TALLAND'S BLOG

We're hoping everyone has had a brilliant week, are enjoying the World Cup and had a grand old time at Polperro Festival! I was so proud of all of the children during our performance - they absolutely smashed it!

Here's a snapshot of what we've been learning:

Maths:
Year 5 have been ordering and comparing decimals - they needed to realise which place value has the greatest value and then become a number detective from there. 

Year 4 have been telling the time and solving problems around time.
English:
You would have seen our English in all its glory at Polperro Festival - quite the theatre group we have here in Talland!

PE:
We have become athletes this week in preparation for Sports Day next week. Children have been working on speed techniques to help them fly down the track. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough next week for us to get into the swimming pool.

History:
We have begun investigating the history of Polperro and one of its historical smugglers - Willy Wilcox. I can't wait to find out more about this legendary smuggler.

SCIENCE:
We delved into space this week, investigating what wonders orbit our solar system and beyond - why not ask your child some cool facts they learnt today...

CELEBRATIONS:
Congratulations George and Kayla for earning their next badge in 99 club. Well done to Emma for being noticed for her kindness and helpfulness - what a superstar!

That's all from us - we hope you have a wonderful weekend and can't wait to seeing everyone next week.

Signing off, Mr. Langley and Mr. Bishop.

This week we are talking about holidays and answering our enquiry question "Does everyone go on holiday?"
The children have been talking about places they have been on holiday and how they got there. We have looked at the globe of the world and have been identifying different countries.
In arts and craft they have made a paper plate camper van and a water melon fan to keep cool with.

At story time we have read books including "Stone Boy and the Girl" and "What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside".

In phonics this week we have been talking about magical creatures. The children have been matching objects to initial sounds in the game "Pixie Party", blending sounds into short words in a game of "I Spy" and have been creating different voices for different characters that they saw.

In maths we have explored shapes, have been naming them and making arrangements.

We hope you enjoy a lovely weekend and look forward to seeing you all on Monday.

Julie and Sarah

 Storytellers is delighted to be working alongside Jasmine on the Bodmin Carnival 2026 project, 'Mini Beasts of Bodmin'!

  Following the success of last year's beautiful community project, we are excited to be involved and help celebrate the wonderful wildlife that shares our local environment.

  This year's theme focuses on pollinators, insects, creepy crawlies and our native mini beasts, linking closely with the National Curriculum. Through creative activities and exploration, the children will be learning about the important role these tiny creatures play in our world, developing a love and respect for nature, and discovering how we can all make a positive impact on our community and local eco-systems.

  We have been learning all about butterflies and their fascinating life cycle. The children explored their beautiful colours and patterns before getting creative and designing their own wonderful butterfly crowns. These special creations will be proudly worn as part of the carnival celebrations, helping the children represent Storytellers and the amazing mini beasts that inspire us.

   We can't wait to see the children's ideas come to life and be represented as part of Bodmin Carnival 2026. Watch this space for updates on our Mini Beasts of Bodmin journey!

District Athletics Sports Event
Our Year 3-6 pupils proudly represented WPA at the District Athletics Sports Event on Monday 15th June and demonstrated outstanding determination and teamwork throughout. Our pupils competed in a variety of track and field events, showcasing fantastic throwing, jumping, and running skills. Everyone gave their best effort, encouraging one another and displaying exemplary behaviour both on and off the field. We are thrilled to announce that WPA finished 1st overall in our cluster. Congratulations to all of our athletes for their outstanding performances and for being such wonderful ambassadors for WPA. We are extremely proud of your efforts and achievements. Thank you to Mrs Smerdon for organising this opportunity for the children.

Year 6 London Residential
What a fantastic time we had in London last week. We managed to pack in a full couple of days with visits and experiences, including: The Natural History Museum; Science Museum; London Eye and ice-cream to follow; seeing Buckingham Palace; a good couple of hours in a lovely play park; The Lion King; Warner Bros Harry Potter Studios and not forgetting eating out at Pizza Hut and Hard Rock Cafe. A particular highlight was also having an amazing tour of the Houses of Parliament. At the end of the tour, we were greeted for a Q&A by our MP Ben Maguire - what a fantastic surprise!

Pupils who remained in school also enjoyed a busy and rewarding week. They took part in Forest School activities, a DT coaching session, and a Biffa workshop focused on recycling and sustainability. The children approached each activity with enthusiasm and curiosity, developing new skills and knowledge while making the most of the exciting opportunities on offer. We were equally proud of their engagement, teamwork, and positive attitudes throughout the week.

