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Head's Blog   A wonderful week of Brunel learning!


Posted 23/01/2026
by Darren Woolner

What a wonderful week of learning opportunities we have had at Brunel this week. Please catch up with all our latest news in this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin!



 


YR/1 Tregantle   Ice, Snow and Super Learning in Tregantle Class


Posted 22/01/2026
by Katie Grinsted

Ice, Snow and Super Learning in Tregantle Class

Tregantle Class have continued their exciting topic learning on ice and snow, exploring it in lots of creative and hands-on ways. One of the highlights this week has been ice painting. The children used watercolours to paint large blocks of ice, and it was wonderful to watch the colours marble, run and mix as the ice slowly melted. A truly magical experience!

In our maths lessons, we have been focusing on the numbers 6, 7 and 8. Our brilliant mathematicians have been finding lots of different ways to make and represent these numbers, using practical resources and careful thinking to show their understanding.

We also enjoyed a fantastic visit to Saltash Library. We are so lucky to have the library right on our doorstep. The children loved story time with Mrs Orchard and were very excited to choose a new book to take home and enjoy for the week.

Finally, we have been incredibly impressed with Tregantle Class' writing this week. Their phonics skills are really coming together, giving them the confidence and ability to write the words they want to. We are so proud of all their hard work and enthusiasm for learning!

Well done, Tregantle Class - keep up the fantastic learning!

 


Issys Nursery   The 3 Little Pigs


Posted 21/01/2026
by Ruth Smith




Welcome back to the new term.

We can't wait to get back into a routine with the children and to welcome new friends to our Nursery.

Our new focus story is 'The Three Little Pigs'; we have looked online and found some very different versions of this traditional story, even one where the roles are reversed and the wolf is a 'good guy'. Which version do you prefer?

We have tasked the children (and grownups) to search at home for the story and send us a picture of them reading it at home.
If you don't have one at gome, can you find one at Saltash library?


 


Y1/2 Lantic   Another week of learning and discovery!


Posted 19/01/2026
by Emmeline Scott

Class Lantic have had a fantastic week full of curiosity, creativity, and learning across the curriculum. In computing, we explored some very fun robots and thought about how they work. One of the highlights was learning about a robot chameleon, which could change colours just like a real one! The children loved discussing how technology can copy things we see in nature and had great ideas about what robots might be able to do in the future.

In literacy, we continued our work on the text Lost and Found. The children have been thinking carefully about the characters' feelings and the importance of friendship. They have shared thoughtful ideas, made predictions, and enjoyed retelling parts of the story using lovely language.

Our maths learning has focused on place value to 20. The children have been counting, ordering numbers, and representing them in different ways using tens and ones. They are growing more confident every day and enjoying practical activities to support their understanding. We also began our new history unit, learning about how toys have changed over time. The children were very excited to compare old toys with modern ones and talk about how materials and designs are different from the past. Well done, Class Lantic, for another brilliant week of learning!
Mrs Scott, Miss Sleep and Mrs Quick.

 


Y2/3 Mousehole   Week Ending 16.01


Posted 19/01/2026
by Joanne Pentreath

Last week was another busy and productive one in Year 2/3, with the children working hard across the curriculum and continuing to develop their skills and understanding.

English:
In English, the children focused on simple sentence construction, learning how to write clear and complete sentences. We revisited the importance of capital letters, finger spaces and full stops, and began to think carefully about punctuation to make our writing easier to read and understand. The children showed great effort in applying these skills to their independent work.

Maths:
In Maths, we worked on solving addition and subtraction problems, encouraging the children to choose appropriate strategies and explain their thinking. They practised using number bonds, place value knowledge and written methods to help them solve calculations accurately.

History:
Our History learning focused on the Wright brothers, exploring who they were and why they are significant. The children learned about their determination, early experiments and how their work helped lead to the first successful powered flight. This linked well to our wider topic on the history of flight.

RE:
In Religious Education, we learned about the first disciples, discussing who they were and why Jesus chose them. The children reflected thoughtfully on ideas of friendship, trust and following a role model.

Other Learning:
Alongside these focus areas, the children continued to engage enthusiastically in all areas of the curriculum. They showed positive attitudes, curiosity and a willingness to challenge themselves in lessons throughout the week.

Well done, Year 2/3, for another week of hard work and fantastic learning!

 


Y4/5 Duckpool   w/e 16.1.26


Posted 17/01/2026
by Leonie Swabey

Dreaming of desert islands...

We have had a busy and exciting week of learning in Duckpool class, with lots of opportunities for the children to build skills, be creative and deepen their understanding across the curriculum.

