We have enjoyed a range of school assemblies this week. On Monday, Rev Richard led a thoughtful New Year assembly focusing on resolutions. This was followed on Tuesday by a lively singing assembly with Mrs Fitzsimmmons. On Wednesday, we held our first Reader, Writer and Mathematician Celebration Assembly of the year, and were pleased to welcome parents and carers of the children who received certificates. We ended the week with our Celebration Assembly today, where we recognised children who consistently demonstrate our school values, awarded 99 Club badges to pupils mastering their times tables, and celebrated Flora's recent triathlon success. If your child has an achievement to celebrate, whether in sport, the arts, or another interest outside of school, please encourage them to bring it in to share with us on a Friday.

Children's Mental Health Week 2026 We will be taking part in Children's Mental Health Week which this year is taking place between 9-15 February. This year's theme is 'This is My Place' where peers, families, schools and communities are encouraged to create an environment that gives children and young people a sense of belonging. As parents and carers, you play an important role in your child's mental health. There are free resources here which you may wish to look at beforehand. https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/resources/#families

As part of Children's Mental Health Week, we will be spending the morning outdoors on Monday 9th February when all staff and pupils will take part in the Big Schools' Birdwatch and other outdoor wellbeing activities. Further details to follow.

Clubs Our new Girls' KS2 Football Club kicked off on Tuesday and was a great success with the girls thoroughly enjoying the session. A huge thank you to Mr Peters for stepping in at the last minute to run the club and for kindly agreeing to lead it for the rest of this term. Reminder: All other clubs will start next week.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Hillman

Welcome back, and Happy New Year to you all. We are delighted to welcome our new families and six new pupils to our school community.

Thank you for your patience and understanding when the school opened later than usual on Tuesday and again yesterday when we closed early as a precaution due to the storm. Our caretaker, Mr Sands, has been checking the school premises and repairing any damage caused by the weather. I am pleased to report that the greenhouse remains intact which means the children will be able to continue growing their own fruit and vegetables as planned when Gardening Club resumes next half term.

Clubs The Girls' Football Club for pupils in Years 3-6 will begin on Tuesday 13th January. Other clubs will start the week commencing Monday, 19th January as follows:
Monday: Lunchtime Mindfulness and Colouring Club (Mrs Wilkie) for all year groups
After School Running Club (Miss Bowden and Mrs Turnbull) for years 3-6. This club is open to anyone who likes running however it will not run when the Cross-Country League races are on - next races 16th January)
Tuesday: Lunchtime Construction Club (Mrs Lister) Reception/Y1/Y2
After school Girls' Football Club (Y3-6) starts 13th January
Thursday: Lunchtime Choir (Mrs Butlin) Y2-6
After school Art Club (Mrs Fitzsimmons) Reception/Y1/Y2 (limited numbers, 1st come 1st served)
After school Football Club (Mr Langley) Y3-Y6

Please inform us by email or phone call, which clubs you wish your child to attend, by midday on Wednesday 14th January. For all clubs, once signed up children will be expected to attend every week unless they have written parental permission not to, or are absent. This applies to both lunchtime and after school clubs. Please note that gardening club will resume after half term.

What I wish my parents or carers knew..': A guide for parents and carers on managing children's digital lives The children's Commission has published a really useful guide 'What I wish my parents or carers knew..': A guide for parents and carers on managing children's digital lives. Written with children's input, it offers practical advice on setting firm, protective boundaries online and supporting children's safety and wellbeing in today's digital world. Click here to access the guide.

These are the main messages for you at the moment as we start back and we will send out further correspondence as needed, with a regular update each Friday. Further information regarding school is available on the Head's Blog and class blogs on our website and information about dates can be found in the Events Diary on this website.

Have a great weekend.

Mrs Hillman

The children have enjoyed a wonderfully busy week, rounding off their enquiries and taking part in a range of festive activities. These included Reverend Richard's Christmas assembly on Tuesday, Christmas Lunch on Wednesday, Christmas Art Day on Thursday, and class parties today. Talland and Chaipel Classes' Christmas performances on Monday were spectacular and provided a fantastic finale to a brilliant series of performances from all of the children.

House Points Our house captains have totalled the house points for this term. House Points are awarded to children who demonstrate our school values: Curious, Creative, Excellent, Responsible, Determined, and Enthusiastic. This half term, our focus has been on being Curious. Congratulations to Oak, who are currently in the lead with 100 points, followed by Willow with 88 points, Ash with 75 points, and Chestnut with 70 points.

