Christmas Performances

Celebrating Success on Stage

It was wonderful to see the confidence, enjoyment and sheer enthusiasm of our children shining on stage during this year's Christmas productions. What a memorable afternoon with entertaining singing and wholehearted performances, every child gave their very best. Standing on the stage can be intimidating and needs immense bravery, however the children showed no fear and for that we are all incredibly proud of them. Being a small cast means more time on stage, creative adaptations to the story line and several costume changes, none of which dampened enthusiasm and energy and we were treated to a series of inspired and delightful performances. We now all know that it really doesn't matter whether there are three wise men - or just one very wise man!

A huge thank you to the audience for brilliant participation bringing a true Pantomime flavour and fun. Huge thank you to our parent volunteers helping source raffle prices and selling tickets on the day. Finally, huge thank you to the staff for their continued ambition to make Christmas performances memorable experiences for all our pupils.

We are incredibly proud of all our performers and hope they enjoyed every moment of taking their bows, soaking up the applause and storing these experiences away in their treasure chest of happy Polruan Primary school memories.

As always, to protect the children's right to privacy, a full selection of photographs from the day has been uploaded to Showbie for parents to access via their child's portfolio.

We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday 18th December for our Open Afternoon Sing Along with Mrs Butlin. 

Check your emails and the school calendar for the other Christmas events taking place next week.

Have a lovely weekend,
Jane Wills

New resources

This term has brought an exciting wave of new resources into our classrooms-resources that are already transforming the way children learn, explore, and express their ideas.

New iPads Spark Curiosity and Creativity
Our school has recently received a brand-new replacement set of iPads, part of the investment Bridge School Trust is making to support digital teaching and learning across its schools. At Polruan, we started this digital journey five years ago with the investment in iPads for every child funded by the Barrie Bequest and it's encouraging to have the support of the trust to make this sustainable for future pupils at the school. We are proud to offer a carefully balanced approach of digital and analogue learning to all children to support and enhance our ethos of whole child development.

The new iPads are powerful learning tools and the children are already using them to research topics, create multimedia projects, practise skills, and deepen their independence as learners. Watching them explore new functionalities and share discoveries with one another has been a joy for staff and students alike.

Bringing Science to Life
Alongside the iPads, we have also invested in a range of new science resources. These additions allow children to investigate, experiment, and explore scientific concepts in hands-on, meaningful ways. Instead of reading about ideas, the children can now test whether their hypotheses are viable, observe real-life scientific processes, and learn through rich practical experiences.

Headphones That Empower Independent Learning
We are also extremely grateful for a generous donation from the community, which has allowed us to purchase brand-new headphones for every classroom. These have already had a significant impact. The headphones enable personalised learning-particularly in subjects like maths, where questions can sometimes be lengthy. With text-to-speech features on the new iPads, children can now have questions read aloud to them instantly, without needing to wait for adult support. This small change has made a big difference, giving pupils the freedom to move through learning at their own pace.

Finally, a Thank You to Polruan Sunnysiders Wi for the donation of £420 following their successful fundraising event "Polruan has talent". We are fortunate to be part of a generous and supportive community, working with the school to help provide the very best opportunities for the children in our village.

Have a lovely weekend,
Jane Wills

Autumn

Exploring Poetry

This week, the children have been busy creating their own poems, following our full writing sequence. They began by sentence stacking together as a class, carefully planning their own ideas before drafting their first copies. We then focused on editing, making thoughtful improvements and adding new learning to produce their final best copies.

Next week, we're looking forward to sharing the poems in class. The children will have the chance to read their poems aloud, and we will record these readings so families can enjoy them too. You'll be able to listen to your child's poem through their Showbie portfolio.

Science Showcase

We have now completed our science unit on sound, and the children have developed some excellent scientific knowledge and vocabulary. During the final week of term, we'll be collating and showcasing everything they've learned - a fantastic way to celebrate their achievements.

Timetable Changes

After half term, our class timetable will be changing slightly. We'll send the updated timetable out next week so that families can plan for P.E. days and any other adjustments.

