of the entrants for our egg decorating competition. Well done to our worthy winners who all received 'The Real Easter Egg'. Thank you to Mrs Bleasdale, one of our parent governors, who had the hard job of judging all of them!
Easter Service: March 2023
All the school went over to church for our Easter Service. Thank you Revd Julie for leading it, alongside our headboy and headgirl who did the reading, our singing group who sang 'Once Again' so beautifully and our worship group who wrote their own prayers for the service.
Class 1 spring play: Tickle my Prickles: March 2023
Parents and the school thoroughly enjoyed Class 1's performance of their spring play 'Tickle my Prickles' where a hedgehog, upon waking from hibernation meets the daffodils, lambs, ducks and chicks, frogs, rabbits and a girl hedgehog. Wonderful acting and singing from our youngest children. Well done everyone. Parents and grandparents thoroughly enjoyed the performance and also enjoyed hot-cross buns and a cup of tea!
Sign Language Week: March 2023
As part of Sign Language week, our school (classes 2, 3 and 4) took part in the UK's largest British Sign Language Lesson. The children are really enjoying learning sign language and from the summer term, we will be offering an after-school sign language club led by Miss Crawford who has passed her Level 1 and 2 training with ‘Signature’ British Sign Language Awarding Body.
World Book Day: March 2023
Our celebration of World Book Day is always enjoyable; we spent the day focusing on books and stories and we enjoyed seeing the children dress up as their favourite characters. All the children brought in their favourite book to share with their class.
Ash Wednesday: February 2023
We were pleased to return to church for our Ash Wednesday Service Most children and staff chose to have ash on their forehead. Revd Julie led the service and helped the children understand the importance of this special service.
Football champions 2022-23!
A tremendous well done to our fabulous Y6 football team who have finished their season as joint winners of the 2022-23 CVL 'Legends'. The boys also won the penalty shootout competition too. A terrific performance from each and every one of them!
Chinese New Year Golden Day: February 2023
This was a great day. All the children focused on Chinese New Year. As part of this they all participated in a Music Service Chinese music and drumming workshop which also included a Chinese Dragon. One parent sent me an email to say that her son had said it was the best day ever and thanked us for organising this special day. Lovely to hear.
Bolton Octagon Theatre Visit: January 2023
All our KS2 pupils thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the Bolton Octagon Theatre in January to watch 'A Christmas Carol'. At Barrowford St Thomas, we believe that all our pupils should have the opportunity to watch a professional theatrical production in a professional theatre, especially a production that includes live music. All the actors were also musicians and played various instruments throughout the show.
Carol Service: December 2022
Well done to our Year 6 pupils, our worship group and our singing group who led our Carol Service in St Thomas' church so beautifully.
Christmas Fair: December 2022
For the first time since COVID and the first time ever in our school building, we organised and ran an extremely successful Christmas Fair on Friday after school. The Fair was very well attended. Father Christmas visited us and there were many stalls and activities. This followed our Christmas jumper day on 2nd December, when all children brought in some chocolate or a bottle for the Fair.
As for the classes, each class engaged in a maths enterprise project leading up to the fair. They designed something to sell and considered all the costs before setting a price. These are the profits that each class made (bearing in mind that Reception is a much smaller class).
Class 1 A profit of £33.91 WELL DONE!
Class 2 A profit of £63.01 WELL DONE!
Class 3 A profit of £64.20 WELL DONE!
Class 4 A profit of £90.67 FANTASTIC AND OUR MATHS ENTERPRISE WINNERS 2022!
Altogether we raised £1050 for school which is fantastic!
Our Infant Nativity December 2022: 'Whoops-a-daisy angel'
Congratulations to all of Class 2 who performed 'Whoops-a-daisy' angel so beautifully, both in church and in the church. They learnt all the words, acted, sang and danced so well. It was so lovely to be back in church again, after a long break due to COVID.
Scholastic Book Fair: November 2022
For the first time, we organised a Scholastic Book Fair in school. It was well supported and we sold enough books to raise £350 in commission. This will be spent on new books for our whole class reading (in KS2) and our school library.
We love reading!
Anti-Bullying Week and Odd Socks Day November 2022
The week beginning 15th November is Anti-bullying week.
This year’s theme was: REACH OUT
The theme of Reach Out came about following consultation with teachers and pupils by the Anti-Bullying Alliance which coordinates Anti-Bullying Week every year in England and Wales. Teachers and children wanted a theme that empowered them to do something positive to counter the harm and hurt that bullying causes.
We started our anti-bullying week with 'Odd Socks Day'. It was a great way to celebrate what makes us all unique. Below are some photos of our children during 'Odd Socks Day'!
Remembrance Sunday November 2022
On Sunday 13th November, our headboy and headgirl represented our school. They laid a wreath at Barrowford Memorial Park as part of Remembrance Sunday's memorial service at 12 noon.
Diversity Day: October 2022
On the last day of the first half term we held a Diversity Day in school.
