School Newsletter : 22 November 2024

| Issue 10 | Autumn 2 | Week 3 |

Out & About…

Monday 18th November: Year 3 Trip to The British Museum

On Monday, Year 3 were at the British Museum as part of their History learning. We started upstairs, looking at the Ancient Egyptian mummies. We thought we might be a little scared, but we really loved it! We were able to talk about the hieroglyphics, paintings and gods featured on the mummies that we have learnt about in class. The shabti figures were so cool as well.

We consolidated our knowledge from our last History topic, Stone Age to Iron Age, with a trip to Iron Age Europe. We saw Celtic helmets, swords, coins and jewellery. After, we went to the Egyptian sculpture and saw sculptures of the pharaohs, as well as the famous Rosetta Stone. After lunch, we attended a workshop on how archaeologists in Ancient Egypt work, especially how they choose their artefacts for their museums. We put 11 objects in order on a timeline from 2,000 BC to 2,000 AD and as a group, chose one that we thought should go in our museum. Overall, we had an awesome day!

Parent Teacher Meetings

Our Autumn term Parent Teacher Meetings will take place on Thursday 5 December.

Parents can book their meeting slots from 09:30 on Monday 11 November via the Arbor App. Each appointment slot is 15 minutes long.

The first 5 mins are set aside for you to look at, discuss with and comment on your child’s work before meeting with the class teacher. Please remember to complete the feedback slip provided.

If you experience any problems signing up on the Arbor App, please contact a member of the school office team, who will be happy to assist you.

BBC Children in Need: Thank you for your support!

Thank you to everyone who kindly donated towards our fundraising event held on Thursday this week. It was lovely to see some children (and staff) proudly supporting this event by wearing Pudsey bows and head bands, along with lots of spots!

In total, we raised £180.00 which will all be donated to Children in Need. Congratulations to the following ‘Guess the Sweets in the Jar‘ winners:

  • EYFS: Lawrence (Reception)
  • Years 1 – 3: Angelina (Y2)
  • Years 4 – 6: Adnan (Y4)

School Council 2024-2025

Following a review of our School Council program, pupils were encouraged to apply and register their interest for the class representation positions (2 per class).

This gave everyone an opportunity to consider and capture their reasons for applying, which they shared with their classmates and eventually a staff panel for review.

We were overwhelmed by the many responses, and there as a lot of deliberation to choose the right candidates. We are really delighted to announce our School Council members for this academic year.

Our School Council Representatives for 2024-2025 are:

Year 1:

  • Elyn
  • Belvanio

Year 2:

  • Lavin
  • Hussein

Year 3:

  • Nina
  • Frank

Year 4:

  • Suranne
  • Adam

Year 5:

  • Tahlia
  • Joshua

Year 6:

  • Taha
  • Fenet

Thank you to all pupils who applied and expressed their interest in working in partnership with wider school staff to improve our wonderful school. For those unsuccessful this year, you will of course have the opportunity to apply again next year (except for Year 6).

Parents & carers, do keep an eye out for a School Council section that will appear on a bi-weekly basis in school newsletters from January. These will give  updates on the wonderful work School Council will be doing in our school.

WINTER IS HERE!

Please ensure that all children wear a jacket to school, and have a hat. Gloves and scarves are optional, although recommended.

All pupils should now be wearing their full winter uniform and no longer in their summer uniform options, including PE uniform.

Please ensure all items of clothing including jumpers and sweaters are named!

Many thanks for your continued support.

Biscuit Bytes

Woof….

Happy Friday everyone – what a chilly week it has been!

Winter has definitely arrived this week, greeting us with crisp and frosty mornings ❄️ However, it also meant the return of hot chocolate to keep us warm in the playgrounds in the mornings, which always guarantees smiles!

This week, it came to my attention that elf-like behaviour is emerging across the school, and next week ALL THE CLASSES will be taking part in the Christmas Display Day next Thursday 🎄

The theme this year is The 12 Days of Christmas. But it’s all a bit hush-hush between each class, as they plan and plot their display concepts for the big day!

