Another busy week has flown by in Chaipel and we are fully immersed into our retelling of the Mayan folktale, THE HERO TWINS. We will be continuing this into next week, as the tale gets to its dilemma and resolution stages. Will the Hero Twins be victorious? Let's wait and see...

 In Maths, we have be assessing our understanding of the four operations (addition/subtraction/multiplication/division), and identifying vertically opposite angles in our Friday Shape and Measurement lesson. Next week, Y6s will move onto Fractions - identifying equivalent fractions and ordering and comparing them.

Our Christmas play rehearsals are going well and we will be endeavouring to practise without scripts from Monday. 

In our Wider Curriculum, we have been researching the benefits and drawbacks of a range of energy sources in Geography, identified the qualities of a Saviour in RE, learnt about the incredible life of Roberta Cowell in PSHE, observed Mayan artifacts in History and created our 3D lanterns for the village's Light Switch-On next Saturday.

CONGRATULATIONS to Chilali for being our Person of the Week, showing EXCELLENT values in her Mayan narrative write-up.

Take care and have a lovely weekend,

Miss Randle and Mrs Clary

Christmas play rehearsals are in full swing and the children have done an excellent job learning their lines and practising the songs.  A costume letter was sent home earlier in the week. If you have any questions, please do let me know.

On Monday we participated in our whole School Black History month assembly where we shared the life and artwork of Lubaina Himid. In Computing, we loved exploring animation by creating our own stop motions using the stop motion studio app. We had to carefully consider how to use small movements to make sure our animations flowed. In Art, we used our line sketches from last week and enlarged these to create our own cave using charcoal. Finally in History this week, we learnt about the prehistoric dwellings of Skara Brae. We were curious archaeologists, considering the evidence left behind and debating what each part might have been. 

During Maths lessons this week, we have continued to use the column method when subtracting across 10 boundaries. In English, we have finished our Stone Age stories and began writing up our copies in pen.

Congratulations to Amelia, Evie and Hector for being chosen as Landaviddy's People of the week. And a big well done to Evie for achieving her 55 club badge.

We hope you have a fab weekend and we look forward to seeing you on Monday, where the build up to Christmas officially begins!

Mrs Wilkie, Mrs Lister and Miss Colton

This week has been a wonderfully busy and exciting one in school, filled with learning, creativity and lots of seasonal activities. We have continued practicing for the nativity, working hard to learn our dance routines and singing plenty of festive songs. The children are growing in confidence each day, and it has been lovely to see their enthusiasm and teamwork as they rehearse together.

In English, we enjoyed a special activity where we toasted marshmallows and used the experience as inspiration for our writing. The children wrote thoughtful notes and then moved on to independently creating their own sets of instructions. They focused on using bossy verbs and time conjunctions to make their writing clear and easy to follow. Next week, we will be using our writing toolkit to edit and improve these instructions, helping the children develop their proofreading and revising skills.

In maths, we have been exploring number lines to 100, concentrating on identifying and filling in missing numbers. This has helped strengthen the children's understanding of number order, place value and counting in different intervals.

For PSHE, we had an important discussion about bullying. The children shared ideas about how it feels to be left out and the emotions that come with it. We talked about the importance of kindness and identified trusted people they can talk to if they ever feel worried or upset.

In History, the children completed their timelines for the Gunpowder Plot. They showed great recall of key events and enjoyed sequencing the story to build a clearer understanding of how and why it happened.

During PE, we took part in a winter-themed dance session. The children expressed themselves through movement, developing coordination, rhythm and confidence while embracing the festive spirit.

In Science, we have been learning about life cycles. The children explored how different living things grow and change over time, making links between animals, plants and the stages they go through as they develop.

Reception have also had a fantastic week. They have been working very hard on blending sounds in phonics and are making great progress. In maths, they have been exploring odd and even numbers through fun, practical activities. They have also been learning about different celebrations, building their understanding of traditions and special events from a range of cultures.

