It has been a busy and exciting week as the children have settled in wonderfully.

A huge thank you to our dedicated staff for preparing such engaging and high-quality learning environments for our students. We hope you enjoyed attending the Meet the Teacher meetings that took place this week—please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions. It was also lovely to meet so many of you at the Meet the Headteacher Coffee Morning, which we will continue to host monthly.

This week at Brunel, we have been focusing on one of the key British Values: Democracy.

As part of this, we held elections for our School Council, allowing students to experience the democratic process first hand. The School Council plays a vital role in our school community, representing the voices of their peers and helping to shape school policies and initiatives. They work together to bring forward ideas, organise events, and make Brunel an even better place to learn and grow.

Every child across the whole school participated by writing their own manifesto, explaining why they would make a great school councillor. After a secret ballot, our new school councillors were announced during a special Achiever's Assembly. Mr. Woolner will be meeting regularly with the School Council members as they work hard to make positive changes and contribute to the continued success of Brunel. 

Our School Councillors are:
Tregantle Class - James and Mia
Lantic Class - Emily and Lunar
Daymer Class - Alice and Lottie
Marazion Class - Isabella and Payton
Talland Class - Vinnie and Khai
Seaton Class - Louis and Daisy

Meet the Teacher
This week, Lantic, Marazion and Daymer classes held their Meet the Teacher Meetings.
We hope you found these sessions helpful and they gave you an insight into what the children will be learning this term. Don't forget to also check out our website blogs each week to keep up to date with each classes latest news. You can find the blogs on our website by following the link: https://www.brunelprimary.co.uk/classes

Next week, we look forward to welcoming Tregantle, Talland and Seaton parents. These will take place at 3:15pm on the following dates: 

Tuesday 10th September 2024 at 3:15pmSeaton and Tregantle Classes
Wednesday 11th September 2024 at 3:15pm Talland Class

Thank you for a wonderful first week at Brunel Primary and Nursery Academy.

Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to seeing you all back safe and sound on Monday morning.

What a busy Summer!

What a busy Summer it has been at Brunel Primary and Nursery Academy!

A huge thank you to the Bridge Trust, our caretaker Mr. Stephens, the cleaning team and members of the school staff who have been working incredibly hard over the Summer holidays to get our school ready for the new academic year.
Our school building and hall have both been painted, there are new carpets in 4 of our classrooms and the grass bank on Callington Road has been cut which hugely improves the aesthetics of our school. 
All that's missing now is our wonderful school community who we can't wait to see back at Brunel on Wednesday 4th September. 
Have a great last few days of the Summer holidays; we can't wait to see you all!

I am deeply honoured to introduce myself as the new Headteacher of Brunel Primary Academy.

It is a privilege to follow in the footsteps of Mrs. Cooper, whose superb leadership has set a high standard for our school. I am committed to building upon the success we have already achieved, ensuring that our school continues to thrive and excel.

I believe that a school should be a happy, caring, respectful and hardworking environment where all staff members use their skills to help the children recognise their true potential and talents. At Brunel Primary Academy, we will strive to create an atmosphere where every child feels valued and inspired to achieve their best.To achieve this, I will work closely with our children, parents, staff, and governors to ensure that each of us 'Seize the day' to achieve the best possible outcomes for our entire school community. Collaboration and open communication will be at the heart of my approach, as I believe that together, we can achieve great things.

A bit about myself: I was born and bred in Saltash and have dedicated 22 years of my career to teaching in various primary schools. Additionally, I have gained extensive experience working for the local authority, providing school-to-school support. This background has given me a deep understanding of the educational landscape and the tools to foster a thriving school environment.

As a parent myself, I truly value the opinions and concerns of parents and carers. Your insights are invaluable, and I encourage you to share any queries or concerns with me. I am here to support you and your child’s learning and school life in any way I can.

Together, we can continue to take the school forward and make Brunel Primary Academy the best it can be. Thank you for your commitment and support of our school. I look forward to meeting the whole school community very soon and embarking on this exciting journey together. I would like to invite you all to a Meet the Headteacher Coffee morning on Thursday 5th September at 9am where I hope to meet you all personally. In addition, I will be popping into all of the Meet the Teacher meetings which will be taking place across the first two weeks of term. Warmest regards, Mr. D. Woolner

