Welcome back after a very soggy half term! The children have been continuing to work hard this week with Class 2 finishing the mummification of their apples and Class 1 starting an interesting topic on explorers! The children have loved these activities and have learned a lot from them - well done! This is another shorter half term but we have lots planned for the school and children. Please make sure you are checking the newsletter and website for up-to-date calendars. Next week sees Class 1's trip to the Maritime Museum in Falmouth and World Book Day. A reminder that children can dress up as a book character on Friday next week due to the trip. We will still be taking part in lots of reading related activities and fun! Also starting next week is the project that Class 2 are doing with Sterts. It is a term-long project on "Belonging" during which experts in music, dance, drama, design and other areas will come into school to work with the children once a week on a performance that will take place in May. It promises to be really exciting and we are looking forward to it. Have a wonderful weekend and thank-you for your continued support of our school.

As we come to the end of another busy and productive week, I would like to take a moment to thank you for your continued support. It truly makes a difference to our school community.

A special thank you to the parents who attended the Nature Parks Club on Wednesday evening. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm as we work together to turn some of our grey spaces green. Watch this space - next week a pergola will be going into the area near our school garden, which is an exciting step forward in developing this space for our children.

Next week is set to be another busy one. Please see the key dates and reminders below:

Monday - Class Photos
Please ensure your children come to school in their Brunel blue correct uniform, as these are class photographs which will be proudly displayed in our school foyer.

Tuesday - Two Tyre Tuesday
KS2 children are welcome to bring in their scooters and helmets to enjoy during the school day.

Wednesday - Wheely Wednesday (Reception and KS1)
Reception and KS1 children are welcome to bring their scooters and helmets to school.

Wednesday - Little Locomotives Toddler Group (10:00am-11:00am)
Our free, teacher-led toddler group is open to children aged 18 months to 4 years old. We look forward to welcoming families from our local community.
Also on Wednesday: Vision Screening for our Reception children.

Thursday - World Book Day
Children are warmly invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character. We can't wait to see all of the creative costumes and celebrate a shared love of reading.

A reminder to Duckpool Class parents that your class assembly is coming up on Monday 9th March at 2:40pm. Parents and carers are warmly welcomed to attend - we look forward to seeing you there.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Please do enjoy browsing through this week's Brunel Bulletin.

Tregantle Weekly Blog

What a fantastic week we have had in Tregantle Class! The children have been busy exploring, learning and having lots of fun along the way.

Exploring Our School Pond & Visiting the Chickens
We loved getting outdoors to explore our school pond. Armed with nets and plenty of curiosity, the children carefully pond dipped to see what they could find. There were lots of excited faces as we discovered different pond life and talked about what we could see.
We also visited our school chickens! The children enjoyed watching them closely and talking about how to care for them. It's always a special experience spending time with our feathered friends!

Maths - Learning About Numbers 9 and 10
In maths this week, we have been focusing on the numbers 9 and 10. The children have been exploring these numbers in lots of practical and engaging ways:
• Going on number hunts around the classroom and outdoor area
• Using the play dough station to make numbers and represent amounts
• Taking part in matching games, linking numerals to the correct quantity

The children are becoming much more confident at recognising, counting and representing these numbers. Well done, Tregantle Class!

PE - Our New Unit: Jungle Gym
In PE, we started our brand new unit called 'Jungle Gym.' The hall was transformed into a jungle adventure! The children had a wonderful time pretending to be jungle animals. We crawled like tigers, stretched like monkeys and slithered like snakes. Everyone practised moving over, under and around different equipment, building their strength, balance and coordination. It was fantastic to see such imaginative movement and teamwork.

Literacy - The Very Hungry Caterpillar
We were very excited to begin our new book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Tregantle Class are doing a fantastic job at re-telling the story and using objects to help order the events. It has been wonderful to hear them confidently remembering what the caterpillar ate each day! This story has also given us the opportunity to explore life cycles in more detail. We have been learning about how a caterpillar changes into a beautiful butterfly, and the children have shown great curiosity and thoughtful questions during our discussions.

