We are ambitious and reflective and strive to further improve our excellent education so your views are important to us.
We ask for your views annually in a Parent & Carer Survey but also welcome feedback at any point during the year. Please see our Leave Feedback page.
2025-26 Parent & Carer Survey Data
Many thanks to those parents who completed our Parent Survey before the Easter break. Turnout this year was much stronger than in 2024-25, with 135 completed surveys, and up to 150 responses to some of the questions. We are very pleased with the overwhelming positive response we received: 97% of you saying that they would recommend our school to others, which is a slight increase on previous years. In addition, 93% of respondents report their child is happy at Coleham and 97% report that their children feel safe. We are also pleased with a strong response to behaviour across the school, with 89% agreeing that children are well-behaved. These are the strongest data in recent years.
In considering our reaction, we have added up the responses that were either “strongly agree” or “agree” and presented the information accordingly at the end of the letter. We are very pleased where results are at least 85% and above, but where results are below 85%, we are keen to review our processes and see where improvements can be made. We have also considered the comments we received from you all regarding how we can further improve and, of course, the many positive comments we received, which were a delight to read.
I have taken each question in turn, where the % of parents agreeing to the statement was lower than 85%, and I have hopefully provided you with a satisfactory response, explanation and/or reassurance of our determination to improve. Those 3 questions are set out below:
Q9. This school communicates well with me about the things I need to know
This is a new question to the survey which encompasses communication in general rather than specific areas. The positive response was a little lower than we would have liked at 85%. A school our size has lots of information to communicate and we do not always get it right. On the occasions where we have made an error, we always make a point of learning from it and tighten up our systems where necessary.
Some parents noted that communication is generally “excellent” but would like to receive more regular updates on academic achievement, including test results and progress. At the end of each academic year, parents & carers are provided with details of your child’s academic achievement. Sharing specific assessment data throughout the year is not a practical solution owing to the nuanced nature of primary assessment. We would welcome the opportunity to explain these in more detail in a parents/carer forum later in the term.
If you have any concerns that have not been raised, then please speak to your child’s teacher.
Q10. When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly
Not all respondents to this question have raised any concerns. 145 people answered this question, but only 112 have raised a concern at some point. Out of those, 82% reported a positive response to the question. Over the past 3 years, the response to this question has improved and remains in a strong position at 82% agreeing. The % of people disagreeing has significantly decreased from 13% to 5%, but we are keen to improve this further.
As ever, if you have any concerns with school, we would always encourage you to come and talk to your child’s class teacher in the first instance: many issues can be easily resolved quickly (we have lots of staff available on the playgrounds each morning and evening so you can discuss matters in person or you may email the admin address for a staff member to call you). If you feel that this needs to be escalated to a member of the Senior Leadership Team, then your child’s class teacher will immediately refer the issue onto the phase leader and/or Miss Harris or me. We take all concerns very seriously and always take time to investigate situations carefully before taking appropriate and robust action. Of course, not all decisions are agreed by all, but we always aim to maintain fairness and equity in decisions as best we can.
If you do not feel that a concern has been dealt with appropriately, please do get in touch with the school office as soon as possible and a member of the Senior Leadership Team will contact you regarding your concern. For concerns that cannot be resolved through these channels, the complaints procedure can be found in the policy section of the website.
Q11. When the school makes decisions, it has the children’s best interests at heart
This is a new question, so we do not have any previous benchmark to compare. We noted that 85% of parents agreed, which is lower than we would have liked. We want to be very clear about this: in every decision we make, the children always come first. At the same time, schools are communities, and decisions are made with the needs of all children in mind, alongside the practical realities for families and staff who support them every day. Inevitably, decisions that are made for the greater good of the children, as a whole, will not feel right for everyone, and we recognise that some families may strongly disagree with particular choices. That does not mean those views are unimportant. Listening to them helps us reflect and improve, but it does mean that we sometimes have to make difficult decisions where there is no option that feels perfect for every child, parent or adult. Our commitment remains constant: pupils’ wellbeing, learning and long‑term success are always at the heart of our thinking, even when individual decisions are complex or challenging.
