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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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The Penpol Times

Nursery Adventure To The Millpond

This week, Nursery went on their very first adventure together out of the school gates! They went for a walk around the local area to see if they could spot any of the animals they’ve been learning about this term.

Walking carefully in pairs, the children braved the rainy weather to walk through the school, out of the gate and down the road to the Millpond. En route, they spotted some seagulls, crows, pigeons and magpies.

After arriving, it was time for a quick go in the park (after all that sensible walking), and the children proved that a little bit of rain wasn’t going to spoil their fun! They paused for a scenic snack before continuing the walk.

Next, the children walked through the woodland area and around to the pond itself, where they spotted some swans, ducks and a moorhen.

After such a busy and adventurous morning, the children made their way back to school, once again showing fantastic listening, teamwork and sensible walking. The team are so proud of how they represented the school community on their very first outing together, and are already looking forward to many more adventures beyond the school gates!

 

Machine Learning about Red Nose Day in Scratch

This week students in Key Stage 2 have been using some clever code to create their own interactive Red Noses!  Using a special version of Scratch, pupils have been exploring Machine Learning and how computer code can recognise different things, such as your nose.  Using this code they’ve then let their creativity run wild by creating games, animations, secret messages, art programs and more using their own Red Nose.

Take a look at this short video and you’ll see just how creative the students at Penpol School are!

From Tin Mines to Tales: School Celebrates Cornwall in Style

Students and staff came together this week to celebrate Cornish culture, heritage and language in a vibrant, school-wide event. The special themed week aimed to raise awareness of Cornwall’s unique traditions while encouraging pupils to explore a rich and often overlooked part of British identity.

Throughout the week, lessons across different subjects were adapted to include Cornish themes. In history, students learned about Cornwall’s past, including its mining heritage and ancient legends. English lessons introduced traditional Cornish stories, while art classes focused on designing pieces inspired by the Cornish coastline and minehouses.

Nursery put on their baker hats and bakes scones.

Reception made some Cornish flags and learnt the phrase ‘Gwag ov vy’ I’m hungry.

Year 1 completed a Cornish Artist study based on Anthony Frost

Year 2 created Bee Factfiles and Cornish Standing Stones

 

Year 3 have been completing a mining study, complete with art work and learning about St Piran.

Year 4 have been retelling the story of Bolster the Giant and making ‘heva cake’

Year 6 created Celtic crosses and mining artwork.

Paws, Claws and Caring Hands: A Vet Nurse Visits Our Nursery!

This term, our Nursery children are learing all about animals, and this week they had a very special visit from Tamsin Richards, a local vet nurse.

She brought Mrs Neve and Mabel the dog with her and showed the children how to perform a basic check up. The nursery children watched closely as Tamsin checked Mabel’s heartbeat, eyes, nose and mouth. They were reminded that permission must be asked before petting any dogs in public – not all dogs are as friendly as Mabel!

 

The children listened carefully and learnt all about the different spaces in the vets surgery. They saw pictures of where Tamsin works, learnt about what all the different machines and equpiment were for and found out why dogs and cats are kept seperately!

Then the children were able to try out some of the equipment from the vets. They used a real stethoscope to find their heartbeats, had a go at bandaging each other up, tried on some of the protective gear and inspected some themometers.

There are definitely some future vet nurses in this nursery!

 

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Reading Everywhere: Our World Book Day Adventure!

Today we celebrated World Book Day by letting the children read anywhere they wanted in the classroom.

With books in hand, some chose to sit on top of tables, others hid under tables to create cosy reading spots, and a few even took over the teacher’s chair! It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying their stories in such fun and creative places.

A fantastic day celebrating the joy of reading!

From Hive to Flapjack: Year 2’s Bee-tastic Week!

Year 2 were buzzing with excitement on Tuesday, 6th January 2026, when they welcomed local beekeeper Tamsin Harris to school! Tamsin has been bee-keeping since 1998 and now cares for an incredible 109 hives in the local area – talk about a hive of activity!

With a honeycomb of knowledge to share, Tamsin told the children all about her business, ‘Bee Special’, which creates a wide range of products from her hives, including beeswax candles, furniture polish, candle-rolling kits, balms and salves. The children were also treated to a truly sweet experience when they had the chance to taste some of Tamsin’s delicious local honey.

The highlight of the visit was an interactive workshop where pupils learned all about the different roles inside a bee colony. The classroom was soon abuzz as children dressed up as beekeepers, Queen bees, baby bees, worker bees, cleaner bees, guard bees and even hive-fanning bees!

This exciting visit was the perfect way to immerse the children in their new topic, ‘Where Would We Bee Without Bees?’, helping them understand just how important these tiny creatures are to our world. To top it all off, the children ended the week by rolling up their sleeves and making their very own honey flapjack – a delicious way to celebrate their learning. It was a sweet and unforgettable experience that left everyone bee-lieving just how amazing bees really are.

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!

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.