Today, Year 4 went on a trip to Bodmin Jail. They had a fantastic time learning about how the prison was built, what life was like for prisoners when it was in use, and more about crime and punishment. They all had an amazing time!
Year 2 had the best day ever in Newquay visiting the aquarium and the beach. The children behaved wonderfully and showed their excitement about learning.
Year 5 had a brilliant morning, with Clint from Geevor tin mine visiting as part of their topic on the Cornish tin mining and the Industrial Revolution. He talked about life down the mines and what the conditions would have been like. He then let the children look at a variety of artefacts. They loved touching the equipment and dressing up in the costumes! What a great way to bring the topic to life!
Year 3 loved the fire engine visit to school today. They tried on uniform, sprayed the hose and asked lots of questions about equipment.
Children in the EYFS had a wonderful visit from the Fire Service this week. They learnt all about the important work this emergency service provides for the community.
Year 3 had a very exciting visitor today. We learnt so much about Henry VIII's reign and what life was like in Tudor Times. It was so much fun!
After rescheduling for ice and wind, we finally had our Stunning Start in Year 2! We welcomed the Lady Time Traveller to help us learn about the Great Fire of London. We found out about how the fire started and spread and investigated artefacts that gave us clues about life in Stuart London.
The children in Year 5 performed a Christmas medley to the over 70's at their Christmas dinner celebration. The audience (of over 40 guests) all loved the entertainment and many said that it really made the event even more special for them. The singing, dancing and excellent behaviour of the children - even when the music let us down - was amazing. The children were a real credit to the school and we couldn't be prouder.
Year 2 were so excited that Denys the attendance bear took us for our reward trip today. We had the best time at soft play! Thank you to St Dennis Methodist Chapel for having us!
We all enjoyed watching the nativity story being told through the Open the Book assembly.
Christmas festivities are in full swing today as we put on our best Christmas jumpers and prepare for a group Christmas dinner with all our friends!
Today the children had a wonderful day at the Eden Project. They took part in a climate workshop where they had to race across the biomes to discover clues to help save the planet! They learned about greenhouse gasses and what they can do to lessen their carbon footprint. After all that learning, we then had fun on the ice! There were many giggles and plenty of bruises as the children took part in an ice-skating session. Thank you to Fosda for their kind donation towards the workshop and to the Hyundai Great British School Trip Team, who also contributed.
Year 3 had an exciting visit to Cornwall Museum. We took part in a Rocks workshop to link with our learning in Science. This workshop was kindly funded by Cornish Lithium. We explored the museum, learnt about Cornwall’s mining history and how different types of rocks are formed. We also made our own fossils!
Today we were flooded with yellow as we celebrated and donated to children in need. It was a great team effort and we raised £126.95. Well done to everyone!
To mark the start of Anti-Bullying week we are all sporting our odd socks in support of everybody being unique! Great effort everyone!
As part of our Science topic on materials and our work on The Three Little Pigs, we welcomed a real-life builder to our classroom! The children learned all about what builders do, explored a variety of tools (including one that was an incredible 98 years old!), and discovered why bricks make the strongest houses — even strong enough to keep out a big bad wolf! Everyone had a fantastic time exploring tools and safety gear, asking brilliant questions, and learning what it takes to build different things. What an exciting hands-on learning experience!
Year 3 had a visit from Andy from the St Austell Food Bank today. This linked to our learning about nutrition. We learnt all about the things the food bank can provide and did some fun activities too! Andy reminded us that even a small contribution can make a big difference!
In Year 4 we were treated to a visit from a Viking to fit with our History learning . Skera the Viking told the children what Viking life was like and showed the clothing and weapons used by Vikings in battle. The children asked many questions and even had the chance to hold Skera's shield. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and really brought History to life for Year 4.
What an amazing day of adventure, laughter and teamwork we had today! The children threw themselves into so many team building activities including archery, kinball, dodgeball, obstacle courses, paddle boarding, kayaking and even a silent disco!