I have put my 🐾 paws up to help in the Early Years as I have spied the plans down there (shhh). All I can say for now is that things messy and fun will be the highlight of the day 🐶

You will have the opportunity to view all the amazing displays on the 5th December during parents evening. Please remember that next week is a short week, with our school closed on Friday as it is an INSET day.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Love Biscuit x

Collection Times

Parents and carers, please ensure that your child/ren are collected on time each day.

We are experiencing a high volume of late collection, especially with pupils in our After School Club. Kindly note that the club finishes at 6pm, so you will need to be here to collect your children prior to this time.

We appreciate that there are occasions when you may be delayed. On these occasions, please contact the school office to inform them of your expected time of arrival.

Regrettably, late fees will be issued to families who persistently collect their child/ren after their allocated finishing times.

If you are having trouble with childcare for any reason, please make an appointment to meet with a member of the Schools Leadership Team (Ms Barnett & Mrs Li Rosi) or the school Pastoral Support Manager (Mrs Deary).

Class Assembly & Collective Worship Services: Autumn 2024

All parents & carers are invited to attend the following services, unless specified differently eg: Year 6 parents & carers only etc. If you’re attending, please ensure that all mobile phones are either switched off or on silent mode.

Please also ensure that you arrive on time as you will not be able to join assemblies or services once they have begun. This is to ensure that those speaking or performing are not distracted by late arrivers.

Kindly note that we will not be able to make any exceptions, so please be aware of arrival times, traffic/travel conditions etc so as to avoid any disappointment.

A reminder that any photos taken are not permitted to be uploaded to public social media sites.

DATE  SERVICE/ASSEMBLY DETAILS & TIMINGS
Friday 29 November INSET DAY SCHOOL CLOSED TO ALL STUDENTS
Friday 6 December Key Stage 2 Nativity For KS2 parents & carers only. The nativity is from 14:30 – 15:15 and will be held at St Stephen’s Church. The doors will open at 14:20 and close at 14:30.
Friday 13 December EYFS & Key Stage 1 Nativity For EYFS & KS1 parents & carers only. The nativity is from 14:30 – 15:15 and will be held at St Stephen’s Church. The doors will open at 14:20 and close at 14:30.
Friday 20 December Christingle Service For all parents & carers. The service is from 10:15 – 11:15, and will be held in St Stephen’s Church

PE Lessons

Please note a change of day for Reception PE lessons.  Pupils will now have their PE lesson each Friday starting from Friday 15th November.

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:  Year 5
  • Thursday: Year 6
  • Friday: Reception, Years 1 & 2

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.

Please join in our next meeting to discuss our upcoming event, the Christmas Fair on 18 December @ 15:30 – 17:30. Everyone is welcome, and your energy & support is very much needed!

Meeting dates (Wednesdays):

  • 4th December
  • 11th December

Upcoming Events

November:

  • Monday 25th November: Year 4 Trip to The British Museum @ 09:00 – 15:00.
  • Tuesday 26th 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
  • Thursday 5th December: Parents Evening
  • Friday 6th December: KS2 Christmas Nativity, starting at 14:30 in St. Stephens Church.
  • Wednesday 11th December:  Christmas Jumper Day
  • Wednesday 11th December:  KS2 (Year 3 – 6) Disco @ 17:00 – 19:00
  • Thursday 12th December:  Children’s Christmas Lunch
  • Friday 13th December: EYFS & KS1 Christmas Nativity, starting at 14:30 in St. Stephens Church.
  • Wednesday 18th December:  School Christmas Fair @ 15:30 – 17:30
  • Friday 20th December: School closes for the Christmas Holidays @ 13:30.

Term Dates 2024-2025

Please find here the agreed term dates set by our school’s Governing Body for the upcoming academic year, starting September 2024.

