School Newsletter : 19 September 2025

| Issue 3 | Autumn 1 | Week 3 |

MacMillan Fundraising Event and School Open Morning

On Thursday 25th September, we’d like to warmly welcome all parents and carers to an Open Morning at our school.

From 08:45 – 09:30, you’ll be able to visit your child(ren)’s class(es) by accompanying them in the morning. This is an opportunity to see your child’s learning environment, as well as to meet the teaching team working with your child’s class.

However, a gentle reminder that during this session, you child(ren)’s class teacher(s) will not be able to have any specific or detailed discussions about your child and/or their learning.

After this session, you’re all welcome to join in our coffee morning hosted by our wonderful school PTA – the Friends of Burdett-Coutts – from 09:00 to 10:00.

This a great opportunity for meet and get to know other parents, whilst also supporting an important fundraising event for MacMillan Cancer.

Thank you advance for your support with school events – we look forward to seeing you then.

Reminders:

  • If you need to meet with your child’s class teacher about a specific subject, please email the office so that an appointment can be made.
  • All proceeds/donations from our coffee morning will be donated directly to MacMillan Cancer.

Year 1 & 2 Parent Workshop

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our workshop this morning. We had some great discussions and explored practical strategies around Reading, the use of Google Classroom and IXL in Key Stage 1.

We understand that some were unable to attend in person due to work and other commitments, so we have emailed the slides so that you are able to access the materials presented at the workshop.

We hope you find them useful, and please do reach out if you’d like to discuss any of the content further.

Jeans for Genes

What a fabulous day it was! Today our school community wore their denim and donated a gold coin in support of Jeans for Genes.

Together, we raised a fabulous £145 to help fund vital research into childhood genetic disorders.

Thank you to everyone who got involved, your generosity will really help give children with genetic conditions a brighter future!

School & PE Uniform:

Please ensure that your children are wearing the correct school uniform to school each day. It is important that all pupils are also wearing the correct school shoes – which are black shoes, and not trainers.

The Autumn/Winter term uniform options for pupils in Nursery to Year 6 are:

Girls:

  • Dark grey trousers, skirt or skort
  • Long-sleeve white shirt (Years 3 – 6)
  • White school logo polo shirt (Nursery – Year 2)
  • Tie (Years 3 – 6)
  • V-neck navy school logo jumper (Years 3 – 6)
  • Navy logo school sweatshirt (Nursery to Year 2)
  • Blazer (Year 6 only)
  • Plain black shoes (not trainers)

Boys:

  • Dark grey shorts or trousers
  • Long-sleeve white shirt (Years 3 – 6)
  • White school logo polo shirt (Nursery – Year 2)
  • Tie (Yers 3 -6)
  • V-neck navy school logo jumper (Years 3 – 6)
  • Navy school logo sweatshirt (Nursery to Year 2)
  • Blazer (Year 6 only)
  • Plain black shoes (not trainers)

On PE days, pupils must wear the school PE kit only.

This is especially important for safety.  Having the correct shoes for physical activities, and clothing that is not restrictive, for completing physical activity are essential for helping us to ensure pupils complete all PE lessons safely.

The Autumn/Winter term PE kit for all pupils from Year Reception to Year 6 consists of:

  • A school navy logo t-shirt
  • Navy  leggings, tracksuit bottoms or skort (no logos etc)
  • Plain black trainers
  • A school logo sweatshirt (not the v-neck jerseys for KS2 pupils. Sweatshirts are available from the school office in KS2 sizes).

Please note that pupils who do not have the correct PE kit will not be able to participate in their PE lesson. They will be given alternate work to do, and a note will be sent home highlighting why they were not able to complete their lesson that day.

We thank you in advance in supporting our school’s uniform policies.

Reading Books & Book Bags

Thank you to all pupils and parents who have ensured that they have book bags organised for the school year.

Looking after our school books:

1. Please do not put water bottles, clothing etc in your child’s book bag.

  • The purpose of the book bag is to protect the book from damage, keeping it flat and not allowing the pages to become damaged (ripped/torn or bent)
  • This ensures the book has a long life and is in good condition for all users across the years.

