Headteacher
Chris Coyle-Chislett
Email the Office
secretary@penpol.cornwall.sch.uk
Telephone Number
01736 753472
Our Address
2 St George’s Road, Hayle,
Cornwall, TR27 4AH
Nic Stanlake 
As part of our 360 Curriculum, Year 5 needed to start a community project. After our recent walk through Hayle on our way to our beach clean, the children were left reeling at the amount of litter we saw.
When discussing how we could involve the community, we decided to invite parents, carers and grand-parents. It turned out to be a huge success, which is both pleasing and upsetting. The amount we collected was brilliant but astounding that it was all found within one hour by 60 children.
The Penpol School Boys Football team have followed up their successes in the Leading Edge Academy Trust Cup and The Penwith Schools District Cup with victory in the Hayle Mayor’s Cup.
After competing with local Hayle Schools the team made up on only Year 6 pupils sat a top the table and headed to the final. On their way to the final they were in red got form scoring over 20 goals in 5 games and conceding none.
They met local rivals Bodirggy again in the final after defeating them 1-0 in the round robin. The score was slightly different this time round with them wrapping the trophy up in style with an 8-0 victory. The final victory ensured they have been undefeated all season whilst more impressively not conceding a goal.
Their quality of their play was receiving applause and congratulations from spectating parents, teachers and players from other schools which is testament to the way they have gone about their football this year.
Hopefully their red hot form turns ice cold when they face off against the Penpol Staff in two weeks time.
Thank you to the Hayle Mayor and all at Hayle FC for an excellent afternoon.
Yesterday our 2 Year 5 classes had some very special visitors. We were joined by the Beach Guardians. Beach Guardian is a community interest company that aim to ‘engage, educate and empower against plastic pollution. Based in Cornwall they perform regular beach cleans and conduct educational work shops and we were lucky to have them bring their workshop to Penpol School.
During the work shop the children had chance to sift through the sand and take a look at many of the plastics which had previously been collected from the beach. They also had chance to look at some of these micro-plastics under the microscope as well as design a poster to encourage people to do what’s right and take their litter home with them.
We also discussed the impact of physical geography as well as the human impact and discussed how currents can take plastic waster all over the globe. They shared with us a bottle that was produced and Malaysia which washed up at Perranporth.
The aim of the session was to motivate the pupils to continue ti spread the message of our topic teaching this term- improve health and well being of both people and planet.
If you’d like to find out more about their work or how you can get involved please follow this link
https://www.beachguardian.org/
Last week the majority of Year 5 headed on the Train to Plymouth for a three day residential; not content with the one mode of transport we then headed across Plymouth Sound on a ferry. The Mount Batten Centre is a Water-sports centre based right on the water front. Here we spent the week orienteering, bell boating, giant SUPing, climbing and abseiling.
Rafting
The children set off in their white water rafts on to the calm waters of Plymouth Sound where they had to work together in teams to paddle and steer around the buoys to race each other in a friendly race. They then had the opportunity to jump in, a real challenge for some but one in which the children accepted.
Climbing
We had the opportunity to take advantage of the onsite climbing and bouldering wall. Again an activity that required strength, flexibility and teamwork as the children were responsible for ‘spotting’ and belaying their friends and class mates.
Bell Boating
The bell boating was quite leisurely. That was until we payed a game where you had to drop your paddle between the two boats and crawl to the back to catch it before we paddled off without it!
Abseiling
It was on the abseiling and ladder that many children felt uncomfortable but many a fear was conquered. The still images of the ladder do not show how violently it wobbles as you try to climb it! The sheer nature of the ladder meant that every run the children climbed was a huge step in conquering the fear of heights some possess. The abseiling was not only fun and exciting but provided the opportunity to look over over the sound to Barbican and beyond. The abseiling was the firm fan favourite amongst the children.
SUP
The giant stand up paddle boards should be renamed to ‘ the giant sit on paddle boards’ as standing and balancing with 7 to 8 other people was neigh on impossible but boy did the children give it go! The paddle boards again required a huge amount of team work as well are core strength.
