Latest Transition Updates
2nd April 2026 - Parent/Carer Email, Save the Date and Mandarin Applications Open
Dear Year 6 Parents and Carers,
As we head into the Easter holidays, we hope your family is looking forward to a well‑deserved break and some quality time together. This is always an exciting point in the year for our Year 6 families, as thoughts begin to turn towards the transition to secondary school. With this in mind, we wanted to share a key date for your diary for after the holidays, as well as opening our Mandarin applications.
Save the Date – Welcome to Team Penrice Event
We are delighted to invite you to our ‘Welcome to Team Penrice’ event on Thursday 30th April. This will be an informal opportunity for you and your child to meet our Senior Leadership Team, key members of staff, and our brilliant team of Year 7 Transition Ambassadors.
To help us manage numbers comfortably, families will be asked to book one of two arrival times when we return after the Easter holidays:
- 3.45pm
- 4.30pm
Our Transition Ambassadors will be available throughout the event to answer questions, share their experiences, and help your child feel confident about starting at Penrice. Light refreshments will also be provided.
Further details and booking information will follow when we return, but for now, please save the date.
We look forward to welcoming you into Penrice.
Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) – Applications now open
An enormous thank you to all those who attended Mandarin Taster Lessons recently. We hope that both students and parents/carers enjoyed the experience and better understand the 5-year course.
As promised, we are delighted to announce that the MEP Application Window is now open! If you would like to apply, the application form is below.
Student & Parent Application Form (Click here).
(Closes on Sunday 19th April at 23:59 hours).
Please make sure your child takes the time to write a strong application. We can only take a maximum of 30 students on the course, so not all applications will be successful. Full information about the programme can be found on our website by clicking here.
We wish all families a happy Easter holiday.
20th March 2026 - Parent/Carer Email, Mandarin Reminder
Dear Year 6 Parent/Carer,
There is still time to register to attend a Mandarin Taster Lesson at Penrice (if you have not registered already). Starting next week, these Taster Lessons are a great opportunity to experience the Mandarin curriculum, helping students make an informed decision about whether they would like to apply for the Mandarin Excellence Programme at Penrice.
An information video about the Mandarin Excellence Programme is available below, created by The British Council.
Why Mandarin?
As the second-most spoken language in the world and spoken by over a billion people, Mandarin will open up a wealth of opportunities for your child, both personally and academically. This is more than just learning a new language; it's about equipping your child with the skills and confidence to thrive in an ever-changing world, as well as understanding one of the most influential cultures in the world.
In addition to the academic advantages, learning Mandarin at a young age can also open doors for travel, career opportunities, and cross-cultural understanding. Whether your child dreams of studying abroad, working in international business, or simply exploring new cultures, Mandarin will give them the tools to connect with a world of people and experiences. By starting in Year 7, your child will have the chance to build a strong foundation and grow with the language over time, making it easier to achieve fluency as they progress through their education.
Visit China
We are delighted to share that our current Year 9 Mandarin students will be visiting China this summer on a school trip. This will be a fantastic opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the Chinese language and culture, enriching their studies and truly bringing their classroom learning to life. We hope to run trips for all Mandarin students when they reach Year 9, but please note that this is very much reliant on the continuation of government funding in this area.
Student Testimonials
“Chinese is the best thing about Penrice… It is a commitment, but it’s worth it. Whilst learning Chinese language, you get to experience fun cultural things like making lanterns, having the chance to go to China in Year 9, and making Chinese dumplings!” – Grace, Year 7
“It’s a once in a lifetime experience… I couldn’t imagine my Penrice journey without doing the Mandarin Excellence Programme, it offers many different opportunities and the programme is the obvious choice for me.” – Sophie, Year 7
“Mandarin is a fantastic opportunity, unique in Cornwall, where you can learn more about the culture and history of the Chinese people. It would be a great skill to have and it could even open up job opportunities for you in the future.” – Alex, Year 8
“The programme can give you many skills such as confidence, perseverance, resilience and a sense of accomplishment. The Mandarin Excellence Programme also allows trips to China where you can further develop your skills and cultural knowledge. This year Mandarin students in Year 9, like myself, will travel to Beijing.” – Tobias, Year 9
Learn more about the Mandarin Excellence Programme at Penrice
You can learn more about our Mandarin Excellence Programme by reading the attached flyer and by visiting our website page here.
