The Penpol Times

Class 14’s Festival of Maths

15th February 202515th February 2025 by Nic Stanlake

Class 14 have fully embraced the enjoyment of our ‘Festival of Maths’ this week. We have spent time embedding our fluency and number skills through a variety of games and activities whilst also finishing our Algebra unit with some hands on missing number problems! This week maths, has not simply been limited to maths lessons; we’ve explored parallel and perpendicular lines in art, written maths inspired stories and used our orienteering skills to support the learning of reading buddies.

I really enjoyed Maths Week because I love giving myself hard challenges to work out- it was nice to do things a little bit differently this week!- Luke

I really liked maths week because there was loads of fun activities to do across the curriculum- Violet

Colour Us Excited to Count in Cornish! 🌈🔢

10th March 202510th February 2025 by Lisa Bettens

In Cornish club, key stage 1 students have been busy creating zines (booklets) and posters to showcase their Cornish language skills.

We started with colours and counting to 10—here’s a sneak peek of what we practised:

🎨 Colours in Cornish:

Red – Rudh
Blue – Glas
Yellow – Melyn
Green – Gwyrdh
White – Gwyn
Black – Du
Orange – Rudhvelyn
Pink – Rudhwyn
Brown – Gell
Purple – Purpur

🔢 Counting to 10 in Cornish:
1️⃣ Onan
2️⃣ Dew
3️⃣ Tri
4️⃣ Peswar
5️⃣ Pymp
6️⃣ Hwegh
7️⃣ Seyth
8️⃣ Eth
9️⃣ Naw
🔟 Deg

Year 3 Head to the Mines

7th February 20257th February 2025 by Jess Riches

Our Amazing Trip to Geevor Tin Mine!

Wow! What an exciting day we had at Geevor Tin Mine! We travelled back in time to learn about tin mining in Cornwall and even became miners for the day.

Wearing hard hats, we explored a real mine. It was dark, damp, and spooky! We saw how tin was separated from rocks, used old tools, and tried drilling and crushing rocks ourselves.

Next, we panned for gold and found gems—just like real treasure hunters! We visited the locker room, left just as miners had last used it, and ended the day with a fun Cornish sing-along.

We had an amazing time and learned so much.

Year 4’s Planting Adventure!

7th February 2025 by Jack Emery

Year 4 rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty this week as they took part in Cormac’s Green Shoots community project at the Playing Fields!

Both classes embraced the challenge, taking on everything from planning and digging to planting bulbs and native shrubs—and even a bit of litter-picking to keep the space looking great. Both classes were a credit to the school – no matter the task, every child threw themselves into the project with enthusiasm!

A huge thank you to Melissa, Becky, and Kelly from Cormac, who made sure every child felt involved and valued throughout the process. Their support and guidance turned this into a truly hands-on learning experience.

It was fantastic to see the children so engaged, and they’ve already told us they’re keen to visit the Playing Fields more often—what a brilliant legacy for this project! We’ll definitely be planning some of our school learning in this wonderful space to make the most of their hard work and the new picnic area.

More photos to come soon—watch this space!

Footballers represent Penpol at Penwith Festival

12th February 20255th February 2025 by Nic Stanlake

17 of our talented Year 5 and 6 pupils made their way to Mounts Bay Academy to take part in a football festival against 7 other schools. A mixed bag of results but all children returned home with smiles on their faces. These festivals are not about winning they are simply about providing the opportunity for young football fanatics to get out on the pitch and get involved! The boys did exceptionally well and certainly played the game with the right values- the Penpol values of respect, friendship, creativity and integrity!

Hooray for Arrays!

12th February 20255th February 2025 by Michael Pearson

As part of our exciting Festival of Maths week at Penpol School, our Year 2 pupils got moving in maths with an activity called Active Arrays! Combining the physical skills of coordination, agility and teamwork with their enthusiasm for multiplication, the children worked together to create large-scale arrays using cones on the school playground.

Pupils explored the concept of multiplication in a hands-on way, arranging cones into rows and columns to help visualise the number patterns of arrays. This interactive approach helped them grasp this key mathematical concept while staying physically active and socially engaged.

It was fantastic to see their enthusiasm and energy in action—learning really comes to life when we move! Hooray for Arrays!

Frozen Frenzy: The Great Dinosaur Ice Break!

6th March 20254th February 2025 by Clare Sara

Class 4 had a smashing time today in our science lesson! First, the children eagerly revealed what was hidden inside the balloons. Many enthusiastic helpers volunteered to remove the balloons from the freezing ice.

We began by using our skills to record predictions. Carefully, we worked as a team to set up three controlled methods to figure out which would be the best way to free the dinosaurs from the ice quickly. Each method was timed to find out the results.

Then came the frenzy of smashing the capsules over and over again to free the dinosaurs (don’t worry, no dinosaurs were harmed in the process! 😊).

After all the fun, it was time to record our results. In third place, after 19 minutes and 42 seconds, we decided the ice egg near the heater was no longer in the running. The hot water method impressed us with a time of 9 minutes and 21 seconds, with one child noting, “…the water is now cold because the ice has melted, making it go from hot water to cold water.” But, in first place, with a super speedy time of 1 minute and 56 seconds, was the smashing, crashing, and bashing of the ice capsules!

What a frosty, fun-filled lesson it was!

AI in the Classroom

31st January 202531st January 2025 by Jess Riches

As Class 7 continues to learn about Cornish Mining, this week we added a special twist! We used “School AI” to help us explore this fascinating topic in a way that was just right for each child.

With AI, we could ask our own questions and get tailored answers to help us understand what life was like for miners. Some chidlren wanted to discover what kinds of food miners ate, while others wanted to find out about their family life. Some even explored how mining helped the economy and why it was so important for Cornwall. It was amazing to see how AI could guide us to learn in a way that suited us best!

We also had an important discussion about using ai safely. We learned that AI is a great tool for learning, but we should always check information, think critically, and ask a teacher if we’re unsure.

A Special Visit from Clint at Geevor Mine!

3rd February 202531st January 2025 by Christie Jackson

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!

Fantastic Fluency!

27th January 202527th January 2025 by Bethany Waters

Maths isn’t just about numbers – it’s about discovering patterns, solving problems, and most importantly, having fun! That’s exactly what Class 13 has been exploring by diving into the world of maths fluency games! Fluency is an integral part of our maths curriculum here at Penpol and we’ve been shaking it up in Year 6!

These games have been about more than just a break from traditional lessons; they’re a chance for the pupils to challenge themselves further, work together, and re-discover how fun maths can be! Our Year 6 pupils are proving that by thinking like a mathematician and utilising the power of games, they’re able to discover new ways to build their skills, tackle challenges, and most importantly, enjoy the journey.