4 months ago
Posted on 04th Jul 2026 by Miss Othen

Coleham School Weather Balloon Launch!

The Coleham School Weather Balloon was launched this morning!

Saturday 4th July 2026 @ 8:00am

Thank you to all the families that came along to our mission control on the school field and launched our pilot Bernard the Pachycephalosaurus into the stratosphere! Will it be a success, Where will he land? What data will we capture?

Read the news stories below:

Shropshire Star

Shropshire Live

4 months ago
Posted on 04th Jul 2026 by Miss Othen

Understanding your child

An exciting opportunity is coming to Coleham School.

In September, our pastoral leader Mrs Nash will be running the Understanding Your Child- From Toddler To Teen group alongside Grace, a member of The Shropshire Parenting Team.

These groups have been developed by a team of clinical psychologists, child psychotherapists, health visitors, child and family practitioners and most importantly parents/carers. Everything you’ll follow and learn in the group has been informed by experience and is designed to be practical, to help you and your family in your everyday family interactions.

The groups:

Promote understanding of children’s behaviour within the context of how a child develops
Promote the development of parent/child relationship
Increase confidence and self-esteem in both parents and children
Give parents a strategy for repair when things go wrong
Promote reflective, sensitive and effective parenting

We look forward to welcoming you to our friendly, relaxed group where refreshments will also be provided.

To book your place or find out more, please register your interest with the school office and Mrs Nash will contact you.

4 months ago
Posted on 03rd Jul 2026 by Miss Othen

Staffing Update

You may have noticed we have a new Administrator Mrs Edwards who is working Fridays in the office supporting Mrs Jones and Mrs Hilbert as part of the office team.

We are very sad that Mrs Jasper is retiring at the end of summer and only has a few weeks left working at Coleham. But we are also very happy for her as she has lots of lovely plans to travel the countryside with her husband in the camper van.

We will still see Mrs Jasper from time to time though as she will be popping back as a school trips volunteer!

4 months ago
Posted on 02nd Jul 2026 by Miss Othen

Headteacher Message

Dear families,

What a week of sport! Well done to all the children who competed in the KS2 sportsday events this Wednesday. Special well done to Greyfriars who came away with the House Cup on both occasions! It’s always great to see the children enjoying their sport and working together as a team to win or lose. It was also great to see such wonderful sporting behaviour with children celebrating their friends in Greyfriars.

As well as the school Sportsdays, Coleham has emerged victorious in the Shrewsbury Area Athletics on Thursday night. An absolutely fantastic display of sporting prowess, determination, perseverance and pushing themselves to be the best they can which the competitors can be immensely proud of. We are so proud to have children representing their school so well, and we are incredibly lucky to have such talented sportspeople, too! A massive thank you to Miss Lewis and her team for this week’s achievements!

We have also had our first transition afternoon this week which ran remarkably smoothly and we look forward to our full day of transition on Monday.

Don’t forget: we will be launching Bernard the Pachycephalosaurs Astronaut from the school field at 8:00 am on Saturday 4th July! All are welcome from 7:30 am to watch what’s going on.

And finally, with any luck, we can come to school on Monday celebrating another England victory in the World Cup: we will be showing the highlights in assembly on Monday morning, so if you know the score, don’t tell anyone until we’ve watched it!

Have a super weekend!

Tom Larkham

Headteacher

4 months ago
Posted on 02nd Jul 2026 by Miss Othen

What’s on next week?

Saturday

Coleham School launch Weather Balloon from School Field 7:30-8:00am!

Monday

School opening hours are the same as usual. England Match Football highlights in morning assembly for the children.

Class Transition day. (Please note that our new Hedgehogs class will have their Class Transition Day on Thursday 9th July as Ms Lucas doesn’t work Mondays)

Tuesday

Dolphins Reabrook Trip

Yr 2 visiting the Quarry (morning)

Yr 3 Recorder Concert to families at @ 9.15am

Wednesday

Whales Reabrook Trip

EYFS visiting Gelatistry (Ice-cream payments can be made on Arbor)

Yr 5 Trip to the Flaxmill

KS2 Disco @ 5pm

Thursday

New Hedgehogs Class Transition Day with Ms Lucas

Friday

Leopards Clay workshop at Priory School

Year 6 Leavers assembly to families @ 1:30pm

4 months ago
Posted on 29th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Family Grapevine Magazine

The Summer/Autumn 2026 issue of the Shrewsbury & Telford Family Grapevine is out now!

It is full of useful information, with a guide to what’s on for families, and the directory full of fun activities from toddler groups to sports clubs, plus childcare, party entertainers, support and lots more.

You can access the full issue on our website HERE

4 months ago
Posted on 29th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Community Invitation : Weather Balloon Launch

Mr Larkham and his Space Club have been busy preparing an exciting science project.

