School Newsletter : 24 April 2026

| Issue 28 | Summer 1 | Week 2 |

Run Kids Run 2026

We are thrilled to announce that once again, we have registered to participate in Run Kids Run on Sunday 7th June in Battersea Park.

Run Kids Run is a registered charity helping primary school communities connect with long term corporate benefactors, through a fun running event that promotes a healthy body and mind, while fundraising for our school!

How does it work?

All pupils from Nursery to Year 6 can register to compete in this fundraising event. Nursery & Reception will complete a 1km run, with a parent, and Years 1 – 6 will complete a 2km run. Older siblings can also take part, making it a fun day for all the family.

Then get training and fundraising! After the Easter Break, we will offer an in-school (for pupils only) running club as part of the Summer Term Extended School Day Menu of options. A Just Giving page will also be set up, making donations and sponsorships easy for everyone.

Then on Sunday 7th June, bring your child/ren to Battersea Park from 2 – 4pm. The children will run their races and on completion, will receive an exclusive medal and healthy snack.

You can seek sponsorship from as many friends, family & neighbours as possible, as every donation will go towards raising funds for our school.

Our Corporate Sponsor:

We have partnered with OPLM (Old Park Lane Management) ever since our first Run Kids Run in 2024. Like us, they are excited to be working in collaboration to create positive change through a vibrant and ambitious partnership for the benefit of our pupils and the wider local community.

OPLM will be supporting whole-school projects, including School Council visits to their Millbank site and a collaborative art project to design hoardings, with further opportunities for pupils’ artwork to be showcased.

Black & Blue Project

This week, Year 6 took part in another inspiring workshop with historian Peter Daniel from Westminster Archives as part of the Black and Blue project, learning about the life of Paul Canoville – Chelsea Football Club’s first Black player.

Through Paul’s story, children explored the racism and abuse he faced during his football career and the resilience and courage he showed in overcoming these challenges. They also learnt about the serious injury that ended his career at just 24 and the difficulties he later faced with drug addiction and illness.

Most importantly, the workshop highlighted how Paul found the strength to overcome adversity and now uses his experiences to help others through the Paul Canoville Foundation. It was a powerful session that encouraged the children to reflect on perseverance, equality and the strength of the human spirit.

Swimming Lessons for Years 3 – 6

We are delighted to announce that swimming lessons will begin again this term, for pupils in Years 3 to 6. Please see the table below for your child’s swimming weeks.

These lessons are an important (and statutory) part of the national curriculum and provide an opportunity for pupils to develop key skills and knowledge about water safety and learning basic swimming skills and strokes.

Pupils are issued with certificates at the end of each unit of swimming, which acknowledge the skill level that they have met.

All swimming lessons will take part at the Queen Mothers Sports Centre. Classes will complete their lessons in blocks (6 consecutive lessons over two weeks), instead of one lesson per week (over 6 weeks).

This arrangement ensures pupils have the best chance to consolidate and make the most of their lessons, with the opportunity to build on learning over sequential days, as opposed to having a week between each lesson.

On the weeks that your child’s class is swimming, they will need to wear their bathing costume to school with their PE kit over the top. They also need to bring in a bag; a towel, underwear and goggles, plus a cap (if they choose to use one).

Children will change into their PE kit after each lesson and put their towel and bathing suit in their bag to return to school.

If you have any questions or queries about your child’s swimming lesson, please contact the office to arrange a time to meet with a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Year 3

  • Tuesday 12 May: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 13 May: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 14 May: 12:00 – 13:00
  • Tuesday 19 May: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 20 May: 14:30 – 15:30
  • Thursday 21 May: 12:00 – 13:00

Year 4

  • Tuesday 02 June: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 03 June: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 04 June: 12:00 – 13:00
  • Tuesday 09 June: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 10 June: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 11 June: 12:00 – 13:00

Year 5

  • Tuesday 16 June: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 17 June: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 18 June: 12:00 – 13:00
  • Tuesday 23 June: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 24 June: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 25 June: 12:00 – 13:00

Year 6

  • Tuesday 30 June: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 01 July: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 01 July: 12:00 – 13:00
  • Tuesday 07 July: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 08 July: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 09 July: 12:00 – 13:00

Community Corner

First and foremost, congratulations to Burdett-Coutts’ new Head Choristers, Ambra and Joshua!

