Welcome Back!

We hope you had a wonderful and restful half term, we've enjoyed hearing what you have been up to. It is lovely to see everyone back and hearing about some of the adventures you have had!

This half term, our enquiry question is: What is it like to live on an island?

We are going to become island explorers as we discover what makes an island special and how it is different from other places. We will be finding out: What an island is and how it is surrounded by water What the weather might be like on different islands. How people can travel on and off an island. What plants and animals might live there We will explore islands around the world, learn about island life, and imagine what it would be like if we lived on our very own island.

There will be lots of exciting activities, creative projects and fun challenges along the way. We've started the week by reading maps and creating our own, using descriptive vocabulary to write a postcard and using money in maths (watch out we may book ourselves a holiday!)  We are looking forward to a fantastic half term of learning together.

St Piran's Day & World Book Day - Thursday 5th March
To celebrate St Piran's Day and World Book Day (on the same day this year), there is the option of your child wearing Cornish colours: black, white and gold or dress up as a book character to celebrate - or a combination of both! Please don't feel you need to go to any unnecessary expense; homemade costumes or keeping it simple is fine. Equally, dressing up isn't for everyone so if your child prefers to attend in their own clothes/school uniform, that is fine. Throughout the day, the children will take part in a range of book related activities including some paired reading with buddies in the opposite key stage over a hot chocolate and a biscuit. For this, we ask that each child brings in their favourite book to share.

Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) start again next week
A reminder that ECAs re-start next Monday 2nd March and finish for the term on Friday 27th March.

Reception Stay and Learn - Friday 6th March
We look forward to seeing family members of Reception at their Stay and Learn next Friday 6th March. Doors open after morning drop off for refreshments, with a start time of 09:00. To help the morning drop-off routine, any Reception families driving are asked to try parking in the staff car park first (double parking is fine).

Parent/Carer Engagement Survey
A reminder that our survey is now open and closes on Friday 6th March.

We recognise that parents, carers and families are the most important influence in a child's life. As part of our work with Cornwall Council's Parent Carer Engagement Framework, we have chosen three areas (below) we would like to develop further with you. We would really appreciate your time in completing the survey to support our next steps in the three areas below, thank you - see link in email.

1) Learning at Home
Aim - Parents/carers (including staff and pupils) are part of a Home Learning review which leads to a co-constructed Home Learning Policy to support children's learning outside of school.

2) Tailored Family Learning Opportunities
Aim - Building on what we currently have in place for parents/carers to be involved with school life and their child's education (e.g. FOWPA events, Stay and Learn events, assemblies, Grandparents' Day, PTCs, etc.) there are further opportunities for parents/carers to engage, e.g. volunteering opportunities, workshops which meet parental needs.

3) Parental Representation and Voice
Aim - For parents/carers to have a structured opportunity to express their views and have these taken into account for whole school matters. To create a Parent Ambassadors Group of parents/carers from across the school who would meet with the Headteacher on a termly basis with an agenda to discuss ideas/feedback, which would then be shared with the whole school community. Alongside this we would create a Parent/Carer Charter. If you would be interested in possibly joining the Parent Ambassadors Group, please share your name and email address in the survey.

House Points
Congratulations to this week's winners, Swans. Overall, Choughs are in the lead:
Choughs - 7668
Puffins - 7064
Swans - 6775
Cormorants - 6060

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Best wishes,
Chris Wathern

Friday 27th February

Wowzers! What a fun learning week we have had back at school!

We started the week back to school with a celebrating Chinese New Year Day. We explored what the Spring Festival means to the Chinese communities. The children completed lots of activities that were all about the celebration and they loved learning about the Zodiac story. In the afternoon were privileged to have Eva , our Chinese community visitor, come into school and talk to all the children about the festival, show them how to make Chinese Lanterns and brought all the children spring rolls, from her restaurant, to try!  What an amazing day of learning!

On Tuesday the children prepared themselves for their sponsored pancake race. The children had been gaining sponsors for their outdoor learning area for a few weeks and on Tuesday they certainly earned all the money that had been raised by seeing how many times they could complete an obstacle course, whilst balancing a pancake. The children were amazing and the MASSIVE total of their sponsors was: £484.75p. This is a phenomenal amount of money, and the children have brained stormed what they want in their outdoor area, and lots has already been ordered!

