Message from Mrs Dhaliwal

Although this first week back has involved a snow day, we hope you have all stayed safe and well. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility. We know unexpected closures can be challenging for families. Teachers shared some light learning activities on Seesaw to support children at home, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back into school as soon as conditions allow and settling back into our routines together.

As we move into the half term ahead, please take a moment to look at the diary dates in this newsletter so you are aware of upcoming events. Your child will also have brought home their Half Termly Overview detailing their upcoming learning for the half term, along with details of their weekly homework, to help support learning at home.

Reading together at home continues to make a huge difference. Even just 10 minutes a day helps to build confidence, fluency and a love of reading and we are very grateful for the support you give your child in this.

This half term, our school value focus is Respect. We will be encouraging children to show respect for themselves, for others and for our school community and we look forward to working in partnership with you to reinforce this at home and at school.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It is very much appreciated. We look forward to a busy and exciting term ahead.

Mrs M Dhaliwal

Parent/Teacher Meetings

Parent meeting appointments for children in Reception – Year 5 will take place on:

Wednesday 21 January (3.30pm – 5.30pm)

Thursday 22 January (3.30pm – 5.30pm)

Meetings will be face to face in school and last 10 minutes (if additional time is required by the end of the meeting, this will be arranged for another day).  It will be an opportunity to discuss your child’s strengths and areas of focus.

A link will be sent out next week to book online.

 

Year 6 Parent/Teacher meetings will take place next Wednesday 14 January (12.30pm – 4.50pm).

Please contact the school office (01952 386620) to book an appointment.

REMINDER: Reception Admissions – Deadline: 15 January 2026

The deadline to apply for a Reception place, to start September 2026 is next Thursday, 15 January 2026.

The online application form is available on Telford & Wrekin Council’s school admissions website,  https://www.telford.gov.uk/admissions

If applying to Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge Primary School, parents are also asked to fill in our supplementary school application form and return it to us by 15th January 2026.  Copies are available from the school office or from the website.

Please note:

  • Parents need to make an application to the Local Authority of where they are living e.g. where they pay Council Tax to
  • If a child is attending nursery, they still need to apply for a school place
  • The deadline for applying for a school place is 15 January 2026
  • There is no guarantee of a place at the school even if a child has been attending their nursery or pre school
  • More information is available at https://www.telford.gov.uk/admissions around school allocations and oversubscription criteria
  • If a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan the closing date was 31 October 2025 for all applications

The school admissions website page contains lots of information around school admissions, together with a link of how to apply and step by step guidance information.

If parents do not have access to a computer they will be able to use their local library computer facilities only.

If you have a problem with the application itself please contact the School Admissions Team at admissions@telford.gov.uk

Moments Matter – Attendance Counts

Highest class attendance for week ending 19 December:  Year 4

Most improved class attendance from the previous week:  Year 5

Values Stars’

Reception:  Noah

Year 1:  Alfie

Year 2:  Wyatt

Year 3:  Sky

Year 4:  Isabella

Year 5:  Toby & Garion

Year 6:  Hallie

Headteacher:  Darby

 

What’s happening w/c 12 January

DINNER MENU:  WEEK 2

 

Monday

During School: 

PE – Reception, Year 1 & Year 5

After school:

KS1 (Years Reception – Year 2):  Football Club

 

Tuesday

During School: 

Active Play Sessions (all children to wear PE kit)

PE – Reception, Year 1, Year 3 & Year 5

After school:

KS2 (Years 3 – 6):  Football Club

 

Wednesday

During School: 

PE – Year2, Year 3 & Year 6

Year 6 Parent/Teacher Consultations (12.30pm – 5.00pm)

After school:

KS1 (Yrs Reception – 2):  Gymnastics Club

 

Thursday

During school:

PE – Year 3, Year 5 & Year 6

After school:

KS1 & KS2 (Yrs Reception – 6):  Cheer Athletics Club

 

Friday

During school:

PE – Reception, Year 1 & Year 4

Dates for the Diary

Spring 1:
Wednesday 21 January 2026: Reception – Year 5 Parent/Teacher Consultations (3.30pm – 5.30pm)
Thursday 22 January 2026: Reception – Year 5 Parent/Teacher Consultations (3.30pm – 5.30pm)
Monday 2 February 2026: Parent Book Club (3.00pm)
Friday 6 February 2026: NSPCC Number Day
Thursday 12 February 2025: Friends Disco (KS1 @ 300pm; KS2 @ 4.00pm)

16 – 20 February 2026: Half Term Holiday

Spring 2:
Tuesday 3 March 2026: Parent Book Club (3.00pm)
Thursday 5 March 2026: World Book Day
16 – 18 March 2026: Year 4 Residential trip
Wednesday 25 March 2026: Easter Service – Holy Trinity Church @ 2.00pm
Thursday 26 March 2026: Last day Spring term & Friends Easter Fair
Friday 27 March 2026 PD Day – School closed to children

30 March – 10 April 2026: Easter holiday

Summer 1:
Monday 13 April 2026 Summer Term begins
Monday 4 May 2026 May Day

25 – 29 May 2026 Half Term

Summer 2:
8 – 12 June 2026: Year 6 Residential trip
Friday 17 July 2026 Last day Summer term
Monday 20 July 2026 PD Day

Message from Mrs Dhaliwal

As we come to the end of a very special and busy term, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what has been a wonderful week of celebrations and to say some heartfelt thank yous.

Firstly, a huge thank you to the Friends of Coalbrookdale and all of the volunteers who gave their time with preparations leading up to the Fair which took place on Friday 12 December. Their support and hard work in making our Christmas Fair such a memorable and successful event is greatly appreciated. The time, energy and commitment shown by everyone involved did not go unnoticed. We know how precious time is, especially at this busy time of year and we are incredibly grateful to those who chose to give theirs to support our school. The joy, excitement and festive spirit created on the night was truly special and something our children will remember for a long time.

