School Newsletter : 11 October 2024
| Issue 4 | Autumn 1 | Week 5 |
Harvest Service & Donations
A HUGE thank you to everyone who generously donated to our Harvest appeal this year. We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of donations, all of which will go directly to help those in need over the next few months.
It was lovely to see many parents and carers join us in our Harvest Service this week. We were all blessed with many opportunities to see a range of pupils across the year groups participate in singing, musical performances, bible readings, prayers and a class poem.
Well done to Year 3 who concluded our service with a wonderful recital of a poem, performed with great clarity and confidence. They also showcased a lovely piece of artwork to complement their performance.
Thank you to Miss Pollard-Brown and Miss Butterfield for supporting our pupils in delivering this presentation.
Out and About…..
Tuesday 8th October: Year 6 Trip to the Science Museum
Year 6 visited the Science Museum to further their knowledge and understanding of electricity. They had fun in The Energy Hall and The Wonder Lab where they watched a show about static electricity and observed what 1 million volts of electricity looked like. They also learned about James Watts, a British inventor who made great improvements to the steam engine. In 1764, while repairing a steam engine, he noticed that it wasted a lot of steam, so he developed a way to improve the machine. Watts was given a patent for his steam engine in 1769. Pupils also had fun revisiting their knowledge of friction by going down various slides made from different materials and discussing which was the fastest and why.
PE Lessons
Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct PE kit to school each week on their allocated PE day.
Pupils not wearing their full PE kit will not be able to participate in lessons, and a note will be sent home indicating why they were not able to participate.
Please ensure that all items of school uniform are clearly labelled with either a permanent pen or label.
The full PE Kit for the Autumn/Winter Term is as follows:
- Plain navy blue leggings or tracksuit bottoms
- School navy blue PE t-shirt
- School navy blue sweatshirt (all year groups)*
- Plain black trainers (velcro or slip on if they can not do their laces).
* Kindly note: Pupils in KS2 (Years 3-6) must wear a school sweatshirt for PE lessons and not the v-neck jumper from their main school uniform.
Autumn Term PE Lessons:
- Monday: Year 4
- Tuesday: Year 3
- Wednesday: Reception & Year 5
- Thursday: Year 6
- Friday: Year 1 & Year 2
Secondary School Application 2025
Thank you to those parents who came along to our Secondary Transfer meeting held on Thursday this week. We hope that you found this session helpful as you navigate this process.
Please remember that the admissions process is for children in Year 6 born between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014, who will start secondary school in September 2025.
The deadline to submit your online application is 31st October 2024.
- If you have any queries or should require any help with your online application, please make an appointment via the school office to meet with Mrs Deary (Tuesday – Fridays).
Biscuit Bytes
Woof….
Happy Friday everyone. What a busy week it has been!
The whole school celebrated our Harvest Service on Wednesday and what a wonderful service it was. There were so many generous donations – thank you everyone. The singing and musical instrument performances by the children was lovely, and I know that all the parents and carers who attended enjoyed this service as much as I did.
At one point I was so relaxed I just laid down and listened. Especially when Year 3 concluded our service with their wonderful performance.
I also attended the Animal Service on Tuesday evening at St. Stephens Church, which was so much fun
There were lots of animals in church, and even TWO police horses! I think Graham should invite them more often, as everyone was so well behaved, including the humans!
I received my blessing from Jeremy, who along with Graham was offering blessings to all the animals present. There was more lovely singing, including one of my favourite hymns, All Things Bright and Beautiful
I have also been visiting my very good friends in the Early Years where I love to hang out and play. I get the soooo many pats and they are always so chatty and lovely. The children are very gentle and I just feel so loved by them all and we make each other feel very happy
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, and see you all next week.
Love Biscuit x
Accelerated Reader Program
We are very excited to announce that we are now part of the Accelerated Reader program, for children in Years 1 to 6.