Clubs The Girls' Football Club for pupils in Years 3-6 will begin on Tuesday 13th January. We will contact you during the first week of next term with details of other clubs available for the upcoming half term.

Fundraising We are delighted that our Christmas Gift Shop on Monday raised over £250. A huge thank you to FOPS for all of the organising and wrapping. We also raised £67 for Save the Children on Christmas Jumper Day and £139.51 for Cornwall Hospice Care, our School Council's chosen charity, from kind donations after each of the class performances.

Keeping Your Child Safe Online - Parental Controls Guides To help keep children safe online, we encourage parents and carers to set up parental controls on all devices your child uses. Please use this link https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/ to access easy, step-by-step guides showing how to activate parental controls on a wide range of devices, apps and online platforms. These tools can help you manage screen time, privacy settings and the content your child can access, creating a safer online experience. This information is particularly helpful at this time of year, as many children may receive new devices for Christmas such as: smart devices (e.g. TVs, speakers like Alexa); mobile phones (Android or iPhone); games consoles; tablets, laptops, or PCs. Taking a few minutes to set up parental controls can make a big difference in keeping your child safe online.

Dates The new term starts on Tuesday 6th January. Half term will be from Monday 16th February - Friday 20th February with an INSET Day on Friday 13th February. The last day of the Spring term is Thursday 2nd April and the Summer Term starts on Monday 20th April.

A huge thank you for all of your support so far this academic year. The children have worked incredibly hard and all deserve a wonderful Christmas break.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas

Anthea Hillman and all of the staff at Polperro Primary Academy

Thank you for sending your children in wearing Christmas Jumpers yesterday. School is feeling very Christmassy and so far the performances by Nursery, Penhallow Class and then Landaviddy Class have been amazing. We can't wait for Talland and Chaipel Classes' joint performances on Monday, the Gift Shop and Christmas Lunch on Wednesday and our Annual Christmas Art Day on Thursday.

Christmas Gift Shop Reminder that on Wednesday 17th December, during the school morning, Santa's Workshop will be opening its doors for the children to choose a special gift or two for someone they love. Each gift will cost £2 (maximum of 2 gifts per child). Santa's helpful elves (thank you FOPS) will be on hand to wrap the presents, ready to bring home at the end of the day, perfect to pop under your Christmas tree!

A Busy Week for our Planet Protectors This week, our Planet Protectors helped us check how much electricity we use as part of our school's climate action plan. We now have a fantastic team of pupils who remind staff to switch off any equipment that isn't needed, such as screens and lights. They already collect paper for recycling at the end of each day, and every Monday they help keep our school looking lovely by checking the grounds for litter. Well done, Planet Protectors!

Fundraising It was lovely to see so many of you at the Christmas Fayre last week which raised over £630 for school. On Wednesday evening, our Christmas Wreath making event held at the Village Hall raised an amazing £600. Huge thanks to our FOPS team who made both events happen. With funds raised this year we have just bought a class set of styluses for IPads which support our children in their learning, and trikes for Penhallow Class.

Poppy Appeal Year 6 collected £86.60 for the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal this year; thank you for your generous donations.

Time 2 Move Christmas activities are now live for bookings. Time 2 Move offer a wide range of activities across the county for children and families. To find out more, head to the website Time2Move Holiday Programme - Active Cornwall. The programme is open to all children, with fully funded places available for those receiving benefits related free school meals.

Diary Dates The last day of term is on Friday 19th December and school will finish at 1:30pm. Monday 5th January is an INSET day, therefore the first day of the Spring term for the children is Tuesday, 6th January.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Hillman

We have been busy with rehearsals for our Christmas performances all week and are very much looking forward to seeing Nursery perform on Monday, Penhallow Class on Tuesday, and Landaviddy Class on Thursday next week.

Choir Well done to our wonderful choir, who sang beautifully for the residents at Atlantis Care Home yesterday afternoon. They certainly helped to put everyone in the Christmas spirit!

Football Congratulations to our football team, who played brilliantly in their second match yesterday despite the pouring rain. The final score was 6-3 to Downderry in spite of Polperro's huge efforts and excellent teamwork.

