Spring 1

Switch Club

Switch club -the brain child of one of our pupils- has launched! It has proved to be our most popular club with 20 pupils attending from Year 1 - Year 6. Children have enjoyed sharing their passion for all things Nintendo with each other. On the big screen we have been racing in Mario Kart with the next generation of Karters showing fantastic skills. 

Skateboarding Club

We are excited to offer pupils from year 2-6 the opportunity to join an afterschool skateboarding club. The club will be run by TR7 Skateboarding and their professional coaches - all equipment will be provided. We have arranged a 6 week block of skateboarding lessons on Thursday afternoons 4pm-5pm starting on 27th Feb. With the option to stay for another hour to practise skills. The club will be held at TR7 skateboarding in: UNIT 1 Station Approach, Victoria, OFFICES PL26 8LG. This is an inside skateboarding park so weather can’t disrupt the sessions. Teachers and staff can offer a lift to the TR7 site and will supervise (maybe even join in) the session from 4-5pm.

Topic

The Nessa topic this term is the Ancient Romans. Pupils have been attempting to replicate Roman marching tactics. We don't quite have the efficiency and discipline of the Roman army but give us time! We have studied the Roman invasion of Britain as well as the legacy left behind when the Romans retreated. 

This week we have been talking about how we keep warm in winter. The children came up with some great answers such as wearing appropriate clothing such as coats, scarves, gloves and hats and it was suggested by some of the children that we should all have hot chocolate for snack to warm up after been outside to play!
We made vegetable soup on Thursday where the children practiced chopping and cutting with the knives before cooking it all up and letting them take it home.
They have been practicing pencil control on the writing table and have been getting creative by making snowmen with warm scarves and collaged welly boots.

At story time we have been reading "William's Winter Wish" and in phonics we have been talking about going to the dentist. The children have been naming and rembering different sounds in a game of sound bingo, clapping the syllables in words and exploring how our mouths move when looking in the mirrors.

In maths, we have been recognising and forming numbers on the chalk and white boards and learning about different shapes and making arrangments.

Have a good weekend

The Nursery Team

Friday 25th January

This week has included the special visit from The Royal Cornwall Showground. They spoke to the children about lots of interesting farm facts and where our food comes from and then the children were able to join in with fantastic activities, they loved exploring and learning.

In English the children have been drawing a labelling parts of a penguin. The children have been using their initial sound and phonics knowledge and it has been amazing to see their progress.

In maths we have been exploring 1 less and the composition of 5. The children really are progressing so well.

In phonics we have learnt the digraphs sh/th( unvoiced like moth) th( voiced like ‘feather’ and ng/.

The children are really growing and progressing, and we are so proud of all they achieve.

Have a wonderful weekend

The Foundation Team 

This week in Religious Education (RE), the children have been exploring the culture and beliefs of Muslims. They had the opportunity to learn about the Arabic language and its significance in the Muslim world. The students also studied the work of the renowned Muslim artist Ali Caligraff, discovering how he uses calligraphy and art to express his faith. This helped broaden the children's understanding of Islamic art and culture.

In Mathematics, the children focused on plotting numbers on a number line, specifically ranging from 10 to 20. They practiced identifying the position of numbers on the line and explored how numbers increase and decrease. 

In English, the class have been researching dolphins. The children gathered information and created a list of interesting facts, writing bullet points to summarise their findings. 

In Design and Technology (DT), the children have been working on developing their own pouch designs. They have explored different materials and considered what would be best for creating a functional and stylish pouch. The child have been putting their creativity to the test as they plan and sketch their ideas.

In Music, the class is learning a vibrant song about rainbows. The children have been practicing the melody and lyrics, enjoying the cheerful tune. Additionally, in their singing assembly, the children have been introduced to Cornish songs, allowing them to experience and appreciate a different regional musical tradition.

Finally, in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the children have been learning how to format text, including making fonts bold and italic. This skill will help them when creating presentations and documents in the future, giving them a better understanding of how to present information clearly and effectively.

It's been a week full of learning, creativity, and fun across a variety of subjects!

This week, we have started to write our Hansel and Gretel stories; I have been flabbergasted by the wonderful use of vocabulary and punctuation. We are up to the part where they have been invited into the cheese house by the yeti. Next week will finish writing and we will find out how Hansel and Gretel will escape the yeti's evil clutches. Look at the fantastic handwriting!

In maths, we have been finding out about ratio and scale factors. The children have been learning new vocbaulary, such as, proportion and dimensions.