Accelerated Reader encourages children to read regularly, while ensuring that they bring home a book appropriate to their reading level. There are three steps to the program:
1. Pupils complete a star assessment which informs us of their reading level
2. They choose a reading book from the library, appropriate to their reading level
3. After they’ve read the book, they complete an online quiz about the it. The children earn points for the quizzes that they complete.
Pupils can log into the Accelerated Reader portal @ https://global-zone61.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/2243804
They can also log in by clicking on the Accelerated Reader link found at the top right hand corner of our website (in between Staff Login and Sooper Books).
Please click the image below for information about Accelerated Reader, or click here for a PDF >
Our PTA: The Friends of Burdett-Coutts
Welcome back to the new school year and a warm welcome to all our new families who have joined our school’s community this term.
If you are a parent, carer or a guardian of a child that attends our school, then you are automatically a member of our Parent Staff Association, Friends of Burdett-Coutts.
Being part of our PSA offers an exciting opportunity for you to meet other parents, whilst supporting our school, through organising fundraising events, volunteering and much more.
Even if you can only give a small amount of time, you will be making a difference to the school experience for your child and other pupils in our school.
Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday 16th October from 09:00 – 09:45 in the Ground Floor Hall, with refreshments. Everyone is welcome – please come along and join us, your energy & support is very much needed!
Next PTA Event:
- Christmas Fair: Wednesday 18th December @ 15:30 – 17:30
Upcoming meeting dates (Wednesdays):
- 16th October
- 6th November
- 20th November
- 4th December
- 11th December
Upcoming Events
October:
- Tuesday 15th October: Year 4 Trip to the Science Museum @ 09:00 – 15:00
- Wednesday 16th October: Peter Daniels (Westminster Archives) in to deliver “Moving Away Your Dust” Project with Year 6 @ 09:00 – 15:15
- Tuesday 22nd October: Year 5 Trip to the Science Museum @ 09:00 – 15:00
- Friday 25th October: INSET Day, school closed for pupils.
- October Half Term: Monday 28th October to Friday 1st of November School Closed
November:
- Wednesday 6th November: Year 1 Trip to the Florence Nightingale Museum @ 09:00 – 15:00
- Friday 8th November: Remembrance Day Service (in school) 10:30 – 11:30. Parents are warmly invited and need to be in the school playground (weather permitting) by 10:25.
- Friday 8th November: Year 6 visiting Westminster Abbey as part of the “Moving Away Your Dust” Project @ 13:00 -15:00.
- Monday 11th November: Year 5 Trip to The British Museum @ 09:00 – 15:00.
- Monday 18th November: Year 3 Trip to The British Museum @ 09:00 – 15:00.
November (continued)
- Monday 25th November: Year 4 Trip to The British Museum @ 09:00 – 15:00.
- Tuesday 12th November: Year 1 Trip to The National Portrait Gallery (Significant People Exhibition) @ 09:00 – 15:00.
- Thursday 28th November: Year 6 visiting The Abbey Centre, as part of the “Moving Away Your Dust Project” @ 10:00 – 12:30.
- Friday 29th November: INSET Day, school closed for pupils.
December:
- Monday 2nd December: 9 Lessons Carol Service at St. John’s Smith Square Church @ 09:30 – 11:00. Parents are warmly invited to attend and we asked that you are seated in the church by 09:20
- Wednesday 11th December: KS2 (Year 3 – 6) Disco @ 17:00 – 19:00
- Wednesday 18th December: School Christmas Fair @ 15:30 – 17:30
- Friday 19th December: School closes for the Christmas Holidays @ 13:30.
Term Dates 2024-2025
Please remember that holidays will not be authorised during the school term, and that all children should be in school (on time) every day.
Please refer to the table below for the term dates, including INSET days and Bank Holidays when the school will be closed to pupils.
