--- title: "Learning Comes Alive by the River at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School" url: "https://stmarysbc.bhcet.org.uk/news/2026-05-11-learning-comes-alive-by-the-river-at-st-mary-s-catholic-primary-school" school: "St. Mary's Catholic Primary School" --- Admissions Consultation BHCET schools in County Durham [Click Here](https://stmarysbc.bhcet.org.uk/governance/admissions-consultation) **Tel:** 01833 637029 **Email:** office@stmarysbc.bhcet.org.uk # Learning Comes Alive by the River at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School ![how to make an Egyptian skiff boat](https://files.schudio.com/st-mary-s-rc-primary-2/images/news/693699467_988701320332953_2234498296134190867_n(1).jpg) 11 May 2026 ![](https://stmarysbc.bhcet.org.uk/images/news/695139083_988701310332954_6011680911894267084_n.jpg)This week, children at **St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Barnard Castle** enjoyed a truly memorable learning experience that brought their classroom work to life through hands‑on exploration and local links. As part of their **English learning**, pupils had been developing their writing skills by expanding sentences and adding greater detail. Building on this, the children applied their descriptive writing to explain **how to make an Egyptian skiff boat**, linking their literacy work with their wider curriculum learning about Ancient Egypt. Taking their learning outdoors, the children walked down to the **River Tees**, where they put their ideas into action. Using their knowledge and skills, pupils gathered sticks and learned how to **weave string and leaves** to construct their own skiff boat models. The activity challenged the children to work carefully and cooperatively while developing impressive weaving techniques. Once the boats were complete, the excitement continued with a **boat race**, as pupils tested which design would be best for **Pharaoh Amasis** to sail down the River Nile. Some of the boats were so well made that they travelled at great speed down the river, nearly disappearing from sight! The children showed fantastic creativity, teamwork and perseverance throughout the activity, and their weaving skills were particularly impressive. Most importantly, they were able to see how their learning connects across subjects and into the world beyond the classroom. This experience was a wonderful example of our **connected curriculum at St Mary’s**, making meaningful links between English, history, design skills and our local environment. Well done to all the boys and girls for their enthusiasm, effort and creativity. [Enrichment](https://stmarysbc.bhcet.org.uk/news/tag/enrichment) [ Larks Class Celebrate Intergenerational Week at The Manor House](https://stmarysbc.bhcet.org.uk/news/2026-05-05-larks-class-celebrate-intergenerational-week-at-the-manor-house) [Cluckingham Palace at St Mary’s ](https://stmarysbc.bhcet.org.uk/news/2026-05-17-cluckingham-palace-at-st-mary-s) ![St. Mary's Catholic Primary School](https://files.schudio.com/st-mary-s-rc-primary-2/images/logo/Bishop_Hogarth_and_Hexham_Logo_new_(1).png) ### St. Mary's Catholic Primary School Birch Road Barnard Castle County Durham DL12 8JR 01833 637029 - [Online Payments](https://www.mychildatschool.com/MCAS/MCSParentLogin) - [Teams FAQs](https://bhcet.org.uk/information/teams-faqs/) - [Office 365](https://outlook.office365.com/carmel.org.uk) - [Remote Access](https://remote.carmel.org.uk/) - [Liturgy](https://liturgy.bhcet.org.uk/) ### Social Media - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/StMarysPrimaryBarnardCastle/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/stmarys_barnardcastle/) ### Translation ### Office 365 [Sign in to Office 365](https://outlook.office.com/) © Copyright 2025–2026 St. Mary's Catholic Primary School School & Trust Websites by [ ![Schudio logo](https://stmarysbc.bhcet.org.uk/img/logo/light.png) ](https://www.schudio.com/)