English & Reading
This week, the children have continued working hard in Read Write Inc, developing their reading fluency and comprehension!
In English, we began writing diaries, linking beautifully with our Geography learning. The children explored what life might be like on a desert island and used this to create imaginative and descriptive diary entries - a lovely thought amid some terrible weather of late! We have been really impressed with their ideas and effort.

Maths
In Maths, our focus has been on a combination of fractions, as well as multiplication and division, with lots of work on our times tables, too. The children have been focusing particularly on the 11x and 12x tables, and took part in mini-maths sessions throughout the week to build confidence and speed.

Geography
Our new Geography topic on deserts began this week. The children explored where deserts are found in the world and what makes them unique environments. This learning has supported their English diary writing brilliantly.

PE 
In PE, we refreshed our memories of some team games which we can play at break time and lunch times, in preparation for (hopefully) increasingly dry days ahead. We were also really proud of some of our class going to the table cricket final, in which Brunel came 3rd!

Computing
During Computing, the children worked on photo editing, learning how digital images can be created and edited. They showed great enthusiasm and creativity.

Science & RE
In Science, we launched our new topic on Electricity, beginning to learn about electrical devices and how electricity is used safely in everyday life, plus we made electrical circuits to light the bulb! I
In RE, we started a unit on racism, encouraging thoughtful discussions about fairness, respect and treating others kindly.

Art, Music & Languages
The children continued their Architecture project in Art, producing thoughtful and detailed work about Hundertwasser. In French, we learned about La Fête des Rois, and in Music, the children enjoyed a Classroom Jazz lesson, exploring rhythm and musical style.

PSHE & Assemblies
In PSHE, we began our new topic on relationships, focusing on positive interactions and friendships - how jealousy can be tough to deal with.

The week ended with our Achievers Assembly, celebrating the children's hard work and successes. Overall, it has been a fantastic week full of learning, creativity and enthusiasm. Well done to all the children for their excellent effort throughout the week!

Image courtesy of https://unsplash.com/@rpnickson


 


Y4/5 Duckpool   w/e 9.1.26 Welcome back Duckpool!


Posted 17/01/2026
by Leonie Swabey

It has been lovely this week to be back in Brunel after being on maternity leave. Despite an unusual week of ice and storms, Duckpool have been very warm and welcoming - we are very lucky to have such wonderful children and families at Brunel. I look forward to the rest of the year.
 
WOW start - Would you like to live in a desert?


We used the school's orienteering course to introduce our new topic in a fun way - map skills and team work!

Aspirations Day

We really enjoyed learning about the careers of some people from our community. We were so lucky to hear from them as they inspired us for our futures!

In the files below, you will find the planning overview for this term. 


 


Y4/5 Perranporth  


Posted 16/01/2026
by Sara McKillop

w/e 16/1/26

We have had a busy and exciting week of learning in Perranporth class, with lots of opportunities for the children to build skills, be creative and deepen their understanding across the curriculum.

English & Reading
This week, the children have continued working hard in Read Write Inc, developing their reading fluency and comprehension!
In English, we began writing diaries, linking beautifully with our Geography learning. The children explored what life might be like on a desert island and used this to create imaginative and descriptive diary entries. We have been really impressed with their ideas and effort.

Maths
In Maths, our focus has been on multiplication and division, with lots of work on our timestables, too. The children have been focusing particularly on the 11x and 12x tables, and took part in mini-maths sessions throughout the week to build confidence and speed.

Geography
Our new Geography topic on deserts began this week. The children explored where deserts are found in the world and what makes them unique environments. This learning has supported their English diary writing brilliantly.

PE 
In PE, we started gymnastics, focusing on balance, control and basic sequences. We were really proud of some of our class going to the table cricket final, in which Brunel came 3rd!

Computing
During Computing, the children worked on photo editing, learning how digital images can be created and edited. They showed great enthusiasm and creativity.

Science & RE
In Science, we launched our new topic on Electricity, beginning to learn about electrical devices and how electricity is used safely in everyday life, plus we made electrical circuits to light the bulb! 

In RE, we started a unit on racism, encouraging thoughtful discussions about fairness, respect and treating others kindly.

Art, Music & Languages
The children continued their Architecture project in Art, producing thoughtful and detailed work about Hundertwasser. In French, we learned about La Fête des Rois, and in Music, the children enjoyed a Classroom Jazz lesson, exploring rhythm and musical style.

PSHE & Assemblies
In PSHE, we began our new topic on relationships, focusing on positive interactions and friendships - how jealousy can be tough to deal with.

The week ended with our Achievers Assembly, celebrating the children's hard work and successes. Overall, it has been a fantastic week full of learning, creativity and enthusiasm. Well done to all the children for their excellent effort throughout the week!

