Our enriched  curriculum

We have a host of regular events and curriculum days that make up our enriched curriculum and provide opportunities for pupils to discover and celebrate new areas of interest.  We are always looking for new ways to develop what we offer as well as to maintain and refresh events that have become a traditional part of the Coombe Hill Junior School calendar.

Our year groups also have special days including Ancient Greek Day, Egyptian Day, Viking Day, Roman Day, Victorian and World War II Days.  The list below of other events is far from exhaustive and new curriculum days and activities are being planned all the time, but we hope that this will give you a small taste of what children do. 

Strictly Coombe Dancing 

This is a fantastic event, where the winning dancers from PE in each class compete for the coveted title of overall Strictly winner. Our pupils compere, judge and of course dance their way through this celebration of Coombe Hill glamour in a special afternoon every year.

Shakespeare at the Rose Theatre

Every year, our pupils audition for the opportunity to perform at The Rose Theatre in a Shakespeare play.  Their final performance is the culmination of months of planning, and rehearsal, during and after school.  In recent years, audiences have been wowed by Much Ado about Nothing, Macbeth and Richard III. The majority of schools that take part are secondary schools.  

Writers' Week

Each year, we invite authors, poets, illustrators and journalists to come to the school to talk about their work and we engage pupils in a variety of writing activities.  It is at this time that we publish our annual magazine, Kapow, which is distributed free to every pupil. You can download the most recent copy opposite but previous issues can be accessed on our pupil pages here.  The week is followed by an exhibition of writing produced by pupils.  Previous visitors to Writers' Week have included Valerie Bloom, Alan Gibbons, Alex Milway, Kit Wright, Gary Northfield,  Josh Siegel,  SF Said, Joseph Coelho, Helen East, Rachel Rooney, Marcia Williams and Jennifer Bell. However, other writers also join us during the different parts of the year as they are available. 

World Book Day and National Poetry Day are also celebrated at school with a variety of other exciting activities.

Year Six End of Year Performance

All Year Six pupils take part in a celebratory performance to mark their final months in the school - a combination of acting and singing; this is our pupils' final chance to shine before they move on to the next stage of their school lives.

Year Five Drama Performances

Thanks to our links with Holy Cross School, we are able to offer each Year Five class the chance to prepare and perform a very special performance for their peers and parents based on an aspect of their studies.  This has fast become a highlight for Year Five teachers and parents alike.  Our thanks to specialist drama teacher, Ms Scarlett who works with pupils on Wednesdays.

Public Speaking Competition

Every pupil has the opportunity to prepare a short speech to deliver to their class.  The winners of each Year competition get through to a grand final to decide who will claim the shield as Coombe Hill Public Speaking champion.

Inner Peace/Mindfulness Days

At a time when young people are experiencing stress and anxiety in greater numbers, we try to focus regularly on mindfulness and relaxation techniques in our PSHE programme.  This is reinforced in a curriculum day where pupils are reminded of fun and relaxing ways they can manage their emotions - mindful chocolate eating is just one aspect that has proved especially popular!

The Art Exhibition

Every year,  we celebrate Art at Coombe Hill with a special Summer Art Exhibition.  Last year, for the first time, we created a special open air exhibition that displayed pupils' work throughout the school grounds.

International Evening

This is a celebration of the different cultures in our school and contains musical performances, dance and, of course, food.

Our Year Three and Four Christmas Evening

A celebration of Christmas, with each class in Year Three and Four taking it in turns to act and sing.

Year Five and Six Christmas Concert

A celebration of the Christmas story - with carols old and new, as narrated, acted and sung by our Year Five and Year Six pupils. 

Talent Night

Thanks to the hard work of our PTA, our Talent Night provides a stage for our budding performers. Singers, comedians and dancers (not to mention the odd novelty act) audition and rehearse for the chance to perform on Coombe Hill's big stage and to win the applause of peers and their families.  

Sports Day

Each year we open the field to families to come and cheer on their children in our most intense athletics competition of the year - the chance to come away with a medal or even secure the sports trophy for their house.  As you can see on our sports page, however, there are lots of other sporting opportunities at Coombe Hill.

Swimming Celebration

Summer would not be summer without the chance for pupils to end their block of swimming with a range of races are designed to cater for all the different swimming levels in the school.

Our Choir

Over the year, our choir take part in a variety of performances from assembly to delighting residents at local old peoples' homes and taking part in the Kingston Choir showcase at The Rose Theatre.

Half term challenges

Every half term and holiday, Mrs Mastrocola sets a challenge for pupils, from investigating and recreating the work of a particular painter, to creating an optical illusion, to eggs-tremely awful Easter punned dioramas, not to mention our fiendish Christmas family quiz. There are prizes and much glory for the winners of each challenge.

Ukulele Performances

After their term of study, Year Three pupils give their parents a chance to hear what they have learnt in this short performance of ukulele in a special kind of harmony. This is part of the Kingston Music Wider Opportunities programme and pupils are encouraged to continue their learning after this first taster.

Good Work Assemblies

Every child will take part in at least one Good Work Assembly per year, showing what they have learnt in an exciting and often humorous way to parents and, of course, to the whole school.