Beach Clean
One evening we went for a wander and stumbled upon a small beach; here the children decided to perform a beach clean. This was particularly pleasing as in class we have been studying the topic of conservation and the dangers of plastic pollution. We found lots of different things which we disposed of safely as well as some shells and sea glass to bring home with us.
Orienteering
After the extensive work we have undertaken learning how to orienteer at school, this was a walk in/near the park. The children needed to use their map reading skills to find some clues. These clues were then work different amounts of ‘Mount Batten Money’ which the children exchanged for different materials to protect and safely bring an egg down to land from the balcony- here we had differing levels of success.
School residential are a wonderful way for the children to show a slightly different, more relaxed side to themselves. The provide a wonderful opportunity to spend a night or two away from family, some for the first time and try lots of different things they would maybe never have done before. Residentials are brilliant and this one was no different.
Over recent weeks Year 5 have been learning how to orienteer. Some may say a dying skill with the maps we now have readily available on smart phones and watches but a valuable one none the less. We have been ;earning how to read a compass, grid references and also, most importantly, a map and its symbols.
Through PE we have had the opportunity to practice these geographic skills by racing around our school site to find the permanent control points. The children have loved the element of competition with their peers as well as the freedom to explore the school site.
The culmination of our block of orienteering was a day in the woods. We headed to Tehidy Country Park with our maps in hand and set to work on finding the control points set out around the 250 acre site (we didn’t cover it all though) The children had great fun zipping and zooming around in the hunt of the control points in small groups with their adults struggling to keep pace (no names mentioned!) hence the lack of orienteering photos.
After a well deserved lunch the children set to work building dens; here they had the opportunity to put their first school skills learnt back at Penpol into action with a plethora of different branches and trees to choose from.
In addition to den building we also out the children’s trust and communication skills to the test with a very carefully constructed ‘blind trail’. This consists of a partner leading their blindfolded partner through a boggy wooded section of Tehidy with only a guideline and their voice. Without clear instruction there was a risk of bumped heads on overhanging branches; soggy bottoms from the muddy sections and wet feet from the river crossing.
On a sunny Monday morning both the boys and girls teams headed to Mounts Bay Academy for the first inaugural LEAP cup. Joined by the members of the Leading Edge Academy partnership, the teams played 3 and 4 games respectively. The girls team unfortunately came up a little short in their last game finishing with 2 wins and 1 loss which secured them second place. The boys were eventual winners with 4 wins and impressively without conceding a single goal.
As always, the name on the front of the shirt is more important the that on the back. This was demonstrated with exemplary levels of sportsmanship and teamwork; which for me is equally, if not more important the the trophy we can proudly now present in the School office.
Year 5 have been braving the weather in recent weeks to get to grips with touch rugby. We have completed a 5 week block of sessions with Sam, the community coach from Cornwall’s only professional rugby team- the Cornish Pirates.
From not being able to catch a ball to now doing it so in full flow some children have developed their sporting confidence greatly. They have also developed their understanding of attacking and defending space; a skill which can be transferred to many other invasion sports. They have also build on their knowledge of touch rugby with many now moving on to join Mr Peck at touch rugby club. Those that may chose not too will however be taking their newly developed team work and communication skills back into the classroom.
As part of our PE curriculum offer we try to engage many different local clubs. With each year group receiving professional coaching from external sources at some stage during the year with some even attending professional settings; this opens the eyes of our pupils to the world of professional sport whilst also maintaining the most important aspects of physical education- engagement and enjoyment.
Penpol School now has an Under 11 South West Gymnastics champion amongst its sporting stars. She has, for many years now, been featuring on the Penpol times but this is her biggest accommodate to date.
Travelling all the way to the Welsh Institute of Sport, she undertook 4 individual events which culminated in an overall 1st place. This wonderful young lady placed first in the uneven bars, which is her favourite event. 1st place in the beam (which is only 1o cm wide!!) and 3rd place in both the floor and vault.
This remarkable young lady shows a great commitment to her sport by training up to 16 hours a week at Penryn Gymnastic Club! Keep it up, the hard work is certainly paying off!