Trip to Saltash Library
We ended the week with a wonderful trip to Saltash Library. The children were so excited to explore the shelves and choose a new book to take home. It is always such a joy to see their enthusiasm for reading and stories. Thank you to the library staff for making us feel so welcome!

What a busy and brilliant week it has been. We are so proud of how enthusiastic, kind and hardworking Tregantle Class continue to be. We can't wait for another week of adventures and learning!

We have enjoyed welcoming everyone back this week after the half term. It has been lovely to see all of the children and they have thrown themselves back into the nursery routine.

For the next few weeks we are looking at different books and answering our question "What is your favourite story and why?"

We have been busy making Stickman family pictures and the children have been discussing who is a part of their family group.

At story time and in adition to "Stickman" we have also been reading "Room on the Broom" and the children have been selecting books that they would like to read.

In phonics this week we have been listening to and exploring different sounds in our envirionment, trying to keep time when listening to a simple beat and the children have explored instruments and the sounds they make.

In maths we are finding objects that represent numbers and exploring different shapes.

Next week on Thursday it is World Book Day and the children are invited to come to nursery dressed as their favourite book character. We will also be celebrating St Pirans Day with a cream tea! 

We look forward to seeing you all next week.

Julie and Sarah

It has been another full and exciting week of learning in Year 2 and 3!

English

In English, we have been learning a new text through oracy, using lots of discussion and performance to help us really understand it. The children have also been practising their VIPERS reading skills (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval and Sequencing) to deepen their comprehension.

We have also been exploring the features of instructional writing, identifying what makes a clear and effective set of instructions. The children were fantastic at spotting headings, numbered steps and time connectives.

Maths

In maths, both year groups have been working hard on key skills:

• Year 2 have been learning how to subtract across 10 and have also been solving mixed addition and subtraction problems.

• Year 3 have been focusing on the 3, 4 and 8 times tables, as well as related division facts.

Please continue practising times tables at home with Year 3 - it really makes a difference! (Year 2-x2, x5 and x10).

Geography

We have started an exciting new topic: "Why are rainforests important to us?" The children began by asking thoughtful questions and sharing their existing knowledge.

We have been learning about where tropical rainforest biomes are located around the world and have started to look more closely at the Amazon Rainforest. The children were fascinated to discover just how important rainforests are for our planet.

PSHE

In PSHE, we began our new unit, Healthy Me. The children set themselves a personal challenge to improve their fitness, showing great maturity and enthusiasm.

PE

In PE, we have started our new unit on striking and fielding. This week focused on developing accuracy when throwing, catching and stopping a rolling ball. There was some fantastic teamwork and determination on display.

French

In French, we have continued learning vocabulary linked to "My Family", building confidence in speaking and understanding simple phrases.

Science

In Science, we began our topic on light, thinking about different light sources and how light helps us to see.

Looking Ahead - World Book Day

Next Thursday, we will be celebrating World Book Day. Children are invited to dress up as their favourite book character, and a fun-filled day of reading activities has been planned across the school to celebrate our love of books!

We can't wait to see the wonderful costumes and share our favourite stories together.

What a fantastic start to the new year we have had in our classroom! The children have shown great enthusiasm, resilience and curiosity in all of their learning. Here's a look at what we've been up to in January and February.

History - The Romans This term we have been travelling back in time to learn about the Romans. We have explored what life was like in Roman Britain, how the Roman army was organised and why the Romans were so successful. To finish off our half term, we were visited by the brilliant Centurion Maximus Adricus! He brought Roman history to life through exciting games, storytelling and hands-on activities. The children loved finding out about Roman armour, battle formations and daily life in the army. It was a fantastic way to deepen our understanding of the Romans.

