This week, we have been treated to some wonderful weather and Team Brunel have made the most of the sunshine. In addition to the wonderful learning that the children have been experiencing in school, we have also had residentials to Dartmoor, a Songfest concert and many other exciting events that you can share with us in our Brunel Bulletin. Have a wonderful weekend. 

Shrove Tuesday
Our children had the opportunity to make their pancakes in the afternoon to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Our children love cooking so this was the perfect chance to get in the kitchen and work as a team to make some tasty pancakes.


St Piran's Day
This day was very special because we had a special surprise arrive at school. Looe Shedders have been working to create the school a tractor to have on the playground. They assembled the tractor on St Piran's Day and children were able to see the wonderful creation. A huge thank-you to Looe Shedders for the time and effort which went into making this and also our PTFA who donated money towards the resources. Whilst the tractor was being built, Cardinham class were busy baking scones and we then began our celebrations of St Piran's by having a cream tea with all of our visitors outside in the sunshine. We continued the day doing a range of Cornish activities including our own flag kits and oreinteering with Cornish questions.

World Book Day
We got all comfy this year with the children wearing their PJs. Each class had a picture book which they then took part in a range of activities linking to that book. Kilminorth class had 'Aliens in Underpants save the world' so made their own underpants learning the basics of sewing and then made their own alien headpiece. Cardinham class produced lovely artwork and writing on the book Island.

Upcoming events

Tues 18th and Wed 19th-Parent Consultation Meetings
Fri 21st March-Red Nose Day
Friday 21st March-Landrake Fun Run
Friday 28th March-PTFA Easter Bingo
Friday 4th April-Early finish at 1:30pm

Emergency First Aid - The Recovery Position

The children have had so much fun learning how to place a casualty in to the recovery position. They all remembered the emergency ABC (airway, breathing and circulation) procedure prior to putting the casualty in a safe recovery position. Well done, Talland Class.


Maths
The children are becoming proficient experts in mathematical problem solving. They can confidently apply their knowledge of adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying fractions to solve simple one step and two step problems. 


English
We have some natural poets in Talland Class who intuitively use figurative language to enhance the verses within their poems. Most children are able to competently use metaphors, personification and alliteration effectively to enhance the poems they have written. Some children were able to recognise and include rhythm to allow their poems to flow when being read. Keep up the good work, Talland Class.


Best wishes, Mrs Swabey, Mr Parry, Mrs Walters and Mrs Payne.

This week we have covered a wide range of exciting subjects and learned many new things. In art, we explored the life and work of the artist Dora Carrington, studying her unique style and the influence she had on the world of art.

In cricket, we focused on both batting and bowling techniques, learning how to improve our skills and understanding the strategies behind the game.

In science, we studied seasonal changes and how the weather can vary throughout the year. We also had the opportunity to create our own wind socks, helping us to observe wind direction and speed in a hands-on way. During PSHE lessons, we explored the importance of healthy eating and how the right foods can help our bodies stay strong and energised.

In music, we practiced singing, learning new songs and developing our vocal skills. In maths, we delved into place value, focusing on numbers up to 50, which helped us to strengthen our understanding of number patterns and how to compare and order numbers accurately. In English, we worked on using adjectives to describe the desert, learning how to create vivid and detailed descriptions that painted pictures with words.

Finally, in geography, we studied the nomadic cultures of Mongolia, learning about their lifestyle, traditions, and the challenges they face in such a unique environment. 

Learning about aeroplanes and watching our tadpoles grow!

We’ve had another great week in Foundation/ Year 1.

We have been particularly excited the past few weeks as Mr Liddiment has set up our own tadpole tank in the classroom! We have learnt a little bit about the life cycle of a frog and how they change and have enjoyed watching these changes ourselves.

In the curriculum this week, Year 1’s History has been focused on the Wright brothers and the first aeroplane flight. We have been creating freeze frames of the first flight, with one of us being Wilbur Wright, one of us as Orville Wright, one of us as the plane and then an eyewitness. We focused on how the eyewitness would feel to be witnessing something so important. We then talked about what makes an event significant and how certain events have changed people’s lives. Foundation have also joined us by creating their own aeroplanes out of bricks outside. We then used our role play skills to pretend to fly the aeroplanes.

