Year 3

Best Selling Author Drops into Year 3

14th March 2025 by Jess Riches

Year 3 had an amazing time meeting Vashti Hardy, author of our whole class text Harley Hitch and the Iron Forest! She shared how everyday life and things we love can inspire stories, sparking excitement among the children.

During a creative workshop, Vashti guided them in designing maps of imaginary worlds to inspire their own stories. Their creativity shone as they sketched forests, rivers, castles, and futuristic cities!

The children also asked Vashti questions about her books and writing process. By the end, they were eager to read more of her work and start their own storytelling adventures.

A huge thank you to Vashti Hardy for such an inspiring visit!

World Book Day 2025

6th March 20256th March 2025 by Nic Stanlake

On Thursday, 6th March, Penpol celebrated World Book Day with a day full of collaboration, creativity, and a shared love of reading.

Children and staff, from Nursery to Year 6, were invited to dress as a character from one of their favourite books. The school was filled with a host of Hogwarts students, a few ‘wimpy’ kids, some magical Matildas, a couple of gangster grannies, and even half a pack of crayons!

The day was filled with excitement, and there was a real buzz around the school as both children and adults shared their favourite stories. ‘Book bingo’ took over the library, while book reviews and recommendations were exchanged across the school and between classmates.

In the afternoon, pupils explored our outdoor spaces in search of hidden surprises. Scattered around the school were photos of familiar faces, and children worked together with their reading buddy classes to navigate the area. Using orienteering maps, they set off on a mission to discover the favourite books of staff.

If you weren’t able to find them all, don’t worry! They will remain up around the school grounds until the end of the week, or you can take a look below!

Creativity in Full Bloom with Author and Illustrator Maia Walczak!

6th March 20256th March 2025 by Rebecca Best

On Tuesday 4th March, we were absolutely thrilled to welcome the incredibly talented Maia Walczak, an award-winning children’s book illustrator, author and artist from Cornwall. Every child at Penpol had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a workshop that truly sparked their creative writing.

Before Maia’s visit, each class explored Maia’s work and created their own vibrant portraits in her distinctive style! Maia was absolutely blown away by the children’s’ incredible creativity and effort!

Maia captivated the children as she shared the fascinating journey behind her books. She revealed what inspired her to write her stories, walked through the planning process and showed them the beautiful final products of her hard work. Her visit not only brought her books to life but also perfectly complemented the writing process we teach here at Penpol. The children were inspired and their imaginations soared as they took part in a fun and engaging hands-on activity.

We were so inspired by Maia’s books that we’ve created a wordless book section in our school library to celebrate her work! A big thank you to Maia for sharing her incredible talent with us – it was truly an unforgettable experience.

Click here to see Maia’s website if you would like to have a look at her books.

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.

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!

Class 7 are embracing collaboration and creativity!

25th January 202524th January 2025 by Jess Riches

Class 7 is buzzing with excitement as we delve into activities that foster teamwork, encourage creativity, and make learning fun and interactive. Here are some highlights from our recent adventures:

Collaborating on Writing

This week, Year 3 focused on improving their writing skills through collaboration and peer reviews. The children worked in pairs to share their stories and ideas. Each writer had the opportunity to hear feedback from their peers, who highlighted the strengths of the work and suggested thoughtful improvements. It was wonderful to see how constructive feedback inspired the children to polish their writing. The teamwork and respect demonstrated during these sessions were truly commendable!

Maths Dice Race Game

Learning maths has never been so engaging! To strengthen their quick-thinking and number sense, Class 7 enjoyed a lively dice race game. In this activity, pairs competed to solve problems by rolling dice and calculating sums in record time. Laughter and determination filled the room as the children cheered each other on, showcasing their competitive spirit while working together. Games like these are a fantastic way to turn learning into a playful experience.

What’s Next?

As we continue to embrace collaboration in all areas of learning, we are excited for what’s ahead. Whether through writing, problem-solving, or creating art, Class 7 is proving that teamwork and creativity go hand-in-hand. Stay tuned for more updates from our incredible young learners!

Creating Winter Sculptures in Tinkercad

29th April 202520th December 2024 by Penpol School

This year our Year 3’s and Year 6’s have created their own 3D Winter Ornaments using Tinkercad. The Year 3’s have been using the Scribble tool to create unique and personal designs whilst the Year 6’s have been making theirs using the Codeblocks editors. Rather than me talking about how it all works, let’s hear from some of the students instead…

Year 6 Winter Ornaments

“I made a snowman with a scarf and top hat. It has accessories too, like some coal buttons and a carrot nose. Alongside the snowman, on the right, it has a present with a Santa hat one top and to the left it has a tower of six snowballs.

I used three spheres, increasing by size, to make the body and a cube a cuboid for the hat. The trickiest part was making the buttons for the snowman, making sure they weren’t too far off or too far inside the snowman’s body. It was also tricky making sure the height was equally spaced between each button.

This is probably going to be on the shelf in my bedroom for quite a while – until my dad tells me it’s time to put the Christmas decorations away. But then I’ll look forward to seeing it again each year.”

Tamara

“I made a cat that was inspired by my cat at home (Dotty). I started off with a head shape and tried to make all of the details on the head like the eyes and when I was satisfied with the head I moved onto the body. For this I used a cube but I stretched it out to make it more rectangular and curved the edges.

I’m very pleased with how my cat came out, I will keep it forever! I think the real Dotty will be very pleased to meet her new friend!”

Ivor

“I used Tinkercad Codeblocks to code my cat, which was really fun but quite tricky too! The hardest part was to get the ears at an angle on the head, because I had to figure out how to get them the same angle on opposite sides.

When I take my cat home, I’ll show it to my mum and dad and then put it in the windowsill. I think I’ll keep it out all the time!”

Georgia

“It didn’t take too much of my time, but it was so fun to do that I wanted to work on my design at home as well. I went to show my family what I was making and they were really interested in how I made it, they just kept saying wow when they saw all my code.

I’m probably going to keep my Creeper figure in my bedroom. I like how I designed it on the computer and it’s now stood right in front of me in real life.”

Brody

Year 6 Gallery

Year 3 Winter Ornaments

“I made my Christmas Tree by drawing it on the computer and then went off it by pressing done. Then I pressed the button which made a copy and then I stacked it on top of the other one. Then I did another version with the detail of my tree and changed the colour. I really like the tree I’ve made, and I’ve put it on my shelf at home where we keep special things.”

Elsie

“I chose my design because I thought it would be a nice thing to have a Christmas decoration to look like myself in my favourite colours. It’s cool to think that this is the only one in the whole world that looks like this. I can’t wait to put it on my own Christmas tree when I get home.”

Clementine

“I wanted to make a decoration that was green and black because they’re my two favourite colours. I chose a present to make sure I could use these two colours. It’s probably one of my favourite designs that I’ve ever made in Tinkercad, and it’s going to be really special on my Christmas tree at home.”

Henry

Year 3 Gallery

Penpol Writing Challenge!

29th January 202519th December 2024 by Rebecca Best

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!

ANCIENT EGYPTIANS TAKE OVER YEAR 3!

13th February 20255th December 2024 by Christie Jackson

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!).