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:

  1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & App Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.
  3. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
  4. 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:

Reception class:

  • 3 places (from January 2025)

Nursery Class (3-year olds):

  • 2 full-time places (from January 2025)
  • 1 part-time place (afternoon – from January 2025)

 Preschool (2-year olds)

  • 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 09:15 – 14:30 during term time.

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:

Preschool have been spreading their wings as playful owls this week! Inside, they’ve been soaring and flapping, while outside, they’ve balanced gracefully over, under and through an obstacle course. These activities are a fun way to develop their physical skills and coordination as part of their physical development (PD) focus.

Nursery:

This week, we started reading our new story, The Everywhere Bear. The children had a wonderful time making predictions about what the story might be about, sparking their curiosity and imagination. They also enjoyed creating their own bears, which they then used to retell parts of the story in their own way. It was a fantastic way to encourage storytelling and bring the story to life through creative play.

Reception:

This week, Reception have been captivated by the story of Astro Girl and all the wonders of space! Their excitement inspired them to get creative, and they decided to build their very own rocket, using a variety of shapes! This activity has been a fantastic way to develop early mathematical skills, as the children explored 2D and 3D shapes in a practical, hands-on context. It also nurtured their problem-solving and teamwork abilities as they worked together to bring their imaginative design to life. Plus, the project sparked their curiosity about space and the world beyond our planet. It’s been wonderful to see their creativity and enthusiasm shining through. Who knows, we may have some future astronauts in our midst!

Year 1:

This week, Year 1 have been learning about waterproof materials and exploring what makes things float. We had a blast designing and creating our very own boats, testing how well they floated on water. It was so much fun discovering how different materials can keep things dry and help our boats stay afloat!

Year 2:

This week, Year 2 explored the importance of respect as part of Anti-Bullying Week, focusing on the theme Choose Respect. Through the story Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, we followed a little mouse who was proud of her unique name – until she started school and faced teasing from her classmates. As the story unfolded, Chrysanthemum’s confidence was restored through kindness and encouragement, teaching us all about the power of respect and celebrating differences.

To help understand, each child held a paper heart during the story. Each time Chrysanthemum faced unkind words, we crumbled our hearts, and as kindness returned, we tried to smooth them out. This showed us that even when we apologise, unkind words can leave wrinkles behind. It was a powerful reminder of why respect and kindness matter every day.

In Year 2, we value respect by supporting one another when we make mistakes, recognising them as opportunities to learn and grow. By celebrating differences, choosing kind words and helping each other, we can create a happy and respectful place for everyone.

Year 3:

Year 3 has had a wonderful range of learning experiences this week! We started with a trip to the British Museum, where we were able to put our History learning into practice. We have started some learning around Christmas, especially how it’s celebrated in other countries. We learnt how countries like New Zealand and Australia, have their Christmas during summertime! We also looked at some native New Zealand birds and the pohutukawa tree, then created some Christmas ornaments. We are also fully in the swing of rehearsing for our nativity. Thank you to all those who are helping us to learn our lines by heart at home!

Year 4:

Year 4 have begun learning all about the Mayan civilisation this term. We have enjoyed exploring and learning about where this civilisation (people) existed in the world. We have created timelines for this period and compared them to other civilisations, exploring the resources and food they gathered and traded. A firm favourite has been sharing with the class the fun facts the pupils have found at home during our homework tasks.

Year 5:

In our RE lessons this term, we are focusing on Christianity and asking if the Christmas story is true? We will explore the gospels of the New Testament and consider the different viewpoints presented. We have discovered that there are two different accounts of the birth of Jesus and will be considering whether the definition of true depends on the writer and also the reader, or whether it is more important to understand the message. To assist with this, we have looked at other texts that give different versions of the same event and especially how accounts can change over time.

Year 6:

In English this week, we have been learning all about relative clauses, and written sentences which include these within our diary entries. We have been writing from the perspective of our main character Bruno, (from The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas), describing his meeting with Shmuel from across the barbed wire fence. We have also been using modelled language from our Guided Reading lessons and a range of punctuation to create tension for the reader.