What a busy week, again!
We enjoyed our last cricket sessions with Cricket Chris!
We finished our amazing Volcano poems and had a go at writing Tsunami poems, too! We recited them to the class with expression, pace and confidence!
We had a FAB time learning how to street dance on Thursday!
And on Friday, we made cast and imprint fossils! 

Whoop! What a week!

We LOVED learning some street dance on Thursday this week!

FOWPA Bake Off and Cake Sale – Monday 21st October

Don’t forget to bring in your bakes to the Hall next Monday morning. Then join us in the Hall for a HUGE bake sale from 3pm. From FOWPA

Lunchtime Supervisor Vacancies
We are looking to recruit two Lunchtime Supervisors to join our team; Mon-Fri 11:30-13:00. We are looking for someone who:

-Enjoys working with children
-Has high expectations of behaviour and positive strategies to support children
-Will support the school values across lunchtime

For more information, please check our Vacancies page on the website

Dates coming up

Friday 18th October
19:30 FOWPA Quiz Night (Wadebridge Town Hall)

Monday 21st October
08:30 Drop off FOWPA Bake Off entries in Hall
15:00 FOWPA Bake Sale (Hall)
No Teacher-led Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) this week (Pro20 and DT Sports running as normal)

Tuesday 22nd October
15:30-18:10 Parent Teacher Consultations (PTCs)

Wednesday 23rd October
NSPCC Workshops for Year 2, 5 & 6
15:30-18:10 Parent Teacher Consultations (PTCs)

Friday 25th October
School Closed – INSET Day

26th October – 3rd November
Half term break

Monday 4th November
Back to school
Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) re-start
(pm) Year 6 Secondary Transition PE Session


Have a fantastic weekend, and if you are going to the FOWPA quiz tonight, good luck!
Best wishes,
Chris Wathern

We have all settled in really well into our new routine. Our topic this half term has been ' All about me'  The children have enjoyed telling us all about what they get up to at home .

Also, this half term  we have been learning to count to 5! everyone has done a fantastic job with this. 

Don't forget next Thursday we will be going to the church to celebrate Harvest festival. Even if you are not in on a Thursday you are welcome to meet us there.  

Every Monday afternoon we are very lucky to have Coach James from Kixx football come in and teach us football skills and multi skills. 

Next half term our topic will be - 'Celebrations' we look forward to learning about the day of the dead, Diwali, Remembrance day, Hanukkah, bonfire night and Christmas!  

Please keep checking Seesaw for updates and observations on your child. Please feel free to add pictures of what they get up to at home as well. The children enjoy standing up and telling their friends about what they have been doing. 
* Please also check your Arbour account that you have filled in the consents section, please. 

Have a lovely weekend and we will see you all next week! 

 Remember next Friday is an inset day!
Miss Whitty, Miss Ronald and Miss Selby. 

Singing and Dancing

What an exciting week it's been! The highlight of the week came on Thursday when we were lucky to take part in a street dance workshop run by Toby G. Tregantle children were amazing at learning the moves and showed great focus and attention while learning to street dance. This session was followed by a singing workshop provided by Cornwall Music Service. The children learnt some great songs about the story 'The Princess and the Pea' which they will be performing along with some other local schools in a few weeks. 
Our Year 1 children have had an amazing week of swimming lessons. They have visited Saltash Leisure Centre every afternoon and their confidence has grown massively in the water. The swimming instructors commented on their commitment and progress over the week - Well done Tregantle! 

This week R/1 made smoothies in DT, they practised cutting up fruit, juicing and blending!
In Maths, we have continued to learn about number bonds to 10 and addition problems, in English we have been writing sentences for The Ugly Ducking and The Three Little Pigs!
In ICT we edited photos and we are going to be making a collage soon.
In History we found out facts about Amelia Earhart and Lance Armstrong.
Reception have been working really hard in Phonics and have enjoyed some autumnal art activities.

Just keep swimming... and dancing!

What a week of swimming we have had!  The children are like fish in the water... amazing!  

We all LOVED the street dance lessons with Toby G!  We have got some cool moves - perhaps your child could show you some of the things we learnt?

When not swimming and dancing, we have been reading a book called 'Coming to England' by Floella Benjamin.  I (Mrs Stevens), remember watching her on Playschool when I was a little girl.  We have been learning about her journey from Trinidad to Southampton to be with her parents.  Back then, people were unkind to her because they hadn't seen a black person in school before.  We discussed whether that was OK.  The children all agreed that treating people unkindly was wrong.

                                                                                                                                               
 




















                                                                                                                                                                                                                Today the whole school pulled on their wellies and headed out across the fields to an orchard at Tremadart Barton farm. The children all collected bags of apples to take home and filled crates for the harvest. 

Friday 18th October

Some of this week’s learning in Foundation class:

The foundation children have worked so hard this week, and we have seen some lovely wow moments!

This week the children have explored so many wonderful learning opportunities!

