BIG NEWS – WE WON!

Brunel Primary and Nursery Academy are the WINNERS of the TerraCycle® and Sistema® Recycled Playground Contest

We are absolutely delighted to share that thanks to the amazing efforts of our entire school community – pupils, parents, staff and local supporters and businesses – we’ve done it!

In addition, a huge shout out to Ali Humphreys who really went the extra mile each and every week during the competition to collect the terracycling from our school, package it up and send it away. We collected over 1 ton of terracycling!

Thanks to your dedication and teamwork, we’ve won a brand-new playground with a frame made from 100% recycled materials for our children, which will be installed in the coming weeks! What an incredible reward for all of our hard work in caring for our environment  and coming together as a community. To celebrate this fantastic achievement, we would love for everyone to join us for the:

Grand Opening of the new playground -Tuesday 20th May at 10:45am Let’s celebrate the power of working together and creating something special for our children to enjoy for years to come!

Media enquiries: If you are a member of the press and would like to report on this incredible success story, please contact Stephen Clarke from TerraCycle at stephen.clarke@terracycle.com for more information. THANK YOU again to everyone who helped make this happen – this is YOUR victory too!

#TeamBrunel #TerraCycleChampions #CommunityPower #NewPlaygroundJoy #ProudMoment @sistemauk @TerraCycleUK Let’s celebrate together! We can’t wait to see you there! 

w/e 4.4.25

As we come to the end of the Spring term, we haven't slowed down! And our Roman Chariots weren't slowing down either! We really enjoyed using the saws and making our chariots, and then racing them in the hall together!

This week, we also practiced our new playground game, Cups and Saucers and thought about our emotions when using the Internet.

And of course, we enjoyed our FANTASTIC overnighter to Dartmoor!

w/e 4.4.25

As we come to the end of the Spring term, we haven't slowed down! And our Roman Chariots weren't slowing down either! We really enjoyed using the saws and making our chariots, and then racing them in the hall together!

This week, we also practiced our new playground game, Cups and Saucers and thought about our emotions when using the Internet

We would like to wish everyone a very happy Easter - as the holidays are now upon us we would like to thank you for all of your continued support.
We hope you all have a chance to enjoy the better weather and some eggciting activities!

Don't forget to post some photos onto Tapestry!

End of Term!

This week, our Year 1 children embarked on an exciting and imaginative journey as they became both authors and illustrators. Inspired by the classic story The Little Red Hen, the children took the story's core themes of hard work, teamwork, and sharing and transformed them into their very own unique books. The process began by diving deep into The Little Red Hen story. Year 1 children explored the characters, the moral lessons, and the simple yet meaningful plot. But they didn’t stop there—they were encouraged to use their creativity and make the story their own. Each child had the chance to write their version of the tale. Not only did the children write the words for their stories, but they also illustrated their books. Armed with crayons, pens, and pencils, they carefully drew pictures that complemented their words. Once the books were finished, the Year 1 children couldn't wait to share their hard work with the younger children in EYFS. In a special reading session, each Year 1 child read their book aloud to an eager audience of EYFS students. They were thrilled to see the excitement on the EYFS children's faces, and the younger children enjoyed the experience just as much, asking questions and applauding their storytellers. This writing highlighted the wonderful progress our children are making, and we can’t wait to see how their creativity continues to blossom!

As we head into the Easter break, we want to extend our warmest wishes to all of our families. We hope you have a wonderful, relaxing time together. Thank you once again for being such a vital part of our school community. We truly appreciate everything you do, and we look forward to another fantastic term ahead!

Space Art

As the Spring Term closes, the culmination of various art techniques based on the Dutch artist Teis Albers, who is known for his works with a strong graphic composition, shadows, some mystery and a nostalgic mood, finally started to make sense for the children. As you can see in the pictures, the children have captured the mystery and nostalgia in their own artistic creations. To produce their master pieces, the children made a printing pad using card and assorted materials. This supported the production and the diversity of textures evident in the children's paintings. The children painted one colour on the printing pad and printed it on to a piece of card. They then repeated this procedure with a different colour. From this, a unique space background was created ready to add the children's ideas of future inventions: flying cars, for instance. The children have had so much fun over the term learning, adapting and creating with many new artistic techniques.

Have a fabulous Easter break, Talland Class!

best wishes,

Mrs Swabey, Mr Parry and Mrs Walters.

Dear Parents and Carers,
As we come to the end of another fantastic term at Brunel Primary and Nursery Academy, we want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support. This term has been filled with a huge amount of exciting learning experiences for our children, from attending residentials and school trips to participating in engaging workshops delivered by visiting experts. It has been a joy to see them thrive and immerse themselves in these opportunities.

We are incredibly proud of how our children are demonstrating their Issy Manners so brilliantly and how they are truly embracing and understanding our school values. Their kindness, respect and enthusiasm for learning continue to shine through in everything they do.

