Each group researched a different country and one child in each group had family from the country. Lots of children brought in food from the culture and shared it with the class.
Lots of local businesses and organisations provided activities from maths to fitness, and parents ran amazing stalls like jewellery and Ethiopian food. Enterprising children sold slime, baked goods and ran our World Cup scavenger hunt.
Despite being free to enter, the Fair raised a whopping £18k towards our outdoor play and learning improvements. It’s getting more expensive to put on and with serious challenges like keeping everyone cool in the heat, we thank you so much for your support if you attended, volunteered or contributed.
Special thanks must go to Coleridge Families, who organise the event for us every year.
The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.
Our sporting achievements this year include:
Entering over 25 Haringey sports tournaments, with boys and girls competing in a wide range of competitive sports; participating and hosting inter-school festivals with local primary schools in the local area; school inter-colour week where all the children in the juniors participated in four team sports; celebrating 15 years of sports zone during the school holidays, giving the children at Coleridge access to sporting, active fun at an affordable price.
With a total of over 450 pupils, boys and girls, from Years 3-6 competing in local inter-school competitions this year, we are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible.
As part of our application, we were asked to fulfill criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year.
A special thanks to all the sports staff at Coleridge school.
We look forward to applying once again in 2027!
The following week, the opera company came in to perform their new production, Ada and the Code Crusaders, complete with singing contributions from Coleridge children. It was fantastic for the children to see professional opera singers and musicians performing for us here in our hall.
As we are an ETO partner school, some of our Year 5 children were also interviewed by the company about their experience of opera, and their responses to the ETO’s shows.
Katy spoke eloquently about her incredible work as an author, art historian, exhibition curator and radio guest. She told the children about what inspired her to pursue a career in the arts, whilst also gathering their opinions about their favourite artists and what they noticed in the various pieces of work she shared.
The children were truly wowed by her presentation and were most excited to hear that she went to Coleridge Primary as a child! Thanks to Katy and Pickled Pepper Bookshop for providing the books and to Coleridge Families for donating a book for every class in KS2.
These bikes are specially designed to help our youngest learners develop essential gross motor skills, core stability, and confidence without the need for stabilizers. By mastering the art of balancing and gliding now, our pupils are building the perfect foundation for a lifetime of safe and happy cycling.
Jacob’s unique approach brought reading, vocabulary and storytelling to life, showing pupils how rhythm and rhyme can support spelling, comprehension and confidence with words. The assemblies were energetic, interactive and inspiring, with children enthusiastically joining in and discovering just how fun literacy can be.
The visit was particularly exciting given Jacob’s recent achievements. In the past few weeks he has set a Guinness World Record for the largest rap lesson, won the prestigious Ruth Rendell Award for the most significant influence on literacy in the past year, and seen his book The Adventures of Rap Kid shortlisted for Children’s Fiction Book of the Year.
It was a fantastic experience for our pupils and a wonderful reminder that reading and writing can be creative, expressive and full of joy. The event was equally enjoyed by staff, with some brave characters taking part in a teacher rap battle. We are very grateful to Jacob for sharing his passion for literacy with our school and hope to welcome him back soon.
All children created and performed their own rap about an emotion.
When children feel resilient, they are better able to engage with learning, build positive relationships and maintain good emotional wellbeing. When they feel safe, understood and supported, they are more confident to try new things, take appropriate risks, challenge themselves both academically and socially, and cope when things do not go to plan.
At Coleridge, resilience sits at the heart of our work and is one of our five core values: caring, creative, aspirational, inclusive and resilient. These values guide how we support children’s behaviour, help them understand their feelings and create calm, purposeful classrooms where all children can thrive academically as well as emotionally.
We understand behaviour as a form of communication. When children find things difficult, our response is rooted in care, positivity, consistency and curiosity. By helping children to recognise and talk about their emotions, reflect on their choices and repair relationships, we support them to develop self-regulation and responsibility. This approach creates positive learning environments where children are able to focus, persevere and succeed.
We recognise that, as parents, it is completely natural to want to protect/shelter your child and step in when something feels unfair or upsetting. At the same time, part of developing resilience is learning how to manage small challenges independently and understanding the difference between a minor setback and a larger concern. In school, we actively support children to talk things through, problem-solve and repair situations, helping them build confidence in handling everyday difficulties.
Occasionally, feeling disappointed, unhappy or anxious is a normal part of childhood, and not every feeling needs fixing. Sometimes children simply need their emotions to be acknowledged and given space. In school, we help children think about the size of a problem so they can manage smaller worries independently, building resilience, perspective and self-belief. Allowing children the space to work through smaller issues can prevent them from feeling bigger than they need to and helps children develop confidence and self-belief. Please be reassured, however, that we will always support children when something is worrying, ongoing or serious, and we value working in partnership with families to help children grow into confident, resilient individuals.
Strong relationships are central to this work. Research shows that having at least one trusted adult is one of the most important protective factors in a child’s life. At Coleridge, we place great importance on knowing our children well and ensuring they feel a strong sense of belonging. When children feel included and valued, they are more likely to take risks, stretch themselves, ask for help and recover from setbacks.
Over the course of this year, we have run a number of assemblies focused on resilience as a core value, highlighting real, everyday examples from staff, parents and our wider community. These stories help children understand that resilience is not about being perfect or never struggling, but about facing challenges and learning from them. If parents or carers would like to share an example of resilience from their own lives or work, we would warmly welcome this as a way of strengthening the partnership between home and school.
A powerful example of resilience in action at Coleridge is our annual school production, and this year it was The Lion King. Taking part in the school play requires children to step outside their comfort zones: learning lines, remembering choreography, practising songs, managing nerves and working as part of a team. For many children, this involves overcoming self-doubt, coping with mistakes and persevering through rehearsals. The pride they feel when they succeed, whether on stage or behind the scenes, builds confidence, resilience and a strong sense of achievement that carries through into the classroom.
Five simple strategies to try at home to build resilience
(These are approaches we use regularly in school)
- Name and normalise feelings
Helping children put words to emotions such as frustration, worry or disappointment supports emotional understanding and self-regulation. Phrases like “That sounds tricky” or “I can see why you’d feel upset” help children feel heard and understood. - Praise effort, not just outcomes
At school, we focus on effort, perseverance and improvement. Praising how a child tries, rather than just the final result, helps build confidence, resilience and a growth mindset. - Allow safe struggle
Resilience grows when children are given the chance to experience challenge. Giving children time to try things independently, while reassuring them that support is there if needed, builds confidence and problem-solving skills. - Maintain routines and predictability
Clear routines help children feel secure and reduce anxiety, particularly during times of change. - Model resilience as adults
Children learn a great deal from watching us. Talking calmly about mistakes and challenges shows children that setbacks are a normal part of learning and life.
Developing resilience is most effective when home and school work together. By using shared language, consistent approaches and our core values as a guide, we help children feel secure and supported wherever they are. For children at Coleridge, resilience is not about avoiding struggle, but about knowing they are cared for, included and able to overcome challenges.
]]>We hope everyone has an enjoyable and restful holiday, and we look forward to seeing everyone back bright and early on Monday 5th January.