2. Please note that book bags need to come to school everyday.

  • The books taken home to read are also those used in either their daily reading or writing lessons (or both) in school.
  • If they do not bring their book bag (and book) into school each day, pupils will struggle in their daily lesson as there is only one book per pupil with no additional copies.

When do books come home?

1. Library Books: 

  • Monday 15th September: All classes will begin their class library sessions, so pupils will begin bringing home a library book each week.
  • These books are selected by the pupils and for younger pupils these are books to be shared and read with an adult.

2. Class Reading Books:

  • Monday 15th September: Pupils in Years 3 – 6 will bring home a reading book. This will be linked to the first of their writing genres this term.
  • Monday 22nd September: Pupils in KS1 will begin to bring their reading (Read Write Inc) books home
  • Reception pupils will bring home books linked to their reading programme (Read Write Inc), once they have met their assessment targets. This is usually after the October Half Term, and a letter will accompany this.

Reminders:

  • Thursday 9th October: An Early Reading Workshop for Reception parents & carers will be held from 09:00 – 10:00, ahead of Reception pupils starting their home reading.
  • Please note that books will not be sent home if your child does not have their book bag.
  • Please only use book bags for books and newsletters.

Winter Wonderland Art Competition

Winter Wonderland School Competition Canvas A4 (PDF) >

Biscuits Bytes

Woof….

This week has flown by!

It has been such a busy week with parent workshops for Secondary Transfer and Key Stage 1 Parent Information mornings.

And that’s even before the whole school PSHE art tasks! Wait till you see the amazing installation the pupils are working on which will unveiled at the end of the first half term – so far, it’s been fantastic!

There have been lots of exciting PE sessions this week, with classes learning all about the skills and strategies needed when playing 🏑 hockey as well as ⚽️ football lessons.

Have a wonderful weekend and don’t forget about our Parent Open Morning and MacMillan Coffee Morning next Thursday. I sure hope there’ll be some cake for me 🍰🐶🙂

Love Biscuit x

Our PTA: The Friends of Burdett-Coutts

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 first meeting for the new school year will take place on Wednesday 17th September from 09:00 – 10:00 in the Ground Floor Hall, with refreshments. Everyone is welcome!

Upcoming Events:

  • MacMillan Coffee Morning: Thursday 25th September 09:00 – 10:00am in the Ground Floor Hall.
  • Thanks Giving Celebration: Wednesday 26th November 16:30 – 18:00 (more information to follow)
  • KS2 (Years 3 – 6) School Disco: 10th December 17:00 – 19:00(more information to follow)
  • Christmas Fair: Wednesday 17th December 15:30 – 18:00 (more information to follow)

Upcoming dates:

  • Wednesday 01st October
  • Wednesday 15th October
  • Wednesday 12th November
  • Wednesday 26th November
  • Wednesday 03rd December
  • Wednesday 17th December

Upcoming Events

September:

  • Thursday 25th Sept: 09:00  – 10:00 – MacMillan Coffee Morning in the Ground Floor Hall – all welcome.
  • Thursday 25th Sept:  Parent Open Morning: 08:45 – 09:30
  • Monday 29th Sept: Children’s Christmas Card designs sent home.

October:

  • Friday 3rd Oct: Midday (12:00) deadline for children’s Christmas Card orders to be returned to school.
  • Friday 10th Oct: Pupils Flu Vaccinations @ 09:30 – 10:30.
  • Friday 24th Oct: INSET Day. School CLOSED to pupils.
  • Monday 27th – Friday 31st Oct: Half Term holidays

Term Dates 2025-2026

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

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:

Preschool, Nursery & Reception Admissions

We currently have the following availability for places in our Early Years provision from September 2025:

  • Reception class: We have 2 places available.
  • Nursery Class (3-year olds): 4 full-time places and 2 part-time (afternoon) places available
  • Preschool (2-year olds): 2 full-time places and 2 part-time (afternoon) places available

If you are looking for a Preschool, Nursery or Reception place for your child, please come along 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.

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.