In outdoor learning this week Mrs Gregory set up an amazing nature hunt for the children. They worked in pairs with pictures, and they had to explore the forest area and find the items to match. The children found pine needles, apples, berries, bark and much more. The children used wonderful vocabulary to explore these items, and it was a wonderful session!

In maths this week the children have been learning to count on to 20 and back from 20 verbally! We use a lot of songs to help us with our learning and the children love to join in and sing when they are learning.

On Wednesday Miss Hughes found a big stick insect on Miss Bolgers class door. We took this opportunity to bring ‘Stam’ ( his new name) into class and explore him. We learnt all about stick insects by researching and we even held him , if we felt comfortable to do so! He tickled!!

In English we continued to explore rhyming words and the children were amazing at matching rhyming words and pictures in one of the activities. We then listened to another Edward Lear poem called The Jumblies’ this poem was a long poem but the children loved the adventure within the poem and enjoyed acting out sailing in the sea in a sieve!  

In Phonics we explored diagraphs: ll/ss/ff/ and s saying /z/. The children were soooooo amazing with their phonics this week that they actually 'blew Janets socks off'!!!!!! 

The children have also been practicing their writing, making owl and pussy cat masks , using foil to make boats to float on the water just like the owl and pussy cat and so much more!

Next week is a four day week as we break up for half term on Thursday 24^th at 3:15pm

Have a lovely weekend

The Foundation Team 

What a week at Brunel!

What a vibrant and eventful week it has been at Brunel Primary and Nursery Academy!

Our pupils have been engaged in a variety of activities that not only foster learning but also build community spirit.

Here’s a recap of some highlights from the week:

Seaton Class Assembly: Were the Victorians Really Vile?

We kicked off the week with our very first class assembly delivered by Seaton Class. The children did an outstanding job presenting their research on the Victorian era, raising thought-provoking questions about this fascinating period in history. Their creative approach and confidence truly shone through, making it a memorable experience for everyone in attendance.

Street Dance Workshops
This week, we were joined by Toby Gorniak MBE who dazzled us with his positive messages and dance moves. There was a real buzz around the school as he shared with us his 5 elements for life: Respect, love, peace, unity and having fun. These 5 elements are very close to our hearts at Brunel! It was an incredible day for the whole school community!


Swimming at Saltash Leisure Centre

Years 1 and 2 took a trip to Saltash Leisure Centre for their swimming lessons this week. It’s wonderful to see our young learners gaining confidence in the water while improving their swimming skills. Each session is a step toward ensuring our children not only learn an important life skill but also enjoy the benefits of physical activity.

Food Bank Donations

We are incredibly proud of our school community’s generosity! This week, we organised a collection for the local food bank, and our families responded with kindness and support. The food bank team came to pick up the donations, and it was heart-warming to see our children understand the importance of helping those in need. Thank you for your contributions!

Year 5 Sports Competition

12 of our Year 5 pupils participated in a bench ball and dodgeball competition at Callington. They showcased fantastic teamwork, sportsmanship, and resilience throughout the event. It’s always a joy to watch our children engage in friendly competition, and we couldn’t be prouder of their efforts!

Cricket Sessions with Cricket Chris

We wrapped up our final "Time to Shine" cricket session with Cricket Chris. The children have made remarkable progress in their skills and teamwork over these sessions. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm for the sport grow, and we hope to continue fostering their love for cricket in the future.

School Council’s Terracycling Campaign

Our School Council has been hard at work promoting our TerraCycling campaign, and I’m thrilled to report that we are currently in third place! They designed eye-catching posters to raise awareness about recycling and sustainability within our school. Their commitment to making a positive impact on our environment is truly commendable.

As we reflect on this incredible week at Brunel Primary and Academy Nursery, I’m filled with pride for our pupils, staff, and community. Each event showcases the hard work, creativity, and spirit that define our school. Thank you all for your continued support! 

This week, we have been continuing our learning about 'Animals including humans'.

We have been learning about teeth and their function and today, we have completed the second part of a Science experiment where we found out what happens to teeth when they come into contact with different liquids. 

Don't forget to ask your children about it so they can say what they learned!

(The white on the egg submerged in milk is white from toothpaste drying, however, the white from the apple juice and the energy drink is due to those sugary liquids and the damaging effects of sugar!)

Our learning this week!

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

In English we have started our new learning journey focusing on poetry. We have been looking at the poem Owl and the Pussy Cat by Edward Lear. We have learnt the poem through making up some actions and looking at the rhyming words. Foundation have started writing words using their phonics sounds to match pictures and Year 1 have started to make their own verse of a poem, thinking of a new character and new rhyming words!

In Maths, Foundation have been looking at patterns. We have done this in lots of different ways. Our favourite way was looking for patterns in nature and making patterns on a walk outside. Year 1 have started our new addition and subtraction unit and we have been looking at part-whole models.

We also had a special visitor to our class this week! Miss Hughes found a stick insect outside and we have been having a look using our investigation station. We even used our choosing time to draw the stick insect and discuss what it looks like. I think we will be a little bit sad when we have to let him back outside!