BULLYING
89% of parents responding felt that the school ensured good behaviour of pupils, with a further 9% adopting a neutral response. That said, 16% of respondents said their child had experienced bullying. Of that 16% (24 people), 50% felt the bullying was dealt with quickly and effectively, and a further 29% adopted a neutral position. Although these are small number, bullying is never acceptable at Coleham School. We understand that children will be unkind, but we work hard to ensure the vast majority of children abide by our expectations if kindness and respect. In cases of bullying or unkindness, we always aim to work with children and families on both sides to respond appropriately and fairly in the best interests of all involved. If you ever feel that a situation was dealt with properly, please do speak to us.
COMMENTS SECTION
Thank you to everyone who made positive comments about the school and the work we do. All 111 lovely comments have been printed out and shared in the staffroom, and are attached below also. The overwhelming common theme was the sense of Community between children, staff and families which is wonderful to see: this is what we believe to be our biggest asset.
Of the 135 respondents, there were 57 comments regarding thoughts about further improvement. We have spent some time as a Leadership Team reviewing all the comments and categorising them. About half of the comments followed a few different common threads which I have outlined below.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
The most common comments centred around wraparound care & extra curricular clubs.
Wraparound Care
The most common point was the availability of afterschool club places. Unfortunately we are limited to 50 spaces at afterschool club in order to be able to run it effectively and safely. We run a waiting list for each day and aim to accommodate people as much as possible where we can. The second most common point was around the flexibility of afterschool club spaces. Because of the demand on places, it would not be reasonable or practicable to have a first-come, first-serve system week-by-week. Experience tells us that operating a system of this nature presents an unreasonable administrative burden on staff involved, and often leaves many families in uncertainty over places. We also must retain fixed pick-up times so that we can maintain adequate staffing levels for safety.
Extra-curricular club offer
There were a small number of comments calling for a wider range of after school clubs on offer, as well as more cost-effective offers, which has received just as many positive comments in this survey. We have an extensive range of extra-curricular clubs for many of our year groups across the school year. We are always looking for new and exciting club offers. Many of our clubs are run by our busy staff in their own time for no extra pay, and group sizes must remain manageable. We have run a number of successful clubs with help of our parents and carers this year, so if you have a great idea for a club you could help run, please do get in touch. Outside clubs have also been used, but these have costs beyond our control and are often more expensive.
Lunchtime Clubs: We have also had a wide range of lunchtime clubs this year, including chess, ukulele and lego.
We will be looking to speak with children and families this term so that we can review our offer to satisfy more of our families with extra-curricular clubs.
COMMUNICATION: PUPIL PROGRESS / HOMEWORK
The second thread was centred around communication of class events (such as PE days changing and workshops); supplying families with assessment data and providing homework in the older year groups.
As mentioned above, communication in a school our size is a complicated affair and we have worked hard over the last 5 years or so to reduce the sheer amount of communications coming through. We are reviewing how we communicate on class level with our staff to ensure that we can communicate the most information in the most efficient manner possible. There will be times when PE changes at the last moment, or a message is not sent in the right timeframe, but we always aim to communicate changes with as much notice as possible. We are human and will make errors from time-to-time!
We do not, as a school, give homework out and we are not planning to do so in the future. There is very little research evidence to suggest that primary school homework makes an effective amount of difference for the effort involved from families and school. We expect reading at home, and some x-table practice, and in Year 6 we will send home some practice booklets in the run-up to SATs, which is more than enough homework for primary-aged pupils. Most of our parents are not teachers, so this makes primary homework fraught with confusing messages. Those of us who are teachers will recognise that teaching your own children is not quite the same thing as at school! If you feel your child would benefit from homework activities, there is a wide range of activities available for free online, or booklet-based activities you can buy from bookshops or online retailers.
FAMILY FORUM DEVELOPMENT
In our Senior Leadership Team discussions, we thought it would be helpful to develop a new termly Family Forum, for parents and carers to ask questions about processes, so that everyone is more informed as to the ‘whys’ and the ‘hows’.
It would be an opportunity to:
- talk openly about how things like learning, assessment and communication work at Coleham
- ask general questions about things like curriculum, assessment, routines and decision-making
- help us improve how we explain what we do, and why we do it.
