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Headteacher
Chris Coyle-Chislett

Email the Office
secretary@penpol.cornwall.sch.uk

Telephone Number
01736 753472

Follow us on Twitter
@PenpolSchool

Our Address
2 St George’s Road, Hayle,
Cornwall, TR27 4AH

“Penpol pupils are curious, creative and courageous learners. Our school community believes in authenticity as the foundations of deep-rooted learning. Through our rich and relevant curriculum, we nurture community-minded, forward-facing international citizens of the future.”

Year 2 out and about!

 

 

On the 28th and 29th September, classes 5 and 6 visited Trevaskis Farm for a workshop to learn about how and where many of the fruit and vegetables we eat are grown. Did you know that raspberries grow up and strawberries down and out? That the pigs are the award winning British Lop breed and the South Devon cows are exported world wide?

 

 

 

 

Though dry, it was very, very muddy so wellies were essential but the sows and piglets seemed quite at home!

We also had a talk from the fishmonger and were shown the different types that are for sale. The Gurnard looked quite gruesome!

We finished off with a treasure hunt, following the clues around the farm to find a pot with a hidden seedling, we are wondering what will grow!

 

 

It was a great day! – Sonny

 

I loved the piglets but it was really muddy and I fell over! – Josie

Class 4 are on the Move

Class 4 have been practicing some super skills in P.E. They have been finding out about different ways of moving and practicing how to roll, twist, climb, balance, jump and swing. Amelie and Oliver explain how to do the perfect forward roll…

First of all you have to stand up straight and put your hands in the air. Then put your chin to your chest. Keep your legs together and bend your knees. – Amelie

 

You have to bend down and put your hands on the floor. Put your head on the floor as well. Then push with your legs and roll. – Oliver

Great rolling everyone. Our next step is to practice finishing our forward roll in a standing position.

 

Zak, Ada, Violet, Harry, Corey and Riley have been practicing different ways of travelling across the poll. Riley is good at pulling himself along while dangling. Ada is great at balancing her whole body on top of the poll and sliding along slowly. Corey has been showing all of his friends how to spin upside down. Great skills everyone.

P.E is one of my favourite lessons. I am really good at climbing and balancing. I like to do all kinds of things in P.E, especially swinging on the ropes. – Caio

I like swinging on the rings and I like climbing across the ladder. I think I’m good at P.E. – Sienna

 

I’m good at P.E. I like climbing and I like the hoops. I like going up the ladder and climbing to the top. I want to learn how to do a forward roll backwards. – Ted

 

 

Response to National Funding Formula Announcement – September 2017

28th September 2017

 

Dear Parent/Carer

The following letter has been composed by the 17 counties involved in the Worth Less? campaign for fairer funding for schools. It includes a fact sheet which reflects the impact the current funding crisis is set to have on local schools, including Penpol School.

 

Response to National Funding Formula Announcement – September 2017

Following the Secretary of State for Education’s announcement about school funding on 14 September 2017, Headteachers working across 17 counties – from Cornwall to Norfolk – believe that you have the right to know the facts that will affect your child’s education for years to come.

The attached information factsheet draws only from information provided by the Department of Education and the Independent Institute of Fiscal Studies. The implications of the newly announced funding formula are profound.

 

Is £1.3 billion enough?

It should be acknowledged that introducing a new national formula was complex and challenging. This Government is the first in a generation to try and grasp the nettle. Schools that have previously been at or below the “breadline” do receive some improvements to their funding position, but the universal view of Headteachers across the 17 counties is that this is not enough to make a real difference.

In July 2017, the Government announced that schools would benefit from £1.3 billion of additional funding. This does not, however, make up for the £3 billion overall reduction that was already announced and planned for 2015-20.   Over a five year period, there is a shortfall of approximately £1.7 billion. The Institute of Fiscal Studies states that during 2015-20 school budgets will have been cut in real terms by 4.6%.

This means that there is simply not enough money in the system. As a result, the Department for Education is unable to implement a new funding formula that meaningfully addresses the two principal aims of their new policy. These are, firstly, to fund all schools adequately and secondly, to ensure that schools with the same socio-economic / school based characteristics in one area of the country will be funded the same as another in a different part of the country.

 

So, how do the new arrangements work?

Instead, due to the £1.7 billion shortfall, the new funding formula is now dependent on a series of limits (capping) to either how much a school can gain or potentially lose from the formula. The caps are largely arbitrary and mean that any new per pupil funding is often based on the previously discredited formula.

Better funded schools gain funding protection which means that their relative positions are unaltered.  We have no real issue with this.  Schools such as ours know how challenging and difficult it is when budgets are reduced and squeezed to the limit. The problem is, however, that in order to fund these protections the Government is limiting what many other low funded schools will be able to gain under the new formula.  Crucially, these differences will not last for a year or two, they will last for years and years.

 

What does this mean for our schools?

The examples shown on the attached factsheet are truly shocking. Parents and Carers need to be clear that schools in very similar socio-economic areas will continue to have entirely different levels of funding. This often amounts to hundreds of thousands of pounds in the primary sector and even millions of pounds across the secondary sector each year.