Every moment was packed with energy and excitement and it was wonderful to see so many smiles throughout the day. Our cores values were shining brightly in every corner — from the courage shown by children trying something new (especially as our value of the week!), to the aspiration and achievement in mastering new skills.
The sense of responsibility, teamwork and friendship was just wonderful, whether it was helping a friend balance on a paddleboard or dancing together at the silent disco.
A truly unforgettable day!
Today we held our Sports Day. The day ran smoothly thanks to our Year 6 team leaders and extra helpers. All of the children competed in races including bean bag balance, relay, sack race and hurdles! All of our school values were on display - Teamwork, Achievement, Aspiration, Courage, Friendship and Responsibility! It was great to see what amazing athletes St Dennis has and everyone cheering on their class mates and team mates. The final scores were incredibly close but our overall winners were Yellow team! Well done to Yellow team and their Team Leader Kieran!
Some of our pupils from Performing Arts Club took part in the TPAT Music Showcase at the Hall for Cornwall.
It was a really busy day with many other schools performing. Our pupils performed confidently with big smiles and used our core values of friendship and teamwork by being really encouraging and supportive of each other.
We cant wait to make it even bigger and better next year! A massive thank you to Joe Rainbow, from Mullion School, who captured some of these great images of our amazing performers.
6 lucky readers won a very special trip to Waterstones Book Shop in Truro as a thank you for trying hard to complete their 'library passports'. The winners were Jowan, Archie, Lucy, Ronnie, Neve and Matthew who each got to browse the books and choose one to keep! There was even time for a drink and chance to read through their books at the cafe, before stopping at a bakery for a sweet treat on the way home! We even met the Town Crier of Truro!
Well done to all our wonderful winners and thank you for your lovely manners when representing the school!
Nursery had a great time at the beach on Friday. We enjoyed building castles and digging big holes!
Year 4 enjoyed their trip to the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre's incinerator. We learned about the 4 R's of waste management (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover) and how the incinerator burns all the household waste for Cornwall and converts (recovers) the energy to electricity which can power up to 21,000 homes annually. We even got to see the giant claw which picks up the waste in the bunker and drops it into a hopper to be incinerated.
As part of our stunning start to Godh’s last topic, ‘How do rivers impact the lives of people around the world? ‘, we took a geography field trip to Cardinham Woods. We followed the river and noted features along the way, such as valleys, tributaries and even oxbow lakes! After a walk up the river, where we got very wet feet, and then some lunch, our next stop was Tregargus Woods. Once there, we collected natural materials, and the children worked in teams to create their own rivers! They needed to include all the features we had studied.
The children in Year 5 spent the day at St Austell Fire Station, for their annual Junior Life Skills Event. The children took part in a range of activities, hosted by different organisations. The GWR were there to talk about rail safety, Transport for Cornwall instructed the children on how to be safe while using the bus and Tri-Safety Officers taught the children the basics of CPR. There were further workshops with Cornwall County Council, Healthy England and Imerys. The children were very well behaved during the day and listened well to the information. They all received a goody bag to take home to!
To launch our topic of 'Where in the world would you travel?', Year 1 welcomed The Lady Time Traveller, who showed us what Victorians did at the seaside! We looked at artefacts that Victorians used, such as a penny lick, a hot water bottle made out of Earthenware, a fizzy drinks bottle and a slapstick!
We got to look through a stereoscope, and then we watched a Punch and Judy show! We even got to recreate the Punch and Judy show with our own stick puppets. We also were able to play with Victorian toys!
We had such a fantastic time learning all about Victorians at the seaside, and we can't wait to learn even more!
Our London adventure got underway bright and early, with everyone meeting at school at 7am! Despite the early start, the children were full of excitement and ready to go!
Our first stop was the incredible Natural History Museum, and it didn’t disappoint. The children were thrilled to see things they’d learned about in class, like volcanoes, earthquakes, and Charles Darwin. It was brilliant to see their learning come to life, and it really showed their achievement and aspiration. They also loved the shop!
Later, they absolutely loved staying in the hotel, especially the breakfasts! Choosing their food, chatting with friends, and starting the day together made it feel like a real adventure.