In English, Year 1 have begun to write their own versions of Jack and the Beanstalk, using the features of a traditional tale. I can’t wait to read them when they have finished. Foundation have started learning about adjectives and have begun writing different adjectives in their books to describe the characters in Jack and the Beanstalk.

Well done Foundation / Year 1, another great week of learning.

Foundation / Year 1 Team

February

This term, we are paying particular attention to different life cycles and engaging in the theme 'minibeasts'. 

Our literacy is based around the author Eric Carle. We are having great fun with his books, engaging us in our topic in literacy, science, DT and art. 

We are excited to have our caterpillars, which we hope will transform into beautiful butterflies. We have been on a minibeast hunt, and although we did not find any caterpillars outside, we found worms, centipedes, spiders, woodlice and beetles. 

Our Design Technology, this term is also all about minibeasts. We are busy trying new techniques using levers and pivots so that we can then design and make our own minibeast moving picture.

Finally, we are going to be visiting a farm to continue investigating lifecycles. We are hoping to see some lambs and maybe baby chicks. 

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” Neil Gaiman, Coraline

Thank you for filling our World book Day 2025 with imagination and colour.

A very busy week two!

What a week it has been at school! From celebrating St. Piran’s Day to enjoying the sunshine in our outdoor area, there has been so much to look forward to.

We kicked off the week by celebrating St. Piran’s Day, a special day for Cornwall! Our school was filled with excitement as we all came together in the morning to sing traditional Cornish songs on the playground.
The fun didn’t stop there! In the morning, we got our hands dirty making Cornish pasties. With the help of our teachers and the very kind Will from Ginsters, we mixed, folded and crimped our yummy pasties. 

Thursday was another highlight with World Book Day! The school was buzzing with excitement as everyone arrived dressed as their favorite book characters. From Mog to Matilda, we had a range of creative costumes. It was amazing to see so many of our friends dressed up as characters from the books we love.

As if the week wasn’t already packed with fun, we were lucky enough to have some beautiful sunshine to enjoy! Our outdoor area was the perfect place to play and soak up the sun. We spent time running, playing games, and just enjoying the fresh air. It was so nice to take a break from the classroom and play outside, especially after all the busy events of the week.

In phonics we learnt the sound 'a' a a apple!
In maths we are looking at representing number 1-5 can you count 4 objects and then find the number 4? have a go at home and let us know. 

Come back next week to see what else we get up to. We have special visitors coming in to see us!

Miss Whitty, Miss Ronald and Mrs Evans. 

As last week was Shrove Tuesday, Class 1 and Preschool made pancakes during their Forest School! The children have been learning about Shrove Tuesday and Lent during their RE lessons and they enjoyed incorporating this into their Forest School lesson. 

Thank you so much for sending your children in on World Book Day in their amazing costumes. Entries to our Extreme Reading competition were brilliant – Thank you for sending them in. Rev Richard judged the entries after our St Piran’s Day assembly on Tuesday (there were so many to consider!). Well done to the class winners (Henry, Flora, Nevaeh, Max and Felix) and to Everly, the overall winner. Winners will each receive a book (kindly funded by FOPS). Our book sale raised over £40.00, which school will spend on books for guided reading.

FOPS Quiz FOPS raised over £500 at their quiz night last Friday. Thank you to those who organised an enjoyable evening and to those of you who attended. We have other fundraisers in the pipeline including Easter Discos for the children on Thursday 3rd April. More details to follow.

Comic Relief This year Red Nose Day is on Friday, 21st March. The School Council would like the children to come to school in MUFTI (bright colours/funky clothes!) with a minimum donation of £1 for this MUFTI day. We will be selling Red noses for £2 during the week commencing 17th March.

Parent/Carer Consultations Thank you for attending this week’s parent/carer consultations. We are so pleased that everyone has arranged an appointment. Your involvement and support play a crucial role in helping your child succeed, and we truly appreciate your partnership in their learning journey at our school.