We had lovely musical accompaniment this week from Y6 soloists Max and Eleen singing, and later from Y5 pianist Arman leading us out with Für Elise.

This week in Collective Worship, we explored doubt, belief, perseverance and most importantly, peace. In the service, we were read the story of doubting Thomas by our Y6 readers.

Vicar Graham reminded us how Jesus’ first words when he reappeared to his disciples were, “Peace be with you.”

You can’t put a price on peace, we decided, but it’s free to share. Rather than getting angry or frustrated in this new term, we thought about trying to be instruments of peace. Ciaran in Y6 led us in a prayer, we sang our final worship song and Graham performed a blessing.

In Collective Worship, we explored journeys that we might take in life.

Arman opened with an encore of Fur Elise. We had our readings, followed by a prayer thanks to Y6 readers Ciaran and Eleen. Vicar Graham spoke to us about journeys – through school, through life, and through friendships. We discussed how, like the disciples on their way to Emmaus, Jesus too walks alongside us in these journeys; even if we do not know he’s there. Our worship songs were Open Our Eyes Lord and Amazing Grace.

Bible Teaching of the Week John Luke 24: 13-35

Two disciples walk away in sadness, but the risen Jesus joins them, helps them understand the Scriptures, and restores their hope; they recognise Him when He breaks bread.

Community Questions:

  • How can understanding God’s Word help us feel hope, even when we are sad or confused?
  • Can you think of a time when someone helped you understand something difficult and it made you feel better?

Community Challenge:

The Bible tells us about amazing things that Jesus did, and how he encourages us to pray. We can encourage one another to remember to pray and read the Bible stories if we are finding things difficult.

Class Assemblies:

  • 01 May: Year 4
  • 15 May: Year 3
  • 22 May: Year 5
  • 12 June: Year 6
  • 19 June: Year 1
  • 25 June: Reception (Thursday as Friday is an INSET day)
  • 03 July: Year 2
  • 10 July: Nursery

Unless otherwise indicated, all class assemblies are on Friday from 09:00 – 09:25.  Please ensure you are on time, as late arrival can distract the children and the flow of the assembly.

Any photographs taken cannot be uploaded or shared on social media platforms.

Disney Musicals in Schools

We are delighted to share that our Year 3 and Year 4 children have begun their Disney Musicals in Schools journey. This year’s production is the ever popular ‘Frozen!’

Children have been introduced to the world of musical theatre, taking part in auditions where they explored different roles and developed their confidence in performing. They have enjoyed reading through the first and second halves of the show, gaining an understanding of the storyline and how each character contributes to the production.

The excitement continued as the cast was officially announced, which is always a special moment!

Rehearsals are now well underway, with pupils beginning to learn Let the Sun Shine On, combining both singing and movement. Children have also been introduced to their rehearsal journals, which will support them throughout this exciting process.

It has been a fantastic start and we are so proud of the enthusiasm and commitment already being shown. We look forward to seeing their confidence and teamwork grow as they bring Frozen to life on stage!

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 meetings take place on  Wednesday mornings from 09:00 – 10:00 in the Ground Floor Hall, with refreshments. Everyone is welcome!

Our next events are:

School International Evening and World Day for Culture Diversity – Thursday 21st May @15;30 – 17:30

School Summer Fair – Saturday 20th June @12:30 – 16:00

Meeting dates:

  • 29th April
  • 06th May
  • 20th May
  • 10th June
  • 17th June

World Day for Cultural Diversity & International Evening

This year we are combining these two important events, by including our International Evening alongside World Day for Cultural Diversity.

To celebrate the rich tapestry of cultures in our school community, on Thursday 21st May we’d like to encourage all students, staff, and families to join us in honouring cultural diversity by wearing traditional clothing that reflects your heritage.

