Penpol Primary School

Building Our Playground

29th June 202629th June 2026 by Paul Hudson

Our amazing Penpol Friend’s Association are working hard to raise money for some exciting new outdoor play equipment, and the children have been helping by sharing their fantastic ideas!

Pupils have spent time discussing what they would like to see in our playground and have even brought their ideas to life using Lego and Tinkercad. Their creativity has been amazing, with designs including climbing walls, roundabouts, zip lines and even an aeroplane!

The children’s enthusiasm and imagination have provided plenty of inspiration as we look ahead to improving our outdoor play spaces. A big thank you to everyone supporting the P.F.A.’s fundraising efforts – we can’t wait to see these ideas take shape in the future.

Following the success of the marathon, which raised an amazing £3,800, there is still a long way to go to reach our target of £25,000. If you would like to help us get there, please click the link below and support our fundraising efforts.

Penpol’s Big Play Project

Behaviour For Learning Policy

11th June 202611th June 2026 by Chris Chislett

Creating Rainforest Animals from Simple Shapes

24th June 202610th June 2026 by Jacob Woolcock

This week our Year 3s have been creating their own Rainforest-inspired digital art by learning to use the design tool Keynote in Computing.

Starting with a photograph of their chosen rainforest animal, students then set about to recreate it using just shapes and colours. They learnt how to not only insert shapes but also to edit and manipulate shapes to sculpt them into the exact piece they needed for their animals.

They also learnt how to use the colour sampler tool (the pipette) to match the colour of their custom shapes to the colours of the photographs they started with.

I think you’ll agree their finished pictures are absolutely beautiful! Well done Year 3.

I started off with the head of my leopard and I used the circle shape. I keep using circles for the other shapes too and changed them a bit to make them look right. I put the shapes on top of the photo to get the size right.

I choose a leopard because they're one of my favourite animals!

Kai

Class 7

I looked at my photo and choose the shapes which were most similar. I edited the shapes to make them more lifelike by squeezing and pushing them together and stretching them out to make some parts bigger.

I choose to make a koala just because they're very cute!

Isaac R

Class 7

I got lots of different shapes and went onto edit to make them look right. I changed the colour with the pipette which changed the colour to exactly what colour you wanted from the photograph.

Pandas are my favourite animal, I really like them!

Cora

Class 7

Songs, Stories and the Cornish Language with Gwenno

31st May 2026 by Michael Pearson

Class 12 were treated to a truly memorable experience this week when acclaimed musician Gwenno visited the school for a special workshop.

The children were captivated from the moment she began to sing, mesmerised not only by her beautiful voice but also by her engaging presence and fascinating stories. Gwenno spoke about her mixed Celtic heritage, explaining that she was born in Wales and has a Cornish father. She shared how she grew up speaking both Welsh and Cornish, helping to keep alive a language that had nearly disappeared following the Cornish Rebellion of 1497.

Throughout the workshop, Gwenno performed a selection of songs, each with its own unique story. The children particularly enjoyed Tir Ha Mor, which translates as “Land and Sea”- a song that celebrates the work of St Ives-born artist, Peter Lanyon. Pupils enjoyed singing along with the wonderfully playful song Eus Keus? (‘Is there cheese?’).

Following the performances, the children took part in a question-and-answer session, where they were able to learn more about Gwenno’s music, her heritage and the importance of language and culture in her art. Their thoughtful questions reflected just how inspired they had been by the experience.

Adding to the excitement of the day, Gwenno was accompanied by a film crew who are documenting the importance of Celtic culture and language as part of an upcoming documentary, Triskelion: A Celtic Identity.

The visit was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved, leaving the children inspired by the power of music, storytelling and the preservation of cultural heritage.