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 exploring their emotions through the wonderfully engaging story, The Colour Monster. After reading the story together, they were given the opportunity to help sort out the colour monsters feelings into baskets, just like in the story. We discussed the colours, developing colour recognition, labelled the emotions, supporting social and emotional development and used our fine motor skills to pinch and squeeze with the tweezers. This was such an enjoyable experience that we have set it up in the room for children to explore and play with during the day.

Nursery:

Nursery have begun exploring the story ‘Hello Friend’. The children enjoyed studying the front cover, sharing what they could see, and making thoughtful predictions about what the story might be about. At the Writing table, they had lots of fun decorating the character’s dress using a variety of yellow materials.

Reception:

Reception have been building early Maths skills by learning how to sort and classify objects. These foundational activities help  them recognise patterns, and make comparisons and organise information. The children have been exploring how objects can be similar or different, practising how to group them based on shared characteristics through a mix of whole class, small group and individual experiences. We are so proud of their enthusiasm and progress as they develop these important skills.

Year 1:

Year 1 have been putting their STEM genius to work! In Maths, we have been focusing on “one less” and exploring the numbers that come before each other, counting down from 10 all the way to zero. The children have worked hard to recall this information quickly, showing brilliant number fluency. To celebrate their learning (and make it even more exciting!), they were set the challenge of designing rockets. Some children created amazing 3D models, while others drew detailed rocket pictures complete with countdown numbers. The room was full of enthusiasm, creativity, and mathematical thinking taking flight!

Year 2:

In English, Year 2 have been exploring the adventures of Traction Man – everyone has loved discovering his missions. Inspired by the story, the pupils went on to design their very own superheroes, thinking carefully about their appearance, personality and powers. Using lots of imaginative adjectives and expanded noun phrases, they wrote fantastic character descriptions to bring their superheroes to life. They were enthusiastic about sharing their creations and it was wonderful to see their creativity as writers shine.

Year 3:

This week Year 3 have continued their learning about place value in Maths – reading and writing numbers to 1000! We have begun our writing unit based around the book Mousehole Cat, and have been focusing on using all our punctuation accurately and including adjectives for details. In Reading, we focused on fluency and intonation through a short play. The children worked so well together and were brave enough to perform to each other. It’s been a great week!

Year 4:

Year 4 have been getting stuck into their Science topic, All About Teeth! We explored all the different types of teeth from canines to incisors, and we even had a milk tooth falling out during the lesson (which we identified as a molar)! In Art, we have looked at the tints and shades in Cezanne’s Mont Sainte-Victoire and made our own colour palettes by adding white and black to our base colours. We’ll be working towards painting our own still life by the end of this half term.

Thank you to parents & carers who have supported the children with new homework transitions, including reading at home to develop their independence and ownership over their reading records. It has been great to see such an impressive uptake in reading progress over the past two weeks, along with IXL maths and SPAG tasks being completed. Amazing work!

Year 5:

It’s been a busy and exciting week in the Year 5 classroom! In Maths, we continued our unit on place value. We explored numbers all the way up to one million, practising how to partition them and how to place them accurately on a number line. We discussed the importance of having zero as a place holder as well.

In Writing, we retold the thrilling fight scene in Beowulf, making our descriptions even more powerful by using expanded noun phrases. We created a storyboard to describe each main event to help us before writing our final piece. During PSHE, we discussed the rights and responsibilities of children and reflected on what these mean in our own lives. In RE, we continued our learning about Hinduism, building a deeper understanding of its beliefs and traditions.

Year 6:

As scientists, Year 6 have been investigating electricity through their topic, Circuit Breaker or Circuit Fixer? We began by learning about electrical safety, understanding the vital precautions needed when working with electricity. We explored real-life contexts and used our science knowledge to ask thoughtful questions and spark discussion. To reinforce our understanding, we designed informative posters highlighting key safety rules when handling electrical components.

We then moved on to circuit diagrams, where we practised drawing scientific diagrams using recognised circuit symbols. We learned how to represent components accurately, ensuring wires were drawn with straight lines to meet scientific standards. Alongside building circuits, we also developed skills in identifying and diagnosing common issues within them.