Reception Stay and Play - for children joining Reception in September 2026
The Reception team had a wonderful time meeting parents and children at our Reception 2026 open afternoon on Wednesday. It was great to see lots of happy faces come into the setting and confidently explore all of the resources we had out. The children had a great time making cards, exploring the outdoor area on scooters and bikes, and making funny faces with playdoh! We have one more open event on Thursday 4th December at 10:00am. If you would like to join us for this, please register your interest with the school office at secretary@wadebridgeprimary.co.uk The team will look forward to seeing you. From Mrs Yates - EYFS Phase Lead

Year 3 Stay and Learn
This morning, Year 3 enjoyed welcoming parents and carers into school for their 'Maths Stay and Learn' session focused on the 3 times tables. Using practical resources, the children and adults worked together to figure out multiplication answers, with each correct solution revealing a letter to help crack a secret word. The activity encouraged teamwork, enthusiasm and growing confidence in using multiplication skills. Thank you to all the families who joined us and supported the children's learning. From the Year 3 Team

Term 1 ECAs Finish for the Term - Friday 5th December
A reminder that all our after school extra-curricular activities (ECAs) end next Friday 5th December. Sign up for our new Term 2 ECAs will be sent out before Christmas. Term 2 ECAs then begin on Monday 12th January 2026.

WPA Family Carol Service - Tuesday 9th December 17:00 at Egloshayle Church
We look forward to welcoming you all to our family carol service on Tuesday 9th December at Egloshayle Church. This isn't a ticketed event but is likely to be well attended. The rugby club, opposite the church, have kindly offered their car park.

WPA Christmas Fun Run 2025 - Wednesday 10th December
Now a WPA Christmas tradition, the fun run is back, and the elf will once again be returning to WPA!
On Wednesday 10th December all year groups will take part in our Christmas Fun Run in aid of a charity close to our hearts. For the last few years, we have helped Children's Hospice South West raise much needed funds to provide vital support to children and their families. We are once again asking pupils to take on the fun run and high-five the elf (if they want to) and get as much sponsorship as possible. The route around the school grounds will be shared with pupils soon. The date of the run is also our Christmas Jumper and Christmas Lunch Day, therefore the plan is pupils will be dressed in Christmas attire for the run should they wish to. Like last year, we are using a Just Giving page to raise funds - see email sent home for the link. Children's Hospice South West appreciate any donation given, regardless of amount.
Mr O'Dwyer

Winter Fayre - Friday 12th December 15:30-17:00
We look forward to welcoming everyone to our Winter Fayre on Friday 12th December. There will be a mix of stalls, games and refreshments on offer to both enjoy and raise money for the school. With FOWPAs support, our efforts this year are going towards improving our outdoor learning and play environment.
In the lead up to our Winter Fayre, FOWPA are asking for donations for the tombolas. If you have good condition winter or Christmas themed items or decorations, books, toys, crafts, sweets, treats or drinks (non-alcoholic only), or clean cuddly toys to share, we would be very grateful! Please send any items in with the children to be collected in class next week. Thank you for your support!

Cinema Trip Reminder (Reception-Year 6)
We are really looking forward to our traditional annual Christmas trip to Wadebridge Cinema. If you haven't done so already, please click complete the online permission form (one per child please) giving permission for your child to attend, by Friday 12th December. Payment is made separately via your ParentPay account. If you don't wish for your child to attend the cinema trip (please tick this box on the form), they will remain supervised in school taking part in an alternative learning activity for the morning.

KS1 Nativity Tickets Reminder - Message for Year 1 & 2 families only
Our KS1 children are busy rehearsing A Bundle of Joy ready to perform to their parents/family members and the school. Tickets are now available for parents/family members in Year 1 and Year 2. If any Year 1 & 2 families haven't ordered their tickets yet, please complete the ticket request form by Monday 8th December, 18:00. If we have any tickets remaining, we will then email all families with details of how to obtain any further tickets on a first-come-first-served basis.

Football News
Recently the boys and girls football teams took part in the East section of Cornwall Schools FA cup. Both teams performed really well against some tough opposition. It was really pleasing to see the great skill, effort and teamwork on show from our teams. All the players represented the school fantastically, showing great respect towards opposition players and the referees. It was a lovely event, thoroughly enjoyed by both staff and pupils, and we look forward to taking part in many more in the future.
From Mrs Callister & Mr Langton

MHST SPACE Programme for Parents/Carers - January 2026
MHST are organising a SPACE (Supporting Parents And Children Emotionally) programme for parents/carers starting in January 2026. This free programme is designed for parents/carers to better understand and support their children's emotions, offering practical approaches to support children and cover some coping strategies. The link and QR code for sign up can be found in the email sent home.

House Points
Congratulations to this week's winners, Choughs. Overall, Choughs maintain the lead:
Choughs - 4524
Puffins - 4028
Swans - 3804
Cormorants - 3488

Have a wonderful weekend.
Best wishes,
Chris Wathern

TALLAND'S BLOG 28.11.25

What an action packed week it's been in Talland.. Black History Month Assembly, Play Practice and a whole lot of Viking based acting!

