The Penpol Times

Year 6 undertake mini-police training

15th January 202515th October 2024 by Nic Stanlake

As part of our PSHE curriculum, Year 6 had the privilege of welcoming Devon and Cornwall Police into their classrooms for an engaging and educational experience. The officers shared insights about their roles within the community, the importance of staying safe online, and the impact of antisocial behavior.

With a careers focus, Phil—a respected officer—captivated the pupils with his personal journey, starting as a 10-year-old with dreams of joining the police force to now having a varied and rewarding career. His story inspired many pupils to consider a future in law enforcement, now equipped with knowledge about the skills and qualifications needed for such a career.

Here’s what some of our Year 6 pupils had to say about the experience:

Ned

“I really liked the mini-police program. It was a valuable experience learning about antisocial behavior, vandalism, online safety, and the age ratings of games and apps. It’s important to tell a trusted adult if something makes you uncomfortable online. We also learned about road safety, like stopping, looking, and listening, as well as not using your phone while walking. I loved the experience!”

Isla

“During the last week, Year 6 was visited by an officer from Devon and Cornwall Police. At first, I didn’t know much about the police, but now I know so many jaw-dropping facts. We explored antisocial behavior—it was crazy to hear about the situations he’s been involved in! We also learned about online safety and road safety. It was so amazing to hear about the police from an actual officer!”

Theo

“When Phil came in, it inspired me to work harder in school, especially in maths and English, as he explained how important those skills are. I learned that to be a 999 response officer, you need to complete a minimum of two years before specializing in roles like traffic or armed response. Phil told me everything I need to know to become a police officer, and I am inspired to be one.”

A big thank you to Devon and Cornwall Police for providing such a valuable and inspiring experience for our pupils! 🚔✨

Magic on the Mount

10th March 20254th October 2024 by Lisa Bettens

On Tuesday 2^nd October and Wednesday 3rd October 2024, Classes 5 and 6 embarked upon magical and memorable trips to St Michael’s Mount as part of their Autumn Term topic, ‘Who’s the King of the Castle?’

Pupils enjoyed a 5-minute boat ride across the water to the island as they didn’t fancy the long swim.

We were greeted at the harbour by Kerry Rice, the Education Officer for St Aubyn Estate, who led us on a magical journey through time as we explored the historic beauty of St Michael’s Mount.

On the short but steep hike up the Mount, we discovered the ‘Giant’s Well’, where Kerry captivated the children’s imaginations with the legend of Cormoran the Giant. We learned about the story of a tyrannical giant who once lived on the mount and how he was defeated by a local boy called Jack.

Further up the Pilgrim’s Steps, children discovered the Giant’s Heart within the cobbled path. Legend has it that if you place your toe on this magical stone, then you can feel Cormoran’s heartbeat in your chest!

Finally, we reached the castle at the top of the mount, where the stone fortifications, battlements and canons immediately brought this period of medieval history to life. Kerry taught us the chronology of the mount’s use through time, going back over 3000 years from early Bronze Age artefacts to its use as a monastery, to the castle’s construction following the Norman Conquest of Britain.

As we explored the inside of the castle, children discovered an abundance of fascinating artefacts scattered throughout the castle’s intricate maze of rooms and buildings, including a mysteriously large leather jug and the entrance to a hidden chamber, where a 7-foot skeleton was once discovered!

After descending the steep and uneven path back down the mount, we had certainly earned a good lunch. One final treat was in store, as Kerry treated led a wonderful drama activity in which they acted out the story of Cormoran the Giant – complete with an authentic blast of a horn from Kerry!

By the afternoon, the tide has dropped out, revealing the beautiful cobblestone causeway that connects the island to the mainland. We walked back along the beach and enjoyed the minibus journey back to school, minds full of the history and magic of St Michael’s Mount.

360° – Year 1’S NATURE ART

19th January 20254th October 2024 by Clare Sara

Year 1 have been to Gwithian beach for part of our 360° Curriculum to explore NATURE ART!

As part of our ART lessons, Year 1 children went on a fun trip to the beach to create artwork inspired by the artist Andy Goldsworthy. They explored the beach and collected natural materials like shells, pebbles and seaweed. Using these items, the children made their own special art pieces, arranging them into patterns, shapes, and sculptures just like Goldsworthy does.

This activity helped them to channel their Penpol value of CREATIVITY while working with nature, and they learnt how to make art from things they found around them. The best part was that their artwork was temporary, just like Andy Goldsworthy’s, and they took photos to remember their beautiful creations!

A Delicious Apple and Blackberry Crumble Creation!

15th January 202530th September 2024 by Rebecca Best

Year 1 went on an exciting blackberry walk to hunt for the juiciest blackberries, ready to add the perfect touch to our apple and blackberry crumble! After gathering our tasty ingredients, we got busy chopping, mixing and baking to create our scrumptious treat. Once the crumble was ready, we couldn’t wait to taste it – and everyone agreed, it was absolutely delicious!

But the fun didn’t stop there! In our English books, we wrote step-by-step instructions on how to make our apple and blackberry crumble, sharing our cooking skills with others. We also used our Design and Technology books to evaluate how well our crumble turned out.

