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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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Year 2

Sweet Success: Year 2 Make Honey Flapjacks

This week, our Year 2 classrooms were buzzing with excitement as pupils traded pencils for mixing bowls to create their very own honey flapjacks. The sweet smell of honey and oats filled the air as the children took part in this hands-on learning experience, combining cooking with literacy, mathematics and creativity.

The week began with an introduction to reading recipes. In their whole-class reading lessons, the children learned to navigate the instructions step by step, identifying time connectives and command sentences. They practised reading measurements and ingredient lists, connecting their classroom English and maths lessons to real-life scenarios.

Our Year 2 pupils worked in groups to read their recipes, then carefully measured out and mixed the ingredients, before scraping the flapjack mixtures into greased and lined baking tins.

The flapjacks, baked to golden perfection, received raving reviews from children and parents alike. More than just a fun activity, this experience highlighted valuable lessons about following instructions, expressing creativity, and working collaboratively with peers.

After successfully making (and tasting!) their flapjacks, the children have been inspired to write their own recipes… Watch this space for their own oat-standing flapjack recipes!

Penpol Writing Challenge!

At Penpol, we are all writers. During the Autumn Term, children from EYFS to Year 6 were invited to participate in our Penpol Writing Challenge, giving everyone the opportunity to let their creativity shine! The children could choose between the fiction challenge of writing a story or the non-fiction challenge of writing instructions or a recipe.

Congratulations to all the children who entered! I was so impressed with all of your entries, and you should all be incredibly proud of yourselves:

  • Esme from Class 1 – I loved your story about a family called Sparkle who visited Cornwall.
  • Jude from Class 3 – I loved your instructions for finding Pirate Bob’s treasure.
  • Andrew from Class 4 – I loved your instructions to Save Our Animals! You included so many interesting facts in your writing.
  • Jowan from Class 4 – I loved your instructions for making hot chocolate on the beach.
  • Macie from Class 4 – I loved your instructions for making chocolate chip cookies. They sound delicious!
  • Violet from Class 4 – I loved your instructions for making pea and potato curry-loaded naan. You’ve really shown our Penpol Value of Creativity.
  • Ted from Class 6 – I loved your creative story about the Queen’s birthday.
  • Hazel from Class 7 – I loved your creative story Tadeo Jones: The Amazing Adventure of Ancient Egypt.
  • Martha from Class 7 – I loved your story The Hot Sunny Desert. I especially enjoyed reading how to mummify a human!
  • Emily from Class 8 – I loved your creative story about a fairy adventure.
  • Suki from Class 9 – I loved your story Daisy and the Trouble with Bikes. It was so creative!
  • Alayah from Class 12 – I loved your story about Leaf the Little Flower Fairy. I can’t wait to read the next part of the series!
  • Pearl from Class 12 – I loved your story Pearl vs. Seagull. I was extra careful reading it thanks to your warning on the front page!
  • Molly from Class 13 – I loved your creative story Literally a Disaster. You really demonstrated our Penpol Value of Resilience and Creativity.

Please enjoy reading the children’s fantastic entries below. We’re already looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with for our next Penpol Writing Challenge:

  • Fiction: Write your own comic!
  • Non-Fiction: Write an invitation or plan an event or party.

We can’t wait to see your creativity in action—happy writing!

Lighting Up Our Learning: A Christingle Celebration of Light and Love

This week, year 2 has been learning about a very special Christmas tradition – Christingle. As part of our lessons on Christian celebrations, we explored the meaning behind this beautiful tradition, which is celebrated by Christians all around the world during Advent and Christmas.

The word Christingle comes from two words: “Christ,” who Christians believe is the light of the world, and “tingle,” which refers to the orange shape used in the celebration. We discovered that the orange represents the world, while the candle placed on top is a symbol of Jesus being the light that shines in the darkness. We also learned that the red ribbon wrapped around the orange stands for the love of Jesus.  Some Christians believe the sticks with sweets or fruit represent all the gifts we give to others at Christmas, whilst others believe they represent God’s creation of the four seasons.