We’ll be launching a weather balloon high up into the stratosphere and we are inviting the community to come and watch.

The helium-filled balloon will be equipped with GPS tracker, a camera, and will be “piloted” by Bernard the Pachycephalosaurus.

Where will it travel? Where will it land? What data will it capture? Will we ever see it again?

We’ll keep you updated!

4 months ago
Posted on 27th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Mayan Art

Year 6 have studying The Mayan civilisation. In a bid to escape the heatwave they created some mayan art in our woodland area. Great teamwork!

4 months ago
Posted on 25th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Do you receive Universal Credit? FREE meals coming!

NEW From September 2026!

If you receive Universal Credit (no matter what your income is) your child can receive a free school lunch! This could save you £2.60 a day and £494 for the whole school year.

This is called Expanded Free School Meals.

Please apply with Shropshire Council HERE

School will be notified so we can action this in September.

4 months ago
Posted on 25th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

What’s on next week?

Monday

Whales Swimming (afternoon)

Tuesday

Starfish Swimming (afternoon)

Wednesday

Year 3/4 Sports Day for families @ 9.30am

Year 5/6 Sports Day for families @ 1.30pm

Thursday

Whole School Transition Afternoon-pupils spend time with new Teachers

Area Athletics (After School)

Friday

Year 4 Tudor Day in school- costumes wrlcomed.

Lions Swimming (afternoon)

4 months ago
Posted on 25th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Headteacher Message

Dear Families,

Our old Victorian building with high ceilings has certainly helped us this week!

It has been a hot week and the humidity levels on Friday were tough but I want to start by saying just how proud we all are of the children. Despite the higher than normal temperatures, they have coped remarkably well with maturity and a fantastic attitude. Classrooms have felt warmer than usual, but the effort and focus from the children has not dipped – they have continued to give their best, and that is something to celebrate.

A huge thank you must also go to our staff team, who have been brilliant in adapting the school day to keep everyone as comfortable as possible. From adjusting timetables and incorporating more water breaks, to making the most of shaded outdoor spaces and ensuring classrooms stayed as cool as they could, their care and flexibility has made a real difference. It’s been a real team effort.

A thank you to all of you also for your positivity and kind comments to staff – it is much appreciated! The school may be cooling down but the road outside the gate was volcanic!

We were delighted to hold our EYFS and KS1 Sports Day, and what a wonderful morning it was! Sadly I missed it, but I have been enthusiastically told the children demonstrated fantastic teamwork, determination and encouragement for one another. Congratulations to QUARRY, who were crowned winners – a well-deserved achievement! We now look forward with excitement to our LKS2 and UKS2 Sports Days next Wednesday, and we hope the weather is more agreeable!

A special mention as well to this week’s Respect 100 winners. Already, we are seeing the impact of this initiative, with children going above and beyond to show kindness, responsibility and respect to others. They truly are setting the tone for our school community, and it has been a joy to see.

Have a lovely (cooler) weekend!

Tom Larkham

Headteacher

5 months ago
Posted on 24th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

New Art Exhibition

The Townsend Art Gallery has a new exhibition – Fantasy Portraits by our Reception children. Can you believe that these little artists are only aged 4 and 5? Their are incredible and cheer everybody in school as they walk on by.

5 months ago
Posted on 23rd Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Free School Meals Information for next year

Dear Families,

The Free School Meal entitlement is changing in September 2026 which means that more families will become eligible.

What’s new?

All children whose household receives Universal Credit will be able to get a free school meal. This will be known as Expanded Free School Meals.

What’s staying the same

Children whose households receive Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less will be able to receive Free School Meals. In addition they receive Holidays and Activities & Food (HAF) Clubs and also attract extra funding for the school to support your child.

This is known as Targeted Free School Meals.

Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:
• are in receipt of Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•receive the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• meet criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) families with no recourse to public funds.

From September 2026
All children currently on Free School meals will be re-checked by Shropshire Council to see if they are eligible.

If YES, they will automatically be transferred to Targeted Free School Meals. Parents do not need to do anything.

If NO, families will be notified by a letter before the end of the summer term. It might be that your status is showing as ‘not elegible’ because your original application was completed years ago and the Council doesn’t have up to date information to match to DWP. Therefore the advice is to reapply as a double check.

Free School Meal entitlements will be checked each year on a Government checking system prior to the new academic year.

New Applications

If you receive Universal Credit, we urge you to APPLY NOW!

Children that are approved for Targeted FSM will be eligible from the date the application is processed and children approved for Expanded FSM will be eligible from 1 September 2026.

How to apply?

Free School Meals applications can be made using the Shropshire online portal HERE

If you have previously applied online for a school admission place, 24U funding or FSM, please use the same login details. If you have an email address, the online application is the quickest and easiest way to apply.

The Council’s Shropshire Local Team are available to help with access to the online application. Alternatively, you can call the Council’s Customer Services on 0345 678 9008 who will be able to take the details for an application over the phone.

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM)

Children in reception, year 1 and year 2 will all continue to receive Free School Meals.

However we urge families to apply for Targeted Free School Meals because you could attract additional funding for school and Holiday clubs.

We know, this all sounds complicated. If you want to chat this through or ask any questions then please see a member of the Office Team or you can catch me outside most mornings.

Kind Regards,

Miss Othen

School Business Manager

5 months ago
Posted on 22nd Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

🌟 KS1 Sports Day Success! 🌟

What a fantastic KS1 Sports Day we had — a perfect blend of healthy competition and true inclusivity, where every child took part, gave their best, and celebrated their achievements.

A special highlight was the House Water Race, bringing teamwork and lots of smiles as everyone joined in the fun! 💦🏃‍♂️

🏆 Final House Results:
🥇 1st – Quarry (285)
🥈 2nd – Darwin (301)
🥉 3rd – Severn (345)
🏅 4th – Greyfriars (351)

Well done to every single participant — You should all be incredibly proud! 👏

#TeamSpirit #SportsDaySuccess #EveryChildAchieves

5 months ago
Posted on 22nd Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Promoting Respect

Respect starts with the little things.

Small daily choices—holding a door, listening to others, using manners – add up. Consistently making good choices doesn’t go unnoticed.

We have 100 Respect Awards to hand out before the end of the year, and this lovely bunch scooped them this week for consistently showing kindness and consideration. Their first job as award-winners: supervising the line at break time and helping everyone come back into school respectfully.

Respect is contagious. Keep it up, team—100 awards are waiting, and every positive choice moves us closer.

5 months ago
Posted on 19th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

What’s on next week?

Monday

Embrace sport session for Year 5 (PE Kits)

Whales Swimming (afternoon)

EYFS, 1 & 2 Sports Day @1.30pm

Tuesday

Starfish Swimming (afternoon)

Wednesday

Yr 3/4 Sports Day @1.30pm

Family Forum @ 6:00pm

Thursday

Yr 5/6 Sports Day @1.30pm

Friday

Embrace Sports Session Yr 3 (PE Kits)

Lions Swimming (afternoon)

5 months ago
Posted on 19th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Off to the Gallery

This week every child had the chance to see their artwork featured in the Bellevue Arts Festival exhibition at Barnabas Church.

There was a real buzz of excitement as the children searched for their creations amongst the exhibition. Seeing their work alongside prices from artists across our community helped them appreciate that art is something everyone can create, and share.

Well done to all the children who contributed their work – your creativity helped make the exhibition truly special!

5 months ago
Posted on 19th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Musical Showcase Concert ✨🎶

What a fantastic celebration of talent at our recent music showcase! 🎼 Pupils who are learning instruments in school took to the stage with confidence. We had piano, trumpet, drums, a rock band, violin, flute, singing and parents joining in too – it’s always a treat and we have lot to thank Mrs Porrett for!

A special highlight was the duet by Mr Larkham and Polly. 👏

A huge thank you to Mrs Porrett for shaping our vibrant music curriculum and creating so many amazing opportunities for our pupils. Your dedication makes experiences like this possible for all.

Learning an instrument isn’t easy—it takes patience, practice and perseverance —but it’s a skill that brings joy for a lifetime. We are so proud of every performer who stepped up and gave it their all!

Well done to everyone involved—keep making music! 🎶

5 months ago
Posted on 18th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Knife Angel visits Shrewsbury

Year 5 have been out in town today sketch-mapping the local area and comparing the footfall in the local area for Geography. They took the opportunity to visit the Knife Angel monument, a symbol against violence and aggression but also a message of hope for our future.

5 months ago
Posted on 17th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Gallery Opening Night

Every child contributed to our Fantasy themed art for Belle Vue Art Festival’s Art Exhibition, a

celebration of local artists.

Miss Heap, Miss Othen, Mr Larkham and Polly all went to the preview opening night to see the childrens creations in situ! They look fantastic!

#Everychildisanartist

EYFS- Fantasy portraits

Year 1- Dragon Eggs

Year 2- Fairyland and Magic Trees

Year 3 – Dragon Eyes

Year 4- Fantasy Vegetables

Year 5- Keyholes to elsewhere & Flying Dragons

Year 6- Fantasy lands in a box

5 months ago
Posted on 17th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Save the Date: Junior Parkrun Takeover

We were the first ever school to take over the Shrewsbury Junior Park Run and we’re doing it again to end the school year on a healthy high! Join us by running, walking or skipping as we say goodbye to another school year and our wonderful year 6 pupils.

Where: The Quarry Park, by St Julian’s Carpark. Approach from Greyfriars Bridge.

When: Sunday 19th July

Time: 9:00am

Details: Sign up for FREE so your child can be registered and presented with a finishing time – you can do this by scanning the QR code above or clicking here: parkrun | junior parkrun

Who can take part: Children aged 4-14. Parents and carers are also allowed to run but please don’t cross the finish line. No dogs are allowed on the Junior Park Run course.

Parkrun is only possible due to the volunteers who give up their time each week. Are you able to support JPR on the 19th July? If you can, please email shrewsburyjuniors@parkrun.com

5 months ago
Posted on 16th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Year 2 go bug hunting

Year 2 swapped the classroom for creepy crawlies today!

We met Kirsty and Molly from The Friends of Shrewsbury Cemeteries, who guided us on an exciting bug-hunting adventure.

Many people don’t realise that the Longden Road cemetery is a true haven for wildlife. Its peaceful, natural environment provides the perfect habitat for a wide variety of minibeasts, thanks to its rich mix of trees, grasses and meadow areas filled with wildflowers.

Armed with nets and magnifying pots, the children eagerly searched through the long grass, carefully collecting their tiny discoveries. There was great excitement as they examined their finds up close.

We then got creative, making our own bugs using clay and natural foliage. The results were imaginative, unique, and a wonderful reflection of their outdoor learning experience.

We had a great time connecting with nature, learning about local wildlife and places of interest on our doorstep.

5 months ago
Posted on 16th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Coleham choir on tour

Our lunchtime choir were on tour again this weekend! 🎶 We were delighted to be invited to take part in the ‘Symphonic Sunday’ event at Shrewsbury School, performing alongside their school orchestra.

Our Coleham choir sang three songs with an orchestra made up of children and teachers from around the county. It was a BIG sound!

Mrs P was delighted with everyone. What an inspiring occasion and repertoire of music from aspiring young musicians.

A huge thank you to Mrs Porrett for leading and organising such a special event—on a Sunday too! Your dedication is truly appreciated and make opportunities like this possible.

5 months ago
Posted on 16th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

What’s on next week?

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

5 months ago
Posted on 15th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

KS2 Disco Tickets

Tickets are out on Arbor!

The KS2 Disco is for children in years 3 ,4, 5 and 6 run by a professional DJ in the school hall.

A great time for our Year 6 Leavers 2026!

We would welcome parent helpers to come along on the night to serve drinks, dance with children and supervise toilets and exits. Please come along on the night!

Reduced tickets of £1 are set up on Arbor for Free School Meal Families.

If your child normally attends After School Club with Miss Nash on a Wednesday, there will be no charge (they can bring their disco clothes to school to change into).

The corner gate will open at 4:45pm so the children can form class lines on the KS1 bottom playground to be registered before heading into the Disco.

Collection will also be from this playground. All children must be collected by an adult and cannot walk home alone.

5 months ago
Posted on 13th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Yr 4 share their pop up books

Year 4 have been working really hard, designing and constructing pop-up books for their Design & Technology project. Now that they are completed, Year 4 took the opportunity to visit Badgers and Foxes to share their books with the children. How wonderful 😀

5 months ago
Posted on 12th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Sports Days: Coming Soon!

1.30pm start, all family members welcome

Our upcoming Sports Days, promise to be a fantastic celebration of competition and teamwork.

Our Sports Days are carefully designed to strike the perfect balance—celebrating those who love to individually compete in sport while also encouraging every child to take part, have a go, and feel proud of their efforts.

Children’s participation contributes to their House points, building excitement as the scores are tallied and we await the unveiling of the House Cup winner.

To ensure that all pupils feel confident and comfortable, we run 3 Sports Days. This allows children to take part alongside others in their own age groups, creating a positive and supportive environment.

A huge amount of practise and preparation goes into organising the groups. Mr Halford and Miss Lewis carefully group children by ability, ensuring that the activities are inclusive, balanced, and enjoyable for all. Their dedication will help make sure that every pupil can participate with confidence and experience success.

We are looking forward to seeing all our families, parents and grandparents. It is always a highlight of the school year!

5 months ago
Posted on 12th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Smoothie Bike

The Smoothie Bike made an appearance this lunchtime🍓🍌🍎🍊

Our Year 6 helpers showed great teamwork as they took the lead in running the activity, keeping the stations moving smoothly.

We had a few technical hiccups, but our Caretaker, Mr Nudds, was quick to lend a hand and join in the fun.

5 months ago
Posted on 12th Jun 2026 by Miss Othen

Shropshire Sings

Our Lunchtime Club Choir performed at Shropshire Sings with lots of other primary schools at the West Mid Showground. What a lovely evening for the families that came along to watch. A special mention to our Year 6 girls who have been beautiful role models in supporting the younger singers. Great teamwork from the children who have been rehearsing hard for weeks. Thank you Mrs Porrett for leading our Choir.