Alternatively, you can click on the image thumbnail on the right to view the PDF (please note this will open in a new window) or you can click on the link below:
AUTUMN TERM 2024 |
||
Start of Term (for Years 1-6) |
Tuesday |
03 September 2024 |
To |
Thursay |
24 October 2024 |
Half Term |
Monday |
28 October 2024 |
|
Friday |
01 November 2024 |
Return on |
Monday |
04 November 2024 |
End of Term |
Friday |
20 December 2024 |
SPRING TERM 2025 |
||
Start of Term |
Tuesday |
07 January 2025 |
To |
Friday |
14 February 2025 |
Half Term |
Monday |
17 February 2025 |
|
Friday |
21 February 2025 |
Return on |
Monday |
24 February 2025 |
End of Term |
Thursday |
04 April 2025 |
SUMMER TERM 2025 |
||
Start of Term |
Monday |
22 April 2025 |
To |
Friday |
23 May 2025 |
Half Term |
Monday |
26 May 2025 |
|
Friday |
30 May 2025 |
Return on |
Monday |
02 June 2025 |
End of Term |
Friday |
22 July 2025 |
INSET DAYS | ||
Teaching & Learning: Curriculum & Safeguarding |
Monday |
02 September 2024 |
Teaching & Learning TBC |
Friday |
25 October 2024 |
Teaching & Learning: Wellbeing |
Friday |
29 November 2024 |
Assessment & Pupil Progress |
Monday |
06 January 2025 |
Teaching & Learning: Curriculum, Assessment & Pupil Progress |
Friday |
27 June 2025 |
|
|
|
BANK HOLIDAYS (school closed) | ||
May Bank Holiday |
Monday |
05 May 2025 |
Online Safety
Did you know that not all apps are safe for children, with many popular ones having certain age restrictions. For example, WhatsApp, Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook operate a minimum age of 13+ years, and therefore primary school children should not have their own, nor access to, such apps or accounts.
As parents, you can help safeguard your children online by researching these apps and their purposes, as well as their age restrictions, BEFORE agreeing to download them. If you do choose to download them, remember that parental controls such as password protection, can be set up so that in-app downloads or purchases, cannot be completed by the children themselves.
For example, to prevent iTunes, Apple App Store purchases or downloads, all you need to do is:
- Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Content & App Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.
- Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- Select a setting and set to Don’t Allow.
Tips on how to install parental controls on other apps and devices (Android or Apple) can easily be found online, or even from the app developers themselves.
Preschool, Nursery & Reception Admissions
We have the following availability for places in our Early Years provision from September 2024:
Reception class:
- 2 places
Nursery Class (3-year olds):
- 2 full-time places
- 2 part-time place (afternoon)
Preschool (2-year olds)
- 1 full-time place from September 2024
- 2 part-time places from September 2024
- 2 full-time places (1 from January 2025)
If you are looking for a Preschool, Nursery or Reception place for your child we’d love to have you join us for a 30-minute bespoke EYFS tour. Here, you’ll have the chance explore our Early Years setting, speak to key staff and ask any questions regarding admissions and your child starting with us at Burdett-Coutts.
Contact us to register for our tours which take place every Thursday, with times available from 10:30 – 14:30 during term time.
- To book your tour place, please call 0207 828 6790
- For further information about starting Reception at Burdett-Coutts, please click here >
Funding eligibility letter for Pupil Premium, Early Years Funding & Free School Meals
Due to changes in the eligibility criteria for Pupil Premium, Free School Meals and qualifying for 30 hours of funding for Nursery provision, many pupils currently enrolled at our school may now be entitled to one of these funding allocations.
We will be issuing letters to families who are currently not in receipt of the above, asking you to complete the registration for the identified funding option your child/ren maybe eligible for. Thank you so much in advance for your help in completing this.
This funding allows us to increase additional staffing hours to run booster groups, and an exciting range of extended day activities, that benefit our school and your child, and your cooperation is greatly appreciated at this difficult time for school budgets.
- If you should have any queries with regards to the letter sent to you, please contact Mrs Deary or the school office.
