Unfortunately we are having trouble with our phone system this morning. If you need to reach the school please use our backup number of 01736 756915. Thank you.

THE JELLY FRIENDS American blog
penpol_school_logo_for_website_white-slimline copy
Can you help the Jelly Friends?
  • Contact Us

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

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

Bright Lights in Year 2: Our Christingle Celebration

This week, Year 2 has been learning about a very special Christmas tradition – Christingle. As part of our lessons on Christian celebrations, we made our Christingle celebration a time to think about being thankful for what we have and hopeful for the future. We explored the meaning behind this beautiful tradition, which is celebrated by Christians around the world during Advent and Christmas.

The word Christingle comes from two words: “Christ,” who Christians believe is the light of the world, and “tingle,” which refers to the orange shape used in the celebration. We learned that the orange represents the world, while the candle placed on top is a symbol of Jesus being the light that shines in the darkness, giving people hope. The red ribbon wrapped around the orange stands for the love of Jesus, which reminds Christians to be thankful and caring towards others. Some Christians believe the sticks with sweets or fruit represent the gifts we give to others at Christmas, while others believe they represent God’s creation of the four seasons.

Learning about Christingle has helped us understand the Christian message of love, peace, thankfulness, and hope, and it was a special way for Year 2 to reflect during the holiday season and the beginning of a new year.

Towering Above the Rest with Their Cereal Box Castles!

Today, Year 2 had a very special design and technology session with their KS2 Learning Buddies. The children worked together to create amazing castles using cereal boxes, glue, scissors, masking tape and plenty of imagination!

The classroom buzzed with excitement as the children buddied up to share their ideas about turrets, battlements and drawbridges. Then, putting their ideas into action, cutting shapes, attaching pieces, and making sure their structures stood tall. Some groups even added flags, battlements, and secret doors.

Throughout the session, the children showed fantastic resilience, one of Penpol School’s core values. When towers toppled or glue didn’t stick, they didn’t give up—instead, they tried new methods, adapted their ideas, and kept going with smiles on their faces. They also demonstrated wonderful creativity, turning simple cereal boxes into colourful castles full of character and clever design features.

Everyone worked carefully and cooperatively, showing brilliant teamwork. The KS2 buddies supported the younger pupils with tricky parts while encouraging them to make their own choices. Year 2 pupils said they enjoyed having “big helpers” and learning new building skills. After saying duw genes/goodbye to their buddies, Year 2 continued their projects by carefully painting and decorating their castles to bring their designs to life.

Year 4 Step Back in Time on Roman Day

Year 4 have been diving into their Roman history topic this term and celebrated in style with an unforgettable Roman Day on Thursday 20th November 2025. The school was transformed as pupils and staff stepped back in time, donning fantastic Roman costumes and bringing history vividly to life.

The day began with a visit from Marcus Quintonius, a high-ranking Roman legionnaire, who welcomed the children and shared fascinating insights into life in the Roman army. With a focus on the Roman invasion of Britannia, pupils learned about the equipment, roads and forts used by the Romans and discovered what made them such a powerful and successful force.

Both classes were then challenged to put their thinking skills to the test during an exciting code-breaking activity. Working together, pupils deciphered a secret message said to be written by Emperor Julius Caesar himself. The hidden message revealed one of the Roman Empire’s greatest engineering achievements — Hadrian’s Wall.

The Roman theme continued with classic army card games, including Roman Rummy, before pupils experienced what it was like to march as part of a Roman legion. Led by Marcus’ booming commands, Classes 9 and 10 marched proudly across the playground, reinforcing their understanding of Roman orders and discipline. Pupils also practised forming the famous defensive formation known as the testudo (tortoise), which proved highly effective at protecting them from the teachers’ incoming “missiles”!

The effort put into costumes, shields, face paint and hairstyles was outstanding. The children looked magnificent and Marcus Quintonius was extremely impressed by how enthusiastically Year 4 embraced the day.

Roman Day was a memorable and enriching experience, bringing history to life and showcasing the pupils’ enthusiasm, teamwork and creativity. A fantastic day was had by all!