It has been yet another busy week here at Team Brunel. The week saw our very first Wheeley Wednesday and our Little Locomotives commenced again. In addition, the children have been engaging well with their new enquiry questions across the curriculum. Please enjoy catching up with all our latest news and events in this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin.

Year 2 and 3 Class Blog - Weekly Learning Update

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have had a busy and exciting week in Year 2 and 3, and the children have been working incredibly hard across all areas of the curriculum. Here's a snapshot of what we've been learning:

English
In English, we have been focusing on using ambitious vocabulary to make our writing more vivid and powerful. The children have been challenged to expand their sentences with descriptive phrases and to group their ideas into clear paragraphs. It has been wonderful to see them becoming more confident writers who enjoy experimenting with language.

Maths
Our maths lessons have continued to focus on place value. The children have been practising how to partition numbers, compare them using greater than and less than symbols, and explain their reasoning when solving problems. This strong foundation will support their confidence as we move into more complex calculations.

History
In History, our topic on Ancient Egypt has led us to explore the importance of the River Nile. The children have discovered how it provided water, fertile land, and a means of transport, making it essential for farming, trade, and daily life. They have particularly enjoyed discussing how different their own lives would be without such a resource.

RE
Our Religious Education lessons have focused on what makes people feel a sense of belonging. We have been learning about Christians and Muslims, and how their communities, traditions, and practices help them feel connected to their faith. The children have shown great curiosity and respect as they ask thoughtful questions.

PE
In PE, we have been developing our netball skills. The class has been practising passing, moving into space, and teamwork. It has been fantastic to see how their confidence and cooperation have grown during these sessions.

And much more!
From creative sewing activities to problem-solving in science, the children have had many opportunities to explore, question, and develop new skills this week.

Finally, thank you so much for your continued support with reading at home. It truly makes such a difference to the children's progress and helps them to become more fluent, confident, and enthusiastic readers.

Duckpool Class have been enjoying an active and exciting week of learning in our new classroom. We enjoyed learning about 'Place Value' in maths and have been excited to demonstrate how we can show numbers in different ways using the fantastic new Maths Resource Boxes.

In English, we have been learning how to use fronted adverbials and relative pronouns, ready to be creative with grammar next week when we write our own stories! It was also special for the children to receive lessons in how to play a violin, read music and play in unison.

In Geography this term, we are learning all about rivers and we have been discussing how lucky we are to be so close to a significant river and all the knowledge we have about the River Tamar, using our oracy strategies. We have set up an experiment to demonstrate the water cycle and our class novel is Journey to the River Sea. Watch this space to see what else we learn next week!

We have successfully moved rooms over the summer and everyone seems very settled after their first full week at Nursery.

The current children who have come back after the break are all looking taller, and have been telling us all about their holiday visits over the summer.

The new children have settled very quickly, with only a few tears when they first say good bye to their grownup, but once they see the toys and activities, they soon are off exploring.
 

What a fantastic start we've had in Lantic Class! This week, the children really shone during their first PE session. They practiced their throwing and catching skills with great enthusiasm and took part in the exciting game of Dishes and Domes. It was wonderful to see everyone so active, working together, and having such fun! In DT, we've been busy exploring wheels and axles as we prepare to design and make our very own pull-along toys. The children showed brilliant curiosity and creativity as they got hands-on with the mechanisms. We have also been incredibly proud of the children's writing this week. Inspired by our class book Mrs Armitage and the Big Wave, the children produced some fantastic pieces of work, full of imagination and detail. Well done, Lantic Class - what a brilliant start to the term!

We have had a great first full week of the Autumn Term. Please find all the latest news and events from our wonderful school in, this week's, Brunel Bulletin.

w/e 12.9.25

What a crazily busy first week back we've had! Including last week, we've done so much already. 

In English, we've started our unit of work based on the really fun book, 'The Beasties'. We have used our word classes to write exciting sentences about the characters!

In Maths, we're all starting the year off with our learning about place value - such a useful skill. We've used some manipulatives to help. 

In Science, we thought about what we already know about materials and how they can be changed. In computing, we learned about search engines. In RE, we are learning about how the Golden Rule is something that all faiths follow, including Humanism. In PSHE, we learned how to create a class charter. 

In Art, we've started a process towards creating a self-portrait using carbon paper, tracing paper and poetry! It was really exciting!

Plus, in Music, the year 4 children (and Miss Henning!!) have started learning how to play the violin with Sally! What fun!

Terrific Tregantle!

What a fantastic first week it has been in Tregantle Class!

Our new school starters have settled in beautifully and have loved getting to know their new classroom. The children have had so much fun exploring all of the different areas, from painting and construction to role play and the ever-popular mud kitchen.

One of the highlights of the week has been meeting their very own reading buddy. The children really enjoyed sharing stories together, and it was wonderful to see how engaged and excited they were during story time.

We are so proud of how well everyone has started their school journey. It has been a week full of smiles, laughter, and learning, and we can't wait to see what adventures next week will bring!

