Blisland Primary Is Chess‑Crazy!

A Fantastic Term for Our Chess Club

Over the past six weeks, Blisland Primary Academy has been buzzing with excitement as more than 20 children from Year 2 through to Year 6 have taken part in our rapidly growing Chess Club. What began as a weekly after‑school activity has quickly turned into a whole‑school passion, with pupils discussing strategies in the playground and chess boards appearing across classrooms throughout the week.

One of the most impressive parts of this half‑term has been watching the children's skills develop so quickly. For many, these were their very first chess lessons, yet the improvement has been remarkable. Pupils have learned how to open games with confidence, exploring several well‑known opening ideas-including the incredibly popular London System, a favourite among beginners and experienced players alike for its solid structure and clear plan.

We also spent time studying some essential end‑game techniques. A highlight for many children was mastering the ladder checkmate, a satisfying and important pattern that teaches players how to coordinate their rooks effectively. Seeing pupils spot opportunities for this checkmate in their own games has been a proud moment for everyone involved.

Chess enthusiasm hasn't been limited to club time, either. The school has become truly chess crazy, with spontaneous games breaking out during lunchtimes, wet play sessions, and even outdoor breaktimes whenever a board is available. It has been wonderful to watch children of different year groups mixing together, teaching each other new ideas, and celebrating both their victories and their learning moments.

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to the parents and families who have kindly donated chess sets. Your generosity has allowed more pupils to join in the fun and has helped the club grow far beyond what we first imagined. Thanks to your support, we now have enough boards for 10 games at the same time.

As this term's sessions come to an end, we are thrilled with the progress, enthusiasm, and sportsmanship shown by all players. We will be picking up Chess Club again next year, and we cannot wait to see how our young strategists continue to develop.

Well done, everyone-and keep practising those openings and end‑games! ♟️

This week we have continued our Pirate adventures as the children have had such fun with this topic.  We also introduced some Mermaid stories and artwork.

We have also been discussing our Spring changes and what we have been doing seeing outside as the weather begins to warm up.  Some of our children are lucky enough to live on farms and have shared with us the excitement of having baby lambs being born!

With the school field drying up nicely we were able to enjoy lots of running and exploring outside, the children noticed lots of buds appearing on the trees and birds singing as we stood quietly to listen.

Next week is our final week before the Easter break, we will enjoy some Easter themed activities and the Easter service over in church on Wednesday afternoon.

A reminder that School and Pre-school finish at 1.15pm on Thursday 2^nd April.

Another busy week at school has included a Year 5 trip to Liskeard Fire Station, where pupils learned all about safety on the railways, online, on the roads, and when using electricity. They also tried their hand at choking prevention and CPR and explored the risks associated with smoking. On Tuesday morning, Reception had a very enjoyable trip into Polperro to find out more about how post is processed and delivered from the post office.

FOPS Fundraising Quiz Night New Date - Friday 24th April Our Quiz Night has been rearranged for Friday 24th April. The event which will be held at school is open to parents, carers, and friends of the school. Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start. Why not form a team of 4-6 people and test your knowledge while supporting our fundraising efforts. Tickets are £5 per person and are available from the school office. See the attached poster for more details.We hope to see you there!

Clubs After half term, clubs will remain the same as follows, including Y6 SATS clubs. Once the greenhouse has been delivered (date tbc), Art Club on Thursdays will end and we will set up gardening club which will be run by Miss Randle and Mrs Fitzsimmons.
Monday: After School Running Club (Miss Bowden and Miss Bolton) for years 3-6.
Tuesday: Lunchtime Construction Club (Mrs Lister) for Reception/Y1/Y2; After School Girls' Football Club (Mr Peters and Miss Bowden) for years 3-6
Thursday: Lunchtime Choir (Mrs Butlin) for years 2-6; After School Art Club (Mrs Fitzsimmons) for Reception/Y1/Y2 (limited numbers, 1st come 1st served);  After School Football Club (Mr Langley) for years 3-6.