Eating out at Bella Italia and Pizza Express was a real treat! The children loved their meals and chatting with friends over pizza and pasta. It was a great chance to practise responsibility and teamwork, and of course lots of friendship was shared around the table as well.
The London Eye was a real highlight. Some children were a little nervous at first, but they showed amazing courage stepping into the pods and were rewarded with incredible views across the city. It was a proud moment for many, and a great example of achievement and friendship as they supported each other through it.
One sunny afternoon, we enjoyed a lovely picnic in the park, complete with ice lollies! It was a chance to relax, play, and enjoy each other’s company.
We had a brilliant walk along the Southbank, taking in the sights and some skateboarding, before heading up to see Buckingham Palace.
Our river cruise down the Thames was packed with history. We sailed past the Globe Theatre, Tower of London, the Monument to the Great Fire of London, and St Paul’s Cathedral. The children listened so well and made brilliant links to what they’ve learned in school.
Watching Wicked was simply magical. The children were completely captivated by the music, the story and the amazing performances. It was a powerful reminder of courage, friendship, and following your dreams - values we talk about all the time in school.
Our final stop was the Harry Potter Studios, and it was a real highlight! From the Great Hall to Diagon Alley, the children were in awe. It was the perfect way to end an unforgettable trip.
After a great performance from Squashbox theatre, Craig joined Year 2 to make some space-themed puppets. It was so much fun and they turned out brilliantly!
Year 4 had a great time on their Residential trip to Porthpean. They engaged in some very adventurous activities such as caving, rock climbing, rock pooling and even took their skills out to sea! They were treated to some yummy food for tea and even had chance to burn off some last minute energy with a silent disco! They showed great teamwork and courage in all their activities. It was a great couple of days!
Year 2 loved going to ClayTAWC to do some planting. We helped plant the planters there and were able to plant a seed to take home. We were able to have a look round inside and find out more about the things available there. We especially loved the different libraries of things we can borrow.
Year 1 took part in the Ready Steady Sow workshop at the Eden Project! We learnt all about different seeds and how to grow plants. We looked for lots of signs of Spring with our magnifying glass and even planted our very own plant! We also looked at all the different plants in the Rainforest biome and the Mediterranean biome! We had the best time in our workshop and walking around the Eden Project!
Today two lifeguards from the RNLI visited Year 5 and 6 for an assembly all about sun safety and water safety. The children listened well and enjoyed trying on the lifeguard uniforms and looking at the equipment.
Godh Class started their new topic of 'Where can we see the influence of Ancient Greece today?', by holding a mini-Olympics on the school field. They competed in a variety of events including: running races, long jump, discus throw, javelin, wrestling, and even a chariot race! The weather was glorious and the children certainly started the new topic with smiles on their faces!
To finish our learning on Plants from last term, Year 3 visited Discovery 42 Science museum. We learnt about ecosystems and created our very own ecosystem in a jar. We then had the opportunity to explore the amazing exhibits at the museum - including a computer game controlled by potatoes!
Year 2 had an 'out of this world' stunning start with a visit from the Spaceport Cornwall. We learned about the planets and jobs we might do in the future.
Today the classrooms are filled with laughter as everyone is keen to share their jokes for Red Nose Day! Well done to everyone for their great efforts in joining in wearing something red! Look out for our winning jokes on this week's newsletter!
Year 2 had the most amazing trip to Newquay aquarium on Wednesday. We got to touch a star fish and crabs and learned lots of great facts about them. We were also lucky enough to take a trip to the beach. It was a little bit chilly though!
Year 4 had a fantastic (but scary) trip to Bodmin Jail, finding out about the gruesome past and the part the Jail played in some of the punishments handed out to some famous criminals from years ago.
Today the school has been filled with fun as we celebrate World Book Day. Great efforts made by both staff and students.