Hello and welcome back to Lantic Class! We've had a really fun few days getting settled back in. We have been getting to know each other with games and a circle time. We have made a very special display about celebrating our differences. Please see attached the curriculum overview for Lantic Class this half term. 
We're looking forward to another fun filled week of learning next week! 

Welcome back!

It was wonderful to greet the new year 6 children today for their final year at Brunel. We have an exciting year ahead with many memories to make. 

Today we started with some icebreaker questions. This helped me to get to know the children and I was intrigued and interested with some of their answers. Please see the photos for some of my favourites. 

Next week, we will be starting our new topic called 'Where Does Energy Come From?' Please see the knowledge web below to find out what we are learning in each subject. 

The children will be coming home with their class dojo logins. Please use these to see how your child is earning points in class. I will also post messages on there occasionally so make sure you check it regularly. 

Miss Burton

Welcome to Duckpool...

Hello everyone and welcome back to Brunel Primary and Nursery Academy and the new school year. We hope you've had the best Summer and enjoyed plenty of sunshine, whether that was on holiday or at home. 

We are so excited to be back as we've lots of great plans for this term which we can't wait to share, as we know it's going to be fun.

Its been a busy time here, just look at all the wonderful projects that have been completed over the holiday, we now have a fabulous outdoor classroom, an amazing pond and new playground equipment. We've already had a taster session using the Builders' Yard, so we're looking forward to having time to explore that more fully too.

Our ClassDojo details are coming home on Thursday, do please sign up and join us to find out more about what's going on in Duckpool and allow us to share messages.

In the meantime, take a look at the knowledge planner for Autumn Term 1 and also our Maths policy below, which is helpful in that it shows you which methods we use in our maths lessons.

Each week, we'll be sharing our learning here, so please watch this space!

Welcome Back Brunel Families!

We hope you've had a wonderful summer making special memories.

A very warm welcome to all our families - and an especially big hello to those joining Brunel for the first time. We can't wait to begin another exciting school year together! Staff News We're delighted to welcome: Mrs May-Bracey (Duckpool & Leadership Team) Mrs Scott (Lantic) Mrs Morris (Mousehole - Fridays) And huge congratulations to Mrs Swabey on the safe arrival of her baby boy.

What's New Around School
Issy's Nursery has moved to a bigger EYFS space with a fantastic outdoor learning environment. Tregantle Class now has a brand-new classroom and outdoor area.
Our pond is alive again thanks to CO-OP funding & the BFA.
A huge thank you to Brook and his team from Total Landscape Ltd for all their hard work.
A new outdoor classroom has been created in the garden. 4
KS2 playground equipment has been upgraded.

Exciting Extras
Plymouth Argyle joining us every Monday & Friday lunchtime.
Clubs start w/c 15th Sept (letters coming soon).
The Brunel Builders Yard & new play equipment will keep children active at playtimes.
Little Locomotives toddler group returns Wednesday 17th Sept (10:00-11:15am) - free, teacher-led, open to all!
Reminders Gates close at 8:45am sharp - being on time every day really matters!
Free Breakfast Club (Rec-Y6) runs daily 8:15-8:45am.
Kids Club wraparound care available via ParentPay before and after school.
Healthy snacks at playtime & water only in bottles (unless medical note provided).
Children must wear Brunel uniform & school shoes, with PE kit on PE days.
Please remember our pre-loved rail which is accessible for all and absolutely free. We're so proud of our wonderful staff who have worked hard over the holidays to get everything ready - and we can't wait to see you all on Thursday 4th September (please note this is different for some of our Reception children) for another brilliant year at Brunel. Have a great last few days of the Summer holidays.

We are so excited to begin a brand new school year together. Our new classroom has been carefully designed to support the needs of all our children, and we can't wait to see it filled with learning, laughter, and curiosity.

For the first half of the autumn term, our class topic is 'All about Me.' Children will have the opportunity to talk about themselves and find out more about their new friends. We will be learning a new song or rhyme each week and our focus texts for the half term will be Farmer Duck, Whatever Next, Slug needs a hug and Tadpoles promise. Our story time author books will be by Eric Carle and Tom Fletcher. We will be starting our phonics lessons following the Read Write Inc program straight away. Our maths sessions will focus on numbers to 5, counting accurately and making and continuing patterns.

This year we have lots of exciting learning opportunities planned and we're really looking forward to getting to know each and every child as they begin or continue their journey in Tregantle Class. Here's to a wonderful year ahead!

With warm wishes, Mrs Grinsted, Mrs Orchard, Mrs McIntyre, Mrs Bennett, Mrs James & Mrs Newman

Wishing you all the best Lantic Class...

'Oh please don't go, we love you so!'

So, we've arrived at the last day of term and indeed the school year, which means  it's time to bid goodbye to Lantic class and wish you all a very happy Summer holiday

This term has been full of thrills and excitement, including a Forest School evening, complete with a campfire and a science trip to Tincombe Nature Reserve. We presented our class assembly all about the Wild Things and were so pleased to show you all our lovely outdoor classroom with a vegetable patch and beautiful flower beds.

We also celebrated the talent at Brunel Primary with several events including Sports day, Music of the Afternoon and of course this week's Brunel's Got Talent.