Maths - Multiplication and Division In Maths, we have been working hard on multiplication and division. We have practised using times tables to solve problems, explored different methods for solving calculations and learned how multiplication and division are linked. The children have shown great perseverance when tackling tricky word problems!

Science - Magnetism Our Science topic has been all about forces, with a focus on magnetism. We investigated which materials are magnetic and learned how to test objects using magnets. The children discovered that not all metal is magnetic and enjoyed predicting and testing different materials. We also learned about magnetic poles and how magnets can attract and repel.

English - Romans and Mythology In English, we have linked our writing to our History topic. We wrote detailed character descriptions of the Roman hero Hercules, focusing on his strength, bravery and his famous 12 labours. We also wrote non-chronological reports about the Roman gods, organising our work with headings and subheadings. The children worked hard to include fascinating facts and use formal language in their reports.

PSHE - Facing Challenges In PSHE, we have been thinking about how to face challenges positively. We used our Building Learning Power skills - such as resilience, resourcefulness and reflectiveness - to help us when learning feels tricky. The children have been brilliant at encouraging one another and showing a growth mindset.

Music - Songfest 2026 We have also begun practicing songs for Songfest 2026, which will be taking place in March. The children are already singing beautifully and learning the lyrics with great enthusiasm. We can't wait to perform!

Well done to everyone for a brilliant start to 2026. We are so proud of all the hard work, determination and positivity shown this term. We're looking forward to another exciting half term ahead!

Group Work in the Arc

This term we have had a real focus on working together. In the ARC we try to make our group activities so appealing that they capture our children's attention and they choose to join the group.

We have a number of group activities where out focus is shared attention. We run 2 Attention Autism Sessions which is a Gina Davies Intervention that follows 4 stages. All of our ARC children now choose to join this group and in fact they all look forward to checking out stage 1 where they get to see what is in out bucket!

We run Fun with Food everyday. We look at a different food each day, describing the food through all of our senses. We use communication boards to encourage the children to describe the food. 

We all like using the playground equipment on sunny days, especially the parachute! In the photo we are working together to try and keep the ball on the parachute. 

Sometimes our ARC children are able to join their mainstream peers. Eddie had a great day with the Roman Soldier who came to visit the class. He worked as a team with the other children to form a barrier with his shield in a mock battle. 

Sometimes group work just involves taking turns. The musical instruments are a really popular way of taking turns. Both Leo and Freddie love to ply the xylophone and it is an excellent opportunity to take model turn taking. 

Happy New Year!

What a brilliant start to 2026!
In PSHE we have been thinking about our goals and dreams and steps towards success. 
Our new 'Big Question' is 'What is the weather like in the UK?'. We have been re-capping our knowledge of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom and have been using an atlas to help us to label maps.
In art we have been looking at the painting of Alma Thomas. Alma is an abstract artist. She used lots of bright colours in her paintings. After practising the necessary techniques and skills, we created  paintings in her style.
In science we have been learning about animals. This half term we have focussed on the five groups of vertebrates. We have learnt about their characteristics and diets. 
We went on a fabulous trip to The National Marine Aquarium where the children had a taste of being Marine Biologists as well and learning lots of sea creatures from our very informative guide. 

December has been a magical month in Year One!
There have been many highlights including our Christmas Production. The children rehearsed and practised so well to put on a wonderful performance for families. We also had a magical time rounding off the term with a Christingle gathering.

The children were contacted by Santa's chief elf and tasked with making some robots as the elves were worried they hadn't made enough. The children designed and made some wonderful robot toys with moving limbs.

In computing, the children used Doodledraw on the ipads to design Christmas cards that they then printed and sent to loved ones. 

Year One had a fantastic time in the woods making clay reindeers.

This month we have learnt about Guy Fawkes and The Gunpowder Plot. We found out about what happened and we used our printing skills to create colourful and sparkly fireworks art.