I would also like to say a big well done and thank you to our Reception and Year 1 children, who did an absolutely amazing job in their Nativity performances on Monday for the school and on Tuesday for parents. I was so incredibly proud of their courage, their confidence and the way they learned their lines, songs and actions. The inclusion of sign language during Merry Christmas was particularly special and moving! A real reflection of the care, effort and inclusivity shown by both children and staff.

On Wednesday, our Year 2 Christingle was a truly beautiful event. The children carefully created their Christingles and showed great understanding of their meaning. The moment when the lights were dimmed and the children sang carols together was especially powerful and created a calm, reflective and memorable atmosphere for everyone present.

Thursday saw our Key Stage 2 Christmas Service, led so thoughtfully by the children. Each class played an important role:

  • Year 3 confidently shared the Christmas story
  • Year 4 led us in meaningful Christmas prayers
  • Year 5 presented Christmas Around the World, celebrating the cultures represented within our school community
  • Year 6 concluded with thoughtful and reflective Christmas poems

The children performed with confidence, respect and pride and it was a joy to watch them lead such a special service.

I would like to thank our parents and carers for your continued support and encouragement. These shared moments, celebrating, reflecting and coming together as a community, are incredibly special and your support enables us to create memories that will stay with the children for years to come.

Your presence, kindness and partnership with the school mean so much.

Thank you also to those parents who were able to join us for the Art and D&T Gallery on Thursday after school. It was wonderful to see the hall filled with families taking time to admire the children’s creativity, effort and pride in their work. The positive conversations and enthusiasm shared truly celebrated the children’s achievements.

Well done as well to all of the children who performed in the music concert, planned by Rosemary Angus. The children did a splendid job, showcasing their musical talents with confidence and enjoyment and it was a pleasure to celebrate their hard work.

As we finish the term, I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved. It has been a busy, joyful and successful term, and I would like to thank everyone within our school community (children, staff, parents, volunteers, Friends and members of the IEB) for the support you give, which allows Coalbrookdale to flourish.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas spent with family and loved ones. As we were reminded in the Reception and Year 1 Nativity, Christmas is for everyone – a time for kindness, hope and togetherness.

Thank you once again, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year.

Warmest wishes
Mrs M Dhaliwal
Headteacher

Eco Council News

Eco council this term, have been thinking about how we can reduce, reuse and recycle. Christmas is a busy period for us all where we see an increase in waste and things being thrown away without the consideration for our planet.

As eco council we are very concerned for our future and we are working alongside Miss Stackhouse to ensure we can do the best for our school, our community and our planet.

During this festive time of year we often forget to recycle, reduce and reuse and become very wasteful. It can be hard to retain this smart ecofriendly frame of mind during this busy period; eco council are here to remind you with some helpful ways to stay on top of recycling.

Unbelievably 100,000 tonnes of poultry go uneaten each year, 3.5 million carrots are thrown away each day and 8.2 million potatoes end up in the bin daily!

Love food hate waste is a great website with lots of ideas and recipes to support reducing food waste at home during this festive time.

20 Tasty Recipes for Using Up Christmas Leftovers | Love Food Hate Waste

Christmas Food Planning: How to Feast Smart and Spend Less | Love Food Hate Waste

They also have a food portion calculator which is really useful in supporting ensuring no food ends up in the bin. Food Portion Calculator | Love Food Hate Waste

Approximately one billion Christmas cards are thrown away every year. Based on the idea that one tree could produce 3,000 Christmas cards, we would require the space of 77 football fields to replant the amount we use each year

As Santa delivers all of his presents in beautiful wrapping paper it is important to remember this can go in the recycling bin; the amount of wrapping paper thrown away is 227,000 miles of wrapping paper each year!

Be a recycling hero this Christmas | Recycle Now has lots of tips for ensuring we recycle correctly this Christmas.

Attached below is also the Telford and Wrekin council’s reminder about bin collection dates and recycling. It contains information about their free weekly food recycling service and information on how to order extra recycling bags for free.

Please don’t forget real Christmas trees can be recycled in your green bin for free!!

 

Here are their helpful recycling tips: Tips for your recycling collection

  • Don’t forget the Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) will be CLOSED on Christmas dayBoxing day and New Year’s dayPlease visit our webpage for more information about visiting the HRCs, including tips on how to pack your boot and take a look at the live queue camera.
  • Christmas cards and wrapping paper can be recycled in your blue bag, no glittery or metallic ones though please as we cannot recycle those at the moment, why don’t you consider reusing the paper next year and cards make lovely gift tags.
  • Large card cannot fit in the back of the collection vehicles, so if you can please try to break this down to the size of the wheelie bin and secure underneath your blue bag.
  • Real Christmas trees can be recycled in your green bin, please make sure this is cut down to fit inside the bin with the lid closed.
  • Food waste – there is still 31% of food waste in the boroughs red top bins. If you don’t have a caddy, please complete the online form to order one for free, remember food waste is collected every week.
  • Food is one of our most precious resources, so we urge residents to buy what you need and eat what you buy, and to donate, compost or recycle what you can’t use up. For more information and some top tips on reducing your food waste, please visit the Love Food Hate Waste website.
  • If your bins were presented for 7am on your scheduled collection day on the footpath nearest the edge of your property, or if we have an agreement to collect these from your property, and they have been missed, please let us know and complete our online form to report a missed bin collection.
  • Collection day reminders – why not sign up for our free weekly email reminder, you will receive an email the day before your scheduled collection to remind you what containers to present the following day for 7am.