 


Head's Blog   A wonderful week at Brunel


Posted 16/01/2026
by Darren Woolner

Welcome to this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin. This is your weekly update of all the latest news and events from our wonderful school. We hope you enjoy browsing through the 54th edition of our newsletter.



 


YR/1 Tregantle   A very creative week!


Posted 15/01/2026
by Katie Grinsted

Exploring the cold

This week in Tregantle Class we have been busy exploring our topic 'Ice and Snow' across lots of different areas of learning.

In art, we investigated cold colours and took inspiration from Kandinsky, creating our own beautiful circles using different shades of blue. The children loved experimenting with colour and seeing how different tones worked together.

In PE, we practised throwing a ball at a target. This was a fun and energetic session that really helped to develop our gross motor skills, coordination and aim.

In maths, we have been learning all about capacity. One exciting activity challenged us to see how many different items we could fit into a tiny matchbox - there were lots of clever ideas and surprises!

During our Forest School session, we became artists and scientists by making our own ice sculptures. We filled cups with interesting natural materials, added water and placed them in the freezer. We can't wait to see how they turn out when they are frozen and revealed.

Another fantastic week of learning, creativity and fun in Tregantle Class!

 


Y2/3 Mousehole   Happy New Year!


Posted 09/01/2026
by Joanne Pentreath


Welcome back and Happy New Year! It has been a real pleasure to welcome the children back into school after the Christmas break. They have settled back into routines brilliantly, showing resilience, positivity and focus - especially impressive given the disruption caused by the recent weather. We are very proud of how maturely they have returned to learning.

English:
We have started a brand-new English unit linked to the text Meerkat Mail. The children began by sharing what they already know about the story and making predictions about what might happen. We have continued to develop reading fluency and comprehension, with a focus on reading with expression and understanding what we have read.

Maths:
In Maths, the children have been working on complements to 100, developing their number sense and mental strategies. Alongside this, we have continued to practise mental arithmetic, encouraging quick recall and efficient methods.

History - 'How Did We Learn to Fly?'
We began our exciting new History topic, How Did We Learn to Fly?, with a fantastic WOW starter. The children invented, built and tested their own paper aeroplanes, exploring how design changes affected how far and how well they flew. This hands-on activity sparked lots of curiosity and questions, setting us up perfectly for learning about early flight and significant inventors.

PSHE:
In PSHE, we returned to our theme of Celebrating Difference, beginning to explore the challenges that some people may face in their lives. The children showed great empathy and thoughtfulness during discussions, listening respectfully to one another and sharing their ideas maturely.

PE - Dance:
In PE, we started a new dance unit focused on machine and robotic movement. The children explored this style by observing different types of movements and then trying to copy and create sharp, controlled actions in their own dances. There was lots of concentration - and plenty of fun!

Computing:
In Computing, the children began learning about space stations, discussing what they are used for and how astronauts live and work in space.

Aspiration Day:
We ended the week with a truly fantastic Aspiration Day, where many inspiring adults from our local community visited to run workshops. The children loved learning about different jobs, skills and life experiences, and it was wonderful to see them so engaged and motivated. A huge thank you to everyone who gave their time to inspire our learners.

It has been a brilliant first week back, full of curiosity, creativity and enthusiasm!


 

 


Y4/5 Perranporth   w/e 9.1.26 - Welcome back!


Posted 09/01/2026
by Sara McKillop

WOW start - Would you like to live in a desert?

We used the school's orienteering course to introduce our new topic in a fun way - map skills and team work!

Aspirations Day

We really enjoyed learning about the careers of some people from our community. We were so lucky to hear from them as they inspired us for our futures!

In the files below, you will find the planning overview for this term. 

 


YR/1 Tregantle   Tregantle Class Blog - Welcome Back to the Spring Term!


Posted 09/01/2026
by Katie Grinsted

Ice and Snow

Welcome back everyone! It's been wonderful to see Tregantle Class full of smiles and enthusiasm as we've started the new spring term.

What an interesting week it's been - from icy mornings to stormy afternoons, the weather has certainly kept us on our toes!

Our new topic, 'Ice and Snow,' has been the perfect way to embrace the chilly start to the year. The children have been fascinated exploring how ice is formed - and with the frosty weather at the start of the week, we had the perfect real-life example right outside our classroom! There's been lots of fun and imagination too: we've been playing in our class 'igloo' and creating our very own beautiful paper snowflakes.

We've begun our new story, 'Lost and Found,' which is all about a penguin who becomes lost and the adventure that follows. The children have really enjoyed meeting the characters and sharing their ideas about what might happen next.

It's been a fantastic start to the term - full of curiosity, creativity, and excitement. It's great to be back learning together at school!