Whether it’s a small accessory or full attire, every expression is welcome.

We would also welcome donations of cultural food dishes to share as part of the evening. Our PTA will provide further details about this, alongside any ingredient information that would need to be provided with your food donations over the coming weeks.

Let’s make the day vibrant, meaningful, and inclusive! (and a feast for our taste buds😋)

Biscuits Bytes

Woof!

Happy Friday everyone! What a 🐾 pawsome week it has been… sun, great playtimes and clubs have begun 🙂

It has been so much fun joining in with lots of clubs this week, my favourite club – Cooking Club! – has also begun. YUMMY! But sadly I’m not allowed to join this one, not sure why?

But I do love checking out the hall afterwards 🐶

On Wednesday it was really busy with club activity in the playgrounds. We had our running club start, which an amazing 57 pupils have signed up for! WOW. Please don’t forget to sign up for the Run Kids Run event which you can read all about at the top of this newsletter. I can’t wait to see you all there🐶

Gardening Club also started with a top team of gardeners enrolled this term. It was a very busy lesson, as they collected in all the bulbs and trimmed them and ‘put them to bed’ (in containers) for the summer. These will be replanted  in Autumn, ready to bloom again next Spring.

Next week I hear that they will be planting seeds which  include sunflowers, sweet peas and poppies and also planting out all the garden boxes with summer perennials. I can’t wait to get my paws dirty and help out – I’m so good at digging!🐾🐶

Wishing everyone who is running the London Marathon this weekend lots of luck, especially Ms Bowles our Chair of Governors who’s doing the course in reverse, starting at midnight!

Have a wonderful weekend, hope you have the chance to visit a park or get outdoors.  I can’t wait to run in the forest and practice my swimming more this weekend!

See you all next week 🐶

Biscuit x

Enrichment Clubs

Late Collection

  • We understand that on occasions you may be running late due to circumstances outside of your control.
  • If this should occur, please email or phone the school office to inform them and of your expected arrival time.
  • This helps us ensure staff who work until 18:00 will be able to leave on time, with a member of the SLT providing cover if needed if they are unable to stay.
  • We thank you for understanding with this request.
  • A reminder that that a £5 late charge is applied to your fees for every 5 minutes that you are late.

Upcoming Events

April 2026:

  • Monday 27th: Year 6 visit to The Abbey Centre – Intergenerational Project
  • Monday 27th: Y2 Trip to Camley Street Natural Park Habitats Workshop

May 2026:

  • Friday 1st May – Year 4 – Itsu Community Kitchen Workshop (in school) 13:30 – 15:00
  • Monday 4th May – May bank holiday – School Closed to all pupils
  • Tuesday 5th May: Y1 Trip to Camley Street Natural Park – Plants Workshop
  • Tuesday 5th May: Y6 Parents SATS meeting @ 09:00 in the Ground Floor Hall
  • Thursday 7th May:  Treasures of the Orchestra Workshops for EYFS and KS1 classes (in school)
  • Monday 11th – Friday 15th : Key Stage 2 SATS week.  Good luck to all our Year 6 pupils🙂
  • Wednesday 20th May:  Keep Smiling, Tooth Brushing  & Fluoride Application Program (Day 2/2)
  • Monday 25th – Friday 29th:  May Half Term – School Closed to all pupils.

1. Pupil Medications

A polite reminder to parents and carers that we are unable to give over the counter or prescription medicines to pupils unless they have an agreed medical plan in place.

Should your child requires medication to be taken 3 times per day due to winter season illnesses, please give them their doses before school, after school and before bed time.

Alternatively, if you’re able to do so, you can pop into school during your child’s lunch break (12:30 – 13:30) to administer a midday dose if required.

Please do not put any medications, creams, ointments etc in your child’s book bag. This can be very dangerous for other pupils or adults who may have allergies or if other children access these items.

If you have any questions, please email the school office and a member of staff will get back you. Many thanks for your understanding with this important Health & Safety issue.