It would not be:
- about individual children
- a replacement for parent–teacher meetings
- a space for raising personal concerns or complaints
We will set the first Family Forum up later this term and communicate the date, time and format as soon as we can.
Overall, the feedback that you have provided to us was overwhelmingly positive with many, many comments about the strong community ethos of the school. Our aim has always been to educate the whole child providing them with a broad and rich curriculum and it is wonderful to read that so many of you feel we are doing a good job! The many positive comments and praise for our dedicated and hard-working staff team were also much appreciated. We have, as mentioned, shared your comments with the whole team – it has really made an impact on everyone, so thank you very much!
Thank you, once again, for your valuable feedback on our Parent Survey.
Yours sincerely,
Tom Larkham
Headteacher
Parent / Carer Survey Results 2025-26
Number on Roll: 435
Number of respondents (fully-completed surveys): 135
Survey Collected: March 2026.
|
Survey Questions
|
% Agree |
% Neutral or “Don’t know” |
% Disagree |
| My child is happy at this school. |
93% |
7% |
1% |
| My child feels safe at this school. |
97% |
2% |
1% |
| The school makes sure its pupils are well-behaved. |
89% |
10% |
1% |
| The school gives my child the right support to enable them to learn well. |
95% |
4% |
1% |
| The school communicates well with me about the things I need to know. |
85% |
10% |
5% |
| When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly.
These figures are the % of the 112 respondents who said they had raised a concern at some point. |
82%
|
13%
|
5%
|
| When the school makes decisions, it has the child’s best interests at heart. |
85% |
8% |
7% |
| My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively
These figures are the % of the 24 respondents who stated their child had been bullied |
50% |
29% |
21% |
| My child [with SEND] is given the support they need from the school.
These figures are the % of the 29 parents/carers responding “yes” to my child has SEND. |
93% |
7% |
0% |
| Would you recommend this school to another parent? |
97% |
n/a |
3% |
Thank You!
As well as being ambitious with self-improvement, it’s always incredibly heart-warming to read the many positive comments around what we do well. The whole staff team greatly appreciate the time taken to answer the question “What do you value most about our school or feel we do especially well?” – thank you to everyone who sent us comments. Here are some of the positive comments:
“I really value the ethos of the school and how it encourages children to be themselves. The staff are so dedicated and I love the way they include the arts in day-to-day learning. Whether that is a singing assembly or a drum workshop the children are so lucky to take part in these experiences. The communication from the school is excellent and I appreciate one weekly email/ newsletter with all the important bits. Every time I have needed to talk to a teacher they have responded quickly and appropriately.”
“What I value most about the school is the strong sense of community and the supportive atmosphere it creates for both pupils and families. The staff are clearly dedicated to helping children feel safe, confident, and motivated to learn. I also feel the school does especially well in encouraging kindness, respect, and inclusion, which helps children develop not only academically but also socially. Communication with parents is very positive and helps families feel involved in school life.”
“The community and family that Coleham creates is outstanding. No problem is ever too small or diminished. My children feel safe and loved by all the staff and they get to learn in a nurturing environment, as well as being able to celebrate their individual interests through the massively wide range of clubs, celebrations and competitions throughout the school year. It’s the kind of school I would have loved to have been a part of when I was their age!”
“We value the caring and supportive environment that Coleham offers for our children. The teachers are dedicated and go above and beyond for the children. I have three children at Coleham and they are all thriving. I truly believe this is due to the exceptional high standards set academically and personally. There is a real sense of support and belonging. I would recommend to everyone to send their children to Coleham!”
“I love how creative Coleham make the curriculum. Even though my child struggles academically, they love coming to school and feel able to succeed. I also really appreciate the weekly classroom updates via the DoJo app as it helps to instigate conversations at home about what they’ve been up to. I also find the weekly email really helpful with all the info coming up in one place.”
“Every teacher is warm and welcoming to all parents and children you don’t feel judged, they help the best they can to my children’s needs, They get involved in a lot of activities along with the children my children are the happiest going and they always put each child’s needs first. Coleham school myself and family and friends always highly gratitude and recommend.”
“I value the fact that the staff don’t just care about children when they are in their class they care throughout their whole school journey. I also I also appreciate the effort everyone working in the school puts in throughout the whole year to make school a positive and enjoyable experience.”