Talland and Chaipel have continued to  combine forces whilst learning lines and songs for our upcoming Christmas production - It's beginning to take shape!

Here's a breakdown of our week:

Maths:
Year 5 have been multiplying  and dividing decimals by 10, 100 and 1,000. They have also been measuring angles and lengths on regular and irregular polygons. If you have a protractor at home, the children would hugely benefit from a bit of extra practice. 
Year 4 have been identifying tenths and hundredths. They have also solved problems involving area.

English: Talland did  a tremendous job at presenting facts and reading inspirational poems about Ade Adepitan to the school during our Black History Month Assembly. We've also got into the nitty gritty of Beowulf and the children have begun writing some fantastic atmospheric sentences with the use of figurative language. 

History: We looked at the famous pillage of Lindisfarne, reenacting the journey of the Vikings on their Long Boats/Dragon Ships and the slaughter of the monks... Talland thoroughly enjoyed it!  

CONGRATULATIONS to Isabelle for being noticed this week for showing our school values and working well independently... she even wanted to continue writing in her break time... WOW!

That's all from us in Talland this week. We hope you have a great weekend and can't wait to see everyone next week.

Signing off from Mr. Langley and Mr. Bishop.

 Today, our Storytellers enjoyed a truly special morning full of festive cheer and community spirit. We began our adventure at Blisland Church, where the children proudly added their beautiful handmade decorations to the Christmas tree. It was lovely for them to see their work displayed for everyone in the village to enjoy, and to feel part of something bigger within our local community.

We then wrapped up warm and walked together to Blisland Village Shop, where the children posted their Christmas wishes to Santa in the fabulous festive postbox. It was a joy to watch them chatting with familiar faces and experiencing first-hand what makes village life so special.

 The kindness didn't stop there - the children were treated to a delicious hot chocolate with marshmallows and a gingerbread biscuit, which was the perfect winter warmer and a wonderful example of our community's generosity and care.

 With happy hearts and rosy cheeks, we strolled back to nursery in the winter sunshine, feeling proud, connected, and full of festive magic.

 We are incredibly proud of our small crew and so thankful to be part of such a warm, welcoming community. A huge thank you to Pat and Karen for helping to make this wonderful experience possible - moments like these are what childhood memories are made of. 

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

We have been planning our Jack and the Beanstalk stories in English. We will be rewriting them with a Christmas theme and I am pleased and amused by some of the children's ideas:
Instead of selling a cow at market, Jack will be selling a micro-pig in a blanket. 
Jack will get magic sprouts instead of magic beans which will grow into a giant sprout stalk. 
At the top, he will find a gingerbread house with an evil elf inside and he will steal a golden advent calendar. 

In maths, we have been learning about angles and how we can use our knowledge of triangles, straight lines and angle properties to find missing angles. 

In science, we investigated with voltage and the effect this has on a series circuit. We tried different amounts of cells, motors, wires and bulbs to see what would happen. We also discovered that a circuit with a 1.5v cell and one bulb would still work even with 27 wires - it was a very dim light though. 

Have a great weekend!

Miss Burton

The children in Treyarnon class got to experience life as an evacuee child today. They came to school with their wonderful outfits ready to learn all about World War Two. 

We started off by creating pictures about the The Blitz using silhouettes and shadows. We couldn't resist adding a bit of glitter!

Then, we found out all about rations and how people had to be very creative with their recipes. With that in mind, we made some carrot biscuits using a recipe from the war. Despite being dubious at first, the children  all agreed that they were delicious. 

We have been learning about electricity in science and we have become experts at building circuits. We were able to use that knowledge to learn Morse Code and send messages and codes to each other. 

It has been a fantastic day full of learning and creativity!

We celebrated World Kindness Day by giving compliments to each other. We learnt what makes a good compliment first and why it is so important to be kind. Each child now gets to keep a list of shooting stars which are filled with all the lovely things people like about them. 

Friday 28th November 

Some of this week's wonderful exploration has included:

We have nearly finished our Little Red Hen unit of work in English this week. We have been exploring what we would need to make bread. We have explored ingredients and how we would make the bread. The children have used their phonic knowledge to write a list and also sequenced a set of bread making instructions! Next week we walk down to town to buy some bread and then come back to school and eat it! We will also be baking our own bread too!

The children have been matching numerals to representations of numbers to 10 this week and they completed a lovely lesson with our student teacher Miss Wilson.

The children have loved exploring Little Red Riding Hood as their traditional tale this week. They have decorated pictures, practiced cutting skills by making story scenes, completing Little Red Riding Hood maths activities and so much more!