As part of this special day we invited ‘Grandad Wheels’ to come to our school. ‘Grandad Wheels’, Brian Abram is an author. During his visit to school he read his funny stories to all our children. In Brian’s books, he tells hilarious stories of his silly adventures with his grandson. His books aim to show that anyone in a wheelchair can have fun and be fun to be with. Brian is a full-time wheelchair user and he talked to the children about what it is like to be disabled.
In addition to ‘Grandad Wheels’, our very own Miss Crawford taught the children some sign language as she is currently studying sign language outside of school and gaining a qualification.
All our pupils to came to school in non-uniform and had CRAZY HAIR to show that we are all different, unique and special.
Clog Dancing: October 2022
Again, as part of Class 4's autumn 1 topic, 'Trouble at t'mill' we had a fantastic morning learning a traditional Lancashire Clog dance. We were taught by Jenny Reeves, a Lancashire based Dance Artist. The children loved it! Also Jenny was extremely complimentary. This is what she said.
'WOW weren’t they brilliant! The class picked up the clogging faster than any class I have EVER taught, and I have done this a great deal. I hope you are really pleased and I hope the children got a lot out of the day. We talked a lot about how Scottish and Irish traditions are remembered and Lancashire not so much and there were a few children who are going to go home and ask for a pair of clogs so I’m thrilled to bits.'
Well done Class 4
Y6 Benchball success
Members of our Y6 cohort competed against 12 other schools as part of a Pendle Sports Partnership after school event at Pendle Vale. Our children were great competitors and won all of their matches. Well done!
Folk Singer in Class 4: October 2022
As part of Class 4's autumn 1 topic, we were lucky enough to be visited by Richard Moss a local folk musician. Richard performed some traditional songs from the Mills, helped us to unpick the meanings behind some of the lyrics and encouraged us to join in with a good old sing song! Please take a look at the photos and especially the videos on Class 4's page.
Educational Visits: autumn 1
Thus far, this term Class 3 have visited Brockholes Nature Reserve in Preston for an outdoor activity day focusing on the stone age. This including shelter building and fire lighting.
Class 2 have walked into Barrowford as part of their local history topic. They have also been over to church for a 'baptism' led by Revd Julie.
Class 1 have visited Eureka in Halifax for a wonderful day of exploration.
Class 4 visited Helmshore Mill as part of their 'Trouble at t'mill' topic focusing on the cotton industry in East Lancashire.
For further information and photos, please visit the class sites.
Harvest Festival: Tuesday 4th October 2022
All our children took part in our annual Harvest Festival in church on Tuesday. Class 1 and Class 2 sang a Harvest Song; Class 3 told us about the importance of education and Class 4 told us about the 2022 Bishop's Appeal which this year is focusing on the work of the Mothers' Union in Burundi. At the end of the service, we took a collection and raised £126.90 which is an incredible amount. Well done all. Thank you also to everyone who donated food which will be given to the Food: Pendle Food For All Food Club.
Education Sunday: Sunday 25th September 2022
Parents and children all attended worship on Sunday to celebrate the world of education. Mrs Duckworth played the piano; our children were readers and led the prayers. The singing group also sang 'Colours of Day'. Thank you to everyone who attended.
Platinum Jubilee event
When we returned after our extended half-term holiday, we had our special Jubilee celebrations in school. For three days we learnt all about the Queen, her history and the importance of the Platinum Jubilee. Our whole-school project culminated with a whole-school 'street' party on our back yard. We ate a special party tea, sang the National Anthem, waved the Union Flag and watched our Reception class act out the Queen's coronation.
Groundforce Morning
On Saturday morning, 23rd April, a group of parents (organised by FOSTS) and the headteacher came into school to start planting trees and a hawthorn hedge as we begin to prepare our new Forest Schools area. FOSTS are currently fund-raising and we look forward to being able to use our Forest School Area next academic year. Thank you to everyone who came and offered their support on a Saturday morning.
'Decorate an egg' competition
We had a great number of fantastic and creative entries for our 'decorate an egg' competition as part of our Easter celebrations. One entry was a staffroom with all the teachers which included Mrs Lahey an egg, Mrs Weggans, Miss Eggans, Mr Free Haines egg, Mrs Egg White and of course, Mrs Duckegg!
There was a winner for each year group. The prize was the 'Real Easter Egg' which is Fair Trade chocolate and contains the Easter story. There was also a special commendation prize for one entry which was absolutely huge!
We would like to thank our Chair of Governors, Mrs Cath Ogden for coming in to be our guest judge. She had a very difficult job!
Blue and Yellow day: In support of Ukraine and refugees
We held a blue and yellow day on Monday 21st March to show our support for Ukraine. We focused on the plight of the refugees especially children who are refugees. We made it clear to children that there are refugees from all over the world who are fleeing dangerous situations. All the children were given a piece of blue and yellow ribbon on which to write or just say prayers to hang in our outdoor prayer space. In our after-school art and textile club, the children created blue and yellow bunting. Parents were invited to make contributions to the Ukraine Disasters appeal or to Save the Children.
