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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 foundations of deep-rooted learning. Through our rich and relevant curriculum, we nurture community-minded, forward-facing international citizens of the future.”

Bringing Cornish Legends to Life: Year 6’s Journey to St Michael’s Mount

Tuesday brought not only sunshine but also Year 6’s exciting trip to St Michael’s Mount. In the coming weeks, they will be exploring Cornish myths and legends in English, and what better way to immerse themselves in local folklore than by visiting the very setting of one of the most gruesome tales?

Before making the short walk across the causeway, both classes took a moment to soak in the island’s grandeur from the mainland. They sketched the scene and began using their senses to capture details that would later enrich their descriptions back at school.

Once the tide had retreated, Class 13 made their way across first, arriving with only slightly damp socks before Class 14 joined later. On the island, the children got to work in the newly opened Learning Centre, which we had the honour of inaugurating last year alongside the St Aubyn family.

They began by learning, retelling, and story-mapping the tale of young Jack—a boy courageous enough to take on Cormoran and free the villagers from their fearful strife. This immersive experience will undoubtedly support them when they rewrite the story in the coming weeks, as they can revisit the key actions, vocabulary, and plot points through drama—and trust me, we had some truly terrifying giants!

The children also had the opportunity to explore the quaint village nestled at the foot of the mount. Through completing the ‘Harbour Challenge,’ they gained insight into how people live on the mount today while also uncovering its rich military and royal history.

Jelly Friends ‘Floating’ as they win the Cornish Champions Award

"As we were called up to the stage we were all quite literally floating with excitement and our team were all buzzing - then the judges gave us a trophy and announced that we were going to Harrogate for the National finals!"
Evangeline
Class 14

Last year a team of nine students, The Dragons, arrived to RNAS Culdrose to take part in and experience the FIRST LEGO League.  Far from being daunted, they embraced every opportunity and came away with an award for the Rising All-Star team – one which the judges ‘expect great things from in the future‘.  Twelve months later (and now known as Jelly Friends) those same students returned to take part for a second year. 

So the question is, did they deliver on that lofty expectation this time around?  Well, read on and find out for yourself!

Innovation Project

Jelly Friends have spent the last six months working tirelessly on their Innovation Project, narrowing it down to a very specific problem: over half of the students at Penpol School said they were scared to go in the ocean in case they got stung by a jellyfish.

The thing is though, most jellyfish are absolutely harmless – just ask Evangeline!  So the project took shape, the team would find a way to let swimmers know if the jellyfish nearby were safe, or if they might be a cause for concern.

Over the course of the project, they researched lots of different ideas before settling on a wristband which lights up red or green depending on if the jellyfish is a friend or not.  This is then powered by underwater cameras linked to a Machine Learning project which Molly has coded in Scratch and Machine Learning for Kids. 

Combined, this created Sting Safe and the team presented their idea to the judges at Culdrose.  In fact, they were joined by more than the normal amount of judges as some other people got wind of what was happening and wanted to see for themselves. 

During the presentation, Jelly Friends were joined by three visitors from Google Cloud who were at Culdrose to demo their own Machine Learning software.  To say they were impressed by the team would be quite an understatement! 

You can see the project in action by watching Molly explain it in this video:

Despite all the extra people in the room this didn’t prove a challenge for Jelly Friends who delivered their presentation in a confident and fun way for the judges, resulting in them getting nearly a perfect score for their presentation – a staggering 39 points out of 40!

39 points

out of a total of 40

The judges shared that they enjoyed their “in depth research whereby the team consulted lots of experts” and that their “use of Machine Learning was very impressive“.  They were also impressed with how Jelly Friends were so “focussed on the problem itself and the impact of their solution“.

Robot Design

After sharing their Innovation Project the second presentation was all about the design of their robot and how the coding works.  For this presentation the team were well prepared by sharing their collaborative Freeform board with the judges.

This document is something the Jelly Friends have been working on since September and documents their process from building the robot, testing the first missions and developing and refining the attachments that make the robot complete different tasks.