Trips and residentials don't happen by chance of course. I want to thank all staff who volunteer their time beyond the normal school day to make these experiences happen for the children.

Year 4 Porthpean Residential Meeting - Monday 22nd June 15:30 (Hall)
A reminder that current Year 4 parents and children are invited to a meeting next Monday after school in the Hall. We will be sharing lots of important information and be available to answer questions about our upcoming residential to Porthpean in July. 

Year 6 Fundraising
As part of Year 6's preparations for their end of year Prom, they will be taking part in an all day Dance-a-thon to fundraise towards the costs of this memorable celebration. So far we have raised £769 - thank you. Any donation, no matter the size, would be greatly appreciated and will go directly towards supporting the prom and Dance-a-thon activities for the children. If you are wanting to make a donation towards this end of year event, please see our Facebook page or blog emailed home to access the link.

Lost Property
Please take a look at the lost property outside the main entrance. Anything not claimed by next Friday will be donated to either FOWPA or a local clothing bank.

Rainbow Run for Cornwall Hospice Care
Good luck to Isabelle (Class RW) & Riley (Class 5B) who are taking part in the Rainbow Run in Newquay on Saturday 20th June, raising money for Cornwall Hospice Care. If anyone would like support the children by donating to Cornwall Hospice Care, please follow the links emailed home.

House Points
With Sports Week points added to the normal House Points children earn throughout the week, congratulations to this week's winners, Swans. Overall, Choughs maintain the lead:

Choughs - 13,571
Swans - 12,528
Puffins - 12,517
Cormorants - 11,274

Best wishes,
Chris Wathern

Friday 19th June 

Some of this week's learning

The children have amazed the adults this week by using pictures from The Rainbow Fish story and writing dictated or independent captions about the picture, using an adjective!!! We can tell they are nearly Year 1 children! WoW!

In maths this week we have been exploring sharing and grouping. We have sung songs, played games and used plates and counting teddies to share equally!

This week we completed our Bridge school games, the weather was a bit yucky, so we did ours in class, which worked out well as we used our class carpet as our guide, we cheered and took part in all the activities, and we scored lots of points!

This week we also made beautiful Rainbow Fish pictures, and we explored and talked about water safety at the beach. The children have coloured beach flags, dressed boys and girls appropriately for the sunny weather by cutting out different clothes and accessories. The children have also designed sun hats and so much more!  

Have a lovely weekend

The Foundation Team 

Despite the weather it has been another great week. The photoshoot for the school went brilliantly and I can't wait to see the photos of the learning, enjoyment and fun that was going on in the afternoon. We also had a whole school photo which we are looking forward to sharing with you. This week the children have been very active. The Year 4 and 6 children did brilliantly in their swimming lessons and all made amazing progress. The children also took part in the Bridge School Games against the other 14 schools in the trust. It was a football themed event and the children did really well with their skills and teamwork. We also welcomed our new reception children in for a transition afternoon and they have settled in wonderfully. We are such a kind and fund school, if you know anyone who is looking for a place, please send them our way. Coming out today is a letter from the trust about changes to our Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Relationship Education (RSE) that are coming into effect from September. There is a survey in this which will help the trust and school deliver these lessons even better. Please take the time to complete it and if you need a paper copy, please let us know. Finally, also coming out today is a letter is with further details about possible exciting plans to extend wraparound and potentially offer nursery provision at Darite. As the letter states, this is still in the planning and information gathering stage and part of this is getting feedback from all stakeholders in the school community. The survey link is here and, although there are a few questions, they will all help us in planning. I'm sure you will agree that this is an exciting potential expansion and we need your thoughts and feedback to make it the best we can.

What a week we have had! The Polperro Festival was a HUGE success and Chaipel absolutely nailed our performance. Everyone spoke clearly and confidently, with a hint of humour, and the audience responded extremely positively. All our hard word paid off and a good time was had by all.

In English, we are looking at character profiles, in line with our enquiry into Crime and Punishment, and have studied the profiles of some formidable characters: Sebastian Merriweather (alias The Jester's Shadow), Captain Elara Thorn (alias Thorn the Bold) and Jack Sheppard, the notorious London Thief. We will be creating our own outlaw, next week, and planning our non-fiction write-up.

