Headteacher Message
Dear Families,
Welcome to another Friday (our 34th this year!) and the end of another exciting week at school.
There’s been an artistic and musical flavour to this week…
Our amazing Coleham Choir on tour both at Shropshire Sings and Shrewsbury School. Mrs Porrett has led our wonderful children in such beautiful singing which has been incredibly well-received by audiences and enjoyed by the performing children. We are so proud of them, and they should be proud of themselves!
As well as the choir’s performances, we had our annual Music Showcase Concert on Wednesday evening. There were so many children performing this year: music is well and truly alive at Coleham! The children really impressed with their talent, but also their confidence in performing. 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!
This is also the final week of the Belle Vue Arts Festival, and is also the week of the famous BVAF Gallery opening: Miss Heap, Miss Othen and myself attended the opening event and were so impressed with the art on show – many of it produced right here at Coleham School! Highlights include the Coleham pieces and an incredible drawing of Sir David Attenborough by a very talented former Coleham pupil. Classes have been visiting the gallery this week – make sure you go and take a look!
And finally, please remember that we have our very first Family Forum event for grown ups to ask us questions about anything to do with school decisions, processes or systems (see below).
Have a lovely weekend!
Tom Larkham
Headteacher
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)
Family Forum – Let’s talk About School!
We’re launching a new Family Forum and would love you to join us.
The forum is an opportunity to talk together about how things work at Coleham. We’ll share how we do things and why, and we’re really keen to hear your perspectives too. It’s also a chance to ask general questions about decision-making and anything else about school.
It will be an opportunity to:
- talk openly about how things work at Coleham
- ask general questions about things like curriculum, assessment, routines, communication 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
The first Family Forum will have a main focus around communication. This has come about directly from your feedback in our recent survey, where communication was highlighted as an area we can keep improving.
We hope to create a safe space for open, honest conversation so we, as a school, can better understand what parents & carers need from us in terms of communication.
Just as importantly, the forum will help us improve how clearly we explain our decision-making, whilst also helping parents & carers understand what information is most helpful, and what is realistically possible for us to provide as a school.
The first Family Forum will be on Wednesday 24th June, 6pm – 7pm. Please be aware this is an evening for ADULTS ONLY.
In the meantime, it would be useful to think about what questions you might like to ask, or what communication needs you have that are not currently in place. We also want to hear about what is successful for you as families.
We’re really looking forward to building a shared understanding and strengthening how we work together:
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.
Space Launch Countdown!
We have finally been granted permission to launch our much-anticipated weather balloon!
We have a window from 26th June – 6th July, with an eye on the weekend of either Saturday 4th or Sunday 5th July for our launch. Whichever day is chosen, the launch will be in the morning around 8:00 am from the field, and all are welcome!
We can’t be specific because it will be dependent on wind patterns and predictions for where it’ll end up (we don’t want it landing in the sea again!)
We’ve also got all the equipment sorted, including helium very kindly donated by Rory Whitehead (Xuemei’s dad) of Lascells scientific equipment and GoExploro!
More details will be communicated nearer the time, but may only be with around 3 days’ notice owing to the limitations of weather prediction.
To infinity, and beyond!
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
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!
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!
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! 🎶
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.
Year 3 Shine at Cricket Competition
We took a selection of Year 3 children to a cricket event at Shelton Cricket Club, where they enjoyed a fantastic day of cricket in the beautiful sunshine.
The children were split into separate teams and took part in a series of small competitions against other schools. They represented our school brilliantly, showing excellent teamwork, sportsmanship and enthusiasm throughout the day.
To top it all off, every team won all of the matches they took part in! We are incredibly proud of their effort, determination and positive attitude.
Well done to all of the children who took part!
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
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.
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.
Year 6 – Moving on Workshop
A massive thank you to Shrewsbury Youth For Christ Group and Mrs Wade, from Coleham Prayer Group, who gave up their time to come into to both Year 6 classes this week to support the children with transition to secondary school.
