Geography

Year 2’s Marine Discovery

4th July 2024 by Michael Pearson

On Tuesday 2^nd and Wednesday 3^rd July, our Year 2 pupils embarked upon some unforgettable boat tours of Mounts Bay with Marine Discovery Penzance.

We met the Marine Discovery crew on Albert Pier at Penzance Harbour. While we were fitted with lifejackets and suitably warm clothing, the children explored fact files about a rage of local sea animals, including minke whales and basking sharks. We then carefully descended the steep steps down from the harbour and boarded Shearwater II, a 10-metre sailing catamaran.

We left the calm waters of Penzance Harbour and headed south towards Mousehole. The children observed this historic fishing village from the sea and learned about the history of the Mousehole Cave and its use by smugglers. We learned that the Cornish name for Mousehole is ‘Porthenys’, translating to ‘harbour island’. This refers to St Clement’s Island, situated just offshore from Mousehole.

Historically, St Clement’s Island was home to a medieval chapel. Nowadays it is an important habitat for a host of seabirds and grey seals. We observed several seals, some of which were resting on the rocks and others could be seen ‘bottling’ in the water.

Josh, the crew’s marine mammal expert, let the children explore a real seal’s skull and some seal fur!

The bay also had a plethora of local seabirds, including skuas, Cory’s shearwaters, gannets, cormorants and oystercatchers.

It was time to hoist the sails as we set a course due Northeast for St Michael’s Mount! On the way, we sang sea shanties, spotted a number of different types of boats and kept our eyes peeled for more wildlife. Some children helped to steer the boat, using the steering pole and keeping a keen eye on the direction of travel.

As we sailed across Mounts Bay, we pondered the bay’s ancient past; it is understood that some 6000 years ago, when sea levels were much lower, the bay was home to a vast forest. ‘The Lost Forest of Mounts Bay’ is echoed in the Cornish name for St Michael’s Mount, ‘Karrek Loos yn Koos’, meaning ‘Grey Rock in the Wood’.

The children demonstrated incredible bravery and resilience during their marine voyages, at time battling high winds and choppy seas! They also showed great curiosity and a deep respect for their local environment. A huge thank you to Marine Discovery Penzance for a truly unforgettable experience and inspiring the next generation of marine voyagers!

Conscription! Year 6 are heading to the front!

10th January 2024 by Nic Stanlake

As we have in previous few years, Year 6 headed to Bodmin Keep to explore the Military Museum. Bodmin Keep is the historical home of the DCLI; the barracks for which many of our ancestors signed up in and trained at as members of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.

To help immerse ourselves in to the lives of young soldiers we took part in two workshops. One, where we were able to explore their replica trench where we discussed the dismal living conditions and even had a go at heading ‘over the top’ ourselves. During the second workshop, we had the opportunity to look at ‘Somme’ letters that were written by soldiers in 1914 from the muddy battlefields on France. Here we really felt the emotion connected with these letters and the sensitivity with which we were going to need to write our own. We then had the chance to write pen some ideas to take back to school with us for our very own letters.

During our guided tour we learnt all about how the keep was used to train and house recruits who later went onto fight in France and Belgium as part of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry before housing visiting G.I Joes in the lead up to the D-Day landings in 1944.

The building is rich with British Military history and a plethora of artefacts and replicas to explore and discuss including; Mary tins, a present from Princess Mary to serving soldiers in 1914; genuine WW1 clothing, helmets and boots; food stuffs from the time of WW1, including a VERY hard tac biscuit; and soldiers personal possessions, such as boot polish, button polishers and shaving kits. A new addition to the museum is a exhibit on the United Nations and the roll the British Forces play in peacetime; helping maintain the peace across the world and well as helping with natural disasters.

We had a truly awe-inspiring day where many of our current day to day difficulties were put into persecutive. We left feeling very grateful to live in the world in which we do and will be taking our first hand experience of the trench back to school with us and using it to help write our very own letters from the Somme.

Year 5 visited by The Beach Guardians

24th June 20239th June 2023 by Nic Stanlake

Yesterday our 2 Year 5 classes had some very special visitors. We were joined by the Beach Guardians. Beach Guardian is a community interest company that aim to ‘engage, educate and empower against plastic pollution. Based in Cornwall they perform regular beach cleans and conduct educational work shops and we were lucky to have them bring their workshop to Penpol School.

During the work shop the children had chance to sift through the sand and take a look at many of the plastics which had previously been collected from the beach. They also had chance to look at some of these micro-plastics under the microscope as well as design a poster to encourage people to do what’s right and take their litter home with them.

