360 Curriculum

Penpol Celebrates Languages Day 2023!

15th October 2023 by Jack Emery

On Wednesday 4th October, Penpol School celebrated European Day of Languages for its 6th time. We are so fortunate to have so many languages being spoken as either a first or second language by our students. For this reason, European Day of Languages is a prime opportunity to shine a light on each of these languages which represents our diverse learning community here at Penpol.

Back by popular demand, the French café was a favourite amongst students and staff. Like last year, KS2 students were invited to sample a French breakfast in Class 9 with Mr Emery and his year 4 group. Each class enjoyed singing in French and were then able to order from KS2 students, learning the basics such as ‘Bonjour’, ‘s’il vous plaît’ and ‘merci.’ KS2 students then put their French linguistic skills to the test to then host their KS1 reading buddies in their classroom.

Finally, at the end of the day, Mrs Curnow and Mrs Best had KS1 enthralled with a reading of ‘Goolan’ to celebrate the Cornish language. In addition, Mrs Best and Mr Jones serenaded the children with songs featuring Welsh, Cornish and French. Mr Jones and Mr Emery led a European singalong in KS2, which culminated in a school record of 8 languages being sung in one song. This rounded off a fantastic day which marked an important day in the school calendar.

A huge ‘Meur ras’, ‘diolch yn fawr,’ ‘merci,’ ‘gracias,’ ‘dzien dobry,’ aciu’ and ‘obrigado’ to all of those who helped to make the day a huge success.

Sleeping with the Sharks

1st July 2023 by Michael Pearson

To top off a school year filled with adventure, excitement and challenge, Year 2 pupils embarked upon an incredible opportunity to ‘sleep with the sharks’ at Plymouth’s National Marine Aquarium.

Following a joyous minibus journey up the A30 and across the Tamar Bridge, we arrived at the aquarium, which is located on the beautiful and historic Sutton harbour. Here, we were greeted with a warm welcome by the National Marine Aquarium staff.

The next stop on Year 2’s marine voyage was an ‘Inventafish’ workshop, in which pupils explored some fascinating ocean artefacts (including the jaw of a tiger shark, a giant turtle shell and a sawfish rostrum!) and learned about the adaptive features of a host of sea creatures. We discovered that both the turtle’s protective shell and the humpback whale’s baleen (the comb-like filter-feeding system) are made from keratin – the same stuff that our fingernails and hair are made of!

The pupils were then tasked to ‘inventafish’, using their creative imagination and prior knowledge of ocean animals to design, draw and write about a fictitious sea creature. We had venomous deep-sea creatures with octopus legs, petrifying bioluminescent lures and 30 foot-tall sea monsters that live by the light of the moon!

Following the workshop, we were treated to dinner in the aquarium’s Waves Café, which boasts a panoramic view of Sutton Harbour. The café with filled with excitement and glee and the pupils enjoyed their dinner and watched as the fishing ships pulled into the harbour.

After dinner, we were walked down to the Eddystone Reef Exhibit. This is the largest single viewing panel in the UK, but it’s also home to a stunning array of local sharks, rays and many more amazing ocean animals… It would also be our bedroom for the night!

We were incredibly lucky to be guided on a twilight tour of the aquarium – a fascinating chance to see what the fish get up to at night! The expertly knowledged and entertaining aquarium staff led a series of workshops and activities: we went on a treasure hunt for coral fish, learned about the complex biology of coral and met Cooper, the resident humphead wrasse, whose species can grow almost the size of a small car in the wild!

With beds made and pyjamas on, the children were treated to an ice cream while they watched Finding Dory on a big screen in front of the Eddystone Reef tank. We were then lulled to sleep under the moonlight tank, accompanied by the relaxing sound of water circling through the tanks.

After an early rise, we packed our bags and headed back up to the Waves Café for a buffet breakfast of toast and cereal. Before leaving, the pupils enjoyed a scour of the gift shop, buying a range of thoughtful gifts for themselves and others, which I’m sure will be cherished as fond memories of a wonderful aquarium adventure!

What an incredible experience and a huge effort from pupils, parents and staff alike to make it happen. A massive thank you to the National Marine Aquarium for hosting an unforgettable sleepover!