Polperro Christmas Lights and Lantern Procession Saturday 6th December, before the Christmas lights switch-on in Polperro, there will be a lantern procession. Willow lanterns, handmade by children at the school, will be available for the children to carry. Each lantern has been created collaboratively by groups of pupils from all our classes, and the materials have been generously funded by the Christmas Lights Committee. Children, accompanied by their parents, should gather at TURNTABLE PIZZA, Big Green at 4:30pm to collect a lantern, ready to set off promptly at 4:45pm. If your child carries a lantern, please ensure the cane is returned to school afterwards so it can be reused next year. Please note that although school staff will be present at the procession, children remain the responsibility of their parents at all times.

Kernow Health Flu Clinics Kernow Health will be running flu clinics at various locations across Cornwall in early/mid-December, by appointment only. Contact details 01872 221105 or email kernowhealthcic.schoolimmunisation@nhs.net for further information or see attached poster for details.

Blackbird Pie Magazine Did you know that parents/carers can access Blackbird Pie magazine for free on BorrowBox using their library card? If the printed copy is lost, crumpled at the bottom of a school bag, or simply never made it home, it's quick and easy to read the magazine on any personal device. BorrowBox is completely free to use with a Cornwall Libraries membership and offers instant access to Blackbird Pie along with a wide range of children's eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines - perfect for days when families need inspiration for things to do. If you aren't already members, you can sign up for FREE online in minutes or pop into any Cornwall Library.

Diary Dates The last day of term is on Friday 19th December and school will finish at 1:30pm. Monday 5th January is an INSET day, therefore the first day of the Spring term for the children is Tuesday, 6th January.

Have a lovely weekend.

Another very busy week has flown by at school. On Monday, we held our Black History Month assembly, where the children shared their learning linked to this year's theme: "Standing Firm in Power and Pride." This theme celebrates the courage, resilience, and achievements of Black people around the world. Penhallow Class told us about the poet Benjamin Zephaniah and recited one of his poems beautifully. Landaviddy Class shared their work on artist Lubaina Himid, whose colourful artwork celebrates culture and identity. Talland Class taught us about Ade Adepitan, the Paralympian and TV presenter who inspires others through his determination, and Chaipel Class introduced William Robinson Clarke, the first Black pilot to fly for Britain in the First World War. The assembly was a thoughtful and uplifting celebration and we are very proud of how confidently and respectfully the children shared their learning.

Cross Country success Well done once again to our intrepid cross-country running team, who did the school proud in their race at Great Trethew. Six of our runners finished in the top 25, and all 20 competitors completed the race with 12 achieving personal bests. Another fantastic effort. Well done, runners!

Willow Lantern Making Every child in the school has taken part in creating willow lanterns for the Polperro Lantern Parade on 6th December. A huge thank you to the parents who came in to help. It was a very gluey and sticky experience, but the results were well worth it!

Christmas Gift Shop fundraiser - Christmas MUFTI next Wednesday, 3rd December We will be having a Christmas-themed MUFTI Day on Wednesday 3rd December. Children are welcome to come to school in their favourite festive outfits. In return, we'd really appreciate it if they could bring in two new or unused items - things like chocolates, toiletries, socks, notebooks, or any small gift you'd be happy to receive. (Just no alcohol, please!). The items will reappear in our Christmas gift shop on 17th December.

Clubs Next week clubs will run as usual apart from football club on Thursday as we have a home match against Downderry on that day. For the final 2 weeks of term (8 Dec - 19 Dec) there will be no clubs except for afterschool wraparound club and Breakfast Club which will continue as usual. Clubs will restart in January and we will send a letter out after the Christmas break about which ones will be running.

Christmas Fayre 2pm Friday 5th December FOPS are currently busy organising our Christmas Fayre which will be next Friday, 5th December starting at 2.00 pm. We would be grateful for donations of raffle prizes, good condition toys to sell and teddies for the teddy tombola. We look forward to seeing you there.

Polperro Christmas Lights and Lantern Procession Saturday 6th December On Saturday 6th December, before the Christmas lights switch-on, there will be a lantern procession in Polperro. Willow lanterns, handmade by children at the school, will be available for the children to carry. Each lantern has been created collaboratively by groups of pupils from all our classes, and the materials have been generously funded by the Christmas Lights Committee. Children, accompanied by their parents, should gather at the Village Hall at 4:30pm to collect a lantern, ready to set off promptly at 4:45pm. If your child carries a lantern, please ensure the cane is returned to school afterwards so it can be reused next year. Please note that although school staff will be present at the procession, children remain the responsibility of their parents at all times.