Far from being resolved, your child’s education will still be at the behest of a post code funding lottery. Some schools with the same socio-economic characteristics will be able to afford teacher/pupil class sizes of 20, whilst others will have to make do with 35. Some children will have three Teaching Assistants in their class, whilst others from similar backgrounds in a different part of the country will have none.   At the end of the day though, all pupils will take exactly the same Key Stage 2 tests and go on to take the same maths and English GCSEs. Their futures are simply not being fairly catered for.

By the same token, “similar schools” with entirely different budgets will be made accountable via identical league tables and OFSTED inspections. How can this be fair or reasonable?

 

So what do we do now?

As stated previously, costs will continue to rise and again differently funded schools will have different abilities to soak them up. All school budgets will be under severe pressure, but some will be under much greater strain than others.

As Headteachers, we simply want to see every child’s school in England, funded adequately. It is not about all schools receiving identical amounts of money, but it is about the fair application of a formula right across the country

We recognise that there has been some improvement to our budgets and that as a country we must live within our means. We cannot, however, suggest the new formula is, in any way, satisfactory. The finances of very low funded schools are still insufficient to provide the service that your child deserves.

Your influence as parents/carers is utterly vital. Please discuss these issues with your local MPs and local representatives. There are also many active local parent groups who you can engage with. We will continue to lobby vigorously too and provide further updates shortly.

In his budget in March 2018, the Chancellor must do better to support your child’s education. MPs and education ministers must continue to bang the drum until every child’s education is fully and fairly funded.

 

Yours Sincerely

 

Aidan Doyle

Headteacher

On behalf of 17 counties


Fact Sheet

 

Click here for full view

Year 3 Visit to The Royal Cornwall Museum and Truro Cathedral

Class 7 and 8 were lucky enough to Visit The Royal Cornwall Museum to take part in three Egyptian workshops, all of which proved to be informative and most enjoyable. This workshop has given the children a greater insight into the life of the Ancient Egyptians and has enabled them to use the Museum to discover more about their way of life. The children were able to experience first hand the awe of looking at a real Mummy as well as observing the amazing Egyptian artefacts on display in the museum.

The workshops were about The Weighing of the Heart Ceremony, part of The Journey into The Afterlife where children dressed up and performed some drama. Children became Gods and Godesses and weighed out the heart of the Isat-Naf-Takht (the museum’s resident Mummy) and decided whether he was fit for the afterlife.

Another workshop was discovering hidden clues in the sand in order to learn about Ancient Egyptian Artefacts. The children were able to touch and hold real artefacts which were up to five thousand years old! We also were treated to a tour of the gallery dedicated to much of the Ancient Worlds, particularly, the Egyptians, observing closely through careful sketching certain artefacts as well as The Mummified body of Isat-Naf-Takht,  an Ancient craftsman and priest.


Each class visited Truro Cathedral with an excellent informative workshop which enlightened the children all about some aspects of the Christian faithand some of the everyday occurrences of life in the Cathedral. All children were able to dress up aiding the understanding of the role of certain figures within the Christian community. Isabella said  “It was a great day day. I especially liked dressing up as the Bishop, it felt really special.”  A brilliant day for all!

 

Let’s talk about our worries!

It doesn’t matter what age you are, if you are a boy or a girl, tall or short, EVERYONE worries about something, even adults! Sometimes the things that make us feel upset or frustrated are obvious, like when we have an important test coming up or have got into trouble! Other times we may not understand what is causing us to feel the way we do. This can cause a tummy ache, it can make us feel shaky, unable to sit still and feel sad or scared. This is because when we worry, our body thinks there is something wrong and will try and let us know. This makes worries not very easy to ignore as our body is trying to look after us.

When we worry it can help to talk to someone, before our worries get to much. This can be difficult, but there are lots of people that you can trust and that care about how you are feeling. Imagine seeing that one of your friends was worried. You might try to cheer them up, or help them to solve a problem. Sometimes all your friend might need is a hug and to be told ‘its okay’. It is important to be able to look after yourself when you are worried, like you would look after your friend when they are worried.

Some people you could share your worries with include:

  • A caring friend
  • A family member
  • Your teacher
  • Other grown ups at Penpol School
  • Mr Doyle
  • Mrs Jane

“Its okay to worry. Being worried means you really, really care. And caring makes you a kind person. -Miss Clarey”

Ideas to help you stop worrying:

  • Talk to someone
  • Write a ‘worry list’
  • Draw, paint, cut and stick!
  • Lie still, close your eyes and listen to your breathing
  • Hold something comforting like a blanket or bear
  • Read a good book or poem*
  • Dance and be silly!
  • Ask an adult to help you learn more about why we worry

*


It is important to challenge our fears and try new things. Remember, it is okay to make mistakes and if you have a big worry, always share it with someone!

Further information for children:
https://www.childline.org.uk
https://youngminds.org.uk

Further information for parents/carers/adults:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk
https://www.mind.org.uk
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/anxiety-in-children.aspx