World Book Day
A chance to celebrate once again, the joy of reading for pleasure. The children (and staff) dressed up as book characters and in many cases, brought the linked book into school. Some parents came into school to read a story to the children.
Class 4 Sponsored Silence:
Class 4 completed a sponsored silence on the morning of Friday 16th March to raise money jointly for the Rainforest Trust and for UNICEF in support of children displaced by conflict. They raised an incredible £755.50 which we have split between these two excellent causes. As part of our silence, we even completed a silent play time! Take a look at the video below:
Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday
On Shrove Tuesday, pancakes were made by our school cook and we also made them in our after school club (Funzone).
To mark the beginning of Lent, all the children and staff went over to church for an Ash Wednesday service. After the sermon led by Revd Julie, we were all invited to receive the ashes in the shape of the cross on our foreheads.
Visit of the Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire: February 2022
On 24th February, we were delighted to be visited by the Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire. He came in to speak to all our children about the Queen and her Platinum Jubilee. After worship, a group of children (a representative from every year group) went outside with the Deputy Lieutenant to plant a tree to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.
Learning about money: A day with HSBC bank
Denise Postlethwaite from HSBC bank spent a day in our school talking to all classes about managing and understanding money (in an age-appropriate way). For example, in KS1, Mrs Postlethwaite read the children a modern fairy-tale about how Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel learnt how to earn and spend money wisely. The children looked at and sorted out different coins and even learnt that notes have braille on them to help blind people recognise them easily. The children were also introduced to new vocabulary related to spending and borrowing money.
Athletics success! Spring 2022
Congratulations to our athletics team who reached the Lancashire School Games, small school Sportshall athletics county finals 2022.
The finals took place in Blackpool on Tuesday 8th March (am) and we came fourth out of twelve schools. We are very proud of our team!
Red White and Blue Day: February 2022
On February 6th, Queen Elizabeth became the first British monarch to reach a platinum jubilee - 70 years on the throne.
On Friday 11th February, we celebrated by having a special 'red, white and blue' day.
Our children were encouraged to come to school on the day, dressed as a monarch, or they could come to school wearing red, white and blue. FOSTS also provided a cake for every child to enjoy.
It was a day full of fun and learning, with a major focus on history, English and mathematics.
Amazing Theatre experiences: December 2021
'Peter Pan' at Bolton Octagon and 'The Snow Queen' performed by Quantum Theatre group in school
In December, all of KS2 thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Bolton Octagon theatre to watch 'Peter Pan'.
All of our infants enjoyed watching 'The Snow Queen' performed by Quantum Theatre in school (a professional touring company who come into schools). Year 2 had been studying the story of 'The Snow Queen' in their literacy lessons as part of their 'Winter Wonderland' topic.
Filming a tour of our school December 2021
Our headboy and headgirl have had a great time with a professional film crew, filming a virtual tour of our school, as one of our parents is a TV producer.
On our home page is the completed video tour - enjoy!
Poetry Recital Day October 2021
We enjoyed learning poems to perform in our special poetry recital day. Our Chair of Governors, Cath Ogden was our special guest judge. We chose winners from Classes 2, 3 and 4 and the overall winners were Class 4
Our new library
We are delighted to show you our new library which was fitted at the very beginning of this term. The old has been cleared away (including many, many old books) and we are so pleased with the result. We have also been able to recycle the old library shelves and they are now being used around the school.
We would like to say an enormous thank you to all our parents and FOSTS for raising a stunning £3K towards the cost of the library. The remainder of the money came from our Mary Pritchard fund. This fund is to be used for the benefit of all our children. I am sure you will agree that the money has been used appropriately and reflects the original spirit of the Mary Pritchard donation.
FOSTS have also donated a further £1000 to spend on new books. Now that the library has been organised and our books are back on the shelves, we can begin to see where the gaps are.
The teachers will be planning how we will access the library and the children can start to borrow books. When restrictions ease, we would like to plan an official opening.
Thank you again.
Confirmation
On Sunday 5th May, many of our Year 6 pupils were confirmed in a very special service led by the Bishop of Burnley, Bishop Philip at St Thomas' church, Barrowford. During the service, Bishop Philip laid his hands on the children's heads and asked God’s Holy Spirit to give them the strength and commitment to live God’s way for the rest of their lives.
We were so happy to see our wonderful Y6 children affirming the promises made for them during baptism and committing their lives to following Jesus Christ. The church was extremely full of friends and family, as well as the local Christian community, who all promised to support and pray for the children.
Confirm, O Lord, your servant with your Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Barrowford Treasure Trail
10 of our Y5 pupils were involved in creating a Treasure Trail of Barrowford Village alongside pupils from Barrowford Primary School. To begin with, our Y5 pupils visited Downham Village to trial a Treasure Trail which has already been written. They then visited Barrowford Village on a few occasions alongside our staff to plan a Treasure Trail for our own town. The Treasure Trail has now been completed and is available in school and in Barrowford's Tourist information. Well done to all!