We are coming to the end of term now and have lots of exciting things planned so please look out for information on your emails.

Have a lovely weekend

The Foundation Team 

What a busy week it's been at Darite! Christmas rehearsals are in full swing - it promises to be a great performance. Tickets are now available on ParentPay for the two performances on the 11th December. The whole school had a wonderful time at the Eden project yesterday, exploring, skating and learning. Please see some of the wonderful pictures below. Thank-you again for the community donation which made the trip not only possible but free! Darite is a very special community to be part of. Tomorrow is the Liskeard Lights Up parade and some of the children from Class 2 will be walking with their amazing lanterns that they made last Friday. We hope to see you there (hopefully the weather plays ball). The event is meeting in the Cattle Market at 5pm and the parade begins at 5.30. It would be wonderful to see lots of children there but a reminder that they need o be accompanied by a parent or carer who is responsible for them at the event. Finally, a few pieces of housekeeping. We are a nut-free school due to children and adults having allergies to nuts. This includes sandwiches with chocolate and nut spread in them. Thank-you for helping to protect members of the community. From Monday, can we ask that children attending breakfast club enter the school through the main door and the bell is rung to alert staff. This will maintain site safety in the morning.

Embracing Nature

What a wonderful week we've had in Tregantle Class!

At Forest School, we embraced the beauty of autumn by making our own nature necklaces. The children carefully selected colourful leaves and threaded them to create unique pieces of natural art. This activity was fantastic for strengthening fine motor skills and encouraging creativity in an outdoor setting. It was lovely to see everyone so absorbed in the magic of nature.

Back in the classroom, we got into the festive spirit by making gingerbread ready for the Christmas season. The children practised weighing and mixing the ingredients, using all their senses to explore the spices and textures. The room was filled with excitement-and the delicious smell of ginger!

We've also been getting stuck into books! Tregantle Class have shown a real enthusiasm for reading this week, spending time in our cosy book corner and enjoying story times with both old favourites and brand-new reads. Their love of books is truly shining.

One of the highlights of our week was our trip to Saltash Cinema-our very first trip out of school together! The children walked beautifully to our local cinema and were thrilled to watch The Wild Robot as part of National Cinema Week. It was a memorable and exciting experience for everyone.

Well done for another fantastic week, Tregantle Class! Your curiosity, enthusiasm, and teamwork continue to make us proud.

Another very busy week has flown by at school. On Monday, we held our Black History Month assembly, where the children shared their learning linked to this year's theme: "Standing Firm in Power and Pride." This theme celebrates the courage, resilience, and achievements of Black people around the world. Penhallow Class told us about the poet Benjamin Zephaniah and recited one of his poems beautifully. Landaviddy Class shared their work on artist Lubaina Himid, whose colourful artwork celebrates culture and identity. Talland Class taught us about Ade Adepitan, the Paralympian and TV presenter who inspires others through his determination, and Chaipel Class introduced William Robinson Clarke, the first Black pilot to fly for Britain in the First World War. The assembly was a thoughtful and uplifting celebration and we are very proud of how confidently and respectfully the children shared their learning.

Cross Country success Well done once again to our intrepid cross-country running team, who did the school proud in their race at Great Trethew. Six of our runners finished in the top 25, and all 20 competitors completed the race with 12 achieving personal bests. Another fantastic effort. Well done, runners!

Willow Lantern Making Every child in the school has taken part in creating willow lanterns for the Polperro Lantern Parade on 6th December. A huge thank you to the parents who came in to help. It was a very gluey and sticky experience, but the results were well worth it!

Christmas Gift Shop fundraiser - Christmas MUFTI next Wednesday, 3rd December We will be having a Christmas-themed MUFTI Day on Wednesday 3rd December. Children are welcome to come to school in their favourite festive outfits. In return, we'd really appreciate it if they could bring in two new or unused items - things like chocolates, toiletries, socks, notebooks, or any small gift you'd be happy to receive. (Just no alcohol, please!). The items will reappear in our Christmas gift shop on 17th December.

Clubs Next week clubs will run as usual apart from football club on Thursday as we have a home match against Downderry on that day. For the final 2 weeks of term (8 Dec - 19 Dec) there will be no clubs except for afterschool wraparound club and Breakfast Club which will continue as usual. Clubs will restart in January and we will send a letter out after the Christmas break about which ones will be running.

Christmas Fayre 2pm Friday 5th December FOPS are currently busy organising our Christmas Fayre which will be next Friday, 5th December starting at 2.00 pm. We would be grateful for donations of raffle prizes, good condition toys to sell and teddies for the teddy tombola. We look forward to seeing you there.