Year 6 were lucky enough to be visited by The Lady Time Traveller. She shared ancient Egyptian artefacts that had come all the way from the Valley of the Kings. The children got to see canopic jars which were used to store the organs that were removed from the body during mummification; they got to test out an ancient head rest which they determined was NOT very comfortable; got to look at some fragile vases used for makeup and special amulets used to protect the body when it travelled to the afterlife. Furthermore, they showed great teamwork and friendship when playing ancient Egyptian games.
Year 6 had a fantastic time at Newquay Zoo. We had a great time roaming the zoo and spotting all the different animals. The highlight of our day being able to feed the mongooses live crickets and locust. The children showed courage as they tickled their palms. We finished the day off with a trip to the park.
Reception had the best time at Newquay Zoo. Highlights included seeing a joey in a wallaby’s pouch, a beautiful zebra and lots of monkeys! The behaviour of our young children was exceptional, we were proud to represent St Dennis Primary Academy!
Year 1 had a special visitor today! A Cornish fisherman came to visit and showed us all his crabbing equipment, navigation maps and a compass and lifejackets! He spoke to us about how to stay safe at sea and what kinds of fish he has caught (including a shark! But don’t worry – it didn’t bite him!). He even let us try on a lifejacket! Thank you, Mr Ingram for visiting year 1, sharing everything with us and letting us keep a few special things!
Our Open the Book Assembly was about 'Jonah and the whale'. Children helped re-enact the story and learnt all about how Jonah got swallowed by the whale and the lessons Jonah learnt from his actions.
Year 3 went on a trip to Pendennis Castle today. They learnt how the castle was built during King Henry VIII's reign to help defend England from sea invasions. We saw cannons, a moat and even climbed the tower!
In support of the NSPCC, students and staff took on the challenge and 'Dressed up for digits!'. During maths, children enjoyed a range of engaging games, maths challenges, and learnt how maths is an important part of our everyday life.
Year 3 had a visit from King Henry VIII today. We had lots of fun learning about Tudor times and built on our history knowledge.
The hall was filled with laughter today as everyone enjoyed their Christmas lunch together.
Today there is a buzz of festivities here at school as we are all excited to enjoy a Christmas lunch together in our Christmas jumpers! 14 sleeps till Christmas!
We were extremely lucky today to get a visit from Santa! We all hope that we are on the Nice List.
Year 4 had a fantastic time at Falmouth Maritime Museum where they learnt all about Vikings!
Today we visited St Denys church to have a look at the Festival of Trees.
Godh class had a brilliant day at the Eden Project this week. In the morning, they took part in a climate workshop and went on a hunt around Eden for problems and solutions. The children talked about ways to reduce their carbon footprint so that they could lessen the impact of greenhouse gases on the planet. In the afternoon, the children participated in ice-skating! The core value of the week - Courage- was evident everywhere as they took to the ice. Many children went from holding onto the railings, to soaring past within a matter of minutes. A few sore bottoms and lots of giggles later, they returned to school with rosy cheeks and ideas to save the planet! What a great day out!
Today we dressed up in spots in support of Children in Need. Well done to students and staff who participated in raising money for a great cause!
Today our year 5 and year 6 pupils took part in a 'stay safe' workshop as part of anti-bullying week.
They listened to the Golden Rule of speak out and tell someone, as bullying was explained through role play and acronyms. STOP (several times on purpose) was a simple way to remember how to identify bullying and not to confuse it with someone just being unkind. Richard provided some useful techniques and how to deal with bullies and how to stop the imbalance of power. Brilliant listening from our older children!
Today we are a sea of blue as we raise awareness for World Diabetes Awareness Day! Well done everyone!
Today we are all wearing our odd socks to promote kindness and respect and to make a stand against bullying.
Well done to the children who took part in the Remembrance commemorations, in St Dennis. These are the lovely words from Mrs Liz Bradbury, one of our school Governors, who accompanied the children. "Annabelle and Alice read the act of remembrance - they were clear and confident in a packed church. Harvey-John was the wreath bearer and laid the wreath at the war memorial in front of the whole parade. Theo read the prayers in the cemetery and at the school memorial - he read clearly and with empathy. At all times, whether in the church or as part of the parade the children were respectful. So many people came up to us at the end to congratulate them on their behaviour and contribution to the service and parade." A big thank you to Annabelle, Alice, Harvey-John and Theo (and their families) for allowing them to participate in such a special occasion. We were very proud to see them representing the school within the local community.