In PE, the children have been creating partner sequences in gymnastics. They had to include a jump and a roll along with partner balances - some of them in unison and some of them in cannon. I was proud of their wonderful teamwork and collaboration. 

In PSHE, we were thinking about our strengths and weaknesses. We decided that most of our weaknesses could also be positive depending on how you look at them. For example, being a perfectionist shows that you like attention to detail. 

Have a relaxing weekend!

Miss Burton

What a brilliant week it has been at Team Brunel. To keep up to date with the latest news, events and achievements from our incredible school, please enjoy browsing through 'The Brunel Bulletin.'

It’s been another great week at Darite! As you know, last Tuesday we welcomed an Ofsted inspection to Darite. It was a great opportunity to show the two inspectors what Darite is all about and how much of a special place it is to learn and work. I am delighted to be able to share their findings today as we have received their final report. I know many of you were keen to find out how school performed. As you may be aware, OFSTED no longer give overall effectiveness grades on schools who were graded “Good” before September 2024. We were graded “Good” in November 2019 and so OFSTED give these schools a judgement based on the actions that they have taken to maintain these standards. I am delighted to say that Darite has “Taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection”. We are so proud of the children, staff and parents who all contribute to making school so special and the children were amazing on the day – they were able to talk confidently with the inspectors and explain why Darite is so good. The final report is on our school website here and will be published on the OFSTED website by the end of next week. I wanted to draw your attention to some of the comments that the inspectors made in the report: “Darite Primary is a community-centred, warm and friendly school. Pupils form positive relationships with staff. This helps them to feel happy and safe. Children in the early years are confident and enjoy their time in school. Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around the school. The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievements. Pupils meet these and are successful in their learning.” “The school encourages pupils to share their views about school life… Pupils are passionate about the community and helping others. … many took part in a ‘reindeer run’ to raise money for charity. After being inspired by a visit focusing on recycling, pupils successfully requested the donation of litter picking devices to the school. Pupils also support the local food bank.” “In lessons, pupils focus well on their learning. They are keen to do well. Pupils respond quickly when staff remind them of the school’s high expectations of behaviour. Children in the early years thoughtfully plan which areas of the classroom to explore, for example the investigation station, creative area or small world. They concentrate for extended periods of time on these activities.” “As a small community, pupils of all ages play harmoniously together.” As you can see, there are some wonderful comments and the inspectors understood what it is like to attend a small school like Darite. Of course, we are always looking for ways to continue to improve and the inspectors gave us two ways that they feel we can improve on. One of these is to ensure that all children start their learning at the right place to make sure that progress is as good as it could be. We are already working on this with tweaks to the curriculum. The second one is to improve attendance for all pupils. You will know the impact absence has on progress and outcomes and we are working hard to reduce the absence in school. Of course, illness happens but we are keen to work with you all to reduce absence through other factors. I urge you to read the report and thank-you again for your continued support of the school and pupils. On Tuesday we also welcomed back Sarah from St Luke’s Hospice how came to share the giant cheque with us all to celebrate the amazing amount of money we raised as a school during the reindeer run. She told us that our money has helped to support a family in need at the hospice and this brought home the impact of the run that the children took part in. She is also arranging for their giant Elmer statue to visit school to let the children read to Elmer!

This week, Year 6 took part in a Hyrox Competition hosted at Duloe, alongside other Year 6 children from Pelynt and Trenode. Hyrox is a cross-fit type activity which involves lots of running and lots of strength-based activities. The children had an amazing time, showed a great competitive spirit and were wonderful sports. The event also gave the children the opportunity to meet other Year 6 children who will be starting secondary school in September.  

Talland Class continue improving their sewing skills

Another action packed week for Talland Class. The week has included investigating the countries linked to the Alps by using maps and atlases. The children's map skills are developing and they can now begin to talk about different climates; human and physical features of an environment and know that England and the Alps are both in Europe.

One of the highlights of this week was learning how to use a blanket stitch to facilitate the stitching of the children's stuffed toys. Every child put in 100% effort into this activity. They found it amazing, intriguing and most of all, fun!

We have continued with subtracting fractions this week. This began with simple fractions and then the children were challenged with mixed fractions, for example:




Although a huge challenge for the children, they all persevered and gained a greater understanding of how to subtract fractions.

During the English sessions, the children have continued to develop their version of Hansel and Gretel. Many children are now using the advanced skills of figurative language in their writing. One element, for example, was to write a character scene to show emotions without telling the reader the emotion. For instance, one child used:

Her eyes were puffy, and red-rimmed. Wet streaks ran down her face, leaving tiny rivers running down her cheeks. 

instead of

She was crying.

