What a wonderful week it has been at Brunel with Open Days, Skipping Workshops and a new orienteering course in situ at our wonderful school. Please enjoy browsing through this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin. Have a wonderful weekend!

This week has been full of fantastic learning opportunities. 

In English, we have started writing our non-chronological reports about where energy comes from. The children have been working really hard to include scientific language, interesting facts and structure their work so that it has cohesion. They are looking wonderful and I am amazed by how creative they are. 

In maths, we have moved onto our new unit of fractions. We started by finding equivalent fractions and simplifying them. Next, we will learn how to add and subtract them. 

We were lucky to have a skipping workshop today in the hall. It was hilarious and we learned many new skills. We started with simple skipping, then skipping backwards, hopping on one foot, crossing our arms and then jumping into a long rope. All of the children learned something new and I was impressed with their abilities.

We have also had the opportunity to take part in some orienteering outside using the new stations around school. In the first session, we went hunting for different animals and in the second session, we answered some questions about Mary Seacole and Nelson Mandela for Black History Month. We had to check each station for a number to see if we had got the answer correct. 

Have a lovely weekend!

Miss Burton

Year 2 and 3 Weekly Learning Round-Up!

What a fantastic week it's been in Years 2 and 3! The children have been full of enthusiasm and curiosity as they've explored a wide range of topics across the curriculum. Here's a look at what we've been up to:

English

We've started our brand-new unit on non-chronological reports. The children have enjoyed retelling information, finding key features of reports, and exploring how to make their writing more interesting using coordinating and subordinating conjunctions (for example, and, but, because, when). It's been wonderful to see them becoming more confident and creative writers!

 Maths

In maths, we've been building on our understanding of addition and subtraction. Using base 10 equipment, the children have been adding and subtracting ones, helping them to see how numbers are made up and how we can manipulate them. Lots of hands-on practice and problem-solving this week!

 History

Our journey through Ancient Egypt has taken an exciting turn as we discovered the fascinating process of mummification. The children were captivated by learning why and how the Ancient Egyptians mummified people - a perfect blend of curiosity and a few giggles!

 PE

In PE, we've been developing our netball skills, focusing on shooting techniques and key game skills like passing, spacing, and teamwork. The children are becoming much more confident on the court!

 RE

Our focus in Religious Education has been how Jewish people belong to their faith. We've discussed traditions, celebrations, and what belonging means in different communities - thoughtful and respectful conversations all around.

 French

Bonjour! We've been learning all about France and the French language. The children have been exploring greetings, simple words and phrases, and learning a little about French culture. They're already saying bonjour and au revoir with confidence!

 Science

We've been assessing our knowledge in our 'Animals Including Humans' topic. The children have shown a fantastic understanding of body parts, life cycles, and how humans and animals grow and change.

Special Event: Skipping Workshop!

Friday brought a burst of energy with an exciting skipping workshop! The children had great fun learning new skipping tricks and working together to keep those ropes moving - a brilliant way to combine fitness and fun.

 Reading

Throughout the week, we've been focusing on reading fluency - helping children to read more smoothly, accurately, and quickly. They've been working hard on understanding and answering questions about the texts they read, showing real progress in comprehension.

It's been a busy and rewarding week full of learning, laughter, and new discoveries. We're so proud of how hard the children are working and can't wait to see what next week brings!

Duckpool authors...

and mathematicians...

w/e 10.10.25

We were so delighted this week to stage a musical extravaganza at Brunel which was attended by representatives from 10 different schools, including our Y5 pupils. Ages ranged from Y5-Y13 and the event was staged by The Gabriel Explore Vocal workshop. Only two schools in Cornwall were chosen to host, with a view to performing in Truro Cathedral next year and we were thrilled to take part. Many thanks to Mrs Swabey and Mr Jane for organising.

Our Y4 children are continuing with their weekly violin lessons and we've been impressed with how they are progressing each week - so very well done to them!

Mental Health Awareness Day was a ray of sunshine in October, as we all wore yellow this Friday and completed some mindful activities.

Thank you also for your support with Harvest Festival and contributing to the wonderful Saltash Food Bank. It was lovely to celebrate with so many parents and carers in assembly on Monday.

We really enjoyed our mixed media portraits lesson on Friday too! 

Have a great weekend everyone.

W/E 10.10.25

Y4/5 Music Maestros

We were so delighted this week to stage a musical extravaganza at Brunel which was attended by representatives from 10 different schools, including our Y5 pupils. Ages ranged from Y5-Y13 and the event was staged by The Gabriel Explore Vocal workshop. Only two schools in Cornwall were chosen to host, with a view to performing in Truro Cathedral next year and we were thrilled to take part. Many thanks to Mrs Swabey and Mr Jane for organising.

Our Y4 children are continuing with their weekly violin lessons and we've been impressed with how they are progressing each week - so very well done to them!

Mental Health Awareness Day was a ray of sunshine in October, as we all wore yellow this Friday and completed some mindful activities.

Thank you also for your support with Harvest Festival and contributing to the wonderful Saltash Food Bank. It was lovely to celebrate with so many parents and carers in assembly on Monday.