Polperro Christmas Tree Festival The Christmas Tree Festival in the Chapel will open at 11am on Saturday 6th December to coincide with the Christmas light switch on. It will be open during the evening that day as well and daily throughout December. A huge thank you to Mrs Peters for making decorations with the children to hang on a tree which FOPS are kindly sponsoring on behalf of the school.

CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE DATES reminder
Tuesday 9th Dec: Penhallow Performances 11am and 2pm
Thursday 11th Dec: Landaviddy Performances 2pm and 6pm
Monday 15th Dec: Talland and Chaipel Performances 2pm and 6pm
Please note that, to ensure we can accommodate everyone in the hall, audience numbers will be limited as follows: • Penhallow Class performances: three members per family for each performance. • Landaviddy Class performances: four members per family for each performance. • Talland and Chaipel Class joint performances: two members per family for each performance. For Landaviddy, Talland and Chaipel Class pupils, after the afternoon performance, children will need to be back in school by 5.30pm to prepare for their 6pm performance. Doors will open 30 minutes before each performance. If you choose to take photographs or videos, please ensure that no images are uploaded or shared online, including on Facebook or other social media platforms.

Please drive safely near our school We kindly ask all parents and carers to take extra care when driving to drop off or collect children. Residents have reported cars travelling too fast along the road, which has a 30mph speed limit (20mph near the school). Many of our pupils walk along this road and, with the darker evenings approaching, it is especially important to slow down. Thank you for helping to keep our children safe.

Have a great weekend

Mrs Hillman

Pupils in Chaipel Class visited St Ives yesterday, participating in a chocolate-making workshop linked to their Mayan Enquiry. They also explored the Tate Gallery and the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden to enrich their art learning. We are very grateful to FOPS (Friends of Polperro School) for organising the fundraising that helps to subsidise these valuable educational experiences. Our quiz last week raised nearly £500, which will allow us to purchase trikes for our younger pupils. We will also be buying styluses for iPads, using funds already raised, to support learning across all of our classes.

A huge congratulations to Zoe Maycox, one of our wonderful grandparents, who has raised an incredible £750 for our school by completing her very own triathlon! We are so grateful for her amazing effort and generosity. We have exciting plans to put this money towards something very special for our school so watch this space!

Swimming Success Over the past two Friday assemblies, we have enjoyed celebrating the swimming achievements of Maeve, Hector and April who have each earned certificates and medals outside of school for their swimming distances. If your child has an achievement or interest they would like to share and celebrate with our school community, please let us know, and we will be delighted to include it in a future Friday assembly.

Christmas Wreath Making Workshop Please see attached a poster for a Christmas Wreath Making Workshop on Wednesday 10th December at 6:30pm in the Village Hall. This is kindly being hosted by Megan Fletcher on behalf of FOPS (Friends of Polperro School) with all profits going to School.

Book Fair Thank you for supporting our book fair so generously last week. It raised over £200, and we are delighted to have this much-needed extra funding to spend on new books for our pupils.

MHST SPACE Programme Please see attached a poster advertising the Mental Health in Schools Team (MHST) SPACE programme for parents/carers starting in January 2026. This programme is designed for parents/carers and will help with understanding and managing emotions, it will offer practical approaches to support children and cover some coping strategies.

Have a great weekend

Anthea Hillman

It's been a busy week in school, filled with meaningful activities and plenty of colour! Thank you for sending your children in for a cosy day today in their PJs, spots, or bright colours. We are delighted to share that we raised £150 for Children in Need. As part of Anti-Bullying Week, pupils took part in thoughtful discussions in both assemblies and classrooms about what bullying means to us and how we can use our "Power for Good" to stand up against bullying, whether face-to-face or online. We were also very proud of the respect the children showed during the two-minute silence on Tuesday at 11am, as well as the interest and maturity they demonstrated during Rev Richard's Remembrance assembly in the afternoon.

Thank you to all the parents and carers who met with their child's teacher this week. It was a valuable opportunity to hear about the progress pupils are making, the learning they are enjoying, and the ways you can support them at home.

