Red Barn Primary School

23/07/2026

All staff at Red Barn would like to wish all of our families a restful, safe and rejuvenating summer break. Thank you for your continued support throughout the academic year, it really has been greatly appreciated.

We look forward to welcoming your children back in September, refreshed, smiling and ready for an exciting year of learning ahead.

Please note: Tuesday 1st September is an INSET day for staff.

23/07/2026

Year 3 successfully earned their Star Jar reward this half term, and what a wonderful way to celebrate! After returning to the classroom following lunch, the children were delighted to discover that it had been transformed into a charming French café.
The tables were dressed with table runners, and the children were presented with a simple French menu featuring baguette et confiture, fromage, croissants, tarte au citron and a refreshing, cool glass of grenadine. As they sampled the delicious French treats, they enjoyed listening to relaxing Parisian café-style music, creating a truly authentic atmosphere.
The fun continued with a team challenge: using only dried spaghetti and mini marshmallows, the children worked together to design and build their own miniature Eiffel Towers. They demonstrated fantastic teamwork, creativity and problem-solving skills throughout the activity. Of course, the biggest challenge for many was resisting the temptation to eat their building materials before construction was complete!
It was a joyful afternoon filled with laughter, learning and memorable experiences, and a lovely way to celebrate a successful year together in Year 3. We are incredibly proud of all they have achieved and wish them a wonderful summer break. ☀️✨

21/07/2026

Congratulations to one of our talented Year 4 pupils, who recently took to the stage to perform in his end-of-year concert at a sold-out show at The Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth.
Having played the electric guitar for only a few years, he has achieved this through tremendous hard work, dedication and commitment. Performing alongside his bandmates from Portsmouth Rock Project, he delivered a fantastic performance in front of a packed audience.
We are incredibly proud of his achievement and the confidence, perseverance and passion he has shown. Well done! 🎸⭐

21/07/2026

The moment we're sure you've been waiting for, 'School of Pop' - Part 2

Note: Watch to the end for a nice surprise! 🍕 🎶
A huge thank you to one of our wonderful student teachers, Miss Clements, for creating and editing the brilliant bonus video at the end. We hope you enjoyed watching it as much as we enjoyed performing it!

21/07/2026

Year 4 - Design Technology:

The children were tasked with creating their own healthy, balanced and sustainable lunch. They researched healthier foods with seeds, carefully selecting the ones they'd like to use as part of their lunch, before safely chopping and peeling them and then finally they enjoyed eating them with their peers at lunch time.

21/07/2026

This week, our talented Year 6 children took to the stage to perform School of Pop – and what an incredible show it was! From fabulous backstage crew, outstanding singing and energetic dancing to brilliant acting, every performance was filled with confidence, enthusiasm, and talent.
The audience was thoroughly entertained, and it was wonderful to see the hard work and dedication of our pupils shine through. A huge well done to our amazing Year 6 cast and to all the staff who helped make the production such a success. 🌟 👏

17/07/2026

This term, our Year 6 pupils have taken an exciting step forward in their musical education by learning to play a wonderful woodwind instrument called the Toot.

What is a "Toot"?
Designed specifically as a gentle stepping stone for young musicians, the Toot is a clever, beginner-friendly instrument that helps children transition from the recorder to a traditional flute. It offers the perfect middle ground:

The Flute Experience: Children learn to hold the instrument sideways, building the proper posture and coordination required for a full-sized flute.

The Recorder Familiarity: It features a recorder-style mouthpiece, which allows the children to focus on learning fingerings and notes without the complex lip-shaping a traditional flute demands.

Rising to the Challenge:
Learning any new instrument requires a great deal of patience and coordination, and the Toot is no exception! The children worked incredibly hard to master their finger placements, memorize the notes, and play them in the correct sequence to bring their songs to life. It is no easy task to read music, blow with steady control, and move fingers in perfect rhythm all at once, but our Year 6s met the challenge beautifully. We are so proud of the determination and resilience Year 6 showed this term. It takes real focus to learn a new musical skill, and they did so with fantastic energy and enthusiasm.

A heartfelt thank you to Ms Diffey from the Hampshire Music Service (HMS) for providing such engaging, encouraging, and high-quality weekly lessons.

We hope you enjoy a look behind the scenes at the toot rehearsal, before the children performed to KS2.

16/07/2026

Year 3 Brings the Beats: A Term of African Percussion

This term, Year 3 embarked on a vibrant musical journey, diving into the rich rhythms and songs of traditional African music. Under the expert guidance of Miss Diffey from the Hampshire Music Service (HMS), the children didn’t just listen to the music—they truly brought it to life.

Before settling on their final performance roles, the children got hands-on experience with an array of traditional instruments:

Djembe & Doundoun: Traditional drums that form the heartbeat of the ensemble.

Shekere: A percussion instrument made from a dried gourd covered in a woven net of beads.

The Bell: The structural anchor keeping the entire group in perfect time.

Every pupil had the opportunity to try each instrument, exploring different textures and sounds before choosing the instrument of their choice.
The culmination of their hard work was a fantastic live performance for Key Stage 1. The younger children made a wonderful audience, completely captivated by the high-energy, foot-tapping beats. It was a joy to watch our Year 3s perform with such confidence, coordination, and genuine enthusiasm.
We are incredibly proud of the dedication and focus Year 3 have shown this term. Mastering these complex polyrhythms is no small feat!

A huge thank you to Miss Diffey for her inspiring, encouraging, and highly engaging teaching, which made this musical experience so memorable for our pupils. We look forward to seeing where their musical journeys take them next!

We hope you enjoy their rehearsal performance of 'Zimbole', but be warned it's catchy! 🎵

11/07/2026

11/07/2026

Year 4 recently embarked on an exciting overnight adventure to YMCA Fairthorne Manor. The trip provided a fantastic opportunity for pupils to develop their self-confidence, resilience, independence, teamwork and social skills, while strengthening friendships through a range of fun and engaging activities. For many children, it was their first time spending a night away from their parents, making the experience even more memorable. We are so proud of the children, as they embraced the adventure with enthusiasm and excitement, eager to discover what awaited them. 😀

Across the day and into the following morning, pupils took part in a range of exciting activities designed to challenge and inspire them. They developed their navigation skills through orienteering, tested their focus and determination in archery, and bravely donned harnesses to tackle the adventurous crate stacking challenge, working together to build towering structures high above the ground. The excitement continued into the evening, where the children enjoyed a cosy cup of hot chocolate before spending time stargazing, creating special memories to end a truly unforgettable day. 🌟 🏹 🗺️ 🧗‍♂️

We hope the children had a wonderful residential trip and created some lasting memories with their peers.

As always, a huge thank you to the staff who joined the children on their adventure. 🙏