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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.”

Class 14’s Festival of Maths

Class 14 have fully embraced the enjoyment of our ‘Festival of Maths’ this week. We have spent time embedding our fluency and number skills through a variety of games and activities whilst also finishing our Algebra unit with some hands on missing number problems! This week maths, has not simply been limited to maths lessons; we’ve explored parallel and perpendicular lines in art, written maths inspired stories and used our orienteering skills to support the learning of reading buddies.

I really enjoyed Maths Week because I love giving myself hard challenges to work out- it was nice to do things a little bit differently this week!- Luke

I really liked maths week because there was loads of fun activities to do across the curriculum- Violet

Footballers represent Penpol at Penwith Festival

17 of our talented Year 5 and 6 pupils made their way to Mounts Bay Academy to take part in a football festival against 7 other schools. A mixed bag of results but all children returned home with smiles on their faces. These festivals are not about winning they are simply about providing the opportunity for young football fanatics to get out on the pitch and get involved! The boys did exceptionally well and certainly played the game with the right values- the Penpol values of respect, friendship, creativity and integrity!

We’re ‘buzzing’ about spelling in Year 5 and 6

 

After weeks of excited preparation, the early rounds of this year’s Spelling Bee took place in classrooms, where children worked through a range of common words from across the curriculum. Each pupil started with three lives, diving deep into the word bank until only five super-spellers remained from each class.

These 20 talented finalists stepped nervously into the hall, greeted by the rapturous applause of their peers. The intensity of the competition increased as the difficulty of the words grew, with the added challenge of spelling each word aloud. In the semi-finals, the children’s lives were reset, but with one fewer than before. Among the many impressive performances, the Year 5 pupils stood out, competing confidently against their older peers. After some thrilling moments stretching across two sessions, the final five spellers emerged: Arthur, Atia, Henry, Sorrell, and Evangeline.

The grand finale pushed the competitors to their limits with words of even greater difficulty. Each correct spelling brought gasps of admiration and enthusiastic applause, leading up to the championship word: phenomenon. Evangeline truly lived up to the word, demonstrating incredible skill and lifting the trophy without a single incorrect spelling—a phenomenal 78 words in total!

Congratulations, Evangeline, on your outstanding achievement and well done to all of our Year 5 and 6 pupils, you amazed as much as you do every day!

 

Year 5 and 6 Pupils Shine in High Performance Program

Last week, some of our most talented sportspeople from Year 5 and 6 were invited to attend a strength and conditioning session at a local CrossFit gym. These pupils were selected to take part in the Penwith PE Cluster High Performance Program, an initiative recognizing their exceptional achievements in their chosen sports both within and outside of school.

The group included a diverse mix of athletes—from swimmers to runners, footballers to golfers. During the session, they learned not only how to improve their physical strength but also about the importance of maintaining a healthy body to handle the physical demands of their sports.

A huge well done to all participants for representing our school with such dedication and enthusiasm! 💪🏅

A fort-ified effort!

This half-term, our Year 2 pupils have been learning all about castles and embarked on a building project that even Henry VIII would have admired. Every foreman needs labourers, so what better opportunity than to collaborate with their learning buddies from Classes 14 and 12?

With guidance and teamwork, the Year 2 pupils transformed their designs into impressive castles, showcasing their newly gained knowledge. From the importance of battlements for defense to creating a working drawbridge, their projects brought history to life in the most creative ways.

Well done to our budding architects and their fantastic learning buddies for such a royally impressive effort! 🏰✨

We Will Remember

On Monday our Year 6 pupils took break from writing their World War 1 poetry to pay their respects and mark the two-minute silence on Armistice day at the War Memorial in Hayle alongside other members of our community.

 

The children have been learning lots in class about the sacrifice many service personnel have made on behalf of their countries through their topic of ‘War and Peace’

This has included making poppy crosses to lay in the D-day inspired garden outside of the Passmore Edwards Institute opposite the memorial. They have also sewn their very own felt poppies whilst raising money for the Royal British Legion.