“Most of the staff just seem like they love their jobs and you feel that as soon as you walk through the school gates. The teachers and TAs genuinely care about the children. Love the emphasis the school puts on kindness and doing the right thing. And bringing music into the school is fantastic – you do it in so many different ways. Also really appreciate how the staff get fully involved in dress up, world book day, bingo nights etc – setting a great example for the children and having fun with it. Lots of the teachers make a real effort to make themselves approachable and chat to parents. Brilliant having Mr L on the gate and so approachable.”
“The community feel. The encouragement from all staff members. The enthusiasm. The management of discipline / consequences for actions. The extracurricular opportunities available. An all-round fantastic environment for children to thrive, learn and reach their own individual potentials.”
“The school is a haven, truly at the heart of the community and places each child and their needs at the centre of all decisions. I have had 3 children attend this school and I cannot think of a better preparation for them to meet the educational and social challenges of secondary school.”
“You make the school a fun environment and make the children want to go to school. My parents (my daughter who goes to Coleham’s grandparents) live extremely close to the school (they can hear every break time/ activity outside) and they said “that is the sound of a happy school”.”
“Going above and beyond!!! Things like the school production, the trips, the sporting opportunities. In addition, the community feel! The plant and craft fate, the quiz, the sharing assemblies, so many opportunities to feel part of the school community.”
“Coleham managed to feel like a small village school even through it is a large primary school, it is a lovely community and I feel very lucky to be able to send my children there. Thank you to all the teachers and assistants you do a brilliant job!”
“Varied and creative curriculum, good sense of community that carries over to the families. Our teacher is communicative and caring. Love that the children have lots of opportunity to get outside, visit local sites and learn through activities.”
“You do everything well, but it’s the little things. Happy smiling teachers at breakfast club drop off or at the gates morning and evening. The amount of care when you see any child upset. All those things that make the school so special.”
“I always feel I can approach staff at Coleham to discuss anything to do with my child and know that they will listen and respond. Coleham is a lovely community with lots going on for both the kids attending and their families.”
“We value most the quality of the teaching, which is of a very high standard. The teachers clearly put a lot of hard work and effort into everything they do in an inclusive way for the benefit of all the children at school.”
“The school and all the staff do an amazing job of providing individual-focused support to every child depending on their specific needs and work hard to ensure the school is a positive learning environment for everyone.”
“On the whole the staff are very approachable and easy to talk with. I feel Coleham goes beyond what is required to give the children enriching experiences and opportunities outside of paper-based learning.”
“It’s such a lovely community. My child is always greeted in a welcoming manner & there has never been a day where they didn’t want to go to school. Coleham has had a huge, positive impact on my child.”
“It’s a really nurturing school. All the teachers are lovely and supportive. It’s a nice calm and relaxed environment which means our children feel safe, don’t feel anxious and enjoy coming to school.”
“School production Music Value art and creativity as well as core subjects School trips to widen experience for all pupils Interesting visitors Giving pupils broad experiences and aspirations”
“You offer the children so many different opportunities. The school calendar is always full of inspiring events and you create a warm, welcoming environment for children and their families.”
“Very happy about new trauma informed relational behaviour policy. Strong sense of belonging and togetherness. Lots of creative activities, my child loves the music and singing.”
“The school is at the heart of the community. The school is filled with passionate teachers who go above and beyond to enrich the lives and the learning experiences of the children.”
“I really value how welcoming and supportive the school is. I think it does especially well in helping pupils learn while also feeling included and encouraged to grow.”
“Fundamentally my child always seems happy to go to school and is happy when I collect him. This is greatly appreciated. I think he feels supported and cared for.”
“The wider Coleham community is warm and welcoming and the school sits at the heart of this. It feels like more than just a school, it feels like a family.”
“Children have a wide and varied curriculum. Staff are generally very supportive. A great variety of school trips. Some excellent after school clubs.”
“Managing behaviour, feelings and emotions and teaching how to communicate. Understanding child’s needs and working to bring the best out of child.”
“Quality of education and opportunities presented to the children is very good, along with the creativity and caring nature of the teachers.”
“Very Supportive happy school where children can thrive. Wide range of clubs and trips to support learning. Staff always go the extra mile.”