We are entering a very busy time of year and here are the dates of upcoming events for your diary. Further details will follow. Dates are also on our online events diary on this website.
• Christmas Gift MUFTI day - Wednesday 3rd December (see details below under Christmas Gift Room)
• Christmas Fair - Friday 5th December FOPS are currently busy organising our Christmas Fair which will be on Friday 5th December starting at 2.00 pm. We would be grateful for donations of raffle prizes, good condition toys to sell and teddies for the teddy tombola.
• Polperro Lights Switch On - Saturday 6th December The children will be making willow lanterns in school, kindly funded by the Polperro Christmas Lights Committee, for the Lantern Parade from the Village Hall (more details to follow).
• CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCES (in the school hall)
Penhallow Class Nativity Play - Tuesday 9th December at 11am and 2.00 pm.
Landaviddy Class Christmas Play - Thursday 11th December at 2.00 pm and 6.00 pm.
Talland Class and Chaipel Class Christmas Play (joint performance) - Monday 15th December at 2.00 pm and 6.00 pm.
• Christmas Jumper Day Thursday 11th December We are holding our Christmas Jumper Day in aid of the charity 'Save The Children' on Thursday 11th December. We ask for a £1.00 donation for this non-uniform day. We will provide opportunities for children to add some sparkle to a plain jumper if they do not already have a Christmas top to wear.
•  Christmas Gift Room On, Wednesday 17th December, during the school morning, Santa's Workshop will be opening its doors for the children to choose a special gift or two for someone they love. Each gift will cost £2 (maximum of 2 gifts per child). Santa's helpful elves will be on hand to wrap the presents, ready to bring home at the end of the day, perfect to pop under your Christmas tree! To help make this possible, we'll be holding a Christmas Mufti Day on Wednesday 3rd December. Children can come to school in their favourite festive clothes in exchange for a donation of new or unused items (2 items if possible). Gift ideas include chocolates, toiletries, socks, notebooks or any small items you'd be happy to receive yourself. (Please no alcohol, thank you!). All profits will go to the school.
• Christmas Lunch Wednesday 17th December The Christmas lunch will be held on Wednesday 17th December this year. The menu will be on Parent Pay shortly, we will advise you when.

Have a lovely weekend. 

The children have been so busy this week; starting their enquiries and beginning their rehearsals for the Christmas performances. Next week will be even busier!

Poppies and Remembrance We will be having a Remembrance assembly on Tuesday 11th November next week with Rev Richard. Year 6 volunteers have been doing a great job selling poppies at playtimes. If your child would like to buy a poppy to raise funds for the British Legion, please send your child in with cash. A minimum donation of 50p per paper poppy would be welcome. Plastic poppies and bracelets are also available for £1.

Clubs After school Football Club for girls will now start after Christmas.

Parent Consultations NEXT WEEK Thank you for signing up for parent consultations next week. There will be no clubs next week, however wraparound care will continue as usual.

Book Fair (Scholastic) This will be held at 3:15pm in school next week in Chaipel Class on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and in the hall on Wednesday. Please come and have a look at what is on offer next week. For every book bought, you help to earn free books for our school. The children had a look at the wonderful selection today and the most improved reader in each class was awarded a voucher to spend at the Book Fair. Well done to Nuala, Charlie-Ray, Amelia and Hudson.

Anti-Bullying Week 2025 will take place next week, with the theme: Power for Good. The week will kick off with Odd Socks Day on Monday 10th November, where adults and children wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique. Odd Socks are all about fun and laughter, but more importantly they deliver a message of individuality, acceptance and tolerance. We will be joining in with Odd Socks Day. All the children need to do is wear odd socks on Monday please.

Children in Need, MUFTI Day Friday 14th November For our Children in Need MUFTI fundraiser day on Friday 14th November, please send your child in wearing spotty clothes, pyjamas or anything colourful on the day. A donation of £2 or more to Children in Need will be collected in class. We also have a supply of "Pudsey Ears" for the School Council to sell. These cost £2.50 with all profits going to Children in Need.

FOPS Fundraising Quiz Night Join us for a fun-filled Quiz Night at school on Friday 14th November. The event is open to parents, carers, and friends of the school. Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start. Form a team of 4-6 people and test your knowledge while supporting our fundraising efforts. Tickets are £5 per person and are available from the school office. See the attached poster for more details. We hope to see you there!

A huge thank you to FOPS for organising the school discos before half term. They raised £248.55 which will go towards resources for school including trikes for Penhallow Class.

Open Morning We are holding an Open Morning on Wednesday, 12th November 2025, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. This event is for families who are looking for a Primary School place for their child starting in September 2026. Please see the attached flyer for more details and feel free to share this information with anyone who may be interested. 

Have a great weekend.

A Hillman