Polperro Christmas Lights and Lantern Procession Saturday 6th December On Saturday 6th December, before the Christmas lights switch-on, there will be a lantern procession in Polperro. Willow lanterns, handmade by children at the school, will be available for the children to carry. Each lantern has been created collaboratively by groups of pupils from all our classes, and the materials have been generously funded by the Christmas Lights Committee. Children, accompanied by their parents, should gather at the Village Hall at 4:30pm to collect a lantern, ready to set off promptly at 4:45pm. If your child carries a lantern, please ensure the cane is returned to school afterwards so it can be reused next year. Please note that although school staff will be present at the procession, children remain the responsibility of their parents at all times.

Polperro Christmas Tree Festival The Christmas Tree Festival in the Chapel will open at 11am on Saturday 6th December to coincide with the Christmas light switch on. It will be open during the evening that day as well and daily throughout December. A huge thank you to Mrs Peters for making decorations with the children to hang on a tree which FOPS are kindly sponsoring on behalf of the school.

CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE DATES reminder
Tuesday 9th Dec: Penhallow Performances 11am and 2pm
Thursday 11th Dec: Landaviddy Performances 2pm and 6pm
Monday 15th Dec: Talland and Chaipel Performances 2pm and 6pm
Please note that, to ensure we can accommodate everyone in the hall, audience numbers will be limited as follows: • Penhallow Class performances: three members per family for each performance. • Landaviddy Class performances: four members per family for each performance. • Talland and Chaipel Class joint performances: two members per family for each performance. For Landaviddy, Talland and Chaipel Class pupils, after the afternoon performance, children will need to be back in school by 5.30pm to prepare for their 6pm performance. Doors will open 30 minutes before each performance. If you choose to take photographs or videos, please ensure that no images are uploaded or shared online, including on Facebook or other social media platforms.

Please drive safely near our school We kindly ask all parents and carers to take extra care when driving to drop off or collect children. Residents have reported cars travelling too fast along the road, which has a 30mph speed limit (20mph near the school). Many of our pupils walk along this road and, with the darker evenings approaching, it is especially important to slow down. Thank you for helping to keep our children safe.

Have a great weekend

Mrs Hillman

As we approach the last few weeks of the autumn term, our focus moves to Christmas. However, there is still lots of non-Christmas related activity taking place across the school to share with you.

Multi-sports at Callington College
Yesterday, Class 3 took part in a multi-sports event at Callington College. Originally planned as a tag rugby event, the organisers had to change this due to the weather. Throughout the afternoon the children engaged in a series of activities led by sport leaders from the college. These students introduced games the children could play where they competed against each other. The afternoon concluded with a dodgeball competition. The children were brilliant throughout, participating with enthusiasm and appearing to have lots of fun.



Cross Country
Well done to all our runners who took part in the race last Friday. It is great to have so many children wanting to race. I must give a special mention to Jacob Bloye, who finished second. This is highest position a Harrowbarrow runner has achieved in over a decade, so well done to Jacob. Will we see a first by the end of the league season?

Rocksteady
Joe Spurrell from Rocksteady has been doing some brilliant work with our young musicians. Fortunately, they are keeping the volume low so the rest of the school are able to carry on working without feeling the need to spontaneously get out of their seats and start dancing!



Class 4 Parent Carer Invite
Class 4 have completed their sewing in DT lessons. On Tuesday 2nd we invite Class 4 parents and carers to an exhibition of their children's work immediately after school. The children will be very proud to show you their finished soft toy and the journey they have been on to learn about the different stages of designing and making in textiles.



Knitted Nativity
Today, Judith McQuillin from the local community presented a knitted nativity set to the school in our weekly assembly. Last year, at the church Christmas tree festival, Judith's work was on display and I commented on how lovely it was. Picking up on this comment, Judith has kindly knitted an entire nativity scene and given it to the school. This is very generous and we shall treasure it for years to come. It will now have pride of place near our  Christmas Tree in the corridor outside classes two and four.



Staffing Update
Just a reminder that our new school administrator Amy Souch starts in the school office on Monday. Amy comes from working in a secondary school office so joins us with lots of valuable experience.

Dog Fouling
Thank you to those parents who drew my attention to the recent spate of dog fouling on the pavement in front of the school. I have put a sign up to encourage dog owners to be responsible but, if this issue persists, please let me know and I will think about further action we can take.

Early finish
A reminder that, in line with other Bridge schools, we finish at 1.30pm on Friday 19th December. The spring term starts again on Tuesday 6th January.