Year 5 Residential at the Mount Batten Center

24th June 202310th May 2023 by Nic Stanlake

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.

Keep Dancing! – Danceathon 2023

5th May 20234th May 2023 by Jono Peck

On Thursday 2oth April, the Penpol School community came together for an afternoon of dancing to raise funds for Shelterbox. This all began following the devastating earthquakes in Southern Turkey and Northern Syria in February this year. Our Year 6, as well as many of us, were upset by the event and wondered what we could to to help those families in need. We knew that Shelterbox, a Cornish based charity, was directly helping those families in these areas by providing emergency shelter and so decided that this was the perfect charity in which to raise funds for – https://shelterbox.org/turkey-earthquake/

Led by Y6, on a perfect sunny afternoon, all pupils across school danced in the style of Wake and Shake for 30 minutes non-stop on the KS1 and KS2 playgrounds. Parents, Guardians, family members and friends, as well as Penpol Staff, also joined in to make it a real community event. It was fantastic to see everybody smiling, dancing and fully embracing the Danceathon. To date, the school community has raised over £1200 for Shelterbox – an outstanding effort! So many of you donated towards this total but a special shout out must go to: Billy (£34); Zach (£40); Ivy (£30); Bobby (£55); Betty (£100); Sully (£31); Sabina (£40); Myla (£90) and Evie (£40) who raised great amounts! Many thanks also goes to Mrs Turner and Mrs Loughlin who led the dances all afternoon!

Kate from Shelterbox then attended Penpol on Friday 21^st April and hosted assemblies for the children to learn about the work they do and where the money will go. They were extremely grateful for the hard work and effort from us all and the money raised (£600 at that point). Kate showed us a message from Dave from Shelterbox who had been in Turkey during the crisis thanking Penpol for our efforts. The money we have raised will support families by helping them with shelter and an opportunity to rebuild their lives. Well done Penpol! Keep dancing!

Year 5 Find Their Way Around Orienteering

1st June 202330th April 2023 by Nic Stanlake

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.

Scavenger Hunts in Tehidy Woods

29th November 202231st October 2022 by Amanda Aspden

The reception classes had a great time at Tehidy Woods.

We loved foraging for different treasures and found most of the things on our scavenger hunt list, including snails, slugs, woodlice, leaves of all different colours, animal foot prints, spiders, twigs, rocks, flowers, ants, birds and birds nests.

After that built some fairy dens and tried to find the magic faraway tree.

Next we had a quick game of 40 40 and hide and seek, then had a little wonder down to Otter Bridge.

Finally we ambled back with just enough time for a little play and some more exploring before we made our way back on to the bus.

Lots of fun was had by all.

Surf’s Up

21st July 202220th July 2022 by Amanda Aspden

The reception class spent a glorious summers day on the Bluff beach in Hayle.

Ben taught us all about beach safety in the Surf Life Saving Club. We learnt where to swim and surf safely, what the different coloured flags mean, what to do if we find ourselves in trouble in the sea and what kit the lifeguards have to help them do their job.

We went to the lifeguard hut next to catch up with some lifeguards on duty. They showed us some of their kit and told us some interesting stories about rescues they’ve had to do this summer.

We were also really lucky and excited to sit on the lifeguards jet ski and quad bike.

After lunch and more suncream, we played a few beach games then the surf was up.

The conditions were perfect and the children loved surfing. Lots of waves were caught. We had a few attempts at standing up and a couple of wipe outs.

We would like to say a massive thank you to Ben and the lifeguards for giving us such a fun day out at the beach.

Class 8’s Summer Camp

20th June 202220th June 2022 by Bethany Waters

On Tuesday 14th June, Class 8 set off on their first overnight school camp to Footsteps of Discovery; spending all of Tuesday there as well as Wednesday morning. During the camp the children got to try out a range of different bushcraft and survival activities, all of which had been tailored to our summer topic of the rainforest!

The pupils had the opportunity to experience fire lighting, water collection and purification, some problem solving survival situations as well as knot tying, a rainforest expert’s talk and plenty of free time to explore the beautiful woodland they were camping in!