Kroenek class had a fantastic stunning start to this half term’s question, ‘What is a hero?’ PCSO Ally visited us and explained all the heroic work she does in the community. We are also looking forward to a visit from the fire service this week.
Godh class had an amazing trip to the Spaceport Cornwall this morning! Fritha gave them a tour of the facilities and they watched a presentation about the launch of their rocket. Although the launch didn't quite end the way the spaceport planned, Fritha explained the lessons they had learned from their mistakes and that if at first you don't succeed you should just try again! Mrs Nash experienced having to enter a clean zone and then they got to view a replica of the rocket, which was amazing! Fritha commented that the children were a brilliant audience, as the class were captivated from the start! Well done, Godh Class!
It was lovely to welcome our 'Open the Book' visitors into assembly today. We heard a story about Jesus calming the storm and thought about what it means to trust someone.
We were lucky enough to have had a cake maker visit us in the nest to help us all make cupcakes. We took turns, measured our ingredients and decorated them. We had the best time!
This week, Pedrevan Class were visited by David and Janette from Shelterbox. They explained to the children the aid that Shelterbox provides to countries and people who have been affected by natural disasters. The children got to explore some of the items that are sent to communities seeking refuge.
Thank you to St Austell Foodbank who came in to speak to us at our Harvest Festival assembly.
The children in the Nest tested their courage on the water! We are all so proud of how brave they all were in taking part! Well done everyone!
Sort class carried out geography fieldwork this week. They walked up to and around the church, looking at human and physical features of the village. It was a lovely, clear afternoon and we could see as far as the sea.
Gwiwer Class were excited to have a visit from Dr. Toby. He told us about his very busy job and the things he would like us to do to keep healthy. We know we need to eat fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water and be active for at least an hour a day. We hope we never have to see Dr. Toby in hospital!
Everyone had a great day in the sunshine for our 'Team Building Day' this year! All the children used our core values to ensure everyone was included and worked as a team!
An amazing start to the year! Well done everyone!
Lowarn class had an amazing time at Truro College for the TPAT sports festival. All the children showed great teamwork and courage in every event they faced. They were acknowledged by the coaches as being a credit to St Dennis Academy for their listening skills, positivity, and showing respect throughout the afternoon. Well done to Lois, Kaiden and Evie who Miss Yorke awarded medals to for their determination and resilience during the games.
On Thursday, we really enjoyed our annual Sports Day where all our core values were on show! Congratulations to green team who won this year with 529 points. Blue came 2nd with 454 points, yellow 3rd with 385 and red 4th with 337.
Year 4 pupils had a fantastic time at Porthpean Outdoor Education Centre for their first overnight residential.
The children experienced kayaking, giant stand up paddleboarding, climbing, caving, laser tag, storytelling, and slept soundly in bunkhouses. Both the school and centre staff were impressed with the courage, teamwork and aspiration shown by every child.
Year 1 and Year 4 had an amazing time at the Eden Project yesterday. We are so proud that a member of the public stopped to share how impressed they were with the behaviour of the children. In our workshop for Year 1 we became seed experts and are hoping the nasturtium seeds we planted will grow. Year 4 learnt all about the rainforest.
We all enjoyed looking round the biomes, but it was very hot in the rainforest!
KS2 had an assembly led by the RNLI this week. The children learned how to keep themselves safe by the sea and strategies to use if they encounter difficulties. The visitors were impressed with the children's engagement and sensible suggestions.
This morning we had our Rocksteady Concert, all the children performed brilliantly and the concert was thoroughly enjoyed by parents and pupils in School. Callum from Rocksteady said, "All of the Rockstars at St Dennis have been amazing this term, their playing has come on leaps and bounds and I can't wait to hear what they achieve next term".