 

Year 6 undertake mini-police training

As part of our PSHE curriculum, Year 6 had the privilege of welcoming Devon and Cornwall Police into their classrooms for an engaging and educational experience. The officers shared insights about their roles within the community, the importance of staying safe online, and the impact of antisocial behavior.

With a careers focus, Phil—a respected officer—captivated the pupils with his personal journey, starting as a 10-year-old with dreams of joining the police force to now having a varied and rewarding career. His story inspired many pupils to consider a future in law enforcement, now equipped with knowledge about the skills and qualifications needed for such a career.

Here’s what some of our Year 6 pupils had to say about the experience:

Ned

“I really liked the mini-police program. It was a valuable experience learning about antisocial behavior, vandalism, online safety, and the age ratings of games and apps. It’s important to tell a trusted adult if something makes you uncomfortable online. We also learned about road safety, like stopping, looking, and listening, as well as not using your phone while walking. I loved the experience!”

Isla

“During the last week, Year 6 was visited by an officer from Devon and Cornwall Police. At first, I didn’t know much about the police, but now I know so many jaw-dropping facts. We explored antisocial behavior—it was crazy to hear about the situations he’s been involved in! We also learned about online safety and road safety. It was so amazing to hear about the police from an actual officer!”

Theo

“When Phil came in, it inspired me to work harder in school, especially in maths and English, as he explained how important those skills are. I learned that to be a 999 response officer, you need to complete a minimum of two years before specializing in roles like traffic or armed response. Phil told me everything I need to know to become a police officer, and I am inspired to be one.”

A big thank you to Devon and Cornwall Police for providing such a valuable and inspiring experience for our pupils! 🚔✨

Year 6 explore STEAM subjects at Hayle Academy

Earlier this month, our Year 6 pupils enjoyed a short walk to Hayle Academy to take part in an exciting transition and taster day within the Science, Maths, and DT departments.

In the ‘Magical Maths’ session, the children tackled challenging puzzles that even left the adults scratching their heads! They worked diligently to solve Sudoku-style problems and explored how ancient civilizations used mathematics to create intricate shapes and patterns.

 

The theme of patterns continued in DT, where Class 14 had a hands-on challenge to construct geodesic domes using cocktail sticks and sweets. While some domes were more successful than others, a few sweet-related distractions may have played a part! If you’d like to try this activity at home, the brief sheet is attached below.

In the Science lab, Class 13 geared up in PPE and delved into an exciting experiment to test the pH levels of different liquids. Budding scientists in the making!

IT’S NOT SAFE FOR THEM IN THE CITY: Send them to the countryside!

85 years after thousands of children and young vulnerable adults were evacuated from cities across the country during WW2, our Year 6 children had a go themselves. To launch the start of our ‘Wartime and Peace’ topic the children (and adults) dressed themselves in period clothing and lived the life of an evacuee for the day.

 

After being met at the gates by 2 of the newest members of the Penpol Division of the British Forces and our very own Land Girls they waved a teary goodbye to their parents before heading off for the train station. They were then subjected to a roll call and squeezed into a cramped school classrooms; much like the evacuees of 1939 would have been when they departed the trains.

It was here the children had chance to act in character and meet their fellow evacuees, discussing the contents of their suitcases as well as their preferred destination. Those without identification tags were labeled and sent on their way. The children then had some time to look at and try different games that evacuees would have played in the 40’s. The children also took some time to research and better understand the process of ‘Operation Pied Piper” before writing some touching postcards home.

 

After a ration-free lunch the children got to grips with the struggles of rationing with some home cooking following a handed-down ration recipe to make some delicious scones.

At the close of the day the children were collected by their parents, their evacuation was much shorter than those during the war. Many parents came into class to sample some of their cooking but also sit and enjoy their child’s work from the day.