Register to Attend a Mandarin Taster Lesson
If you would like to attend a Mandarin Taster Lesson alongside your child then you can pick from one of three dates (24th March, 25th March or 1st April).
Please use our online booking platform (TryBooking) to register for a session by clicking here.*
Please book one ticket per attendee. For example, a child attending with two parents would be x3 tickets.
*Note: All sessions are subject to availability and may become fully booked over time.
Questions
If you have any questions before registering for one of our Mandarin Taster Lessons, please contact Mrs Laura King, Head of Modern Foreign Languages at Penrice, via: Lking@penrice.celtrust.org
13th March 2026 - Parent/Carer Email and Postcards to Students
Dear Parent/Carer,
We are delighted to share another transition update with key information as follows:
- Welcome postcards
- SEND support and inclusion information
- An opportunity for your child to learn Mandarin (Chinese) over 5 years.
- Communication information regarding email addresses
- Advanced uniform information for those who like to be extra prepared!
- Plus, a few additional reminders.
Welcome Postcards
We’re so excited to welcome our new Year 6s to Penrice! This week, your child should have received their official Penrice welcome postcard.
Most postcards will be given out through primary schools, so keep an eye out! If you haven’t seen one by the end of the week, it might be worth having a quick look in the bottom of a school bag!
SEND Support and Inclusion at Penrice
We are very mindful that students (and their parents/ carers) who have had SEND support at primary school may be thinking about how they will be supported at Penrice. We have an amazing SEND team who can't wait to meet our new cohort of students. Mrs. Wakeling (Operational SENDco), and the team will be meeting primary colleagues to share key information and plan the transition focus. There will be a series of SEND clinics open to Year 6 parents, carers and students later in the year to meet the team and talk through what support at Penrice will look like. Mrs Wakeling will also be available to meet with parents/carers during the summer term.
Mandarin Excellence Programme Taster Lessons (See attached flyer)
We are delighted to share more information about our Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) – an exciting and rare opportunity for your child to really shine by learning the second most spoken language in the world. Please read the attached flyer for more information.
Mandarin Taster Lessons
We understand that applying for this 5-year course will be a big commitment for both students and families. With this in mind, we are offering Year 6 students and their parent/carers the chance to attend a Mandarin Taster Lesson over the next few weeks (advanced registration required).
This is a great opportunity to experience the Mandarin curriculum, helping both parents and students to make an informed decision about whether they would like to commit to the intensive but highly rewarding programme.
Taster Lessons are available on 24th March, 25th March, and 1st April, 4:30pm – 5:30pm. You only need to attend one lesson. Full information, including the Taster Lesson signup form, can be found on our website here.
If you have any questions before registering for one of our Mandarin Taster Lessons, please contact Mrs Laura King, Head of Modern Foreign Languages at Penrice, via: Lking@penrice.celtrust.org
Communication During the Transition Process
Please be aware that we are communicating to all families via the email addresses provided to us by Cornwall Council following the application process. For now, these are single email addresses. Families will be able to add further contact email addresses to their child’s data later in the transition process.
Uniform
You can begin your search for Penrice uniform early by visiting our website page here. Full information about uniform requirements will be covered during our Welcome Day.
Save the Date - Welcome Day – Tuesday 7th July 2026
A reminder to save the date for our Welcome Day and Evening in July. Students will be invited to attend a full school day, meeting new teachers, new classmates and enjoying new experiences! Families will be invited in during the evening where we will share key information and materials to ensure new students can make a flying start at Penrice.
Follow Us
You may also wish to follow Penrice Academy via Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Transition Hub
Remember that you can stay up to date will all of the latest Transition communications via our Transition Hub.
4th March 2026 - Welcome Video and Parent/Carer Email
Congratulations on gaining a place at Penrice Academy. We can't wait to meet you!
To make sure you haven't missed anything, you can check this webpage regularly for the latest updates throughout the transition process.