“Exceptional community, happy and supported staff, nurturing approach and go to great lengths to celebrate and encourage child’s strengths.”
“A number of very good teachers the school environment feels safe and welcoming Lucky that there are a lot of nice children in attendance.”
“The school has opportunities for students to get involved in the expressive arts side of the curriculum. Most staff are very friendly.”
“Listening to the child’s individual needs. Embracing individuality. Organising interesting events. And so much more. Fantastic school.”
“A terrific staff and environment, which comes from the top down – you should be very proud of what you’ve collectively created.”
“The school community, it’s commitment to the children and its approach to enrichment and learning beyond the core subjects.”
“Fantastic teaching, caring assistants and support. Excellent community engagement. Lots of opportunities for the children.”
“Amazing staff. So much going on extra-curricular each week. Lovely setup for my son in EYFS. A caring but fun attitude.”
“There is a strong community making the school one of its kind. Every member of staff is respectful and child focused.”
“The school gives the kids a real sense of baking part of the community both within the school and the town in general.”
“Even though it’s a big school, our kids feel very much valued as individuals, and given the support they need.”
“Coleham school has a fantastic family/community feel. They put the pupils first and communicate really well!”
“The strong community ethos, the opportunities that go beyond the classroom and the passion of all the staff.”
“The sense of community, the celebration of the positives and the potential in each and every child.
“Lots of great opportunities that other schools don’t provide, e.g woodland work in ks2, daily dash.”
“The school is run exceptionally. Parents are involved in a huge way which feels very inclusive.”
“Creating a learning environment that suits many different personalities and types of learning.”
“The teachers and teaching assistants, they genuinely seem to care and go above and beyond.”
“The dedication of the staff to the education and wellbeing of the children at the school.”
“Fun and exciting curriculum. Children feel cared for and communicate well with families.”
“The staff including the Head genuinely care about the children and very obvious to see.”
“Take the needs of each child into account to give them all a really positive experience.”
“Caring and compassionate environment where my child is well taught and looked after.”
“Community. Lots of variety with events outside of school and very well communicated.”
“I just feel like Coleham is a really caring and fun school. I couldn’t ask for more.”
“We like how the school has created a strong sense of community amongst the pupils.”
“The community spirit, the genuine care from all staff, the passion from teachers.”
“Great curriculum, activities and trips. Good parent and community engagement.”
“Staff show genuine interest in the children and see them all as individuals.”
“So many opportunities regarding trips and external visitors or themed days.”
“You are very creative with interesting opportunities to enhance learning.”
“Approachable, take action when any concerns, performing arts and sport.”
“High teaching standards. Delivery of learning appears very effective.”
“Fun and joy in learning and being proud of being part of a community.”
“Retaining a unique identity and embedding in the local community.”
“All the staff, very interactive, very helpful with everything.”
“They know our children and what to do to help them to learn.”
“The caring environment and genuine community of the school.”
“The staff are very knowledgeable and amazing at their job.”
“The community ‘feel’ and community connections made.”
“Teachers are involved in all aspects of kids matters.”
“Access to a range of activities and experiences.”
“The support for children and parents is amazing.”
“The teachers genuinely care about the pupils.”
“The community spirit and family involvement.”
“Community aspect and breadth of experiences.”
“You always have lots of “things” going on.”
“They are a brilliant and engaging school.”
“Well supported both children and parents.”
“Provide a safe space to promote learning.”
“Reading Phonics Maths PE Woodland work.”
“Teaching the values and good behaviour.”
“Community, supportive. Caring culture.”
“Care about the wellbeing of the child.”
“Extra help available ie: interventions.”
“Knowing your pupils as individuals.”
“The feeling of community/belonging.”
“Opportunities and wonderful staff.”
“Really lovely and friendly staff.”
“The community that it encourages.”
“School environment and teachers.”
“Enriching opportunities for all.”
“Community spirit and inclusion.”
“Lots of fun days & Events.”
“Enrichment is excellent.”
“The teachers are caring.”
“Support children well!”
“It’s a creative space.”
“The community spirit.”
“My children love it.”
“The community feel.”
“Staff are fantastic.”
“Pastoral support.”
“The history.”
“Playground”
“Positivity”
“Community”