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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.”
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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!

Penpol Remembers

This week, our school and wider community came together to mark Remembrance Day, honouring those who served in wars past and present. In the days leading up to November 11th, our Year 6 pupils took part in a range of special activities across different subjects to help us understand and reflect on the importance of remembrance.

In English, children learned the famous World War I poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae. They discussed the poem’s meaning, imagery and the emotions it evokes. Pupils were inspired to write their own thoughtful poems about the brave souls who sacrificed their lives in WWI.

Meanwhile, in Art, pupils created striking pictures of poppy fields, soldiers, and scenes from wartime, showing great care and creativity.

In Design and Technology, children designed and sewed their own red poppies, carefully stitching the petals and leaves to create beautiful symbols of remembrance.

   

   

On Remembrance Day itself, the whole year group walked together to the Hayle War Memorial. We joined members of the local community to take part in a two-minute silence at 11 o’clock. It was a moving and respectful moment as we stood quietly, remembering those who gave their lives for our freedom.

   

Our Remembrance Day activities helped everyone to think deeply about history, sacrifice, and gratitude — and to understand why it is so important to remember.