Our new Big Question this half term is: Is There Anything Above the Clouds?

The children have been building astronauts with Lego, colouring space pictures by number, making space scenes, flying to space in the role play area, drawing and labelling what they would take to the moon and so much more!

This is only a small part of what exciting learning we have had this week and we are so excited with what we will explore leading up to Easter!

We are looking forward to our last full week in Foundation!

The Foundation Team 

Welcome back after a very soggy half term! The children have been continuing to work hard this week with Class 2 finishing the mummification of their apples and Class 1 starting an interesting topic on explorers! The children have loved these activities and have learned a lot from them - well done! This is another shorter half term but we have lots planned for the school and children. Please make sure you are checking the newsletter and website for up-to-date calendars. Next week sees Class 1's trip to the Maritime Museum in Falmouth and World Book Day. A reminder that children can dress up as a book character on Friday next week due to the trip. We will still be taking part in lots of reading related activities and fun! Also starting next week is the project that Class 2 are doing with Sterts. It is a term-long project on "Belonging" during which experts in music, dance, drama, design and other areas will come into school to work with the children once a week on a performance that will take place in May. It promises to be really exciting and we are looking forward to it. Have a wonderful weekend and thank-you for your continued support of our school.

As we come to the end of another busy and productive week, I would like to take a moment to thank you for your continued support. It truly makes a difference to our school community.

A special thank you to the parents who attended the Nature Parks Club on Wednesday evening. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm as we work together to turn some of our grey spaces green. Watch this space - next week a pergola will be going into the area near our school garden, which is an exciting step forward in developing this space for our children.

Next week is set to be another busy one. Please see the key dates and reminders below:

Monday - Class Photos
Please ensure your children come to school in their Brunel blue correct uniform, as these are class photographs which will be proudly displayed in our school foyer.

Tuesday - Two Tyre Tuesday
KS2 children are welcome to bring in their scooters and helmets to enjoy during the school day.

Wednesday - Wheely Wednesday (Reception and KS1)
Reception and KS1 children are welcome to bring their scooters and helmets to school.

Wednesday - Little Locomotives Toddler Group (10:00am-11:00am)
Our free, teacher-led toddler group is open to children aged 18 months to 4 years old. We look forward to welcoming families from our local community.
Also on Wednesday: Vision Screening for our Reception children.

Thursday - World Book Day
Children are warmly invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character. We can't wait to see all of the creative costumes and celebrate a shared love of reading.

A reminder to Duckpool Class parents that your class assembly is coming up on Monday 9th March at 2:40pm. Parents and carers are warmly welcomed to attend - we look forward to seeing you there.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Please do enjoy browsing through this week's Brunel Bulletin.

Tregantle Weekly Blog

What a fantastic week we have had in Tregantle Class! The children have been busy exploring, learning and having lots of fun along the way.

Exploring Our School Pond & Visiting the Chickens
We loved getting outdoors to explore our school pond. Armed with nets and plenty of curiosity, the children carefully pond dipped to see what they could find. There were lots of excited faces as we discovered different pond life and talked about what we could see.
We also visited our school chickens! The children enjoyed watching them closely and talking about how to care for them. It's always a special experience spending time with our feathered friends!

Maths - Learning About Numbers 9 and 10
In maths this week, we have been focusing on the numbers 9 and 10. The children have been exploring these numbers in lots of practical and engaging ways:
• Going on number hunts around the classroom and outdoor area
• Using the play dough station to make numbers and represent amounts
• Taking part in matching games, linking numerals to the correct quantity

The children are becoming much more confident at recognising, counting and representing these numbers. Well done, Tregantle Class!

PE - Our New Unit: Jungle Gym
In PE, we started our brand new unit called 'Jungle Gym.' The hall was transformed into a jungle adventure! The children had a wonderful time pretending to be jungle animals. We crawled like tigers, stretched like monkeys and slithered like snakes. Everyone practised moving over, under and around different equipment, building their strength, balance and coordination. It was fantastic to see such imaginative movement and teamwork.