Comfy Classrooms

As the weather turns wetter and outdoor shoes make way for boots, we talked with the children about wearing slippers in class to help keep our classroom warm, clean and cosy. This idea was very popular, so if your child has a pair of slippers they'd like to wear during the school day, they can bring them in after half term.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend,
Mrs W and Mr T

Celebrating Harvest Festival
It was lovely to see so many of you on Wednesday for our Harvest Festival in Saint Saviour's. As always, the children were the stars, performing their songs and recitals with confidence and enjoyment. The Bean song is now a new favourite song, I did not think Big Red Combine Harvester could be bettered, but it has! For some of our pupils, standing up in front of a big audience can feel a little scary - but they all showed bravery and resilience and we are proud of every single one of them. A huge thank you to everyone who kindly donated food and essentials to support our local food bank. Your generosity will make a real difference to families in need in our community.

Supporting Mental Health Day
Today, we marked Mental Health Day in a simple but meaningful way. Children and staff came to school wearing something comfortable and brought in something to share with peers. In our assembly we spoke about what makes us happy and went off in teams for a scavenger hunt around the school. At break time we shared our food and recognised how it makes us feel to share food together. All children have come home with and activity to complete with someone at home.

We know how important it is for children to be able to express, recognise and understand feelings effectively as this plays a crucial role in strengthening a child's wellbeing. We have sent home a guide with some practical tips for parents to support Emotional literacy.

Have a lovely weekend,
Jane Wills

Practical Learning

This week, we have devoted time to practical learning to show our understanding of learning in different ways. In history, we have studied the lives of the Anglo Saxon settlements to find out about how they lived. The Anglo Saxons preferred living in smaller communities in contrast to the Romans, who preferred the grandeur of large buildings and cities. As Anglo Saxons had a deeper connection with the land, they used materials readily available in their immediate environment to build wattle and daub houses. We had a go at recreating this building method in the classroom with all the children building their own section of a wattle and daub inspired wall using classroom materials. The children all agreed this was time consuming, hard manual work but agreed the walls they have built are sturdy and would be suitable to keep houses safe and warm and intruders out.

In DT, we are building our frame structure pavillions using materials the children have selected to math their design brief. Next week, we will add the cladding creating the texture and aesthetics for their chosen theme.

In maths, we have made good use of our resources to model, build and represent knowledge of place value. Using counters and base ten equipment, alongside their iPads, everyone has had the opportunity to demonstrate learning in a variety of ways.

In science, we carried out several experiments to find out how sound changes when travelling through different media. We tested air, water and solids with some interesting findings.

On Wednesday, we joined in with National Fitness Day completing among other things, 10 minutes of non-stop exercise at 10am - Surprising how long 10 minutes can be!

Don't forget Mufti Day Friday
Mrs Wills and Mr Twaite

School council

Already at the end of another busy week. One of the highlights this week, has been the School Council elections, where pupils had the opportunity to vote for their peers to represent them in shaping our school. The speeches from the candidates were clear, passionate, and focused on building trust and working together to make our school an even better place. It was inspiring to hear such thoughtful messages about kindness, inclusion, and teamwork. Congratulations to all the newly elected School Council members; Erin, Lexi, Emma, Zeniah and Betsy-Mae! We look forward to working with you and hearing your ideas on what makes a great school environment for everyone.

Eco Council
In line with our continued commitment to sustainability, we're excited to announce the launch of our brand new Eco Club. Members of the club will form our very own Eco Council, working on a variety of projects aimed at making our school more climate-friendly and sustainable. They already have several exciting initiatives in the works as they set their sights on achieving Eco School Accreditation. From reducing waste to increasing biodiversity in our school grounds, their enthusiasm is great. We'll be sharing more about these projects in the coming weeks, as we'd love to get the entire school and wider community involved in this important work. To kick things off, we were delighted to welcome a team from Biffa to our school to help launch one of our key eco projects - recycling! The children had the opportunity to learn about where our recycled waste goes and how it's transformed into new products. Hopefully this experience will help everyone understand the importance of making sustainable choices.

Finally, as the rainy season continues, please ensure your child comes to school with a waterproof coat and sensible footwear. We value outdoor play in all weather, so being properly dressed means the children can enjoy their time outside comfortably and safely.

Have a lovely weekend,
Jane Wills

Welcome back!

It's been wonderful to see the children return with such enthusiasm and positivity-we're already off to a great start.

In History, we are diving into the world of the Anglo-Saxons. We'll be exploring how they lived, including recreating their building methods using wattle and daub. The children will examine real and replica artefacts, working as historians to ask questions and investigate what these items might have been used for.