In History, we had delved into Anglo-Saxon and Tudor crime and punishments, investigating the drawing up of the Magna Carta and the infamous Trials by Ordeal. We all agree that we are thankful that these punishments are no longer law and that idle gossiping is no longer a crime!

Congratulations to our People of The Week: Frankie, Skye, Kora and Everly. Their solo performances down at the Festival were fabulous and it took a lot of courage and determination to get up on stage and own it the way they did. 

That's all from us so have a lovely weekend and see you all on Monday!

Miss Randle and Mrs Clary.

Good morning, 

It has been a really busy week here at Brunel with wonderful learning opportunities for the children. In addition, Charlotte Court has been into school to launch the Summer Reading Challenge at the library. You can catch up with everything that has happened over the past 5 days by browsing through this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin.

Class 4 Trip

Yesterday, Class 4 visited The Box Museum in Plymouth in support of their history learning. They participated in a workshop learning about the legends and landmarks of Plymouth.

Bridge School Games

This week children have been competing in the Bridge School Games; an  annual sporting event that gives children the opportunity to compete against the other fourteen schools in the Trust. Whilst the children may not come together in one place, each school submits their scores once every child completes the five sporting challenges that have been set. This year, because it coincides with the FIFA World Cup, all the activities had a football theme. Events included:

·       Futboll Fun

·       The United Gates of America

·       Toron - Toe Tap

·       Goalkeeper Throw

·       Football's Coming Cone

For more information on what these events entailed, please ask your children.
Our scores have now been submitted. We will have to wait and see if Harrowbarrow has come out on top!

Barrow Beats Performance

On Wednesday, our wonderful singers delivered a surprise performance for Jenny Snuggs, a longtime resident of Harrowbarrow who has played an active role in many of our local community groups. Jenny is leaving the area and a thank you tea was organised in her honour. As a former teacher and Harrowbarrow School governor, I am sure Jenny welcomed the children's little surprise.

Art Exhibition

Thank you to all those who were able to attend the art exhibition after school on Wednesday. We hope you enjoyed seeing what your children have been learning about.

Landrake Fun Run

This afternoon, lots of our children will be competing in the Landrake fun run. Traditionally, this race has been held earlier in the year, when conditions underfoot would have been very muddy - sometimes, children would cross the finish line having lost a shoe in the boggy conditions! Hopefully, all footwear will make it across the line this year.

Plant Donations

Thank you to our Forest School children and to parent Hannah Fox who have been sorting out our overgrown and rather weedy wellbeing garden at the front of the school. If anyone has been growing flowering plants or herbs or has something they can divide and donate to the school, we would be very grateful. Our children will enjoy planting them up.

Royal Ballet Workshop

On Wednesday, the infant classes engaged in an online workshop with the Royal Ballet. It was a 1-hour virtual session with dancers and production team members at the RBO, where the children travelled through time and learned about the evolution of the ballet. They also met four of their dancers (two Americans, a Japanese and an Italian) and learned some ballet moves, finally improvising and creating their own moves. They went backstage to meet set designers, costumer makers, people from the lighting department and prop makers. This workshop challenged gender stereotypes that were aired by some of the children in advance of the session. It was also noticeable how some of our more active children, who can struggle to sit and sustain attention for long periods of time, became completely absorbed in the dance moves and demonstrated higher levels of concentration than we would ordinarily see - perhaps we have some future dancers in our school!



Sports Evening

We look forward to seeing everyone for our summer sports evening next Thursday 25th at 5pm. In the event of rain, the reserve day is Thursday 2nd July.

2026-2027 Classes

Please note the following class structure for the next academic year:

Class 1: Reception

Class 2: Year 1 & Year 2 (the current Class 1 children will all move up together)

Class 3: Year 3 & Year 4

Class 4: Year 5 & Year 6

The teachers for each class will remain unchanged.

During the Year 6 residential trip to the Brecon Beacons, on the week beginning 13th July, we will hold a whole school transition week. The children will experience their new classes and teachers. This should help children adjust to the changes in September.

I look forward to sharing more of your children's achievements next week.

Summer 2

Nursery

Nursery have had a wonderfully busy and engaging start to the term, centring their learning around the much-loved story Dear Zoo. The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the different animals from the story through a range of creative, playful and sensory activities. From crafting animal masks to investigating textures and sounds inspired by the animals, the topic sparked imagination and hands-on discovery across the classroom.