Literacy - The Very Hungry Caterpillar
We were very excited to begin our new book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Tregantle Class are doing a fantastic job at re-telling the story and using objects to help order the events. It has been wonderful to hear them confidently remembering what the caterpillar ate each day! This story has also given us the opportunity to explore life cycles in more detail. We have been learning about how a caterpillar changes into a beautiful butterfly, and the children have shown great curiosity and thoughtful questions during our discussions.

Trip to Saltash Library
We ended the week with a wonderful trip to Saltash Library. The children were so excited to explore the shelves and choose a new book to take home. It is always such a joy to see their enthusiasm for reading and stories. Thank you to the library staff for making us feel so welcome!

What a busy and brilliant week it has been. We are so proud of how enthusiastic, kind and hardworking Tregantle Class continue to be. We can't wait for another week of adventures and learning!

We have enjoyed welcoming everyone back this week after the half term. It has been lovely to see all of the children and they have thrown themselves back into the nursery routine.

For the next few weeks we are looking at different books and answering our question "What is your favourite story and why?"

We have been busy making Stickman family pictures and the children have been discussing who is a part of their family group.

At story time and in adition to "Stickman" we have also been reading "Room on the Broom" and the children have been selecting books that they would like to read.

In phonics this week we have been listening to and exploring different sounds in our envirionment, trying to keep time when listening to a simple beat and the children have explored instruments and the sounds they make.

In maths we are finding objects that represent numbers and exploring different shapes.

Next week on Thursday it is World Book Day and the children are invited to come to nursery dressed as their favourite book character. We will also be celebrating St Pirans Day with a cream tea! 

We look forward to seeing you all next week.

Julie and Sarah

It has been another full and exciting week of learning in Year 2 and 3!

English

In English, we have been learning a new text through oracy, using lots of discussion and performance to help us really understand it. The children have also been practising their VIPERS reading skills (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval and Sequencing) to deepen their comprehension.

We have also been exploring the features of instructional writing, identifying what makes a clear and effective set of instructions. The children were fantastic at spotting headings, numbered steps and time connectives.

Maths

In maths, both year groups have been working hard on key skills:

• Year 2 have been learning how to subtract across 10 and have also been solving mixed addition and subtraction problems.

• Year 3 have been focusing on the 3, 4 and 8 times tables, as well as related division facts.

Please continue practising times tables at home with Year 3 - it really makes a difference! (Year 2-x2, x5 and x10).

Geography

We have started an exciting new topic: "Why are rainforests important to us?" The children began by asking thoughtful questions and sharing their existing knowledge.

We have been learning about where tropical rainforest biomes are located around the world and have started to look more closely at the Amazon Rainforest. The children were fascinated to discover just how important rainforests are for our planet.

PSHE

In PSHE, we began our new unit, Healthy Me. The children set themselves a personal challenge to improve their fitness, showing great maturity and enthusiasm.

PE

In PE, we have started our new unit on striking and fielding. This week focused on developing accuracy when throwing, catching and stopping a rolling ball. There was some fantastic teamwork and determination on display.

French

In French, we have continued learning vocabulary linked to "My Family", building confidence in speaking and understanding simple phrases.

Science

In Science, we began our topic on light, thinking about different light sources and how light helps us to see.

Looking Ahead - World Book Day

Next Thursday, we will be celebrating World Book Day. Children are invited to dress up as their favourite book character, and a fun-filled day of reading activities has been planned across the school to celebrate our love of books!

We can't wait to see the wonderful costumes and share our favourite stories together.

What a fantastic start to the new year we have had in our classroom! The children have shown great enthusiasm, resilience and curiosity in all of their learning. Here's a look at what we've been up to in January and February.

History - The Romans This term we have been travelling back in time to learn about the Romans. We have explored what life was like in Roman Britain, how the Roman army was organised and why the Romans were so successful. To finish off our half term, we were visited by the brilliant Centurion Maximus Adricus! He brought Roman history to life through exciting games, storytelling and hands-on activities. The children loved finding out about Roman armour, battle formations and daily life in the army. It was a fantastic way to deepen our understanding of the Romans.