Learning about Christingle has been a wonderful way for us to understand the Christian message of peace, love, and giving.

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! 🏰✨

Reading and Writing is Magic, and Magic is for Everyone

Our annual Reading and Writing Is Magic Festival has been nothing short of spectacular, filled with fun activities, challenges, and a whole lot of creativity! This week, we’ve been celebrating the life-changing power of reading and writing in every corner of the school, inspiring everyone at Penpol to embrace their imagination and explore the magic of words.

The key theme of the week was ‘Reading and writing is magic, and magic is for everyone’ — a message that has resonated throughout every activity. We’ve focused on the idea that every child has the right to…

  • Be creative 
  • Have a planet to read and write on
  • See themselves reflected in a book
  • Have some choice in what they read and write
  • Read and write for the joy of it

We had the privilege of hosting Cornish writer Ben Rowswell, who led energetic and inspiring assemblies for all year groups. His passion for storytelling was contagious, and everyone was excited to tap into their own creativity. You can learn more about Ben and his work here: Cornwall Adventure.

To keep the creative spark alive, every child has been given their own special notebook — a place where they can write freely and express their ideas throughout the year. It’s a space for independent creativity, giving each child the chance to freely write for the joy of it.

At Penpol, we believe reading and writing are truly magical, and this festival has been a perfect reminder of how important and exciting these skills are. Here’s to many more adventures with books, stories, and the endless possibilities of writing!

Magic on the Mount

On  Tuesday 2nd 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.

Penpol’s Got Talent 2024

As is tradition in the last week of term, our talented students from right across Penpol School put on a spectacular show for the whole school to enjoy today.  The incredible students taking part in Penpol’s Got Talent showcased their singing, dancing, gymnastics, tap dancing, yoyo skills and so much more!

Year One

Year Two

Year Three

Year Four

Year Five

Year Six

Year 2’s Marine Discovery

On Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd 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!

 

Drama at the Minack

On Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd February, our Year 2 classes braved the elements as they ventured to the historic and magical Minack Theatre for a theatre tour and drama workshop.

 

After a long and hilly minibus journey, we arrived at a windy clifftop overlooking the beautiful Porthcurno beach. We then descended the 100+ stone steps to the wonderful outdoor theatre space below. The children were treated to a VIP tour of the theatre, including the backstage and dressing rooms, whilst learning about the rich history of the Minack.

The very welcoming and incredibly talented Minack Theatre staff led a series of fun drama games, before we split into groups to learn and rehearse the infamous tale of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Year 2 pupils then made history by becoming the latest in a long line of great actors to perform on this historic theatre stage. Their performances of Jack and the Beanstalk were thrilling, funny and most importantly filled with joy! Accompanied by wild winds, squally showers and even bursts of brilliant sunshine, the children enjoyed a truly authentic Minack experience.

 

We are very excited to take this experience back into the classroom and let it inspire our very own Jack and the Beanstalk-inspired stories next week!

Penpol Celebrates Languages Day 2023!

On Wednesday 4th October, Penpol School celebrated European Day of Languages for its 6th time. We are so fortunate to have so many languages being spoken as either a first or second language by our students.  For this reason, European Day of Languages is a prime opportunity to shine a light on each of these languages which represents our diverse learning community here at Penpol.

Back by popular demand, the French café was a favourite amongst 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, Mrs Curnow and Mrs Best had KS1 enthralled with a reading of ‘Goolan’ to celebrate the Cornish language.  In addition, Mrs Best and Mr Jones serenaded the children with songs featuring Welsh, Cornish and French.  Mr Jones and Mr Emery led a European singalong in KS2, which culminated in a school record of 8 languages being sung in one song. This rounded off a fantastic day which marked an important day in the school calendar.

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.