Headteacher Message
Dear Parents and Carers, 
Well, what a week! The temperature has dropped, the gloves are on, and I’m starting to wonder if my toes can could set a coldness record when I’m on the gate. The children, of course, seem immune to the cold – charging around the playground without their coats like it’s midsummer!
I very much enjoyed the colour, music and dancing in our Diwali Dance Workshop this week – I love seeing children’s learning brought to life with events like these. It was also great to see Coleham represented so well by our U11 footballers who put in a fantastic shift against Trinity. It’s the first game of football I’ve enjoyed watching for a while…
Away from the fun, I’ve been supporting other schools with assessment and data analysis this week. It’s always good to share ideas and learn from each other. And speaking of sharing, I’ve also been showing lots of prospective parents around our school. Talking about Coleham with new families is one of my favourite things; it reminds me just how special this place is.
A quick practical safety note: as the weather gets colder and the afternoons get darker, please please remind your children about taking care on pavements and crossing the roads on the way to and from school. Not all drivers will follow rules or take the care they need to for us all to be safe. On that note, please can I ask everyone to avoid driving out Greyfriars Road until all the cones have been removed. I know it’s tempting, but one car encourages the next and the next and so on. I appreciate your patience and keeping everyone safe.
Thank you, as always, for your support. It makes all the difference. Have a lovely weekend—wrap up warm, and if you’re braving any outside activities, bring a flask!
Tom Larkham
Headteacher
How to purchase books for Christmas from the Book Fair?
There is a great selection of new recommended titles on the Booka Bookshop website. This could be great for Christmas gifts and will help purchase books for Coleham too.
Orders should be placed by Friday 28th November. If you select ‘collect in store’ then books will be delivered to school to avoid paying postage and given out to pupils. YOU MUST PUT YOUR CHILDS NAME & COLEHAM SCHOOL IN THE FIRST NAME AND LAST NAME BOX AT CHECKOUT. You may decide to have books ordered to your home address instead for a small charge.
There is no pressure to purchase anything, the Book Fair is about promoting reading and showcasing new books to staff and pupils.
To browse or purchase, see the links below:
EYFS
Year 1 and 2
Year 3 and 4
Year 5 and 6
So many great titles here, that we’ve not seen before.
Rainbow Raffle 2025 – Donations Plea
The School Council are fundraising for school via our annual Christmas Hamper Raffle. There will be 9 colourful hampers to win, packed full of Christmas treats and gifts.
We would be really grateful if children could help donate an item to go inside a hamper. The ‘colour’ themes for each year group are below with some ideas.
Reception-Any thing Gold/Yellow (ideas include Crayola, M&Ms, Ferrero Rocher, white wine, gold coins)
Year 1-Anything Pink (Rose wine, Marshmallows, Mr Kipling, Percy Pigs, Scented candle)
Year 2- Anything Red (Wine, Maltesers, KitKats, Christmas treats & decorations)
Year 3- Anything Orange (Mini Chedders, Fudge, Jacob Crackers, Shower Gel)
Year 4- Anything Green (Pringles, Matchmakers, Mint chocolates, Bubble bath)
Year 5- Anything Blue (Haribo, Roses, Milky Way, Jaffa Cakes)
Year 6-Purple (Heroes, Dairy Milk, Chocolate Fingers, Lavender toiletries)
You can be as inventive as you like and include any sweet or savoury snacks, drinks, toiletries, Christmas decorations, socks, toys and books.
Children may start bringing donations into class and give them to their School Councillor or Class Teacher. We will be collecting these over the next few weeks. Thank you in advance!
Christmas Movie nights coming soon
Tickets cost £5 from Arbor School Shop (Reduced charge of £1 for pupils eligible for Free School Meals)
Children who attend After School club with Miss Nash on Tuesdays can also attend (no charge). Staff will arrange this with the children on the night so parents do not need to do anything.
The EYFS/Yr 1 Movie Night is now available to purchase on Arbor in School Shop.
Christmas Events Coming Soon
We will vote on the choice of movie with the children on the night.
Booka Book Fair
Every class had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with Sian from Booka, exploring a beautifully curated selection of new books from an independent bookseller who truly understands the power of stories. You may have discovered some lovely new books for your Christmas list.
A huge thank you to Booka for inspiring our readers and reminding us that books open doors to imagination, curiosity, and endless possibilities.
Getting ready for Shropshire Book Fest
In the new year, Year 5 will be participating in the Book Award 2026 with Bookfest Shropshire
To get ready Miss Harris, Mr Hughes & Mrs Stennett took part in a brilliant reading Teacher Conference!
They explored poetry performance, booktalk through picture books and came back to school buzzing! They are feeling so inspired about the refreshing new changes made to our reading and writing curriculums at Coleham.
Hermione the Charity Star!
Hermione in Whales Class has been busy putting together a shoebox of goodies for a child in need. She’s been putting things aside all year for it, including: hair brushes, flannels, her own toys, crayons & pens in a pencil case, and other things to pamper yourself with.
She’s going to track it to see where it ends up – thanks you Hermione for showing great kindness for others!
A Draw Against Trinity
As part of our group stage in the U11 County Plate, we played an exciting match against Trinity. What a brilliant game of football! A fantastic effort from every child – some superb football on display and excellent teamwork throughout. We held a 1–0 lead for the majority of the match but, despite a strong performance, the game finished as a 1–1 draw. Well done to everyone for their commitment, sportsmanship and determination; we are proud of how the team played today!
Diwali themed Indian dance workshop
Children in Years 1, 3 and 5 took part in a Diwali-themed Indian dance workshop. This RE workshop was closely linked to the Hindu festival of Diwali, celebrated each year as the Festival of Lights.
Pupils had the opportunity to learn traditional dances associated with Diwali and explored the ancient story of Rama and Sita. The workshop was a wonderful celebration of Hindu religion, tradition, and the rich cultural heritage of India.
Yr 6 Historians @ Longden Road Cemetery
WOW-Walk to School
We are working with Living Streets and the WOW scheme for sustainable journeys to school. Each morning we update our interactive WOW Travel Tracker to report if we’ve walked, scooted or cycled to school and we set targets to earn badges.
Our first badges have been awarded. Keep up these healthy habits!
🚀 Launching our Comic Carts! 🎉
Our new wheely trolleys packed full of graphic novels and comics are officially rolling into school—bringing stories, colour, and creativity straight to readers!
📚✨ “Graphic novels don’t just hook reluctant readers—they ignite imaginations, build confidence, and turn reading into an adventure.”
We were thrilled that Graphic Novel Illustrator & Author Huw Lawrence loved the idea when he visited. When the best in the business gives a thumbs-up, you know you’re onto something! 🎨💬
Here’s to more reading, more excitement, and more fantastic books in school 🚀📖💥
Watch our Comic Cart trailer to find out why we need Graphic Novels in our life!
✨ EYFS Celebrate World Nursery Rhyme Week! ✨
Our EYFS children have enjoyed celebrating World Nursery Rhyme Week — a joyful celebration of song, rhythm and early language! 🎶🌟
Did you know?
Experts in literacy and child development tell us that if a child knows just eight nursery rhymes by heart by the age of four, they are often among the strongest readers and spellers by Year 3. Nursery rhymes help children hear rhythm, build vocabulary and develop communication skills — it’s one of the best things you can do at home with your child! 💛
Throughout the week, our children explored a different rhyme each day through hands-on, playful activities: