We are pleased to announce that Coleham School will be taking part in the Shropshire Primary Schools’ Half Marathon again this year.  This event was very popular last year with our pupils with 150 taking part ranging from Year 1 to Year 6.

This is a cumulative Half Marathon (13.1 miles) where, over the course of the Spring term, children will complete the first 12 miles of the challenge. We intend on running each of these miles on a weekly basis, during break time (any child may participate in this part at break times). The children will then complete their final 1.1 miles at the West Mid Showground on Saturday 22^nd April 2023 from 9am. Here they will get the full event experience including race bibs, a fully marshalled route, music and a start and finish line gantry. As they cross the finish line wearing their Half Marathon T-shirt they will be presented with their Half Marathon medal.

It is important to explain that this event is not a running race: it will not be chip-timed, nor will there be prizes for the “fastest” children. It is an inclusive personal challenge where, over a period of time, we hope they will develop a desire to exercise regularly, with no pressure to compete, whilst at the same time completing something as challenging as a Half Marathon – a wonderful achievement for everyone involved.

To compete in this event there is an entrance fee of £12 for each child entered and you must be able to commit to bringing your child to the event at the West Mid Showground. This event is open to all our pupils in Years 1 to 6.  If you would like your child to take part then please make the payment via Parentpay. If you require financial assistance, then please contact the school office.

The deadline for this is 12pm Thursday 2nd February as we need to give final numbers to the organising committee.

We are looking forward to being active and completing this challenge!

Many thanks,

C Lewis & M Venn

Miss Lewis and Mr Venn

PE Coordinator & Sport Coach

Dear Parents/Carers,

This year at Coleham School, we are hosting a Francophone Day on Tuesday 17th January.  Francophone means ‘French Speaking’ and so we will be looking at countries around the world that speak French.  This is in place of our usual International Day as we would like to raise awareness of the fact that French is not just spoken in France.

There are 29 official French-speaking countries and you can see their flags below. Madame Jones will be teaching the KS2 children about HAÏTI in her usual French teaching slot.

Map

Activities

Each year group has been assigned a Francophone continent/countries for them to research in class (see below)

Le Monde Francophonie – The French-speaking World 

Reception – la France 

Year 1 – America: le Canada – Quebec 

Year 2 – Europe: la Belgique; la Suisse (Switzerland); Luxembourg 

Year 3 – Asia: le Viêtnam; Laos 

Year 4 – Northern Africa: le Maroc, Algérie

Year 5 – Africa/Indian Ocean: la Madagascar OR Caribbean: Martinique 

Year 6 –Africa: le Sénégal, le Cameroun, le Mali, la Côte d’Ivoire, le Burkina Faso 

This will be a day during which pupils of all year groups will take part in activities which celebrate international cultures as well as diversity within our school community. Your child will do some or all of the following:

• Listening to music from the country
• Learning to speak some words from the language
• Doing some art work linked with that country
• Doing some map work linked to the geography of that country
• Learning a bit about the history of that country
• Looking at the day in the life of a child from that country

Menu

There will be a special French Theme Menu for lunch on this day.

Non-Uniform Day

As usual, children are invited to dress in their own clothes with reference to any international country.  You do not need to go to any extra cost for this, some simple ideas are below:

• Dress in colours of a country’s flag or for example, if your child wants to represent Switzerland (la Suisse), he/she should wear any red or white clothes.
• Safety pin a flag to the front of a coloured T-shirt or wrap one around your shoulders.
• Use face paints to decorate your face with a flag
• Use sports clothes you have at home that represent a country (For example Football, Rugby or Cycling shirts)
• Please wear any cultural dress you may have at home.

Parent Visitors

We love to have visitors come into school to share their experiences.  If you would like to visit your child’s class to talk about a country you are connected with or have visited as a keen traveller then we would love to see you and the Class Teacher will support you.  (You might like to  bring photos, props, cultural dress, or share some of the language) Please contact the school office to book in.

We hope you agree that it will be a fun and enriching experience for all involved and many thanks in advance for your support with costumes.

Yours sincerely,

Chloë Jones

Foreign Languages Coordinator

Dear Parent/Carer,

After a very busy and action-packed term, we are all delighted to have made it to the final day.  The Coleham staff and children are definitely ready for a good break!

Today is tinged with a little sadness though, as we will be saying ‘Goodbye’ to Ms Evans, who will be leaving us after 29 years teaching at Coleham.  Ms Evans has touched the lives of hundreds of children and her commitment and hard work has been exceptional.  We will all miss her very much but wish her lots of luck as she moves on to new adventures.

This week has been a special one at Coleham and the children have really enjoyed themselves.  It has been heart-warming to see them selecting their gifts at the Elves’ grotto this week (aka The Coach House!). Thank you so much to Miss Othen and the Friends of Coleham for organising the “Elfridges” event and funding Christmas treats throughout school.   If you are lucky enough to receive one of these gifts, we hope that you like it!  In addition, all of the children thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the pantomime at Theatre Severn.

It was magical to watch the nativity performances last week at Holy Trinity Church and lovely to see so many of you coming to watch them.  I really hope that you enjoyed them as much as we did.  A huge ‘well done’ to all of the children who performed and thank you so much to everyone at Holy Trinity Church for allowing us to use the church.  Well done also to all of the Coleham staff for pulling together such wonderful performances with very little time to rehearse.

The staff at Coleham have worked incredibly hard this term and I cannot thank them enough for their endless energy, dedication and commitment.  Despite feeling tired and ready for a break, the whole staff team, led by Mr Williams, created another music video for the children, which we shared in assembly on Monday.   Once again, Mr Williams has wowed us all and done a truly magnificent job.  It was wonderful to hear the children’s laughter in assembly and watch their faces! Please do have a watch and share with your families.  We hope that you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it.  Here is the link:

https://youtu.be/LShd3FR-8lk

Some of the pupils and staff also filmed a podcast with The Shrewsbury Biscuit Podcast chatting about our music Video, why we do it, backstage secrets and our special community.  Please check it out and have a listen.

https://www.theshrewsburybiscuitpodcast.co.uk/the-shrewsbury-biscuit-podcast-coleham-primary-school-christmas-video-preview/

You will have already received letters regarding our school clubs.  We are pleased that so many of the children have already signed up for clubs next term.  We believe it is crucial for all children to have the opportunity to develop new hobbies and skills outside of the classroom.  Please remember these start the very first week back at school.  Please don’t forget to have a look and book on over the holidays if you haven’t yet had chance to do so.

Looking ahead, we have another busy calendar planned for the Spring term, including various house competitions, an International Day, a school disco and a celebration of the Chinese New Year.  We will continue to share work with you on Do Jo so that you can see what your child(ren) have been up to here at school.

Finally, all that remains is for me to thank you all for your fantastic support throughout the year and, of course, to wish you and your children a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I hope that you all have a lovely, restful break and I will look forward to seeing you all at the school gates on Tuesday 3^rd January 2023.

Yours sincerely,

Claire Jones

Headteacher

Dear Parents / Carers

As 2022 draws to a close I wanted to write to you as the Chair of the Coleham Local Governing Body to reflect on a year of significant change.  This time last year we were successfully navigating our first Ofsted inspection for some years.  The outcome of this reaffirmed my belief that Coleham is an Outstanding school and has the potential to be recognised as such by Ofsted.  That initial inspection has set the groundwork for much of the work the LGB has done this year in supporting the school make the small adjustments to the curriculum that will allow us to feel confident and well prepared for their likely return next year.

2022 brought with it much change in the make up of the Local Governing Board.  Oliver Russell, Stephen Murphy and Eleanor Miles all took the decision to step down from their role as governors and I would like to thank them all for their contributions during their terms.  We welcomed Clare Wilson, David Jones and Daniel Konn to the LGB and I am confident that they will be well equipped to continue the drive for success at Coleham.  Perhaps most significantly in terms of change have been the recent leadership changes at Coleham.  It was with mixed emotions that we received the news that Claire Jones would be moving into the Deputy CEO role on a full time basis from September.  Coleham’s loss will be the Trust’s gain and her leadership will be a real asset for them.  Fortunately, any apprehension for the future was short-lived as the appointment of Tom Larkham to the role of permanent Head Teacher from September was the perfect outcome.  I know the whole LGB will be looking forward to working with him in the future.

We are constantly trying to raise the profile of the LGB within the school and governors have visited the school through 2022 with a focus on a range of areas from safeguarding to behaviour.  These visits have proved invaluable in helping governors to see first hand some of the outstanding work being done everyday at Coleham.  Our link governor groups continue to meet with members of the Senior Leadership Team on a regular basis and they focus on Leadership and Management, Quality of Education and Pupil Related Matters.  This gives governors the opportunity to really drill down to the detail on their area of focus.

We continue to enjoy the benefits of working within the 3-18 Education Trust.  We were sad to see Michael Barratt retire from his role as the CEO and his wit and eloquence will be missed at our meetings.  We have however, already begun an excellent working relationship with the new CEO David O’Toole and we are looking forward to continuing this collaboration into 2023.  In particular, the addition of new primary schools such as Bowbrook will allow for the sharing of good practice at a school and governance level.

I would welcome the opportunity to speak with any of you directly to answer any questions that you may have about the Local Governing Board so please feel free to drop me an email on Geoff.hulme@318edcuation.co.uk or stop me to chat at one of the many school events coming up next term.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2023.

Yours sincerely

Geoff Hulme

Chair of the Coleham Local Governing Body

As part of the school’s programme of teaching pupils about different places of worship, we have arranged for Year 5 to visit Singers Hill Synagogue in Birmingham to learn about the Jewish faith, Judaism.  Leopards will be visiting the synagogue on Thursday 8^th December; and Lions will be visiting the venue on Thursday 15^th December. In order for us to arrive at the synagogue for 10.00 am both classes will need to come in to school by 8.15 am on the day of their trip. The coach will depart at 8.30 am sharp.

As we will not be returning until mid-afternoon, children will need a packed lunch. No glass bottles or fizzy drinks please. Pupils eligible for Free School Meals will be given a packed lunch prior to departure.

The cost for this trip is £16.70, which includes transport, insurance and workshop fees. Payment should be made via your child’s ParentPay account, in the usual way prior to the date of the trip. Although costs for trips are voluntary, in reality the school has no other means of funding these trips. We hope that everyone can contribute to the trip in some way.

Please note that this visit is covered by the Annual Consent Form for Trips/visits & Medical Information. Please notify the school immediately if there are any changes to your contact/emergency contact details or medical information, or if you do not wish your daughter/son to participate in this trip or any of the stated activities so we can make alternative arrangements for them.

Yours sincerely,

Jane Hilbert

Administration Manager

Dear Parent/Carer

Our school has been given the opportunity to take part in a national project, which is being run locally in partnership with Shropshire Council and West Mercia Police.

Operation Encompass is a process whereby the police and the council will inform a member of staff if a child or young person has experienced any domestic abuse incident. This will be done prior to the start of the next school day. Information sharing between professional agencies allows school staff to provide emotional and practical support to their pupils experiencing domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse can broadly be defined as ‘any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour; violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who have been intimate partners or family members. This can include, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse – psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional.’

Operation Encompass ensures that a member of the school staff, usually the Designated Safeguarding Lead, is given special training, to enable them to liaise with the police and council in receiving and using the information that has been shared, in confidence.

The sharing of details under Operation Encompass is permitted under Statutory Safeguarding Legislation and in respect of local authority schools under the Crime and Disorder Act (for the prevention of crime) and doing so without the child’s or parent’s consent is permissible under both pieces of legislation and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

We want to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and we believe, that where necessary, this will be beneficial in helping us to achieve that goal. Please contact me, the school’s Safeguarding Lead, should you wish to discuss the content of this letter.

Attached is a list of local and national advice and support agencies who can help those who may be affected by domestic abuse.

Claire Jones

Headteacher

Please click on doc below for Safeguarding Contact details:

Operation Encompass & Safeguarding Contacts

School photographers, Active Photographic, will be coming in to school on Tuesday 15^th November to take individual photographs of our pupils and, if requested, sibling photographs (Coleham pupils only).

If you DO NOT want your child to have their individual photograph taken or you WOULD LIKE A SIBLING GROUP PHOTOGRAPH taken, please click on the link below:

https://forms.office.com/r/vcUtN2aM02

Unless notified otherwise by close of play, Monday 14^th November, all pupils will have their individual photo taken on 15^th November.

PLEASE CAN CHILDREN WEAR THEIR SCHOOL UNIFORM ON THIS DAY.

Year 1 and Starfish class have PE on this day but they will do PE in their school uniform.  They may bring trainers with them into school.

School has been busy this week, the children have thoroughly enjoyed our Careers Week and I have enjoyed listening to the children starting to rehearse songs for our Christmas performances with Mrs Porrett.  Here are some updates and news items from the week:

Careers Week

Thank you so much to all parents/carers who attended school this week to talk to the children about their careers.  We are so thankful to have parents involved in helping us deliver real life experiences to the children.  We have had fascinating talks from an Author, a Fashion Designer, a Doctor and a Helicopter Engineer to name just a few.  I’m sure these memories will stay with the children for years to come and inspire them to have ambition when they consider their future careers.