If your child would like to join any of the clubs available for their year group and has not already signed up, please let us know by email or telephone. Please note that once children have signed up to a club, they are expected to attend every week unless they are absent from school or we have received written parental permission for them not to attend. This applies to both lunchtime and after-school clubs.

Easter Bikeability Cycling Sessions Please see attached poster for details of cycling sessions available at Callington Community College during the Easter holidays for pupils aged 4 upwards.

Easter MHST Wild Wellbeing - new venues added Tehidy Woods and Lanhydrock House have now been added to MHST Wild Wellbeing for Easter. The link for sign up remains the same. The Mental Health in Schools Team (MHST) Wild Wellbeing sessions being run this Easter holidays in collaboration with Natural England, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and National Trust. These free sessions are open to children aged 5-12 to help understand and support emotional and mental wellbeing. Each session will be approximately 2 hours long. Sign up details are included in the attached poster. Sign up will close one week before the session date, or when the session reaches capacity, whichever comes first.

Diary Dates Next Thursday 2nd April is the last day of the Spring term and school ends for pupils at 1:30pm. On Thursday morning we will have a visit from the Easter Bunny. The first day of the Summer term after the Easter break will be Monday, 20th April. Looking ahead to the Summer term, Sports Day will be held at 10am on Tuesday 23rd June with a reserve date of Friday 26th June.

Have a great weekend.

Mrs Hillman

This week in Year 1, the children have been busy exploring a range of exciting topics across the curriculum. In Science, they have been investigating everyday materials, learning to identify different types and discussing their properties. The children enjoyed thinking about what materials objects are made from and why certain materials are chosen for specific purposes.

In Geography, we have been learning about cities from around the world. The children have focused on identifying human and physical features, developing their understanding of how cities are structured and what makes each one unique. As part of this topic, they have been writing sentences about Cape Town in the style of a non-chronological report. The children have worked hard to include key facts and use clear sentence structure to present their ideas.

In Maths, Year 1 have continued to build their confidence with multiplication and division. They have been learning their 2 and 10 times tables and are beginning to understand how these link to division, particularly dividing by 2. The children have been using practical resources and repeated addition to support their learning, and it has been wonderful to see their confidence grow.

In PSHE, we have been discussing road safety. The children learned about how to stay safe when crossing the road, the importance of looking both ways, and how to be aware of their surroundings when near traffic. This is an important life skill, and the children engaged thoughtfully in our discussions.

In Reception, the children have been exploring directions and maps. They have been learning how to give and follow simple directions, helping to build their early geographical skills. A highlight of the week was using Beebots, which the children thoroughly enjoyed. They had great fun programming the Beebots to move in different directions, developing their problem-solving and teamwork skills along the way.

TALLAND'S BLOG 27.3.26

We can't believe Spring 2 is nearly over! It's been another busy and high-energy week in Talland Class, and the children have been fantastic throughout.

Here's a snapshot of what we've been learning:

Maths:
Year 5 have completed their first unit on fractions and have now begun exploring negative numbers.

Year 4 have continued their work on fractions, with a particular focus this week on adding and subtracting fractions.


English:
This week, we finalised our plans for writing a newspaper report based on Oliver Twist. Today, the children began writing their reports independently, and we're very impressed with their effort and creativity so far.

History:
In History, we learned about Lord Shaftesbury and the important changes he helped bring about for children. We discussed the Factory Act of 1833, which introduced laws to ensure children received an education instead of working long hours in difficult and often dangerous jobs.

Art:
We explored the work of artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman, focusing on how she creates and interprets self-portraits. The children enjoyed discussing her vibrant and expressive style.

Science:
In Science, we investigated how solids can change into liquids-using chocolate as our example! While it did feel like a bit of a waste of a tasty treat, it certainly helped us understand the concept.

PE:
In PE, the children have continued developing their cricket skills. This week, we focused on fielding and effective communication, helping teams return the ball to the wicket quickly and efficiently.

