The Penpol Times

Reception Classes Enjoy a Fun-Filled Afternoon at Bluff Beach!

4th March 20254th March 2025 by Amanda Aspden

Our Reception classes had an amazing afternoon at Bluff Beach, making the most of the fresh sea air and beautiful scenery! We were lucky with the weather—bright skies and a gentle breeze made it the perfect day for outdoor fun.

Me and Jackson were playing in the sand and the seaweed – Aaron. Yes and we also made a castle with the seaweed – Jackson

The children took part in a variety of exciting beach activities, including building sandcastles, collecting shells, and creating beach art using seaweed and pebbles. We also played group games like relay races, beach ball challenges, bat and ball and a giant game of “Duck, Duck, Goose” on the sand!

Although the waves looked very tempting, it was a little too chilly for paddling this time. We managed to keep dry and will save our splashing adventures for when the weather warms up.

I did a sand angel. I make sandcastles and I always get wet in the sea. When I went in the sea when it was warm – Ella

Last time I went surfing with my Dad. We were surfing a lot and we watched some big waves and we crashed on the shore and we kept on walking back to the waves where we were again. Then we were surfing again and again and again.

It was a fantastic day, and we can’t wait for our next beach adventure!

Reception Classes Enjoy Outdoor Maths Adventures!

4th March 2025 by Amanda Aspden

My favourite bit of maths is number bonds. A two and a two makes four, a three and a one makes four – Ella

Our Reception classes have been making the most of the drier weather by taking their maths learning outside! The children have been exploring a range of Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) maths activities in the fresh air, using the natural environment to develop key skills in a fun and engaging way.

A one and a four makes five and a two and a three makes five – Arthur

I love maths, it’s my favourite. I’m good at numbers – Reuben

Our young mathematicians have been:
🔢 Practicing number recognition by spotting and ordering numbers in outdoor scavenger hunts.
🪵 Using natural materials like sticks, shells, and stones to create repeating patterns.
🎲 Playing counting games with hoops, beanbags, and outdoor number tracks.
📏 Exploring measurement by comparing the lengths of sticks and estimating distances.
🔺 Creating 2D and 3D shapes with outdoor objects, developing their understanding of geometry.

We’ve been learning doubles, double two is four, double four is eight, double 5 is ten – Jackson

Outdoor learning provides a fantastic opportunity for children to apply their mathematical skills in real-life contexts while enjoying the benefits of fresh air and movement. We look forward to many more outdoor maths adventures as the season continues!

I like doing maths outside – Zuri

Tens, Ones and Lots of Fun in Year 1!

7th March 20253rd March 2025 by Rebecca Best

In Year 1, we’ve been working hard to understand place value up to 50. We’ve been using a variety of manipulatives, including base ten, to help us visualise how many tens and ones are in different numbers. This hands-on approach has made learning about numbers both fun and engaging!

We’ve enjoyed working with our partners, which not only helped us with our place value understanding but also allowed us to develop our Penpol Value of Friendship. By collaborating and discussing our ideas, we’ve been able to improve our Oracy skills, explaining our thinking and listening to others.

It’s been wonderful to see the children excited to share their discoveries and we’re looking forward to continuing to build our mathematical and communication skills together!

Fruitastic Fun: Year 1 Children Explore Healthy Me with Fruit Kebabs!

6th March 202528th February 2025 by Rebecca Best

This term in PSHE, Year 1 children have been learning all about staying healthy. To bring their learning to life, they took part in an exciting Design and Technology lesson where they designed and made their own fruit kebabs!

The lesson began with the children designing their perfect fruit kebabs. They explored different types of fruit and discussed which ones would make a tasty and healthy treat. Once the designs were complete, the children got to work preparing and assembling their fruit kebabs, carefully selecting the fruit before threading it onto skewers.

After all the hard work, the children were able to enjoy the fruits of their labor by tasting their delicious creations. They loved evaluating which fruits they liked or disliked and shared their thoughts with their classmates.

The children thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on experience, and the highlight of the lesson was, of course, eating the tasty and nutritious fruit kebabs they had created! It was a fun and educational way to learn about healthy eating.

Super Swimming Success at Counties for Penpol Swimmers

17th February 2025 by Nic Stanlake

Over the past few weekends, some of our talented swimmers have been competing for their club teams at the County Finals—and it’s safe to say they did incredibly well, bringing home a host of medals!

Congratulations to all involved, but a special mention must go to Florence, who not only collected an astonishing 13 gold medals but also earned more points for her team than any other swimmer, securing a special medal in recognition of her achievement.

These are medals and memories that our pupils will cherish forever—well done, everyone!

Gymnastics at Penpol!

17th February 2025 by Nic Stanlake

The wintry weather of January and February provides the perfect opportunity for indoor PE. Each year group, from Reception to Year 6, undertakes a gymnastics unit where they learn, develop, and refine their skills.

In the first of our two spring terms, our Year 2 pupils take advantage of an additional PE offer, attending three sessions at Penzance Gymnastics Club. There, they experience the sprung floor, high bars, and—most excitingly—the foam pit. Providing access to professional facilities as part of our curriculum is invaluable, especially for pupils who may not have the opportunity to do so outside of school due to social or financial barriers.

For much of KS2, this takes the form of parkour, an athletic discipline in which athletes aim to move from one point to another in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But then come the obstacles! Our Year 4 pupils have been honing their vaulting and rolling skills—essential techniques for safely controlling falls from height.

Meanwhile, Year 6 pupils have been testing their abilities on the final parkour course, designed to challenge their skills and push them to the edges of their comfort zones.

Year 6 Pupils Star at Youth Speaks

17th February 2025 by Nic Stanlake

Last week, three of our pupils had the fantastic opportunity to speak at Penponds School in the first round of this year’s Youth Speaks competition, hosted by Redruth Rotary Club.

Public speaking is an invaluable skill, helping to build confidence and ambition. Youth Speaks allows young people to voice their opinions on topics that matter to them—it’s their say, their way. Each team consists of a Chair, a Speaker, and a Proposer of the Vote of Thanks, each with distinct and challenging roles. The Speaker has six minutes to address the audience, while the other two have two minutes each.

With the support of Miss Triggs, our three pupils worked tirelessly to prepare a ten-minute speech on a topic close to our hearts at Penpol: the benefits of active travel. In preparation, they not only perfected their speech but also conducted their own research across the school and even presented to the KS2 assembly.

Although they didn’t progress from a very strong pool of six schools—with Gwinear advancing to the regional finals—we couldn’t be prouder of their hard work, dedication, and passion. You were our stars! We wish Gwinear the best of luck next month.

Lights, Camera, Action for Class 14

17th February 202517th February 2025 by Nic Stanlake

A few weeks ago, some of our pupils visited LightBox Film Company, a local business in Hayle, to provide voice-over work for an Active Cornwall film. This week, it was time to return the favour!

James from LightBox visited Penpol to film the children as part of a new project about geological resources in the region. The pupils not only learned about the exciting developments happening locally but also explored the wide range of careers available within the sector, including marketing, engineering, and, of course, geology!

Once they had played their part as actors, some pupils had the opportunity to step behind the camera. James was fantastic at working with them, taking the time to explain not only how his equipment works but also the wider film industry.

Keep your eyes peeled for our future stars of the screen—I will share the video once it’s completed!

Below is a link to a Cornish film featuring some of our talented pupils.

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