Ms Evans’ Retirement

Ms Evans will be retiring from teaching at Christmas time and so Whales Class in Year 4 will be having a new Class Teacher from January 2023.  Ms Evans has worked at Coleham for 29 years and has taught many, many children during her time here.  We will all be very sorry to see her leave us – her dedication, enthusiasm and calm manner has been greatly appreciated over the years and she will be missed by all of us.  I am sure that you will join me in wishing her the very best of luck as she moves onto her next chapter.

We have recruited a new teacher, Miss G Jones who will be joining us as Whales’ new Class Teacher.

Tuesday: Odd Socks Day

Next week is Anti-bullying week in school and we will be planning activities around this in classrooms.  Tuesday will be Odd Socks Day, so please encourage your child to come to school wearing odd socks.  They can be long or short, bright or whacky!  We want to raise an awareness that we are all different and that children should be themselves, accepting of one another and celebrate difference. The school photographers will be in on Tuesday taking individual/sibling photos of our pupils. This will not be impacted by Odd Sock Day as photos are taken from waist-up only.

Football/Pokemon Cards

Over the last few weeks, many children have been bringing cards into school to swap with each other.  Whilst we appreciate that many children enjoy playing with these during breaktime, and we normally encourage children to work together on similar interests, they have unfortunately caused some issues and arguments between the children.  Therefore, we think it is best for the children keep their cards at home for the time being and we ask that you do not allow your children to bring them in.  From Monday, cards will be confiscated and returned to parents at home time.

Class DoJo

We continue to use Class DoJo to share work regularly with you.  Please may we request that this platform is not used to send messages to staff.  If you would like to speak to your child’s class teacher, please try catch them in the morning or after school when your children are released.  If you are unable to do that, or would prefer to email your child’s class teacher, please send an email to our admin address: (admin@col.318education.co.uk).  Alternatively, please call the school office and we will arrange for your child’s class teacher to call you back.  We are really keen to maintain a good work-life balance for our staff and this is the reason why we ask that you don’t use Class DoJo as a messaging device.  Thank you for your understanding.

Parked Cars

Please can we remind you to switch off your engines if you are waiting near to the school in your vehicle.  We would like to keep the air around school as clean and pollution-free as possible: idling cars pollute the air for pedestrians and also our neighbours who live along Greyfriars’ Road.

Drop and Swap

Our Drop & Swap recycling trolley in School Reception is full of shoes and trainers which urgently need a new home.  Please come and look next week and take anything you can re-home before it is cleared away.  Our next campaign for Drop and Swap is Christmas Clothing which we will be starting to collect shortly.

Christmas events

Christmas is soon approaching and we are looking forward to our Christmas Performances at Holy Trinity Church and to taking the children to the pantomime.  Please make payment for the pantomime as soon as you are able to.  Staff have started recording for our annual Christmas Video which is our special surprise to the children and to you all.  Other events/activities include: a Grand Hamper Raffle; our ‘Elfridges’ shopping experience for the children; and some Christmas Community work which includes the ‘kindness shoeboxes’ that we collected last year for children that need it most in our community.

The Grand Hamper Raffle

Preparation for the Grand Hamper Raffle starts this week.  We know that the cost of living is a worry for us all and always appreciate any support you are able to offer, whether that is donating a small item or unwanted gift you have at home, purchasing a ticket or promoting the raffle to friends and family.  The School Budget is challenging this year: this fundraising will help us purchase any extra books and equipment needed.

We would be really grateful if your child or family could bring into school a voluntary donation to go into a Hamper.  Teachers will start to collect these in class from Monday.

The themes for each hamper are below along with a few suggestions. 

There is no need to stick to the theme if you have something else suitable to donate.  Thank you so much for supporting this.  A separate letter, next week, will launch the raffle online for ticket purchases.

I hope that you all have a good weekend and look forward to seeing you at the school gates next week.

Yours sincerely,

Claire Jones

Headteacher

School photographers, Active Photographic, will be coming in to school on Tuesday 15^th November to take individual photographs of our pupils and, if requested, sibling photographs (Coleham pupils only).

If you DO NOT want your child to have their individual photograph taken or you WOULD LIKE A SIBLING GROUP PHOTOGRAPH taken, please click on the link below:

https://forms.office.com/r/vcUtN2aM02

Unless notified otherwise by close of play, Monday 14^th November, all pupils will have their individual photo taken on 15^th November.

PLEASE CAN CHILDREN WEAR THEIR SCHOOL UNIFORM ON THIS DAY.

Year 1 and Starfish class have PE on this day but they will do PE in their school uniform.  They may bring trainers with them into school.