Celebrations:
Congratulations to Esmai and Max for progressing to the next round of the 99 Club-well done! A big well done as well to Lowen and Harley for demonstrating our school values. They have shown excellent work ethic and kindness towards their peers.

That's all from Talland Class this week. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and look forward to seeing everyone next week.

Signing off, Mr. Langley and Mr. Bishop.

This week has been a very busy and fun-packed week! Wednesday saw Year 5 take part in the Junior Life Skills Roadshow at Liskeard fire station. The children had the opportunity to learn valuable skills like CPR, lifesaving skills and electrical safety. They also had the opportunity to learn about the public transport system and health talks such as stopping smoking. Also on Wednesday, some of the children braved the cold at Sterts to join in with lots of other local schools for the Songfest. This celebration of singing and music was wonderful and the children performed beautifully. Thank-you to Mrs Lake and Mrs Nel for their hard work making this so successful. Mr Massey (the CEO) Mrs Gilbert (deputy CEO), Mrs Sanson (Area Executive Head) and Mrs Spencer (Head of St Cleer) all came for a visit this week. They visited the children in the classes, looked at the learning and Before we break up for Easter, a reminder that next Thursday is a half day and children can be collected at 1.30 from their usual door. If you are unable to collect the children at this time, please let us know so we can make arrangements. Also, please may I thank you all for not parking in the car-park at pick up and drop off and after clubs. This is to protect children as they leave the school grounds. Can I also remind you not to park on the zig-zag lines outside school. These need to be kept clear for safety reasons too. Thank-you for your understanding.

Landaviddy

This week in English, we have been exploring the key features of a non-chronological report in preparation for writing our own reports about volcanoes. We have read and discussed a range of example texts about three famous mountains and volcanoes: Ben Nevis, Kilimanjaro and Mount Etna. While examining these reports, the children identified important writing features such as our Year 3 spelling words, technical vocabulary, expanded noun phrases, the use of the present tense and clear subheadings. This has helped the class to understand how information can be organised and presented effectively in a non-chronological report, ready for when they begin writing their own informative pieces about volcanoes. 

This week in Maths, we have begun our new topic on fractions. The children have been developing their understanding of unit fractions by exploring the meaning of the denominator and how it shows the number of equal parts a whole is divided into. We have also been learning about the numerator and how it tells us how many parts are being counted. 

This week in Design and Technology, we have been creating our own volcano pictures using oil pastels. The children worked really hard on their artwork, carefully choosing colours and blending them to create dramatic volcano scenes. The pictures have turned out fantastically and the effort the children put into them really shows. Next, we will be adding a lever mechanism so that the pictures can erupt with lava, bringing our volcano designs to life. I cannot wait to see the finished creations!

This week in Science, we have been continuing our learning about pushes and pulls by exploring magnets. The children carried out an investigation to find out which materials are magnetic. Before beginning the investigation, they made predictions using their prior knowledge and discussed their ideas with their classmates. They then tested a range of different materials to see whether they were attracted to a magnet, helping them to develop their scientific enquiry and observation skills.

A huge congratulations to Tommy for being Miss Bolton's Person of the Week! Tommy consistently follows the class and school rules and is a polite and respectful member of our class. He works very well with others during group tasks and always shows a positive attitude towards his learning. Tommy, you are a pleasure to teach and your work reflects the effort and determination you put into your lessons. Well done!

Miss Colten chose Dexter this week as she was particularly impressed with his positive attitude towards his learning. He has worked really hard to stay on task and his effort is clearly reflected in the work he has produced. Keep it up, Dexter.

A big congratulations to Lowen for achieving their 99 club badge this week - a fantastic effort. Well done to everyone, we hope you have a lovely weekend!

Miss Bolton & Miss Colten

 Storytellers had a wonderful and memorable visit to a local dairy farm, where the children learned all about where milk comes from. They were fascinated as they watched the milking parlour in action, seeing the cows being gently cupped up while the milk flowed through the tubes.