Have a great weekend everyone.
.

Keen Learners

What a busy and exciting time it's been in Tregantle Class!

The children have been absolutely brilliant at practicing their sounds - both in reading and writing. It's wonderful to see their growing confidence as they spot sounds in words and use them in their own writing.

In maths, we've been busy sorting all sorts of items into groups and comparing different sets of objects. The children have also become real experts at ordering numbers to 5 - such careful counting and number work happening every day!

This week, Tregantle were thrilled to take part in their very first Brunel Harvest Festival. Everyone listened beautifully and sang our song "Big Red Combine Harvester" with great enthusiasm - we were so proud of them all!

Our focus for outside learning has been The Gingerbread Man. After listening to the story, the children used natural materials to create their very own gingerbread men outdoors. Back in the classroom, they got creative again by decorating their own gingerbread men at the craft table - such imagination and care went into every design!

To finish the week, we joined together to support World Mental Health Day by wearing something yellow. The children took part in some lovely relaxing and calming activities, helping us all to think about how we can look after our minds as well as our bodies.

What a fantastic week, Tregantle - we're so proud of all your hard work and enthusiasm!

Dear Brunel Families,
Thank you once again for your kind donations for Saltash Foodbank as part of our Harvest Festival. It was so wonderful that so many of parents, grand parents and carers could attend. Next week, we have our skipping workshops taking place on Friday 17th October and we also have Enrich Education onsite net Wednesday to fit our brand new orienteering stations. It will be another busy week at Team Brunel. Good luck to all our cross country racers taking parent in tonight's first run of the season. Please find this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin. We hope you enjoy catching up with all of the events at our wonderful school over the last week.

What a fantastic week of learning it has been in Year 2 and 3! The classroom has been full of creativity, curiosity, and teamwork as the children have built on their skills across a wide range of subjects. Here's a little peek at what we've been up to:

English

This week, our young authors have been busy editing and publishing their own stories with a historical setting.
The children have shown great attention to detail as they reread their work, corrected spellings and punctuation, and proudly started to produce their final copies. We're so impressed with their hard work and creativity!

Maths

In Maths, we have been exploring number lines and place value. The children practised using number lines to help them understand the position and size of numbers, and to see how tens and ones fit together. They've been comparing numbers, estimating where they belong on a line, and spotting patterns - a brilliant foundation for confident number work!

History

Our History lessons have taken us back to Ancient Egypt, where we've been learning about the gods and goddesses that were so important to the people of the time. The children have been using historical sources - such as pictures and artefacts - to ask and answer questions like "Why were these gods so important?" and "How do we know about them today?"
There's been lots of thoughtful discussion and some fascinating ideas shared!

PSHE

In PSHE, we have been thinking about the need for rules - in school, at home, and in the wider world. The children talked about how rules help to keep everyone safe and happy. It was lovely to see how much they care about fairness and kindness.

 Design & Technology

Our sewing project continued this week as we practised the running stitch again. The children are becoming more confident with threading needles, tying knots, and keeping their stitches neat. There was a real sense of concentration and pride as they improved their technique - well done, everyone!

 Science and More!

We've also been busy in Science, exploring and investigating the world around us through hands-on experiments and observations. Alongside this, the children have enjoyed their singing sessions, bringing lots of enthusiasm and joy to the classroom with music.

It's been a busy but brilliant week full of learning, laughter, and teamwork. We're so proud of how hard everyone is working and how much progress they're making.

Have a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to more adventures in learning next week!

This week has been jam-packed with learning and fun. 

We finished our poems and wrote them up neatly on decorated paper - I am proud with how beautiful the handwriting and presentation is. We have now started a new unit of work in which we will write a non-chronological report about where energy comes from. So far, we have looked at the features of a report and started our research. Did you know that the blades on a wind turbine can measure up to 90 metres long?

In maths, we have been building confidence and accuracy with short division and long multiplication by practicing our formal written methods and then solving puzzles and problems. 

In PSHE, we have been learning how to calm our brains down by taking part in guided meditation in the hall. We laid on PE mats and got comfy, it was a wonderful atmosphere and I was pleased with how mature they all were. 

In art, we have been studying 'The Harvest' by Vincent Van Gogh. We discussed the colours, textures and shapes in the picture and researched Van Gogh. Then we had a go at recreating out own versions using pastels. I was extremely impressed by the wonderful creations that the children produced; their sketchbooks are looking fantastic. 

Have a relaxing and fun weekend.

Miss Burton

We love Learning! 

This week in Tregantle Class we have been busy little learners!

In Maths, we explored repeating patterns, using colours, shapes and objects to create our own designs. The children worked so carefully, spotting what comes next and proudly sharing their patterns with friends.

In Phonics and Writing, we have been practising writing our names every day, helping us to form letters correctly and with confidence. We also focused on our new trick word 'to', which we enjoyed spotting in sentences and practising in our play.

During Wild Tribe, we went on a colour hunt in nature, finding lots of wonderful natural shades and textures. We then used these ideas to create our very own Colour Monsters using paper plates. This gave us a great chance to practise our- folding and designing with care and creativity.