A real highlight of the term was our exciting visit from Zoolab. This was a fantastic opportunity for the children to experience animals up close in a safe and interactive way. The session was filled with awe and curiosity as the children met a variety of fascinating creatures. Particular favourites included a friendly gecko and a scorpion that glowed under ultraviolet light! This unforgettable experience encouraged the children to ask questions, share their thoughts and develop confidence around unfamiliar animals. It also helped to deepen their understanding of the natural world in a memorable and meaningful way.

As we begin our final topic of the term, Oh We Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside!, the excitement continues to build. The children will be diving into all things coastal, exploring beaches, sea creatures, boats, pirates and traditional seaside fun. Through stories, role play, art and exploration, the class will develop their understanding of seaside environments while continuing to build key early learning skills.

We are particularly looking forward to our upcoming Aquarium visit, where the children will have the chance to observe marine life up close. This will be a wonderful extension of their classroom learning and a chance to spark even more curiosity about life beneath the waves.

To round off the topic, we also have an exciting Pirate Day planned. This promises to be a fun-filled day of treasure hunts, imaginative adventures and creative play, giving the children plenty of opportunities to immerse themselves in their learning and make lasting memories.

Nessa Class

Nessa Class have been hard at work this term, exploring the fascinating topic of what life is like in the Alps as part of their wider curriculum. This has allowed the children to develop their geographical understanding while learning about mountain environments, climate and how people live and work in such unique conditions.

In English, the class have been focusing on descriptive writing, particularly when creating vivid settings. Using the film Avatar as inspiration, the children have been experimenting with powerful vocabulary, imagery and figurative language to bring their writing to life. It has been wonderful to see their creativity flourish as they describe imaginative and detailed worlds.

In science, the children have been studying animals, including humans. This has involved learning about nutrition, skeletons and classification, helping pupils gain a deeper understanding of how living things function and how they are grouped. The children have shown great curiosity and enthusiasm, especially when exploring how the human body works and what it needs to stay healthy.

A special highlight for the class has been the Year 6 treat day, where pupils celebrated the end of their primary school journey with a trip to the water park at Adrenaline Quarry. The children had an absolutely fantastic time, enjoying the activities, challenges and chance to celebrate together. It was a well-deserved reward and a memorable way to mark the end of their time at Blisland Primary.

Kensa Class

Kensa Class have also had an engaging and creative term, with a strong focus on both science and art. In their learning about Charles Darwin, the children have been exploring his famous voyage to the Galápagos Islands and the remarkable discoveries he made there. This has helped pupils understand the importance of observation, exploration and scientific thinking, as well as introducing key ideas about evolution and adaptation.

In science lessons, the class have been applying their knowledge by classifying animals. They have learned how to group living things based on their characteristics, developing important skills in observation, comparison and reasoning. It has been fantastic to see the children confidently discussing features and explaining their thinking.

Creativity has also been a key part of Kensa Class's learning. Inspired by Henri Matisse's artwork The Polynesia Sea, the children have been creating their own vibrant collages. They have explored colour, shape and composition, producing beautiful pieces of art that reflect their individuality and imagination. The results have been truly impressive and demonstrate great attention to detail and artistic flair.

Overall, it has been a busy and rewarding term across the school, with all classes showing enthusiasm, creativity and a love of learning. We look forward to an exciting end to the term and all the wonderful experiences still to come.

Football Frenzy! 

It has been another busy and exciting week in Tregantle Class!

We have really enjoyed taking part in the Bridge Games this week. This year's event had a fantastic football theme to celebrate the World Cup, and the children loved getting involved in all of the activities. They showed amazing teamwork, determination, and enthusiasm, scoring lots of points for Brunel School. We are so proud of how brilliantly they represented our school!

We have also been getting close to nature this week with a bug hunt! The children were delighted to discover a wonderful range of mini beasts, including snails and caterpillars. It was lovely to see their curiosity and excitement as they carefully explored and found out more about the creatures around us.

We are now busy with our preparations for Sports Day next week. The children have been practicing hard and are looking forward to showing off their skills. Fingers crossed for some lovely weather so we can enjoy a fantastic day together!

Well done, Tregantle Class, for another brilliant week! 

What a fantastic month we have had in Year 2!

In History, we continued learning about Sir Francis Drake. We ordered the main events of his life onto a timeline and developed our understanding of his achievements and adventures. We also enjoyed a brilliant trip to Drake's home, Buckland Abbey, where we explored what life was like during Tudor times. We learned about the similarities and differences between life then and now and enjoyed discovering more about Sir Francis Drake's home.