 The children discovered how farmers care for their cows, learning about the special collars the cows wear that provide important information about their health and well-being. They even had the chance to look into the huge tank where the milk is stored before enjoying a taste of delicious milk themselves.

  Exploring further, the children visited the area where the cows sleep and were curious to smell the specially prepared food that keeps them healthy. A particular highlight was the colourful disco light in the barn, much to their amusement! They learned that it plays an important role in keeping starlings away.

 There was great excitement as the children climbed into a huge tractor, bringing big smiles and lots of chatter.

 This fantastic experience helped the children to better understand where our food comes from and truly brought their learning to life. A huge thank you to Archie's family for making this special visit possible.

Caterpillar Celebration Day!

Tregantle Class celebrated National Caterpillar Day in style this week. The highlight of our celebrations was creating a paper chain caterpillar that stretched the entire length of our classroom. All of the children joined in, using good fine motor skills to carefully manipulate and glue the paper strips together. We were so pleased with the finished result and loved seeing our giant caterpillar come to life.

With perfect timing, just a few days later, our first class caterpillar hatched out of its cocoon and we now have our first butterfly. The children have been so excited to observe it, especially its lovely fluttery wings. It has been a wonderful opportunity to see real life changes happening right before our eyes.

To top it all off, we have seen some incredible writing from Tregantle children this week. They have been using their Fred Fingers to help spell words and label a spring picture. We were even impressed to see some children writing full sentences.

What an amazing week for Tregantle Class. We are so proud of all the children and their fantastic efforts.

Thank you for your continued support. Please find this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin. 

March

Today, Year 6 were able to join in with a fantastic online learning experience through our online resource, TTRockstars.

Gareth Metcalf, famous for his work in mathematics education, especially through the initiative, 'I See Maths', led a live Maths lesson, where the children were taught personally by him.

The objective of the lesson was to help the children to unpick mathematical word problems, with a particular focus on Key Stage 2 multi-step multiplicative word questions. Gareth showed the children how to eliminate unnecessary information, how to draw bar models to help to understand the various steps and how to make sure that the right operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) were chosen.

The children also had the opportunity to create their own multi-step word problems, using given operations, aiming for a particular answer.

Year 6 really enjoyed the session and hopefully these new-found skills will add to their confidence when they do their SATs papers in May!

As we approach the end of term, there is a race to complete lots of activities before starting again after Easter. Here are a few of the things that have kept us busy:

Design Technology
Class 4 children have been finishing their model playground structure designs. From measuring, cutting and joining materials to thinking about the aesthetic quality of different finishes, there has been a lot of learning over the last couple of weeks. Meanwhile, Class 3 have been designing model cars with the design brief that they must be able to assemble it from a kit.


Bridge Trust Singing Event
On Monday 16th, Year 6 pupils attended a Bridge Trust music event in Liskeard. Working with Canadian folk musician Luke Wallace, who writes songs about the environment, the children learnt and performed some songs before singing their own song, which they had been learning in the build up to the event. The Harrowbarrow song, Easy On The Earth, was written by Melissa Pinfield. She also accompanied the children on her clarinet in St Martins Church.

Songfest
Barrow Beats children joined pupils from lots of other schools to enjoy  singing together at the Sterts Theatre on Wednesday. This annual event is always popular with the choir.

Space Dome
To conclude our science learning for the term, the children enjoyed a visit to the Space Dome at the village hall today. Classes 1, 2 and 4 participated in a space workshop, whilst Class 3 learnt about light and sound. This fantastic resource brings science to life and adds an awe and wonder element that can make learning so magical.



Parenting Support
For a better quality version of the poster below, please see the noticeboard at the front of the school or pop into the school office for a copy.



Last day of term
A reminder that next Thursday is the last day of term and so children will need collecting at 1.30pm. We look forward to seeing everyone for the start of the summer term on Monday 20th April.