We are so proud of how well the children are settling into school life. They are showing such enthusiasm for their learning and making fantastic progress already. Well done Tregantle Class!

Welcome to another busy week in Perranporth class! We've been finishing the final drafts of our stories in English and as it was National Poetry Day on Thursday, we've written some Blackout Poems, really focusing upon making each word count.

In our oracy work this week, we have concentrated on using our physical oracy skills; using our voice, body language and aiming to engage our audience effectively.

This week's science centred on an investigation into the thermal insulating properties of various materials. So we considered the best design to keep a teacher's coffee warm on the playground with some surprising results. Please ask your child which material proved to be the best.

Tuesday saw our very first Two Tyre Tuesday in KS2, which was an opportunity for children to bring scooters (plus helmets of course) to school have some playtime fun. This was a huge success, many thanks to Mrs Williamson for organising.

Next Monday will be our Harvest assembly, each class has been working on their contribution. Thank you for all your generous contributions to the Saltash foodbank.

Have a great weekend.

It has been another wonderful week at Brunel and the children have been thoroughly enjoying delving into their learning adventures.

It is always a joy to see their curiosity and enthusiasm shining through in every classroom. This week also saw the launch of our very first Two Tyre Tuesday for KS2, which was a huge success! The children embraced the challenge brilliantly, and we are already looking forward to building on this momentum in the weeks ahead.

A gentle reminder that our Harvest Festival will be taking place on Monday. Every child in school will have a part to play, and we would love our families to join us for this special celebration. The service will begin at 1:15pm, and we are delighted that Rev. Parkman will be joining us for the occasion.

Looking ahead to next week, on Friday we will be marking World Mental Health Day. To raise awareness and show our support, the children are invited to come to school wearing something yellow - whether that's a t-shirt, a badge, a bow, a hairband, or even just a splash of colour somewhere in their outfit. As always, thank you for your continued support.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend, and I hope you enjoy browsing through this week's edition of the Brunel Bulletin.

Duckpool Diary...

Welcome to another busy week in Duckpool class!

We've been finishing the final drafts of our stories in English and as it was National Poetry Day on Thursday, we've written some Harvest Haiku, really focusing upon making each word count.

In our oracy work this week, we have concentrated on using our physical oracy skills; using our voice, body language and aiming to engage our audience effectively. We combined this with speaking like a geographer to demonstrate our knowledge about the water cycle.

This week's science centred on an investigation into the thermal insulating properties of various materials. So we considered the best design to keep a teacher's coffee warm on the playground with some surprising results. Please ask your child which material proved to be the best.

Tuesday saw our very first Two Tyre Tuesday in KS2, which was an opportunity for children to bring scooters (plus helmets of course) to school have some playtime fun. This was a huge success, many thanks to Mrs Williamson for organising.

Also, as promised here are some of our fabulous self-portraits, how many of our class  do you recognise?

Next Monday will be our Harvest assembly, each class has been working on their contribution. Thank you for all your generous contributions to the Saltash foodbank.

Have a great weekend.

We have really enjoyed getting out in to the garden during the better weather this week.

The 'make a difference' team worked really hard to help clear some of the fallen branches and debris from the recent storms which has made the garden more accessible for us all.

The children have been exploring, looking for mini beasts and using lots of different muscles during the activities. They have been making new friends and remembering how to share the resources with each other.

w/e 26.9.25

What a lovely week in Perranporth class!

Making the most of the beautiful September sunshine, PE for this half term has been all about orienteering and we've enjoyed following maps and directions to collect clues to solve puzzles.

Art has been a revelation too, as we're working on drawing self portraits using our own poetry from the very first week of term - some photos are attached!

In computing, we're learning all about systems and networks, focusing on search engines - as always, knowing how to use technology both safely and respectfully is central to this. We're also using Showbie, our new Trust program across the curriculum and becoming quite proficient already.

This half term term's RE focuses upon what it means to be a Humanist in Britain Today - we were lucky to be visited by a real-life humanist this week - the children asked really inquisitive questions!  PSHE is based on Being Me and particularly on facing new challenges positively and setting personal goals.

French is also Being Me this half term, so we've been practising introducing ourselves and having brief conversations.

Last but certainly not least, in music we're learning about musical terms such as dynamics, pitch, ostinato and timbre, then putting them into action. Our Y4 children are also having weekly violin lessons, so please ask them how it's going.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

This week, we have been writing our poems in English. They are based on the book 'The Final Year' by Matt Goodfellow and are focused on coming back to school in September for the final year. We have been including figurative language, informal words and phrases, noun phrases and carefully chosen adjectives. The fun part has been thinking about the layout. We then did some peer editing to improve the poems as a class. 

We were lucky to have Jonathan Dart visit us on Tuesday afternoon to share his thoughts and belies about Humanism. The children enjoyed it and asked some fantastic questions. 

We have started a new class story called 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' by William Kamkwamba which is set in Malawi and is based on a true story. We are enjoying it so far. 

In PSHE, we have been learning about positive body language and the difference between helpful and unhelpful talk. Next week, we are going to focus on giving compliments. 

Have a brilliant weekend!

Miss Burton