 


Head's Blog   Aspiration Day 2026


Posted 09/01/2026
by Darren Woolner

Today, our wonderful children at Brunel Primary and Nursery Academy enjoyed a truly inspiring Aspiration Day. We were delighted to welcome a fantastic number of volunteers from our parent body and wider town community into school to share their experiences and talk about their occupations.

The children were engaged, curious, and full of thoughtful questions as they listened to the many different journeys and careers represented.

It was a powerful reminder of how important it is for our pupils to see the wide range of possibilities open to them and to dream big about their futures.

It really was an incredible day, and it would not have been possible without the generosity of time, enthusiasm, and support from our community.

A huge thank you to all the parents, volunteers, and community members who came into school and helped make this day so special for our children.



sit amet.

 


Head's Blog   Happy New Year!


Posted 09/01/2026
by Darren Woolner

Happy New Year!

We hope you have had a wonderful Christmas break with your families and friends. We are looking forward to a wonderful Spring Term here at Brunel. Welcome to this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin.

This is your weekly update of all the latest news and events from our wonderful school. We hope you enjoy browsing through the 53rd edition of our newsletter. We have had a wonderful week back to school which has included our Aspiration Day today.



 


Y4/5 Perranporth   w/e 19.12,25


Posted 18/12/2025
by Sara McKillop

Merry Christmas, everyone!

And suddenly, it's the last day of term and the Christmas holiday is upon us...

A crazily busy term full of trips, swimming, music performances, art and fun; not forgetting a huge amount of hard work.

In our photos, you can see  our class testing some of the electronic games invented in science by Treyarnon class. They were fantastic.

Happy holidays, everyone!

 


Y4/5 Duckpool   w/e 19.12.25


Posted 18/12/2025
by Lorraine Sanchez-Cabello

Merry Christmas, everyone!

And suddenly, it's the last day of term and the Christmas holiday is upon us...

A crazily busy term full of trips, swimming, music performances, art and fun; not forgetting a huge amount of hard work.

In our photos, you can see our latest, super display for our Maya topic and our class testing some of the electronic games invented in science by Treyarnon class. They were fantastic.

Happy holidays, everyone!



 


YR/1 Tregantle   Season's Greetings from Tregantle Class!


Posted 17/12/2025
by Katie Grinsted

As we come to the end of the term, we would like to wish all of our Tregantle families a very merry Christmas!

It has been an incredible first term in Tregantle class, and we are so proud of everything the children have achieved. From learning their sounds and writing their names to making lots of new friends, the progress they have made in such a short time has been wonderful to see. It has truly been a privilege to get to know each and every child and to support them on their learning journey.

We have already shared so many memorable moments together, from exciting school trips to our fantastic Christmas production. These experiences have helped to make this term extra special and full of enjoyment.

We hope you all enjoy a wonderful Christmas break, filled with happiness, rest, and special time with loved ones. We are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back in the spring term for more fun, learning, and new adventures. Best wishes and festive cheer, Team Tregantle



 


Y1/2 Lantic   A christmassy week in Lantic!


Posted 12/12/2025
by Emmeline Scott

This week in Lantic we have had so much fun! We have had a very christmassy week making snowman cards with cotton wool and googly eyes. We have also been learning more about shape in our maths unit 
where we used straws to make 3D shapes. We then discussed the properties of shapes such as vertices, edges and faces. The children did really well and loved making their shapes! We have also been 
extremely busy and excited because it was of course our christmas play! This went super well and all the children should be very proud. 
We have been exploring lots of information about the Arctic for our Literacy unit where we will write non-chronological reports based on this. We loved seeing the different animals that live there and what
they get up to.
We are super close to finishing for christmas and we look forward to another great week of learning. Next week we will be having even more excitement with christmas jumper day and our christmas meal plus
our escape room!
Mrs Scott, Miss Sleep and Mrs Quick.

 


Y6 Treyarnon   Almost Christmas!


Posted 12/12/2025
by Sarah Burton







It has been a busy penultimate week in Treyarnon class.

In English, we have been writing our Jack and the Beanstalk stories and concentrating on speech punctuation and dialogue. They are exciting to read already. 

In maths, we have been learning about 3d shapes and tried our hand at making nets. We also learned all about circles and had a go at using compasses. 

In history, we finished our World War 2 topic by completing our double-page spreads. We were able to show off all of our knowledge and I love the presentation of their work. 

The highlight was watching the dress rehearsal for the KS1 nativity - it was hilarious and they were fantastic.

Have a great weekend!

Miss Burton

 


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Creativity

Creative

We are bold and innovative in our approach to find new solutions to the challenges we face.

Curiosity

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We are passionate about learning.

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We overcome all barriers to reach our potential, developing a capacity to improve further.

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