It's been wonderful reading the beginning of the children's stories.

Have a wonderful, well-deserved weekend. 

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

Year 6 took part in a Hyrox Competition this week at Duloe school, alongside other Year 6 children from Duloe and Trenode. Hyrox is a cross-fit type activity which involves lots of running and lots of strength-based activities. The children had an amazing time, showed a great competitive spirit and were wonderful sports. The event also gave the children the opportunity to meet other Year 6 children who will be starting secondary school in September.  

Class 3 have been learning about ‘Forces’ in science and took their learning outdoors to bring their understanding of friction to life. The children used flints and steels to light their own fires. Next time, we will bring along some marshmallows!

Every Wednesday during term time, we hold a toddler group in our wonderful nursery building. Preschool children of any age are welcome to attend with their adults. Attending Twiglets is excellent fun, but it also has some surprising benefits. It’s all about learning through play.

At Twiglets, your little one will love the songs, play and movement, and being around other children the same age. Your child will not just be having great fun but also be busy learning all sorts of critical early skills.

Here are just a few ways that all the play and fun they have at Twiglets plays an integral part of early learning:

Storytime – an early introduction to reading and phonics

We all know how much little ones love stories. But did you know that when you read to your baby or toddler, you also introduce them to many early literacy skills?

Studies have shown that babies with many books read to them have a greater vocabulary and better early reading skills by age 4.

 Moving and grooving is more than just fun!

According to the NHS, once your child is walking, they should stay active for at least 180 minutes (3 hours) of the day! Twiglets is an excellent way for your toddler to run off steam. All the moving and grooving helps them develop gross motor skills, which will continue to develop as they grow.

Mini mark-making helps with writing later on. What might look like play time Twiglets is far more developmental than it might appear. Simply letting your child squish a Play-Doh ball helps them develop fine motor skills in their hands and fingers. Getting creative with chunky crayons or paints is helping them develop these skills, too. Developing fine motor skills from an early age will benefit your child when they learn more complex skills at nursery and school, like holding a pencil and beginning to write.

So next time your toddler gifts you their latest Jackson Pollock imitation painting, remember they’ve developed more than just their artistic talents!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – classes can bring numbers alive!

Lots of play activities at Twiglets introduce your child to counting and numbers. They might hear lots of counting in songs and rhymes, count out toys as they play, or count the number of hops and jumps they make while dancing. Lots of exposure to counting and numbers will help them develop early numeracy skills in a fun way.

6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – here we go around again – Routines Twiglets is a great way to introduce your baby or toddler to routines, which is a big part of a nursery or school day. Gradually, your child will get used to the different routines in class. That might be sitting in a circle to start, tidying away at the end and stopping for snack time. Introducing this concept at a young age will make it less of an alien concept when it comes to that daunting first day of nursery or school.

Learning to fit into a group. When your child grows up and starts nursery or school, they must learn how to fit into a group. They will learn how to take turns and share. Twiglets is an excellent opportunity to teach all the basics. Greetings, turn-taking, sitting in an allocated spot, and pleases/thank yous all start to happen around your child. This encourages them to copy and do the same.

Tidy-up time teaches key life skills. Little ones can learn to help from a young age. Starting with helping tidy up their toys. Once they start nursery or school, they will be expected to pitch in and tidy their room or space so other children can enjoy it later.

Introduction to other cultures. Little ones are the least likely to judge another based on their background. Twiglets is a great way to begin introducing your little ones to different families from various backgrounds. This might be race, religion, or perhaps other family dynamics.

Making friends – essential social building blocks. Being surrounded by other parents and children may be one of the main reasons you would attend Twiglets. Being in a group teaches crucial social skills that will help your toddler in the future. Your child needs to understand social cues and learn how to make friends. They might start by learning how to share toys or equipment. Or to take turns. By attending Twiglets, you may also introduce your child to new concepts like empathy. If another child is upset, your toddler might start questioning why that is and try to help make them feel better. These are all critical social skills when it comes to making friends later.

But what about the grown-ups?

  Parenting can sometimes feel like a solitary endeavour, especially for stay-at-home parents. Twiglets provides a valuable opportunity for parents and carers to connect with others who are going through similar experiences. This social interaction helps combat feelings of isolation and allows for sharing advice, experiences, and parenting tips. Being part of the group allows you to build a support network of parents who understand the challenges and triumphs of this particular parenting stage. These relationships can provide a strong foundation for mutual support, empathy, and camaraderie.

  Above all, Twiglets group offers a fun experience for parents and children. The laughter, play, and shared activities create lasting memories and positive associations with socialising and learning.