In Writing, we are continuing to use our sentence stacking approach. This helps children develop a deeper understanding of how to craft effective sentences using a range of grammar features. These skills will support our independent writing project-a quest story inspired by Arthur and the Golden Rope.

In Maths, we are focusing on place value and exploring the different ways numbers can be represented. The children will use practical resources and pictorial representations to embed their understanding before moving on to work with more abstract numbers. These lessons will form the foundations for all the maths learning we will do throughout the year.

In Science, our topic is Sound. We'll be learning how we hear, and how pitch, tone, and distance affect what we hear. There are some fantastic hands-on experiments planned, and we can't wait to share photos and updates on our new classroom platform Showbie. I will introduce this at our Meet the Teacher event on Monday 22nd September so you can find out how to follow your child's learning in the classroom.

PE will take place on Monday and Friday afternoons. Please make sure your child comes to school wearing their PE kit on those days. They can wear joggers and their school jumpers on cooler days.

Your child has chosen a book band reading book matched to their current reading stage, along with a new reading record. Please encourage regular reading at home-little and often makes such a difference! Remember to send the book and reading record into school daily so your child can access them during the day.

Children also have logins for Reading Eggspress and Times Tables Rock Stars (TTR), which they are welcome to use at home for extra practice.

We're looking forward to a brilliant term of learning and discovery together!
Mrs Wills and Mr Twaite

Welcome back

I hope you have had a lovely, relaxing summer with lots of opportunities to enjoy our beautiful corner of Cornwall.

Scarecrow Competition
You may have noticed the Number 1 notice on the gate over the summer - we are delighted to have won the village competition again this year! As this was a joint school and community effort this makes it even better and we thank you all for collecting and contributing your recycling, a special thank you to Sophie and Elfwynn for taking time to help build the structure and Mrs Andrew for sourcing, cleaning and bringing the recycled fishing nets and crab pot to school - a smelly affair! We will use this as a launch pad for several sustainability projects over the coming year to involve and inspire the children, raise awareness and work towards making our school environment more climate friendly and sustainable.

Start and End times
We will continue with ALL children entering the school via the top gates which will be opened at 8:40am and the bell will ring at 8:45am for the start of the day. Adults will escort the children to their classrooms, ready for the start of the day. At the end of the day at 3:15pm, all children will leave via the top gate. Children must be collected by a known adult or by making alternative arrangements with the school office. Children in Year 5 and Year 6 can walk home by themselves with parental permission. Please make sure your child is on time in the mornings to support them by having the best possible start to the day. This means they enter the class alongside their friends, have time to chat and a chance to speak to adults about any worries or concerns before the start of the learning day.

Equipment and PE
As we seem to have entered a damp weather period, please could you make sure your child has a raincoat so they can join in with any outdoor play times. They also need a bottle filled with water, a healthy snack for break time and packed lunch if they prefer this rather than a school meal.

Canute class will have outdoor learning on Mondays and PE on Thursday afternoon. Tregeagle Class will have PE on Monday and Thursday afternoons. On the days where your child has PE, please can they attend school in their PE kit, black/blue shorts, white t-shirt and trainers. On chillier days, the children can wear their school jumpers and joggers. This will help save time getting changed and eliminate the search for spare kit so we can make the most of the active time. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher.

Attendance
As parents, we all want our children to thrive in school-academically, socially, and emotionally. One of the most important factors in helping them succeed is regular school attendance. Attendance matters because:

• Learning builds day by day. Each lesson connects to the next. Missing even a day or two can make it harder for your child to keep up.
• Good habits start early. Showing up on time and being present teaches responsibility and builds routines that last well beyond school.
• Stronger social connections. When children attend consistently, they form deeper friendships and feel a stronger sense of belonging in their classroom community.
• Higher achievement. Studies consistently show that students with regular attendance perform better in reading, math, and other subjects.

How You Can Support Good Attendance:

• Set routines at home. Regular bedtimes, morning checklists, and preparing school items the night before makes mornings less stressful.
• Communicate with the school. If your child is struggling with health, anxiety, or another challenge that affects attendance, speak to us.
• Celebrate effort. Acknowledge your child's commitment to showing up-even small encouragement goes a long way.

Consistent attendance sends children a clear message: education is a priority. By helping them build the habit of showing up every day, we are giving them the tools they need not only to succeed in school but also to develop the discipline and resilience that will serve them for a lifetime.