A special thank you to our School Council and Eco Council for the fantastic work they are doing to shape and improve our school. This term, they have led some exciting changes, making a real difference to the school community and we are so grateful for their dedication and hard work. We would also like to extend our thanks to you, our wonderful parents and carers, for your involvement in school life.

Your support in attending Parent Cafés, Reading and Math's Cafés and workshops delivered by our staff has been invaluable. Your engagement in your children’s home learning is making such a positive impact and we truly appreciate it. In addition, a huge thank you to the team of volunteers that helped in school today during our Making a Difference morning. We feel incredibly fortunate to have such a strong and supportive school community.

Our sincere gratitude also goes to our Governors and The Bridge MAT for their continued support in striving to make Brunel the best place it can be for our children. As we break for the Easter holiday, we hope you all have a restful and enjoyable time with your families.

We look forward to welcoming our children back to school on Tuesday, 22nd April. In the meantime, please enjoy the final Brunel Bulletin of the Spring Term.

What a busy week it has been at Team Brunel. With the Storytelling Caravan and Space Odyssey Dome making a visit to our school as well as a theatre trip by train. It has yet again been quite a week at our wonderful school. Sit back, relax and enjoy this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin.

w/e 28.3.25

Wow, these weeks are flying past, they're so jam packed! Let's see what's been going on this week!

It started off with the most AMAZING visit to the Space Dome - as we lay on our backs admiring the night sky, we were transported to space stations, moons, meteors and even back in time! A wonderful, memorable experience had by all!

English - we are planning our balanced arguments about digging up our school field for the Roman remains - will they turn out to be genuine or not? Will we lose our field?

On Monday, some children from each class visited the 'Story Caravan', a truly magical place full of awe and wonder! What a special treat!

History - we learned about Hadrian's wall and Vindolanda fort - some amazing artefacts from Roman times have been found there and we analysed some of these to see what we could learn about the Romans that lived there. Fascinating stuff!

In RE, we learned about the weird and wonderful Penzance festival of Golowen. We were all really taken by the Obby Oss! What a strange creature it is! It looks like a really exciting festival, too!

Science - we learned about how different surface textures affect the speed of objects moving down them - we used ramps and toy cars to experiment with the hypothesis that a rougher surface creates more friction and will therefore slow the car down. We were right!

Also on Friday, Year 4 were taken over to the library to take part in 'Biowatch' and do some arts and crafts about the world around us! Can they tell you all about it?

Have a lovely weekend and we'll see you all back on Monday for the final week of term!

We have been thoroughly enjoying the spring sunshine and being able to open the doors and venture outside without wellies and waterproofs!

For a change we got out all of the bikes, trikes, scooters and push along toys.

The children enjoyed a different type of play and were developing a different range of skills and muscle toning as they played.

w/e 28.3.25

Wow, these weeks are flying past, they're so jam packed! Let's see what's been going on this week!

It started off with the most AMAZING visit to the Space Dome - as we lay on our backs admiring the night sky, we were transported to space stations, moons, meteors and even back in time! A wonderful, memorable experience had by all!

English - we are planning our balanced arguments about digging up our school field for the Roman remains - will they turn out to be genuine or not? Will we lose our field?

On Monday, some children from each class visited the 'Story Caravan', a truly magical place full of awe and wonder! What a special treat!

History - we learned about Hadrian's wall and Vindolanda fort - some amazing artefacts from Roman times have been found there and we analysed some of these to see what we could learn about the Romans that lived there. Fascinating stuff!

In RE, we learned about the weird and wonderful Penzance festival of Golowen. We were all really taken by the Obby Oss! What a strange creature it is! It looks like a really exciting festival, too!

Science - we learned about how different surface textures affect the speed of objects moving down them - we used ramps and toy cars to experiment with the hypothesis that a rougher surface creates more friction and will therefore slow the car down. We were right!

Also on Friday, Year 4 were taken over to the library to take part in 'Biowatch' and do some arts and crafts about the world around us! Can they tell you all about it?

Have a lovely weekend and we'll see you all back on Monday for the final week of term! 

Theatre Trip!

Tregantle and Lantic classes have had the most incredible trip to Plymouth Theatre Royal to watch The Little Red Hen! They walked all the way from school to Saltash Train Station where they eagerly awaited their train to Plymouth. There was much excitement when the train arrived! Traveling over Brunel Bridge was wonderful - the children saw the road bridge and lots of boats below. Next was another walk from Plymouth Station to the Theatre Royal. The show was just fantastic - the children were so engrossed from start to finish. There was time for a picnic in the theatre before walking back to the train station to return home. All of our children behaved impeccably and were a joy to take out!

Heading Out to Space

Another action packed week for Talland Class. The highlights this week were: a visit to a Cornwall based story caravan where the children heard traditional stories; a morning spent in a Space Dome where they learned about the Universe, the cycle of the moon and other amazing facts, for example, 62 miles (100 kilometers) above sea level is the altitude of the Kármán line, a conventionally used boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space.