Orwell Project We had a visit this week from Jay Gates, from Bodmin Airfield who spoke to the children in Talland and Chaipel Classes not only about the planes at the Airfield, but also about the wildflower meadow there which has County Wildlife Status and is home to rare orchids and other wildlife. Later in the year, the school will be working with the airfield to rewild some of the school grounds using seeds from the Bodmin Wildlife Meadow.

Wild Wellbeing Sessions The Mental Health Support Team (MHST), along with Natural England and Cornwall Wildlife Trust, are running several Wild Wellbeing sessions over the Easter break. These are nature-based, creative, practical workshops where pupils learn about the Five Ways to Wellbeing: Give, Connect, Take Notice, Be Active and Keep Learning. Details are included in the attached poster.

 
Have a good weekend.

Mrs Hillman

Can You Always See Things Grow?

What a week! This week we launched our enquiry for this half term, 'Can you always see things grow?' by setting up an investigation to grow beans in a bag. We plan to keep a weekly bean diary to document the changes our beans undergo over the next 5 weeks. In PE, we have been loving our Striking and Fielding unit with Mrs Phillips! 

On Thursday, we celebrated World Book Day across the school by dressing up as a book character of our choosing. We had a lovely time designing bookmarks, sketching Dr Seuss and Nathan Bryon book characters and reading stories. Year 3 joined Talland and Chaipel to participate in a Live BBC lesson on the day and Year 2 spent time with Penhallow sharing stories. We had a fabulous day! 

In English, we read the story of Jack and the Baked Beanstalk by Colin Stimpson. We made comparisons between this version and the original story, and have written some fantastic descriptions using our senses. We also began to plan our stories for our imaginary world stories, inspired by Jack and the Beanstalk.

This week in Maths, Year 2 have been refining their ability to multiply, using arrays to support our understanding of multiplication. Year 3 have continued working hard on length and perimeter, converting between measures. 

I have attached this half terms KIRFS, Knowledge Web and Homework Grid. Of course, let me know if you have any questions. 

We hope you have a lovely weekend and see you on Monday. 

Mrs Wilkie, Mrs Phillips, Miss Bowden and Miss Colton

 Storytellers had a blast celebrating World Book Day this year, and the theme was all about fun and imagination! The children came dressed in their comfiest pajamas, ready to curl up and immerse themselves in the world of stories. The highlight of the day was the reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a classic favorite. The little ones were fascinated by the caterpillar’s journey as he munches through all kinds of food before transforming into a beautiful butterfly.

Adding to the excitement, the children explored their very own pot of baby caterpillars, closely observing them and talking about their growth and changes that might occur. It was a hands-on experience that brought the book to life, making it even more magical as they witnessed the caterpillars move around. 

Another week has flown by and Chaipel have been very busy.

We have been writing a setting description to set the mood for our Anne Boleyn diary writing next week. We have used a range of figurative devices as well as some colloquial language fit for a Queen! We also wrote up our cinquains which we will transfer to a poetry book for all to read.

In Maths, Y5s have been looking into equivalent fractions and decimals and the Y6s have been tackling percentages! We also did an arithmetic assessment and everyone has significantly improved their scores - WELL DONE CHAIPEL!

It was World Book Day on Thursday and we really made the most of it. We took part in a live lesson at 11am and a nationwide 60 second read. In the afternoon, we looked at the characters from a reknown author and one that was not as well-known as they should be. We all agreed that Nizrana Farook has made many children's stories that we are dying to read!

In PE, Chaipel have been brushing up their skills at Rounders, learning the language needed and practising their fielding techniques. In DT, we have investigated materials which make our clothing, together with the stitches, joins and the washing and drying instructions on the labels. In History, we have been looking into the social hierarchy and how 'God's will' determined your status in life. Next week, we will investigate the housing and diet differences between classes.

Sean will be begin our Wednesday afternoon Art from next week so we are very excited regarding what we will produce. 

CONGRATULATIONS to our People of the Week - Harrison, Martha and Phoebe - for demonstratiing our school values.

That's all from me so have a lovely weekend!

Miss Randle, Mrs Clary, Mrs Hodge and Miss Colton.