Dates for your diaries for this term:

Tuesday 16th September - Tregeagle BIFFA Workshop in school
Monday 22nd September - Learning information for parents
Thursday 24th September - National Fitness Day
Friday 26th September - Non uniform Day
Friday 24th October - Inset day
27th October- 31st October - Half term
Tuesday 4th November - Flu immunisations
Wednesday 10th December - Christmas lunch
Thursday 11th December - Christmas Performance
Tuesday 16th December - School trip to Aladdin at Hall for Cornwall
Wednesday 17th December - Christmas Carols around the Tree
Thursday 18th December - Christmas Gift Room Friday 19th December - Finish at 1:30

Please ensure you have logged onto your ParentPay account to refamiliarise yourselves with the platform and the Parent Portal on Arbor to complete your consents by Friday 12th September.

We have had a lovely positive start to the new academic year and we have enjoyed welcoming back both familiar faces and our newest additions.

On behalf of our fabulous staff,
Jane Wills

End of Year

It has been another excellent year for our little school. This year, we have again benefitted from the generosity of our local community with funding for water sports and swimming lessons in addition to funding for music and it was lovely to share and showcase the children's learning with families, benefactors and the wider community at our summer concert last week.

Beyond the classroom, the curriculum has been enriched with a fantastic range of trips and activities. In addition to the many specific learning trips, we took Tregeagle class to the theatre and Canute class to Lappa Valley, thanks to the generous fundraising efforts of our school community and we have already planned a trip to Hall for Cornwall to watch the Christmas Pantomime Aladdin in December thanks to the money raised at our summer concert.

On Friday, we said goodbye to our Year 6s in the Leaver's Assembly. These occasions are often sad and emotional; however, they are primarily a time for joy and celebration as we reflect on the journey of our pupils while at Polruan school. Our Year 6s have made us laugh aloud with quirky observations of life in the classroom, inspired our thinking and learning but most of all they have made us proud! They have been outstanding role models for our younger pupils, demonstrating our core values of respect, resilience, tolerance, understanding and responsibility. They have made fantastic academic progress and achieved well in all their SATs. They have shown ambition, determination and a want to succeed and for that they deserve recognition. They are a credit to themselves, their families and our school and I am certain they will continue to flourish and thrive at secondary school.

We finished the year with flurry of activities: ARENA Sports Day, visit from Royal Cornwall Farming, adding the finishing touches to our sculpture for the village competition and of course our traditional water fights and class parties.

In September, the children return to school on THURSDAY 4th. We will continue with our current arrangements of all children entering the school via the top gates which will be opened at 8:40. The children will have the opportunity to play with friends until the bell at 8:45am. Class teachers will then escort the children to their classrooms, ready for the start of the day.

We are pleased with the close ties between parents and school and thank you all for the strong support you have provided across the year and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the very special community Polruan is. We have lots of exciting plans for the next academic year which we will share on our return in September.

I hope you can all enjoy a well-earned break this summer in our lovely corner of Cornwall.
On behalf of all the staff,
Jane Wills

Activity Week Adventures

What an incredible Activity Week we've had - full of creativity, adventure, teamwork, and lots of smiling faces! Each day was packed with exciting opportunities for our pupils to try something new and make wonderful memories together.

Creative Collaboration
Some of our children had the wonderful opportunity to work alongside a local artist on a collaborative project. They explored different types of printing techniques, experimenting with colour, texture, and layering to create stunning artwork. It was fantastic to see their ideas come to life through art and teamwork!

Wild Tribe Adventures
Thanks to our partnership with ARENA, many children immersed themselves in the Wild Tribe experience - connecting with nature, developing resilience, and learning outdoor skills. From den building to fire lighting, our pupils showed great enthusiasm and curiosity.

Pizza Perfection
In a delicious twist to the week, children also had the chance to design and cook their own pizzas. Carefully choosing their toppings and kneading dough like pros, the children loved every step (especially the eating part - yum!). A wonderful way to blend creativity with cooking skills!

Year 6: The Grand Finale
Our Year 6 children enjoyed an unforgettable week filled with high-energy activities as part of their Activity Week finale. Their schedule included:

• A splash-tastic time at the Aquapark
• Soaring excitement on the zipwire
• Horse riding through scenic trails
• Football golf - that was a challenge!
• A thrilling day at Camel Creek
• Water rides galore at Woodlands

Every single activity was met with courage, laughter, and excellent behaviour. The Year 6 pupils truly modelled our school values - showing respect, kindness, resilience, and a fantastic team spirit throughout the week. We are incredibly proud of all our children for embracing new experiences, supporting one another, and having a brilliant time. 