What a tasty and creative way to learn!

Penpol Celebrates Languages Day 2024!

15th January 202528th September 2024 by Jack Emery

On Wednesday 25th September, Penpol School celebrated European Day of Languages for its 7th time. We are so fortunate to have so many languages being spoken as either a first or second language by our students. Penpol’s multi-lingual community was the inspiration behind this year’s new ‘Mini Europe’ language long, which echoed around the hall and classrooms during the afternoon’s singing assembly:

When walking down the halls of Penpol School

I heard a lovely song being played

It celebrated the languages our students know

And the value that all of them play

This was followed by 7 different verses in the languages spoken by students at Penpol School which reflects the breadth of languages we have at our school.

In addition, the French café was a firm favourite among students and staff. Like last year, KS2 students were invited to sample a French breakfast in Class 9 with Mr Emery and his year 4 group. Each class enjoyed singing in French and were then able to order from KS2 students, learning the basics such as ‘Bonjour’, ‘s’il vous plaît’ and ‘merci.’ KS2 students then put their French linguistic skills to the test to then host their KS1 reading buddies in their classroom.

Finally, at the end of the day, Bettens had KS1 enthralled with a reading of ‘Goolan’ to celebrate the Cornish language.

A huge ‘Meur ras’, ‘diolch yn fawr,’ ‘merci,’ ‘gracias,’ ‘dzien dobry,’ aciu’ and ‘obrigado’ to all of those who helped to make the day a huge success! Until next year!

YEAR 1’S FLUTTERING FUN: DISCOVERING THE BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE!

19th January 202527th September 2024 by Clare Sara

In Year 1, we’ve been extremely fortunate to have a lovely parent take some amazing photos for us, documenting the life cycle of a butterfly. OF COURSE, when Macie’s mum offered to let us release the butterflies at school, we excitedly said, “YES PLEASE!”

The children have been absolutely fascinated watching the stages of the life cycle come to life through informative videos and photos. This was a fantastic opportunity to bring our Science lessons of life cycles into the classroom and connect them to real-life experiences. A big THANK YOU to Macie and her mum for making this wonderful experience possible!

Year 6 explore STEAM subjects at Hayle Academy

15th January 202525th September 2024 by Nic Stanlake

Earlier this month, our Year 6 pupils enjoyed a short walk to Hayle Academy to take part in an exciting transition and taster day within the Science, Maths, and DT departments.

In the ‘Magical Maths’ session, the children tackled challenging puzzles that even left the adults scratching their heads! They worked diligently to solve Sudoku-style problems and explored how ancient civilizations used mathematics to create intricate shapes and patterns.

The theme of patterns continued in DT, where Class 14 had a hands-on challenge to construct geodesic domes using cocktail sticks and sweets. While some domes were more successful than others, a few sweet-related distractions may have played a part! If you’d like to try this activity at home, the brief sheet is attached below.

In the Science lab, Class 13 geared up in PPE and delved into an exciting experiment to test the pH levels of different liquids. Budding scientists in the making!

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

11th November 202420th September 2024 by Nic Stanlake

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.

John Dyer inspired art from Year 6

25th July 202425th July 2024 by Nic Stanlake

In year 6 we have been creating a mural of Godrevy lighthouse: a painting from the Cornish artist John Dyer.

Firstly, we did some research about John Dyer to give us a better understanding about the painting that we were re-creating. After that, we got given the canvas we were going to paint, some more intricate than others but all equally as important. Shortly after, we started to draw our tiles in our sketchbook we then used oil pastels to draw our first picture of what we were later going to paint. We then looked at what type of colours we were going to use on our canvas then when we were all prepared with our brushes and our canvases we began to paint – one layer at a time.

After we did the basics on our canvas, we then let it dry and then came back a few days later to add in the detailed bits onto the canvas. We let that dry once again and moved onto the finishing touches. We checked with the people who has the canvases directly next to ours and they lined up almost perfectly. We then added them onto a wooden board before they went on display, hopefully for many years to come.

Why don’t you see if you can spot it somewhere in the school!

We reached out to John Dyer, a local Cornish artist, to see what he thought of our work!

“The artwork looks amazing! FANTASTIC work by the children and what an inspired idea! 🙂

I hope it looks fantastic in the school and inspires creativity and a love of the landscape and environment.

Thank you so much for sharing and well done!”

Staff 8 – 6 Students

21st August 202425th July 2024 by Nic Stanlake

As is Penpol tradition, the departing Year 6 children had the opportunity to have the last word and take home The Pollard Cup. Unfortunately no one told the teachers. The final score finishing at 8-6 in favour of the more experienced side meant the Pollard cup will remain in the hands of the Penpol Staff team for another year.

The score never does the match justice with it being played in wonderful spirits with many wonderful goals scored. The children should be ex optionally proud of how they performed but it is the teachers who remain undefeated.

Teachers goals were shared out between Mr Emery, Mr Stanlake and Miss Burlington as well as Nay and Mr Curnow on their final day before they depart to pastures new.

Children’s goals were scored by Isaac B, Isaac L, Alfie and Bobby.