In Geography, we have also been looking at hot and cold countries. We have spoken about what clothes you would need for a hot country, and what clothes you would need for a cold country. We have also been locating these countries on a map.

Some important messages:

Please make sure you are sending your child in with their reading record every day. If we get time we will read with the children so it is important that their book is in school.

There is a parent phonics information session next week. This is just to give you some more information of how we run phonics at school and ways you can help your children at home. These will run at 9:30 – 10:00 and 2:30 – 3:00 on Tuesday 22nd October. If you would like to attend please email me. 

Thank you!

The Foundation/Year 1 Team

The class really enjoyed our last cricket session today and the children demonstrated the progress they had made within each skill!

Friday 18th October

Hello Everyone!

We are excited to share the highlights of our week in class! Nancarrow Farm Trip We had a wonderful trip to Nancarrow Farm! The children were brilliantly behaved and had an amazing time. They made and enjoyed fresh food from the farm, harvested a variety of vegetables, planted garlic, and even got to see and feed the pigs. It was also a joy to meet and play with our friends from Blisland Primary. The experience was not only educational but also a lot of fun!

Maths Update
In maths this week, our Reception class has been focusing on the numbers 1, 2, and 3. The children have been counting and manipulating objects to correspond with these numbers, which has been a great way to reinforce their understanding. Meanwhile, our Year 1 and 2 students have been exploring addition and subtraction. They are beginning to grasp these important concepts and the associated signs, showing great progress!

English Learning
In English, we have continued our exploration of recounts. This week, we learned about Neil Armstrong by asking questions, which sparked some fantastic discussions. On Friday, we had a special visit from a nurse, and the children wrote thoughtful questions to ask her. We will be writing up the responses next week, so stay tuned for more insights!

Art Creations
Our art sessions have been incredibly productive! We have finished our collages, adding specific details that truly bring them to life. The children have shown remarkable creativity, and we have some brilliant budding artists in our class. We look forward to sharing their artwork with you soon!

Upcoming Schedule
Changes Next week, there will be a swap in our teaching days: Mrs. Fernie will be in on Monday, while Mrs. Andrew will be in on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Due to this change, we will not have outdoor learning this Tuesday. Instead, please ensure that children come to school in their uniforms as usual, as we will have an afternoon of cooking planned!

Miss Hicks, has officially joined our class! The children have welcomed her warmly, and it has been wonderful to see them interact and engage with her. We are excited about the positive impact she will have on our learning environment. Miss Hicks brings a wealth of enthusiasm and experience, and we look forward to getting to know her better as she helps support the children in their learning journey. We are confident that her presence will enhance our classroom experience and provide additional support for all students. Thank you for your continued support, and please join us in welcoming Miss Hicks to our class!

We look forward to meeting you next week at our parent consultations.

Thank you for your continued support, and we hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Best wishes, Mrs Fernie, Mrs Andrew, Mrs Hicks, Miss Talbot.

Life was 'gruelling' in Victorian times!

During our history topic on Victorians, we have learnt a lot about the lives of the poor, unfortunate inmates of a workhouse.  We have discovered that they endured a very poor diet which included 'gruel'.  This porridge based 'food' was used as an inexpensive way to fill us the hungry workers. 
We had a go at making some and those who were brave tasted some.  There were mixed reviews but most decided that it tasted pretty disgusting and would not like to eat it again. 
Take a look at how it was made.

Week ending Friday 11th October


What another great week we've had in Canute class.

We had two visitors this week, enhancing our understanding of our enquiry question, "Who helps us?"  We were joined by Jonty the guide dog and his owners who told us all about the job of a guide dog.  On Friday we ten had a visit from Jamie who is part of the coastguard team in Polruan.  He told us all bout how and why the coastguard began, explained about the training you need to do and about some of the rescues he has been a part of.  We got to explore the van and found out about the kit needed.

In English this week the reception children have been exploring the story of The Jolly Postman.  Year 1 and 2 have edited and produced some amazing biographies about Florence Nightingale and we have begun our next block of learning, all about writing recounts.  We started this week exploring the 5W's (who, what, when, where, why) and writing and answering questions.

In maths both Year 1 and 2 have started their new unit of learning, addition and subtraction.  We have been discovering and revising our number bonds to 10.  In reception the children have begun to look at the numbers 1, 2 and 3. 

The children have been thoroughly enjoying their computing sessions with Mr T and have a great understanding of online safety.  They have been giving and sharing very responsible ideas.

Next week, Tuesday, we have our trip to Nancarrow Farm.  We will be discovering the produce we can harvest in autumn and finding out how the farmers help us. 

If you have any questions or queries relating to school then please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

Mrs Andrew, Mrs Fernie and Miss Talbot

Nursery children chose some animal story books to take to St Anne's this week; the Grannies loved sharing the stories and especially talking about the adventures they got up to!

The children enjoy a delicious treat of a biscuit and juice, which they say 'Thank you!' for.

We always finish by singing some Nursery rhymes and our favourite song 'If you're happy and you know it'.