Biscuits biscuits biscuits...

Following a super-charged week, we had a fabulous Friday afternoon making biscuits. The children transformed their plain biscuit dough into a fantastic creations; colourful, innovative and tasty, ranging from chocolate Bischoff, to chocolate spread surprise, pink strawberry and multiple marshmallow versions - I am certain there is a future baker in there! We finished the afternoon by evaluating how successful their designs tast and boxes would suit their target market.

Next week is Activity week with Year 6 off-site for Monday-Thursday and the rest of the school working collaboratively completing art projects, outdoor learning, wild tribe and cooking. Monday kicks off with local artist, Louise Kidd, coming in to school to work with the children on a shared "Big Art" project. Please send your child to school wearing clothes suitable for art, preferably old clothes and shoes, to make sure they can fully embrace the activities on offer.

Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs W

Sports Day and Assembly

Sports Day Success 

What a fantastic Sports Day we had! A huge thank you to all the parents and families who joined us — it was lovely to see so many of you there, cheering on the children and enjoying a sunny picnic lunch together. Your support made the day feel extra special. We were incredibly proud of the great sportsmanship shown by all the children. Whether they were running, jumping, throwing, or simply cheering their friends on, every child got involved and gave it their best. The smiles and laughter said it all! A very special thank you goes to Mrs Andrew and Mr Twaite for all their hard work in organising a smooth, fun-filled day. It takes a lot of planning and preparation to make an event like this run so well, and we’re very grateful. Well done to everyone who took part – we’re already looking forward to next year!

Special Visit from Captain Paul Thomas – Harbour Master 

We were delighted to welcome Captain Paul Thomas, our local Harbour Master, to school on Friday for a special and interactive assembly. Captain Thomas brought with him a variety of buoyancy aids and life jackets to demonstrate how they work, and to explain the important role they play in keeping people safe on the water. The children were fascinated to learn about the differences between the types of aids — and how each one is designed for different activities and conditions. It was a brilliant hands-on session with lots of demonstrations, and as always, the children asked some fantastic and thoughtful questions. Captain Thomas was very impressed with their curiosity and enthusiasm! At the end of the assembly, we were proud to present Captain Thomas with a handmade thank-you card from all of us, to show our appreciation for his generous support in funding this year’s watersports activities. It means so much to the children and gives them the chance to experience the water safely and confidently. A big thank you to Captain Paul Thomas for an inspiring and informative visit!

SUMMER 2

Pedal Power
There’s something wonderfully empowering about learning to ride a bike—and in Canute Class, that excitement is in full gear! With the recent arrival of six brand-new balance bikes following Mrs Fernie’s training with The Bikeability Trust, cycling will now become a dynamic part of our curriculum. The balance bikes have already provided fun, but they’re also offering much more than just smiles. By weaving cycling into our weekly sessions, we’re supporting children’s physical development, improving coordination, and building confidence. Every lesson is a chance to learn and grow—on and off the saddle.

Water Sports
In Tregeagle class, the water sports sessions have moved on to sailing lessons. Staff and instructors continue to be impressed by the children’s positive and responsible attitude; their focus, encouragement of one another, and commitment to giving their best. Teamwork is truly at the heart of all these sessions. Whether it's balancing on bikes or handling the sails, the children are learning to support one another, communicate clearly, and celebrate each other’s successes. These outdoor adventures are helping to shape a well-rounded and active learning experience.

Parent Survey Now Open
Our Parent Survey opened on this week and will remain open until Sunday 7th July. This is a valuable opportunity for you to share your thoughts, suggestions, and experiences with us. Your feedback plays a crucial role in helping us shape the learning experience and provision for the new academic year. Please do take a few moments to complete the survey—your voice matters, and we’re listening.

Click on the link: Summer 2025 Bridge Schools Trust Parent and Carer Questionnaire

Next week:
Monday: Canute class are going to Lappa Valley, Tregeagle Class are sailing
Tuesday: Opening ceremony for Bridge Schools Games
Wednesday: Sports Day – picnic lunch as usual on the field (weather permitting)
Friday: Harbour Master Paul Thomas is delivering assembly, whole class school photos

Have a lovely weekend,
Jane Wills