Maths - Multiplication and Division In Maths, we have been working hard on multiplication and division. We have practised using times tables to solve problems, explored different methods for solving calculations and learned how multiplication and division are linked. The children have shown great perseverance when tackling tricky word problems!

Science - Magnetism Our Science topic has been all about forces, with a focus on magnetism. We investigated which materials are magnetic and learned how to test objects using magnets. The children discovered that not all metal is magnetic and enjoyed predicting and testing different materials. We also learned about magnetic poles and how magnets can attract and repel.

English - Romans and Mythology In English, we have linked our writing to our History topic. We wrote detailed character descriptions of the Roman hero Hercules, focusing on his strength, bravery and his famous 12 labours. We also wrote non-chronological reports about the Roman gods, organising our work with headings and subheadings. The children worked hard to include fascinating facts and use formal language in their reports.

PSHE - Facing Challenges In PSHE, we have been thinking about how to face challenges positively. We used our Building Learning Power skills - such as resilience, resourcefulness and reflectiveness - to help us when learning feels tricky. The children have been brilliant at encouraging one another and showing a growth mindset.

Music - Songfest 2026 We have also begun practicing songs for Songfest 2026, which will be taking place in March. The children are already singing beautifully and learning the lyrics with great enthusiasm. We can't wait to perform!

Well done to everyone for a brilliant start to 2026. We are so proud of all the hard work, determination and positivity shown this term. We're looking forward to another exciting half term ahead!

Group Work in the Arc

This term we have had a real focus on working together. In the ARC we try to make our group activities so appealing that they capture our children's attention and they choose to join the group.

We have a number of group activities where out focus is shared attention. We run 2 Attention Autism Sessions which is a Gina Davies Intervention that follows 4 stages. All of our ARC children now choose to join this group and in fact they all look forward to checking out stage 1 where they get to see what is in out bucket!

We run Fun with Food everyday. We look at a different food each day, describing the food through all of our senses. We use communication boards to encourage the children to describe the food. 

We all like using the playground equipment on sunny days, especially the parachute! In the photo we are working together to try and keep the ball on the parachute. 

Sometimes our ARC children are able to join their mainstream peers. Eddie had a great day with the Roman Soldier who came to visit the class. He worked as a team with the other children to form a barrier with his shield in a mock battle. 

Sometimes group work just involves taking turns. The musical instruments are a really popular way of taking turns. Both Leo and Freddie love to ply the xylophone and it is an excellent opportunity to take model turn taking. 

Happy New Year!

What a brilliant start to 2026!
In PSHE we have been thinking about our goals and dreams and steps towards success. 
Our new 'Big Question' is 'What is the weather like in the UK?'. We have been re-capping our knowledge of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom and have been using an atlas to help us to label maps.
In art we have been looking at the painting of Alma Thomas. Alma is an abstract artist. She used lots of bright colours in her paintings. After practising the necessary techniques and skills, we created  paintings in her style.
In science we have been learning about animals. This half term we have focussed on the five groups of vertebrates. We have learnt about their characteristics and diets. 
We went on a fabulous trip to The National Marine Aquarium where the children had a taste of being Marine Biologists as well and learning lots of sea creatures from our very informative guide. 

December has been a magical month in Year One!
There have been many highlights including our Christmas Production. The children rehearsed and practised so well to put on a wonderful performance for families. We also had a magical time rounding off the term with a Christingle gathering.

The children were contacted by Santa's chief elf and tasked with making some robots as the elves were worried they hadn't made enough. The children designed and made some wonderful robot toys with moving limbs.

In computing, the children used Doodledraw on the ipads to design Christmas cards that they then printed and sent to loved ones. 

Year One had a fantastic time in the woods making clay reindeers.

This month we have learnt about Guy Fawkes and The Gunpowder Plot. We found out about what happened and we used our printing skills to create colourful and sparkly fireworks art.

We have been thinking about how to be a good friend. We have thought about which qualities and behaviours we like to see in our friends.

This month we marked the beginning of anti-bullying week with 'Odd Socks Day'. We all wore odd socks to help us to think about how we are all special and unique. We also marked Children In Need day this month. We dressed up and even dressed up our giant class bear.

We went on a walk around the school grounds to hunt for signs that it is autumn. it was great fun playing in the leaves.