Preschool:
This week in Preschool we have been exploring our senses. Children have been given the opportunity to engage with different sensory tubs related to our book, ‘Baby Goes to Market‘. The sensory tubs had a range of materials for children to scoop, pour, squeeze, or manipulate. These actions strengthen the small muscles in their hands and fingers, developing fine motor skills. As the children explored the sensory tubs, Miss Gordon modelled language related to the textures, smells, sounds, and objects in the tub. This is helping the children to expand their vocabulary and understand descriptive language. Children were encouraged to talk about their sensory experiences, which promotes their ability to articulate ideas, describe sensations, and engage in conversation.
Nursery:
Numeracy in Nursery this week was truly exciting! We focused on counting through fun and engaging nursery rhymes, like “One Potato, Two Potato” which the children absolutely loved. They had a great time singing along while practicing their counting in sequence. To make learning even more hands-on, the children used playdough to mould numbers with their hands, exploring the shapes and forms of numbers up to 10. It was a fantastic way for them to develop their numeracy skills whilst having fun!
Reception:
Reception became little scientists this week, exploring and investigating pumpkins as part of their Harvest preparations. They were encouraged to touch and smell both the outside and inside of the pumpkins, using spoons to scoop out the seeds. This hands-on activity was not only fun but also great for developing their gross motor skills, observation abilities, and more!
Year 1:
Year 1 have been enjoying their phonics and reading lessons, engaging in both with increasing confidence! We have been exploring lots of different sounds in words, focusing on those found at the beginning, middle and end of words. This helps us when decoding (breaking down a word) and then blending them together to read and write known and attempt more challenging words in both our reading and writing lessons. Students have also been practising their spelling words with the different sounds and using them when reading.
Year 2:
As Writers, Year 2 have been diving into the story Traction Man is Here by Mini Grey, a delightful tale about a brave toy superhero who embarks on various adventures around the house, saving the day with his friend Scrubbing Brush. Inspired by Traction Man, children designed their own superheroes to join him on a new adventure! After sketching their characters, they gathered descriptive vocabulary and adjectives to bring their superheroes to life. They explored a model character description, identifying key features like expanded noun phrases, exciting language and action verbs. Using these tools, children wrote descriptions of their superheroes, showcasing their appearance, personality, skills and superpowers.
Year 3:
This week, Year 3 performed a poem at our Harvest Festival. Our poem was about being grateful for all the different parts of the Harvest Celebration and created Autumn crowns to wear. We created a collaborative piece of art, each painting an Autumn fruit or vegetable, before putting them all together on the cornucopia. In Writing, we have also started writing recounts from the perspective of the main character in the short film, The Catch. We are using our paragraphing skills and including lots of lovely language!
Year 4:
This week we have been busy learning and deepening our understanding of expanded noun phrases. We discussed their importance in our writing and how they help the reader to create an image in their head. We first practiced and refined our expanded noun phrases before drafting and publishing an alternative introduction to our class text ‘I was a Rat’ by Philip Pullman.
Year 5:
In Science, we have been deepening our understanding and knowledge of Forces. We’ve learnt about the life and times of Sir Isaac Newton and his theory of gravity. We had an interesting lesson comparing how the mass of an object affects the gravitational force exerted on it. Please ask your child to explain the difference between mass and weight and the units they are measured in. We will be carrying out further experiments to measure the impact of air resistance on objects and making our own predictions to test. We’re very excited to be visiting The Science Museum soon to learn more about Forces through practical experiments and workshops.
Year 6:
This week in RE, Year 6 have continued investigating the importance of Rosh Hosannah and Yom Kippur to Jewish children. Rosh Hashanah, which translates to ‘head of the year’, is a special festival celebrating the Jewish New Year. Lasting two days, the dates vary from year to year. This is because the dates of Jewish festivals come from the Hebrew calendar, so their new year begins in Autumn, instead of 1st January. We applied our learning by writing diary entries in the role of a Jewish child explaining their customs and what they symbolise.