We've enjoyed playing on our brand new playground equipment and our recent introduction to the Builders' Yard, which has endless opportunities for exploration and creativity..

However, that's just a small part of Lantic's journey, for the class have also worked incredibly hard in all areas of the curriculum, which was so apparent in the vast numbers of books they've been bringing home!

So, now's the time to reflect on all the fun, friendship and naturally lots of laughter along the way - it's been great.

Thank you so much for all your support, particularly this term.

With love from the Lantic team xxx

Lantic Update 18.7.25

Well, it's the last full week in Lantic class and it's been such a busy one.

Here are just a few of our highlights:

PE was fun on Monday, we tried out some new athletics techniques including, javelin, shuttle relay and hurdles.

On Tuesday, Mrs Williamson made a courgette cake for us using our home grown courgettes, not everyone wanted to try it but most of us found it delicious.

Sadly, Music of the Afternoon (MOTA 2025) on Wednesday wasn't possible on the field due to the weather, so we did it in the hall. Lantic class sang beautifully and we all felt very proud. Do check the recording out on social media.

On Thursday, we had a special visit to our Brunel Builders' Yard, where we built some amazing structures and had the best fun choosing the scrap items to make our own designs. We also had the heats for the Lantic class entry for Brunel's Got Talent and are delighted to announce our winners were: Emily and Liliana with their fabulous dance and April with her amazing karate moves.

They will be representing us on Monday 21^st in the grand final.

Next Monday, Jane is going to kindly cook us some courgettes and beans from our vegetable patch. We shall try to encourage everyone to try them!

Also, on Friday, it was time to have another visit to see Miss Pentreath and spend the whole afternoon there in our new classroom,. We went home with all sorts of information about next year and we're really looking forward to it.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone.

17.7.25

As we end our final full week in Years 3 and 4, we certainly haven't slowed down!

On Monday, Daymer enjoyed their 'End of Project' party at St Anne's, with heaps of food and smiles all round!

We were also treated to the Brunel's Got Talent auditions - well done to those who have made it through to the Finals next Monday!

On Tuesday, we enjoyed the Year 6 Leavers Assembly and wow! What a great show it was!

On Wednesday, it was Music of the Afternoon! It was sadly rained off but here's a video to enjoy of the performances in the hall! Exceptional talent all round, I'm sure you'll agree!

On Thursday, we had our class reward time at Longstone Park - that was great fun!

And on Friday, we were not only in awe of some EGGS in Science but we were treated to some more transition time in our new class with our new teachers! Wow!

What a week! 2 more days til the summer...

w/e 10.7.25

We've had a wonderfully busy and productive week in Year 3 and 4 - even with the soaring temperatures!

The children have shown real resilience and maturity in coping with the heat, staying positive and focused in their learning.
Here's a snapshot of what we've been up to this week...

English - Non-Chronological Reports
In English, we've been diving into the world of non-chronological reports. The children have been learning to use generalisers such as most, some, and usually to make their writing more informative and formal. We've also been focusing on using clear subheadings to organise our ideas and are in the process of planning our own reports, which we're excited to begin writing next week.

Geography - Where Does Our Food Come From?
In Geography, we've been exploring the journey food takes to reach our plates. From tropical fruits to locally grown vegetables, we've discussed the different climates and countries that produce the food we eat, and the impact of food miles. It's been a great way to link our geography skills to everyday life!

Maths - It's Time to Tell the Time!
Year 3 pupils have been practising telling the time to the nearest five minutes, both on analogue and digital clocks. We've been using real-life contexts to help the children understand why time is such an important skill. Year 4s have been consolidating their time knowledge too - keep an eye out for time-related challenges at home!

Science, Computing & Online Safety
In Science, we've continued exploring teeth and digestion, while in Computing, we've had important discussions around online safety - understanding how to stay safe and responsible when using the internet and digital devices.

PE - Rounders in the Sun
Despite the heat, PE has been a highlight this week. We've been developing our skills in rounders, practising batting, fielding, and team strategy. The children showed great sportsmanship and determination - well done all!

Art - Abstract Flowers
Our stunning abstract flower art continues to blossom! The children have been inspired by famous artists and have created some truly beautiful pieces. Be sure to take a look at the photos - their creativity is really shining through!

Music, French & More
In Music, we've been rehearsing for music of the afternoon which takes place on Wednesday afternoon-we hope to see you all there! French lessons have included learning new vocabulary and simple conversations. We've also been weaving in PSHE and topic discussions throughout the week - it's been full of variety!

Transition Time
This week, we've had our class transition swaps, giving the children a chance to meet their new teachers and get a taste of what next year might look like - including the new Brunel Shed! It's been exciting and reassuring for the children, helping them feel confident about the changes ahead.

Coming Up - Brunel's Got Talent!
A quick reminder - on Monday, we'll be holding class auditions for Brunel's Got Talent! Children are encouraged to bring in any props or music they might need. We can't wait to see the range of talents in our class - from magic tricks to musical performances, it's always a joyful event.

Thank you, as always, for your support.
Please make sure your child continues to bring a water bottle and hat each day, especially while the warm weather lasts.

Have a lovely weekend!