Storytellers have joined the RSPB Big Garden bird watch this week to take our learning outside. Bird watching is a fantastic way for the children to learn about and appreciate all kinds of wildlife. Watching birds encourages empathy for living things and sparks discussions about nature’s balance. We try to incorporate this skill into activities such as our forest school. Some of our older nursery children watched, counted the birds they saw, and filled in a chart as they spotted them.

Valuable listening skills – Bird watching can significantly enhance a child’s listening skills by encouraging them to focus on the subtle sounds around them. Birds often communicate through chirps, songs, and calls that children learn to identify, which requires patience and careful listening. Over time, these skills can transfer to other listening tasks, making them more attentive listeners in everyday situations.

Responsibility – Bird watching helps children appreciate nature and learn about caring for the environment. Setting up a bird feeder or bath allows them to take responsibility for feeding birds. This also opens up conversations about natural diets and avoiding artificial ingredients in bird food. The children created their bird feeders by combining mixed seeds and coconut oil, which involved squishing them all together and pressing them into little pots to hang in their gardens at home; this experience can be shared with their families and sparks a talking point. 

Today at Storytellers, the children had so much fun rescuing winter animals frozen in ice. They used pipettes and pots to pour warm water over the ice, submerged it in a bowl of warm water, and watched the steam while learning about hot and cold and improving their fine motor skills.

It is a fantastic way to explore science through play.

Early Islamic Art

Our focus for the first part of this term is the Early Islamic Empire and the influences that came from this fascinating period of history. We have looked at how Early Islamic art used geometric shapes and repeated patterns to create vibrant and interesting art work that can be adapted and used in carvings, wall hangings, fabrics and tiled areas. 

The children used step by step instructions to draw detailed shapes and imagery linked to the Early Islamic style. These designs will now be used as a basis to make soap carvings and stained glass windows.

Lots of learning and fun!

The Spring Term has well and truly started. Please enjoy 4 photographs that tell the story for these first couple of weeks of 2025.
We have enjoyed a visit from the Dog's Trust, taken part in a Stone Age DT/Forest School project 'living in the stone age' where the children planned and made a stone age meal and used different early caveman survival skills. We have had The Royal Cornwall Show come and deliver a workshop all about where our food comes from. Finally, on Monday 20th January, we went to Kents Cavern to link our history projects from Autumn to Spring Terms.

What a great start to the year. Please do ask your children about the things they have taken part in. 

Any questions about the term ahead, please do email.

Miss Pittas

Dear all

We have had a lovely week all around!  Last Friday, we began our Basketball unit where the children played various warm-up games and then practised some Basketball skills.  The children practised dribbling the ball and tried to get past their partner!

We continued our Art unit by drawing a sketch of a "Cubist Tree".  The children used rectangles, triangles, ovals, circles and various other shapes to create beautiful designs.  We will be working in groups next week to extend this idea further.

In English, the children have planned their own versions of their Jungle Book Story.  I am hoping that by the end of next week, they will have finished and published their books that will come home when they are ready!

In French, we have learned the names for the different rooms in a house!  The children remembered lots from the previous lesson so I hope that they have shared this with their parents!

We also had some lovely activities on Monday including a workshop from The Royal Cornwall show, music (playing Ukeles with Mrs Butlin) and decorating biscuits with chocolate spread and sweets for our maths lesson!

The children have also been learning a "street dance" in class which they are enjoying - and so are the adults!

Take care all!

Mrs Brewer, Miss Masters and Mrs Collings

22nd January – Royal Cornwall Workshop!

We were very lucky to have the Royal Cornwall Workshops this week. We learnt all about seafood and where it comes from. We then explored lots of activities all about farming and how to use the land. We filled in puzzles, dressed up as farmyard animals, looked at the life cycle of a flower, talked about healthy eating and lots more! We had so much fun.

In our learning, we have continued finding out about Emperor Penguins. Foundation have been exploring penguins in their choosing time. They have labelled penguins, talked about where they live and made penguins on our playground out of chalk! Year 1 have started writing their non-chronological reports about Emperor penguins. We have gathered our facts together and now we have started writing our sentences. We are going to share our information with Foundation at the end of the week.

In Computing, we have been learning more about algorithms. We were talking about bugs in algorithms this week and how with a bug, our algorithm won’t work properly! We have explored this through a dice game making monsters and seeing what happens when we roll the same number. Lots of our monsters ended up with two heads or four arms! We then talked about the importance of getting our algorithms right.

Well done Foundation / Year 1, another great week!

Foundation / Year 1 Team