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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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History

A Special Visit from Clint at Geevor Mine!

Year 3 had an unforgettable experience this week when Clint from Geevor Mine came to visit us! He brought history to life with his fascinating stories about what it was like to be a miner in Cornwall, both in the 19th century and in the 1990s. The children were amazed to learn how mining has changed over the years and just how tough the job was!


One of the highlights of the visit was the chance to dress up in traditional mining clothing. The children had so much fun trying on the outfits and imagining what it must have been like to work deep underground. They also had the opportunity to feel the weight of real mining equipment—everyone was shocked at how heavy it was! It really helped us appreciate the hard work and strength needed to be a miner.

There were gasps of amazement when Clint told us that, in the past, children as young as three used to go down into the mines! It was difficult to believe, but it helped us understand just how different life was for children in those times.


We are now even more excited for our upcoming visit to Geevor Mine next week! We can’t wait to explore the site in person and see firsthand the places and equipment Clint told us about. Stay tuned for more updates after our trip!

YEAR 1 – LONDON’S BURNING!

Our Year 1 children have been enthralled with our Great Fire of London topic. Today recreating their own Great Fire of London – LONDON IS BURNING!

Both Class 3 and Class 4 have been combining their History and Design and Technology skills to design and build their own models of houses from the 1660s. They have explored how homes were constructed during this time, learning about the materials used—such as wood and thatch—that made the houses more vulnerable during the fire. They built models that reflect what homes in London might have looked like – with some amazing HOME creations too!

This project has not only deepened their understanding of a key historical event but also encouraged creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.

YEAR 1 HAVE BEEN DESIGNING AND BUILDING GREAT FIRE OF LONDON HOUSES!

As part of our exciting Great Fire of London topic in Design and Technology, Year 1 children have been busy designing and building their own houses! They’ve explored what homes looked like in London during the 1660s and learned how the materials used at the time contributed to the spread of the fire.

Using their creativity and problem-solving skills, students have designed houses, considering how to make them strong and safe. They’ve used a variety of materials, from cardboard and paper to paint, to build models of their houses. This hands-on project has not only helped them understand history but has encouraged teamwork and also explored our Penpol value of CREATIVITY, all while having fun learning about the Great Fire of London!

ANCIENT EGYPTIANS TAKE OVER YEAR 3!

Earlier this week, Year 3 dressed up in their finest Ancient Egyptian attire for a day celebrating their Ancient Egypt topic.

 

To start the day, the children showed off their dance moves to the song Walk Like an Egyptian.

 

Throughout the rest of the day, the children completed their own booklets filled with Ancient Egyptian activities, explored non-fiction books, and made their own papyrus.

There were lots of excellent costumes, and the day was enjoyed by all! Well done, and thank you, Year 3 (and parents!).

 

A fort-ified effort!

This half-term, our Year 2 pupils have been learning all about castles and embarked on a building project that even Henry VIII would have admired. Every foreman needs labourers, so what better opportunity than to collaborate with their learning buddies from Classes 14 and 12?

With guidance and teamwork, the Year 2 pupils transformed their designs into impressive castles, showcasing their newly gained knowledge. From the importance of battlements for defense to creating a working drawbridge, their projects brought history to life in the most creative ways.

Well done to our budding architects and their fantastic learning buddies for such a royally impressive effort! 🏰✨

Year 5 Trip to Carn Euny and Penlee House and Museum

On Wednesday 13th November, Class 12 delved into the history of the Penwith area by visiting Penlee House and Museum and Carn Euny Stone Age settlement. In the morning, we participated in a Stone Age workshop, learning lots of information and taking on the role of historians and archeologists. As historians, we studied artefacts and handled replicas which helped us to understand more about the life of a Stone Age human. Inside the museum, we investigated artifacts that have been discovered in the Penwith area.

“I enjoyed the treasure hunt in the museum.” Noa

“It was great when we got to handle the replicas.” Noah

“Making the coin badge was really great, and I liked that I got to take it home.” Lucy

After lunch, we ventured down some narrow country lanes to the ancient site of Carn Euny village. After exploring the village and discussing how and why these people lived here, the children tackled a question that has been baffling archeologists and historians: What is a fogou (an underground, dry-stone structure found on Iron Age or Romano-British-defended settlement sites in Cornwall).

We Will Remember

On Monday our Year 6 pupils took break from writing their World War 1 poetry to pay their respects and mark the two-minute silence on Armistice day at the War Memorial in Hayle alongside other members of our community.

 

The children have been learning lots in class about the sacrifice many service personnel have made on behalf of their countries through their topic of ‘War and Peace’

This has included making poppy crosses to lay in the D-day inspired garden outside of the Passmore Edwards Institute opposite the memorial. They have also sewn their very own felt poppies whilst raising money for the Royal British Legion.

 

A FIERY VISIT: FIREFIGHTERS BRING SAFETY AND FUN TO PENPOL SCHOOL!

Year 1 had an exciting visit from local firefighters as part of our Great Fire of London topic! The children explored how firefighting has changed since 1666, comparing the tools and techniques used in the past to the modern equipment firefighters use today.

Through cross-curricular learning in English, the children wrote their own interesting questions, such as, “What equipment do firefighters use to put out fires today?” and “How do firefighters stay safe?”

This visit provided a hands-on experience, helping the children connect their History and English lessons with real-life firefighting practices. The firefighters also explained the purpose of the equipment, sparking curiosity and deepening the children’s understanding of both the Great Fire of London and how we stay safe today!

IT’S NOT SAFE FOR THEM IN THE CITY: Send them to the countryside!

85 years after thousands of children and young vulnerable adults were evacuated from cities across the country during WW2, our Year 6 children had a go themselves. To launch the start of our ‘Wartime and Peace’ topic the children (and adults) dressed themselves in period clothing and lived the life of an evacuee for the day.

 

After being met at the gates by 2 of the newest members of the Penpol Division of the British Forces and our very own Land Girls they waved a teary goodbye to their parents before heading off for the train station. They were then subjected to a roll call and squeezed into a cramped school classrooms; much like the evacuees of 1939 would have been when they departed the trains.

It was here the children had chance to act in character and meet their fellow evacuees, discussing the contents of their suitcases as well as their preferred destination. Those without identification tags were labeled and sent on their way. The children then had some time to look at and try different games that evacuees would have played in the 40’s. The children also took some time to research and better understand the process of ‘Operation Pied Piper” before writing some touching postcards home.

 

After a ration-free lunch the children got to grips with the struggles of rationing with some home cooking following a handed-down ration recipe to make some delicious scones.

At the close of the day the children were collected by their parents, their evacuation was much shorter than those during the war. Many parents came into class to sample some of their cooking but also sit and enjoy their child’s work from the day.

Conscription! Year 6 are heading to the front!

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.