Some of the children have also been honing in on their own self-development, especially using musical instruments.  It's fantastic to watch the enthusiasm, concentration and self-confidence ooze from these children. Well done, Talland Class.

best wishes, 

Mrs Swabey, Mr Parry and Mrs Walters.

An Exciting Expedition to Dartmoor Zoo

 
The highlight of the children's learning this week has been the exciting expedition to Dartmoor Zoo. The visit included seeing the animals at feeding time, from otters to lions; hearing the lion's proud roar; watching the tiger confidently patrolling his environment; a nighttime visit around the zoo and participating in workshops and discussing how we can protect and improve the natural environment for all living things. The children's confidence oozed and the questions asked by the children were well thought through: for example, how could these animals be returned to their natural environment? Despite the long day of walking and viewing the animals, the children were a credit not only to Talland Class but to their parents/guardians and Brunel Primary and Nursery Academy School. The excitement, fresh air and the abundance of activities helped them to sleep soundly ready for a Friday morning stroll around the Zoo and team building games.

Best wishes, Mrs Swabey, Mr Parry and Mrs Walters.

Another busy time in Lantic class this week!

We have been learning in English the story of the Little Red Hen - ready for out trip next week, discovering why Christian's believe 'Good Friday' is good, we learnt that the weather is different in different parts of the UK in Geography.   

We made pledges in Science about what we can do to solve the plastic pollution and during PE we followed a yoga program based on Minecraft! The year 2's have been multiplying and dividing in their math's lessons...

On Friday we dressing in red for Red Nose Day - I think we looked good!

What another wonderful week we have had at Brunel! It has been a week full of exciting learning opportunities for all our children. Please take a look at the Brunel Bulletin to find out what our incredible school community have been up to. Have a wonderful weekend.

The Little Red Hen

This week in Tregantle Class, our Year 1 and EYFS children have been immersed in a variety of engaging activities to introduce our new text, 'The Little Red Hen.' To introduce the classic tale of The Little Red Hen, our Year 1 children embarked on a hands-on bread-making adventure! They measured ingredients, mixed dough, and observed the transformation as their creations baked into delicious bread rolls. This activity not only brought the story to life but also reinforced practical maths skills through accurate measuring.


Our EYFS children have been busy writing sentences and words inspired by The Little Red Hen. Their creativity flourished as they described their ideas and used their Fred fingers to write the words they wanted. Additionally, they delved into the world of patterns and 3D shapes, identifying and creating repeating patterns and learning the names of various 3D shapes.

On Red Nose Day, both Year 1 and EYFS children joined in the festivities by wearing red attire. Thank you so much for all of your contributions!

With the arrival of warmer weather, we've taken our learning outside and enjoyed our amazing outside spaces. The children have relished the opportunity to engage in outdoor activities and enjoy the sunshine.

We are all very much looking forward to our theatre trip next week to watch The Little Red Hen!

w/e 21/3/25 

We’ve had an action-packed and exciting week in Year 3 and 4, full of discoveries, creativity, and teamwork!

Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to:

English – A Mysterious Discovery! A thrilling discovery on the school field has sparked curiosity and debate in our classroom! The children have been formulating arguments for and against various possibilities, using the language of debate in their writing. They have also been practising their amazing oracy skills, confidently discussing their viewpoints in preparation for their balanced argument writing.

Maths – Measuring Up and Mastering Numbers. Year 3 have embarked on their new topic of length and perimeter, exploring how to measure and calculate distances and boundaries. Meanwhile, Year 4 have been delving into fractions and decimals, developing their understanding of how numbers can be represented in different ways.

History – Marching Like Romans. The children had a fantastic time drilling like Roman soldiers! They researched what made the Roman army so powerful and put their knowledge into practice with some impressive marching and formation exercises.

Science – Investigating Forces Our new science topic, Forces and Magnetism, began with an exciting investigation into how different forces affect moving objects. The children loved experimenting and observing how things move in different ways.

Computing - the Year 3 children learned lots about 'Fake News' in their Online Safety lesson and the Year 4 children tried out the Data loggers, collecting data from various places around school. Which places were the quietest, brightest or hottest, for example?

RE – A Special Visit to St Stephen’s Church On Thursday - we had a wonderful visit to St Stephen’s Church, where we learned all about the creation story and how to be stewards of our Earth. The children behaved beautifully and participated enthusiastically in discussions and activities.

Dance – A Creative Collaboration Many children had the amazing opportunity to take part in a dance workshop on Monday, where they worked with children from other schools to explore creative dance and build friendships. It was a truly inspiring experience!

PE – Fielding Skills in Cricket. In PE, we focused on fielding techniques in cricket, practising catching, throwing, and teamwork to improve our game.

PSHE – Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Our PSHE lessons this week centered around the importance of exercise. The children explored what happens to their bodies and minds when they exercise and why staying active is vital for their well-being.

It has been a fantastic week of learning, and we can’t wait to see what next week brings!

Best wishes, The Year 3 & 4 Team