We have been thinking about how to be a good friend. We have thought about which qualities and behaviours we like to see in our friends.

This month we marked the beginning of anti-bullying week with 'Odd Socks Day'. We all wore odd socks to help us to think about how we are all special and unique. We also marked Children In Need day this month. We dressed up and even dressed up our giant class bear.

We went on a walk around the school grounds to hunt for signs that it is autumn. it was great fun playing in the leaves.

February

In art this month, we linked our work to our learning in RE, where we were thinking all about why Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah. The children produced some beautiful artwork, depicting Jesus, in pencil. Their attention to detail was spectacular and they were all very proud of the work they had produced.

Our environment ambassadors have been working hard to promote environmental awareness around the school. They have produced posters reminding us to turn off lights and turn off the taps. They have also set up collection areas for soft plastic recycling and now they are turning their focus back to lighting, carrying out regular surveys to check that we are turning lights off when we leave the room.

Soon, the environment ambassadors will be leading the rest of the school in a 'Hidden Treasure Hunt' where we will all be encouraged to hand in unwanted electrical items, as they often contain small traces of important metals, which can be recycled and would otherwise just disappear into landfill - watch this space for more information!

January

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you all had a peaceful and restful Christmas break - it was great to welcome all the children back for another new year - let's see what fun 2026 will bring us! 

Early in the month, we were visited by the staff from the 'Pulse Bus'. The children have been very lucky, as Mrs Cox has secured some funding for a 6 week fun-filled adventure! Every week, the children will be able to attend the Pulse Bus, where there is a climbing wall, games room, snack bar, craft corner and much, much more!

On the day their lovely staff visited us, the children took part in a workshop where they thought about themselves, their qualities and what they bring to the world. The focus was on making sure that we don't discriminate against anyone, ever because of our differences. Differences are to be celebrated!

In class, Year 6 learned all about Habitats and the Linnaean system of classification in Science. In Maths, they strengthened their knowledge of ratio and algebra and in English they wrote non-chronological reports all about creatures from the Galapagos islands. In Computing, the focus was online safety, we learned how to describe different habitats in French and in History we learned how to use a census to help us learn all about the past.

We have had a fantastic February full of exciting learning across all our subjects!

In Maths, we have been learning about multiplication and division.
We explored equal and non-equal groups and practised recognising the difference between them. We made equal groups by sharing objects and adding them together to find totals. We also learned how to write multiplication sentences and created arrays to help us see the groups clearly. Arrays really helped us understand how multiplication works and we enjoyed matching them to number sentences!

In Literacy, we focused on descriptive writing inspired by the beautiful 2015 John Lewis advert Man on the Moon. We wrote thoughtful descriptions about the lonely man and imagined how he might have been feeling. We worked hard to use expanded noun phrases and exciting adjectives in our writing.
We also watched the short film Baboon on the Moon and created more descriptive pieces. We described the setting on the moon and the emotions of the character. Our writing showed wonderful imagination and empathy.

In Science, we continued our learning about life cycles. This month, we explored the life cycle of a chicken and learned about how a chick grows inside an egg. We had lots of fun investigating boiled and raw eggs. We carefully observed them and even used microscopes to look closely and spot differences. It was very exciting working like real scientists!

We also took part in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Big Bird Watch. We spent time observing and counting the birds we saw, helping scientists learn more about wildlife in the UK.

For Safer Internet Day, we learned about the acronym SMART to help us stay safe online. We talked about how to keep our personal information private and what to do if something online makes us feel worried or uncomfortable.

In RE, we explored the question: What is the good news Christians believe Jesus brings? We listened to the story of the tax collector and discussed themes of saying sorry and forgiveness. We thought carefully about how forgiveness can help mend friendships and why it is important to show kindness and understanding.

We are so proud of all the hard work Year 2 has shown this month. We have demonstrated fantastic teamwork, creativity and curiosity in our learning. We can't wait to see what March brings!