Well done everyone!
Rocksteady Concert 26.03.24 | St Dennis Primary Academy (primarysite.media)
Today we dressed in red to raise money for 'Red Nose Day!'
We also asked children to bring their best joke for our annual joke competition...they did not disappoint! The hallways have been filled with laughter as they have been sharing them with staff and students as they pass each other!
One of the favourites shared with us this morning was:
'What is black and white, black and white, black and white?' .... A penguin rolling down the hill!
Year 4 took a trip to Bodmin Jail to learn all about its history, and stories of events that took place there.
Year 3 visited Kerriers Solar Farm. They learnt about how solar energy works and how solar panels can help to protect the local environment.
Lots of fun activities have happened today during our World Book Day. Amazing effort was made by students and staff. Well done everyone!
To kick off our World Book Day celebrations we had a visit from Justyn Edwards, author of 'The Great Fox' books. He spoke to us in an assembly and then we took part in different activities during the day. Some of us were lucky enough to get our books signed!
Reception and Year 6 took a trip on the wild side and explored the animals at Newquay Zoo. The children were a credit to St Dennis and all the adults were very proud of their wonderful attitudes and behaviours. Highlights of the trip included an informative talk from one of the zookeepers, watching the penguins slide down a slope and splash into the water and looking at the beautiful parrots.
Today we took part in the NSPCC number day and 'Dressed up for digits!' Children and staff wore an item of clothing with a number on it in exchange for a donation. Everyone made a great effort!
The children were very lucky to get a visit from Santa today!
Today children and staff dressed in spots or bright colours to raise money for Children in Need.
We asked children and staff to show their support for people living with diabetes, by wearing something blue to school. World Diabetes Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness of diabetes as a global public health issue.
As we have children at St Dennis Primary Academy who have diabetes, we felt it was important to support this event and charity.
The theme for this year's Anti-bullying week is 'Make a Noise'. The week began with 'Odd Socks Day', where we all celebrated being unique. There were some very snazzy socks on display! Throughout the week pupils will take part in activities including role play, debates and designing posters, to highlight the importance of 'making a noise' about bullying.
Year 5 enjoyed their trip to the Eden Project as part of their Stunning Start.
A big thank you to Andy from St Austell Food Bank who came in today to host a special Harvest assembly. Thank you to all the parents and pupils who made donations for the Food Bank.
The children and staff of St Dennis Primary Academy warmly invited parents, carers and members of the community to our Take One Picture exhibition today and expertly curated the event.
The exhibition is a celebration of the arts and the many cross-curricular activities inspired by a painting by UK artist Aimee Stewart.
The painting, which depicts characters and artefacts from myths and legends, has been used to form a jigsaw puzzle.
The children have enjoyed creating various mythical artworks such as castles, creatures, fairies, pixies and dragons, using a range of media and tools.
Our Take One Picture initiative further enriches our children’s experiences of the arts, as well as building their core and foundation subject knowledge.
A visitor from Chartwells came to speak to Brogh Class about healthy eating which links to their English and science learning.
They spoke about trying different fruits and vegetables before using them to create a piece of food art inspired by the artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
The best part was eating the food afterwards! Lots of children tried radish and weren't too sure, but the cucumber, cress and lemons were a great hit!
On Monday a group of Year 6 pupils attended Youth Mental Health Champion training at Nanpean School, with Miss Stokes.
The children learned the importance of positive mental health, and strategies and games to support their peers within school.
It was an interactive day of challenges and theory, and the new Youth Mental Health Champions are excited to share their findings with the younger children in the next few weeks.
Year 5 enjoyed a visit from Cornwall Spaceport
Godh Class enjoyed Rocket Day with a special visit from the Royal Air Force!
Everyone has had the best time at our 'Team Building Days' this year!
Children displayed all our core values of aspiration, courage, responsibilty, teamwork, friendship and achievement with many being awarded our special stickers.
Such an amazing start to this year!
Thank you DT Coaching, Polkerris Beach and Turn the Tide!