Their Freeform board is quite massive and has really shown just how much time and effort the team have put into their project this year.  Using this helped the judges really see all of the progress they’ve made as well as the difficulties the team faced along the way.

"Going in to the judges room we had a bit of an idea what to expect from last year but it went a lot better than we all imagined and the judges were lovely."
Isla
Class 13

This year the team have really refined their robot to make it more reliable, accurate and powerful.  Using techniques like creating a launch area guide using Duplo meant they didn’t have to learn individual lineups for each mission whereas using coloured lights between different stages of their code helped the problem solving that always happens when missions don’t quite go to plan.

32 points

out of a total of 40

The judges comments for this part of the presentation praised the teams “evidence of strategy, testing and iteration” of their robot, especially the “use of their troubleshooting light” which was implemented in their code.  A real highlight though was how the Jelly Friends “addressed areas of improvement” from their robot last year, showing development and new learning over the course of this season.

Robot Games

The Robot Games is probably the most intense part of the competition, as you only get three attempts to show just what your robot is capable of.  Programs that run perfectly in school will likely fail under the pressure of competition, and weird issues will arise that simply couldn’t be predicted.  That said, every team is in the same boat, and it’s all to play for!

Jelly Friends had their first Robot Games match nice and early and were full of quiet confidence as the countdown rang out.  3, 2, 1, LEGO!  And then, quite frankly, it all went wrong!

Each of their meticulously planned missions either failed a little bit or failed spectacularly, resulting in them having to rescue the robot from the game table several times – losing points along the way.   When everything goes to plan, they can usually get a score approaching three hundred, but after match one, they were left with barely half that – 145 points.

Practice time followed and a chance to try to decompress and understand what went wrong.  The team believed the lineups were to blame, resulting in the robot getting stuck in places it shouldn’t have been stuck.  Changes were made, and the second round was a chance for redemption.

Or at least, that was the plan.  Unfortunately, the second run, despite starting stronger than the first, also turned into a nightmare relatively quickly.  Again, the robot got stuck, crashed into mission models, and generally didn’t work as it was programmed to work.  More points were lost by having to retrieve the robot, and a score of 160 was eventually posted to the scoreboard.

Could it be that after so many months of building, coding, refining, testing, and improving that the robot was going to be where it all came unstuck for Jelly Friends?  Well, if you think that, then you’ve clearly underestimated this team!

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Class ??

In a truly remarkable show of resilience and determination, the four Robot Engineers decided to spend their lunch time debugging and refining the code for their robot.  They realised the issue was with the gyroscope and set about correcting the problem.  It took a good twenty minutes, but the team felt confident that they’d managed to fix the problem.  Once that was done they even had time to adapt one of their robot attachments to improve its reliability.

And the reward for their effort?  The final round proved to be the dream outcome – a perfect round where every single mission worked exactly according to plan.  Finally, all of their months of coding and practice paid off and they achieved a simply staggering score of 290 points, much to the delight of everyone around – as you can see in the video here.

This set an incredibly high bar for other teams to meet and it was only in the final run of the day when their score was surpassed by Darite Primary, who managed to get an unbelievable 305 points – well done Darite!

145

Round 1

160

Round 2

290

Round 3

Robot Games

The Jelly Friends achieved the second highest score of the day in the Robot Games with a fantastic score of 290 points.

“It was really fun to have this amazing experience and go around looking and interacting with all the stands and people there at Culdrose. When we took our photos on stage, we all had our jellyfish hanging above Mr Woolcock.”
Molly
Class 13

Next Steps

Cornwall LEGO League: 1st Place

The Jelly Friends came first overall on Day 2 of the 2025 Cornwall Regional Finals and now progress to the UK National Finals in Harrogate!

They now have several weeks to refine their robot and presentations ahead of competing on the National stage!

Photo Gallery

You can click on any photo in this gallery to view it full size

World Book Day 2025

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!

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.

Super Swimming Success at Counties for Penpol Swimmers

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!

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

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

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

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

Footballers represent Penpol at Penwith Festival

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!