News

A look back on Literacy this month

As the term comes to a close, we’re looking back on another fantastic few months at Penryn College. May in particular has been a stand out month for literacy.

Great progress for year 7s

On Friday 5th May, 13 year 7 students attended a special celebratory brunch with members of SLT and Literacy Coordinator, Mrs Ribenfors. The Head of year 7, Mrs Bowman and Head of English, Miss Williams also attended to congratulate the students on making excellent progress with their literacy skills. They have worked hard to develop their literacy across a range of subjects. Well done year 7!

Assistant Head Mr Harvey and Head teacher Mr Walker also congratulated the year 7s on their great progress

Kernow Youth Book Awards

Students from our KYBA Book Club attended the award ceremony of the Kernow Youth Book Award which is now in its tenth year. Penryn College were selected to give a presentation on one of the shortlisted books, Demon Road by Derek Landy.

The presentation included a stop motion animation made by the students, which was described as “a very original and humorous take on how the book might have been written (or not!)”.

The ceremony was a fantastic opportunity for like-minded students from across the county to get together and celebrate reading for pleasure.

Readers of our newsletter will know that Year 7s have the opportunity to enter our fortnightly Literacy Challenge. The students are set different challenges to test their imaginations and practise different writing styles.

The latest winner was Harriet Alsop. Her challenge was based on a news item, and had to have the opening line ‘I had been swimming in the sea when the weather turned against me.’

“I was swimming in the sea when the weather turned against me. So slowly I could hardly notice, the waves began to froth and grow. Soon I was surrounded by towering cliffs of inky-black water, frothing angrily. Swirling in the currents, unable to fight the pull of the water, my grasping hands disappeared from the surface.

Beneath the surface all was silent and still. My hair flowed around me as if it was in slow motion. All I could hear was the sound of my beating heart. So tranquil… Perhaps there was no point in re-surfacing.

Suddenly, a wicked current whipped by me, sending me tumbling forward. My hands and knees grazed the barnacles on the black rocks, submerged by the rolling waves. The pain brought me back to my senses. Frantically I kicked towards the surface, my lungs burning, longing for a breath of cold, salty air.”

This incredibly emotive piece was voted as the best in her tutor, and was then selected as the overall winner by Literacy Coordinator, Mrs Ribenfors.

Useful links: Literacy Resources

You can find lots of useful tips and downloads to help with your child’s literacy on our Literacy Page.