Dear Parents and Carers,
I cannot believe how fast this summer term has gone and suddenly I find myself writing to you for the final time. It has been a real pleasure to work at Brunel for so many years, most recently as a headteacher. I have always felt so thankful that I chose teaching as a career as I've enjoyed every day of coming to 'school'. No two days are ever the same and primary aged children are a constant source of delight and amazement. I am lucky to have worked with such a brilliant team of teachers, TAs and wider school and Bridge Trust staff, but it is obviously your children who really put the joy into this job and make all the hard work worthwhile.
I'd sincerely like to thank all parents/carers for your support, some of you over many years, the Brunel community really is the 'best' and I'm proud of what we've achieved together. 
This morning in assembly we talked about our Brunel/Bridge values; be enthusiastic, be determined, be creative, be excellent, be curious and be responsible. We looked at the varied achievements of T.V. adventurer Ben Fogle who, having been a child who struggled at school and lacked confidence, has displayed many of these characteristics over the course of his career. Ben has recorded a special message for Brunel Primary and Nursery Pupils. The link is http://www.cameo.com/recipient/63d59a93b16880dd2e792dd1 .
I wish the very best in the future for yourselves and your children and know that I leave Brunel in good hands with the fabulous Brunel team and Mr Woolner.
With very best wishes,  Suzanne Cooper  

ART WEEK

Upcoming Dates

Dear Parents and Carers,

I'm finding it hard to believe that this is my last ever half term as a teacher/headteacher. It's a daunting prospect after so many years as part of a school community. However, it's looking to be an extra special final few weeks with much to look forward to. Below are some of the events to which you are all warmly invited:

Early Help Team Coffee Morning - Thursday 20th June 

We would like to invite you to a coffee morning on Thursday 20th June at 9am to learn about the Early Help Services in our  area. Cornwall Council’s Early Help Team includes not only Family Workers and Youth Workers but also Parenting Workers,  who deliver a range of courses both face to face and online. The team will be attending the coffee morning to show you what is on offer, from single Bitesize sessions through to full 10 week courses, and how you can access them. You can also talk to them about the wider Early Help team and Early Help Hub Services.   Please email Mrs Linsley if you would like to attend senco@brunelprimary.co.uk

BFA Shorts and Shades Day  - Friday 21st June

Celebrate summer and wear your favourite hot weather outfits and accessories. Sensible shoes only - no flip flops. Instead of cash donations for this non-uniform day the Brunel Friends Association are asking that you send in items for the Summer Fair 'House Raffle'. If possible, please can your child bring in a prize related to the colour of the house teams, so Red, Blue, Yellow or Green. Please see the attached poster. 

BFA Summer Fair - Tuesday 25th June

Always a highlight of the summer term - more details will follow shortly.

Sports Day and Picnic - Tuesday 2nd July

Our sports day for the whole school will take place during the morning of Tuesday 2nd July, weather permitting. All parents and carers are invited to watch from the bank (picnic rug and sunscreen advised). You are then invited to stay for a picnic lunch with your children on the school field. Please book school provided picnic lunches in the usual way. Children whose parents/carers are unable to attend will picnic with their classmates. The children will return to their classrooms at 1.00 pm for afternoon school.

Last day of term for children - Tuesday 23rd July 

Please note that to bring Brunel in line with all other Trust schools the last day of term will finish at 1:30pm. Kids Club will be available as usual. 

Have a lovely weekend,

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, your KS2 child will be coming home from school with a copy of My Brilliant Place To Be Me. This is a journal for 8-11 year olds, designed to help them to explore and nurture their well-being. It is full of activities and information, created to encourage the children to:

• Become more aware of their emotions, and recognise and name their feelings
• Understand that all feelings are OK
• Become better able to manage uncomfortable feelings with simple self-soothing strategies and by seeking help
• Identify the people in their lives who can help them if needed

Three new Cafes for Brunel families

The KIRFs Cafe will be held at the start of each new half term. Thank you to those parents and children who have come along so far, we hope you found it useful.
What are KIRFs?
KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts) are pieces of mathematical knowledge that we want the children to learn off-by-heart or be able to work out very quickly (within 3 seconds).
They are designed to support the development of the mental skills that underpin mathematics.
They are particularly useful when calculating, be it adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing and include facts such as number bonds, counting on, back, times tables, equivalence of units of measure, and square numbers.
Each year group is allocated key facts to focus on throughout the year, in line with age related expectations. These should be practised for rapid recall.Check out the website and class blogs for the newest KIRFs each half term.
Reading Cafe (monthly) Parents, children and siblings are invited in on the following dates to share stories, recommendations and chat about books along with Miss Pentreath and our Reading Pioneers. Tuesday 23^rd April- Year R, 1 and 2 Tuesday 14^th May-Year 3 and 4.Tuesday 18^th June-Year 5 and 6.
At the first of the Parents Cafes, held last week, we welcomed Matt Wilmott, Autism Advisor from the Cornwall Autism Team, to talk about Autism and effective adaptations which can be made both within school and at home. Parents and Carers had the chance to network with other parents, ask questions and look at some of the resources we use to support neurodivergent children

We look forward to welcoming you at cafe events in the future and welcome suggestions for topics.