We also discussed the impact of physical geography as well as the human impact and discussed how currents can take plastic waster all over the globe. They shared with us a bottle that was produced and Malaysia which washed up at Perranporth.

The aim of the session was to motivate the pupils to continue ti spread the message of our topic teaching this term- improve health and well being of both people and planet.

If you’d like to find out more about their work or how you can get involved please follow this link

https://www.beachguardian.org/

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.

Year 3’s Tin Mine Travels

20th February 20238th February 2023 by Christina Sukstiene

This half term (25.02.2023), Classes 7 and 8 went on an exciting trip to Geevor Tin Mine as part of their topic for this term – ‘Minecraft’!

We arrived in the morning and put our hard hats on – ready for adventure!

Both classes split into two groups with one going down into one of the mines and the other learning about the different types of rocks and minerals that were mined at Geevor…

The mineshaft was very confined; the adults had to bend down to be able to walk through properly!

After both groups had explored their respective areas, we swapped over to discover what else the tin mine had to offer!

We were able to have a look around lots of different areas that the miners used from 1911 up until 1990!

We learnt lots of interesting facts about why Geevor was built and how all of its machinery operated – we were also lucky enough to have the chance to pan for gold!

It was a hugely exciting day packed full of fun, for one and all!

A huge thank you to The Heritage Trust who funded the bus travel to get to Geevor!

A Giant Adventure for Year 2!

29th November 202218th October 2022 by Michael Pearson

On Wednesday 12^th and Thursday 13^th October, Year 2 enjoyed two truly incredible trips to St Michael’s Mount as part of this term’s topic, ‘Who’s the King of the Castle?’

They were lucky enough to travel by boat from Marazion beach across to the Mount, which made the journey that bit more magical. Upon arrival, pupils were fascinated to stand in the footprint casts of royalty, including the late Queen Elizabeth II.

On the short but steep hike up the Mount, pupils discovered both the Giant’s Well and the Giant’s Heart. They particularly enjoyed looking out from the battlements and imagining defending the castle with canons!

Various tour guides supported their learning about the historic castle, as pupils undertook a treasure quest and discovered fascinating artefacts throughout the building – including the story of a 7ft giant, whose skeleton was discovered in one of the chambers! The children were absolutely immersed in the history of the castle and applied all of their wonderful learning about castles from topic lessons this term.

After lunch, pupils enjoyed a leisurely walk back to the mainland along the cobblestone causeway. The day was topped off with some fantastic sand castle building – with a spectacular view of St Michael’s Mount in the background for inspiration.

Reception Visit Marazion

29th June 202228th June 2022 by Elizabeth Nidds

Classes 1 and 2 had a lovely time last week on our trips to Marazion beach!

I love the beach! We made sandcastles and I wore my hat to keep my head protected – Zachary

Recently, we have been learning about plastic pollution and how we can help to keep our beaches and seas safe. During our time at Marazion, we searched the beach for pieces of plastic and rubbish that we could put in the bin. We worked as a team to find different items, including bottle tops, odd socks and a plastic bag!

We picked up the rubbish so people and seagulls don’t get it. If sea creatures eat it, they will be very poorly – Heidi

During our visit, we also had a play in the park after our time on the beach. We loved using the climbing frames and the swings, whilst playing with our friends.

I loved the park. I went on the slide. It was very bumpy. I went on the tyres and climbed up the ladder – Harry

As well as the beach clean, the children enjoyed creating sand sculptures of people using what they could find on the beach. We had lots of fun using the seaweed as hair and the shells as eyes, as you can see below! We also made lots of sandcastles, whilst burying each other’s legs and covering ourselves in the sand!

My person had big seaweed arms. I used stones for the eyes and nose and seaweed for her hair. My person is called Ella – Nyah

The children also enjoyed having a picnic together on the beach. We cooled off in the heat by having a ice lolly which went down a treat!

My ice lolly was yummy! I ate it quickly so it didn’t melt! – Ivy

During the day, it was refreshing to cool off in the water and paddle our feet in the sea. We enjoyed splashing and jumping in the gentle waves.

After all of our excitement on the beach, we headed back to Penpol with shoes full of sand and lots of great memories made by all! We are even more excited to continue our ‘Under the Sea’ topic this term.

Reception Classes Visit the Maritime Museum

29th May 2022 by Amanda Aspden

Classes 1 and 2 had a great time at the Maritime Museum in Falmouth.