The pupils should be incredibly proud of themselves and how they represented the school. For many it was their first time staying away and what a great job they did! The camp brought out the collective empathy and kindness that class 8 are so good at showing, as well as their resilience and friendship; truly upholding all of our school values throughout the trip. Even the people running the programme commented how well behaved and what good listeners they all were!

Well done class 8!

War-rag, war-barth!

Bright Lights and Big City Sights

11th November 202219th June 2022 by Nic Stanlake

This last week 44 of our Year 6 pupils boarded the coach and headed off on our big city adventure. An early 7 am departure began the 4 day-long residential trip to our nations capital; for many their first trip for a number of years therefore bringing more challenge than usual.

Our first stop for the fun-filled (and I mean filled) week was at the Natural History Museum where the children had chance to explore through time. From the age of the dinosaurs through to present day. This tied very nicely into our current science topic of ‘Evolution and Inheritance’ where we could see first hand the work of Darwin. Before heading off around Piccadilly Circus before dinner at the Rainforest Cafe.

Wednesday meant PM’s questions, we were however not invited so a tour of Westminster Palace and an opportunity to meet our local MP, George Eustice, was on the agenda. Due to Parliament being in session we were unable to enter the House of Commons but we were able to tour the House of Lords; We were also able to walk the footsteps monarchs from Queen Victoria through to Queen Elizebeth II take through the annual ceremony of the state opening. The palace has so much history and security, which the children were equally interested in, but for that reason we were unfortunately not allowed to take photos inside.

We then headed off on our marathon sightseeing walking tour. Parliament Square- Westminster Abbey- St James Park- Buckingham Palace- The Mall- Horseguards Parade- Whitehall- Downing Street- Parliament Square. Again linking to our learning during the Autumn term in our topic of Wartime Britain.

The weather was very warm, hitting highs of 34 degrees on the Friday, so it was a quick whip back to the hotel for a shower and to out on the glad rags for a night in the West End. The Lion King was truly magnificent. Pizza Express- Covent Garden- The Lion King.

The late night previous led to a later and slightly more relaxed start. A walk from our hotel to Wembley Stadium along the famous Wembley Way. We took our boots but they wouldn’t let us in!

It was then off to the Zoo. A late addition to the itinerary after we were unable to book a guided tour of Wembley Stadium – apparently the Harry Styles Tour is more important – and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Fan favourites were the penguins, gorillas (including some familiar ones), big cats, monkeys and goats (I mean, who doesn’t love a petting zoo!)

It was then back to the heart of the city and a ride on the London Eye. There was one notable admission in the two pods we had, but she was there is spirit and made it into one photo! It was such a clear and beautiful day with a view for miles and miles!

The London Eye really has that WOW factor and was the highlight for many. Once grounded we headed off for dinner, but not before a stroll around Leicester Square and China Town. Another WOW opportunity, even these little walks between activities and venues have such an impact on the pupils.

That then took us into our final day, another early morning that including breakfast, picking up of sweet papers, packing and picking up of more sweet papers. We then loaded ourselves onboard the bus once more and headed back to Kensington but this time for the Science Museum. Not as many pictures I’m afraid as I let the camera battery on charge in the hotel! We were however again able to link our day to our learning in school with links to both our Autumn term biology as well as our Spring term electricity/communication work.

The children were a credit to themselves, their parents and us as a school. Their manners and attitudes were commented on numerous times by serving staff in shops and restaurants as well as members of the public. Residential trips are a wonderful opportunity to see a different side to children but also provide difficult challenge particularly the heat this week and hustle and bustle of a capital city; but they were wonderful and will, I expect, sleep for days. Lots more photos to come but don’t worry kids (and adults), I didn’t take any of you sleeping on the coach…

Year 3 visits Footsteps of Discovery

11th November 202216th June 2022 by Linda Ruffell

Year 3, have just returned to school after visiting and spending the night at the Footsteps of Discovery centre in Summercourt, Newquay.

Whilst at the centre, the children participated in a range of lifesaving skills. This included fire lighting using various methods, safe cutting and an introduction to basic carving, location and signalling, outdoor cooking and basic water sourcing.

The children also had the opportunity to play team sports, cook marshmallows and learn how to tie a range of knots.