In Art, we worked carefully through several stages to create our beautiful Van Gogh-inspired sunflower paintings. We practised different techniques and paid close attention to colour and detail. We were incredibly proud to display our finished artwork in our art exhibition, and the results were stunning!

In RE, we have been thinking about what makes some places special to believers. We began by discussing places that are special to us and why they are important. We then explored churches and mosques, learning about their features and considering the similarities and differences between them.

In Science, we continued our learning about plants. We set up an investigation using cress seeds to find out what plants need to grow successfully. We also planted broad bean seeds and have loved watching them grow. There has been lots of excitement as we compare our plants and see whose is growing the tallest!
On 8th May, we celebrated Sir David Attenborough's birthday by exploring all things animal! We particularly enjoyed using microscopes to observe bugs preserved in resin and learning more about the fascinating world of insects. We also made Sir David a birthday card and had the exciting opportunity to meet Luna the tortoise. We discovered what she needs to survive and learned more about how to care for animals.

It has been a busy and enjoyable month full of exciting learning experiences. We are looking forward to seeing what June brings!

The children have been working really hard this week on their performance for the Polperro Festival, and we cannot wait to share their production with you. They are incredibly proud of what they have achieved, and we look forward to showcasing all their hard work.

In Maths, we have been continuing our learning about time. We have been practicing reading the time on a digital clock, understanding the difference between a.m. and p.m., and exploring units of time including years, months, days, and hours. They have also been exploring volume with Mrs Lister and enjoyed getting outside experimenting with different sizes of jugs and containers. The children have worked hard to develop their understanding and have enjoyed taking part in a range of practical activities to support their learning.

In Geography, we have been exploring foods from around the world and learning about what can be grown in different countries based on their climates. We also put our map-reading skills to the test by using an atlas to locate different places around the world. This was quite a tricky challenge, but the children showed great determination and really enjoyed the activity.

A huge congratulations Dexter and Brody for being awarded Pupil of the Week! Dexter has been fantastic in our practice productions and has joined in with the singing perfectly! Brody has won this week for his enthusiasm for life! He is always making myself and Miss Colton laugh and is a real asset to the class!

A big congratulations to Alfie, Amelia, Tommy and Theo for achieving your 99 club badge this week - a fantastic effort. Well done everyone!

Miss Bolton & Miss Colton

This week we enjoyed some healthy baking in pre-school.  We made apple and honey flapjacks where the children helped to chop the apples and then mix all of the ingredients together.

We talked about what other fruits we could use in a flapjack recipe, and why we may use honey instead of sugar.  This lead on to lots of discussion about what we know about how bees make honey.  Did you know that a honeybee has 2 stomachs? One is specifically used to carry the nectar.

We have talked about what we enjoy for a healthy meal or what we can pack for a healthy lunch at pre-school.

The children have been using this as inspiration in our mud kitchen area and serving us lots of leafy salads!!

Next week we will be looking at other ways we stay healthy, such as washing our hands and brushing our teeth.

A reminder that on Tuesday 23^rd we have our whole school sports day starting at 1pm.  The pre-school will take part in a couple of races at the start.

Also, there is a sign-up sheet for our parent consultation week in pre-school entrance.  Please sign up if you would like an informal chat about your child and how they are doing in pre-school.

If there is not a date suitable, please do come and see us to arrange an alternative.

Parents of children moving up to Reception in September should have received an information pack from school and an invitation to attend the parent's welcome meeting on Wednesday 17^th at 2.30pm.

The Pre-School Team.

Hello Everyone,

This week, we have been using our enquiry question, which is all about Cornwall, and why it is special, in different aspects of learning.

In art, we studied some paintings by John Dyer, who has painted some bright and vibrant images of Cornwall. We picked out our favourite images within these paintings, and recorded them in our art books.

Our RE lesson this week, was all about special and sacred places in Cornwall. We discussed places that are special to us and the reasons that they make them special. We then looked at different places in Cornwall such as beaches, Truro cathedral, and St Michael's Mount, and discussed why they might be special to different people.

In English we have continued to use texts by the local author Ellie Jackson. This week we used Nelson's Dangerous Dive as well as Duffy's Lucky Escape. We have been writing descriptions and speech bubbles to help us to understand the story from the perspective of the animals in each story.

We hope you enjoy the sunshine this weekend.

From The Penhallow Team