We loved meeting Oceana, the sea sprite who told us a wonderful story of how she now lives in the lost land of Lyonesse. We helped her retell her story using instruments and learnt how she was rescued by merpeople and how Poseidon the God of the sea gave her the gift of being able to breathe underwater.

We looked at some treasures that Oceana had found at the bottom of the ocean which included part of a shipwreck, (possibly a pirate ship), a cannon ball, an old boot and a killer whales tooth.

We also learnt all about the different parts of a boat before making our own.

Next was the exciting boat races where we got the chance to race them on the boating lake.

We had a look around the museum and discovered all kinds of amazing monsters from the deep including a blob fish, angler fish, a fangtooth fish and a cock eyed squid.

We also had time to play on the rescue boats, jet ski, quad bike and life raft. We pretended to rescue each other from the ocean.

Finally we went to the top of the lookout tower and had a look at all the amazing boats in the harbour. We learnt all about sail boats, yachts and catamarans and found out that one of the super yachts in the harbour would need about 15 crew members to run the ship.

Class 1 and 2 would like to say a big thank you to all the staff at the maritime museum. We learnt so much, had lots of fun and had a great day out.

Year 2 visit to St Michael’s Mount

30th June 20229th December 2021 by Imogen Robinson

On a very windy, stormy Monday 6th December, year 2 went to visit St Michael’s Mount as part of their Castles topic.

After putting on our head-to-toe waterproofs, we got on the coach and drove through the elements to Marazion.

We pulled up, gathered our things together, and started the ascent to the Mount.

Battling against the wind and the cobbles, we arrived and were welcomed by the St Michael’s Mount team. They talked us through the grounds and gave us a scavenger hunt map, leading us to lots of intriguing and exciting sights around the castle and gardens. Unfortunately, during our journey the wind had grown too strong for us to continue the final leg of the climb into the castle itself!

While we waited in hope for the winds to ease, we began our search for some of the sights on our maps.

We found the Giant’s Heart and the Giant’s Well, nestled amongst the cobbles and Mrs Hocking delighted us all to a gripping cliff-top retelling of the myth surrounding the Giant and St Michael’s Mount.

After a bit of lunch in the Visitors’ Centre and a lot of fun and games, the weather improved and we were allowed to explore the castle to our heart’s content.

We had an amazing time and loved being able to put all of our learning from this term’s topic into context. It was a delight to hear the year 2s buzzing around the rooms, pointing out different familiar features and interesting new ones, exploring, discussing and experiencing a real-life castle together.

A particular highlight was looking out from the castle walls at the impressive vista below. Some of us had to overcome our fears to do it and it was definitely worth it!

There was still lots of exploring to do, but it was time to say our goodbyes to the Mount so we made our way back to the coach and to school.

What a fantastic way to round off this term’s topic!

Class 13 Visit Bodmin Keep

30th June 20223rd November 2021 by Nic Stanlake

On taking a short break from studying WW2 within their topic of Wartime Britain, Class 13 moved their focus to WW1 and the commemoration of the Armistice. To help emerge themselves in to the lives of young soldiers we visited Cornwall’s military museum at Bodmin Keep.

The children learnt all about how the keep was used to train and house recruits who later went onto fight in France and Belgium as part of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry before housing visiting G.I Joes in the lead up to the D-Day landings in 1944.

The building was rich with British Military history and a plethora of artefacts and replicas to explore and discuss including; Mary tins, a present from Princess Mary to serving soldiers in 1914; genuine WW1 clothing, helmets and boots; food stuffs from the time of WW1, including a VERY hard tac biscuit; and soldiers personal possessions, such as boot polish, button polishers and shaving kits.

After exploring the museum the children had chance to join the regiment, armed with their rifles (very much wooden replicas) they marched towards the enemy and took their place in the trenches and awaited the call to climb. On their lucky escape from the trench, the children sat and read some of the life stories of soldiers who left Bodmin and served, some not so fortunate to return.

After lunch we entertained two veterans, messers ‘Spanner’ and ‘Kelvin’ who taught us some basic knot skills and some far more important team building, leadership and communication ones too. The children learnt how to tie a ‘highway hitch’ before competing in a team drill to crown the fastest and best platoon in the regiment!

A truly awe-inspiring day where many of our current day to day difficulties were put into persecutive, from here we will be writing some remembrance poetry and letters from the trenches, so keep your eyes peeled for post from the Somme.

The Dragons and the Six Super Stars both come back from Culdrose with Trophies!

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