2. Pupil Permission Forms for Trips

Parents & carers, please ensure that when pupil trip letters are sent home requesting permission for trips or visits, that you correctly read and complete the forms attached and return them to school by the date requested.

When forms are returned late, it is a challenge to manage and accurately provide the required confirmation / information to venues – which are usually requested 48 hours in advance. Furthermore:

  • Our admin and catering teams face additional pressure to prepare lunch orders and first aid.
  • These are difficult to amend at the last minute, and it also pulls them away from other duties & responsibilities they have.
  • Teachers are also unable to assign group pupil:adult ratios to ensure a smooth trip briefing with other staff/parents supporting the trip.

Because of this, pupils will miss out on attending a trip if the correct permission slips are not returned by the designated deadline. Instead they will be assigned appropriate class work to complete in a supervised buddy class.

Many thanks for your understanding and support with this matter.

3. School & PE Uniform:

With the warmer weather now settling in, pupils are welcome to switch to their summer school uniform options.  Please ensure that all pieces of school uniform are named.

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 Summer term uniform options for pupils in Nursery to Year 6 are:

Girls:

  • Navy blue and white gingham dress
  • Dark grey trousers, skirt or skort
  • Short-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)
  • Navy logo school sweatshirt (for PE lessons: Years 3 -6)
  • Blazer (Year 6 only)
  • Plain black shoes (not trainers)

Boys:

  • Dark grey shorts or trousers
  • Short-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)
  • Navy school logo sweatshirt (for PE lessons: Years 3 – 6)
  • 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.

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:

Term Dates 2026-2027

Please find here the agreed term dates set by our school’s Governing Body for the upcoming academic year, starting September 2026.

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 link below:

Preschool, Nursery & Reception Admissions

We currently have the following availability for places in our Early Years provision from January 2026:

  • Nursery Class (3-year olds): 1 part-time (afternoon) place available at present.
  • Preschool (2-year olds): From April 2026 we have 4 full-time places and 2 part-time (afternoon) places available

September 2026 Reception:  We have a waiting list for Reception places for September 2026.  Please feel free to book a tour and submit admissions documents to secure a place on the waiting list.

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:

This week Preschool have been enjoying the story We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. The children have been fully immersed in a range of fun, hands-on activities inspired by the book. They explored a sensory bear hunt, walking through tubs filled with different textures and elements to bring the story to life. The children also took part in an exciting bear hunt around the room, using their imagination and teamwork to search for hidden bears. To extend the experience, we made a special snack together and enjoyed a lovely teddy bear picnic outside, encouraging social interaction and shared play.

Nursery:

Nursery have started learning about spiders through our core text Aarrgghh Spider! The children have been very engaged and curious, asking thoughtful questions about where spiders live and why they choose different habitats. This learning is helping them understand how living things survive and how animals depend on their environment to find food, shelter, and safety. We have explored how spiders can be found in many places such as gardens, under leaves, in grass, and in quiet corners, because these areas provide the conditions they need to survive. We also went on a minibeasts hunt outside to look for spiders and other small creatures. The children really enjoyed exploring the outdoor environment and used cameras to take photos of what they discovered, developing their observation skills and confidence as investigators.

Reception:

Reception have been having a fantastic time outdoors, enjoying lots of hands-on activities like splashing, pouring, and squeezing with sponges, mixing up fun “potions”, crawling through tunnels and diving into imaginative role play. These playful experiences help build confidence, coordination and motor skills, while giving the children the space to explore, be creative and simply enjoy learning through play. The outdoor area has been full of energy, laughter and plenty of wonderful moments shared by friends.

Year 1:

This week in Music, Year 1 worked in small groups to recreate familiar tunes as part of their own mini orchestras. They listened carefully, practised keeping a steady beat and, most importantly, worked collaboratively to bring their performances together. Each group had to decide who would play which part and when to come in, developing their ability to coordinate and stay in time as a team. It was lovely to see the children supporting one another, showing patience, and building confidence as they refined their performances. We are very lucky to have such a strong music curriculum at our school, and it was wonderful to see the children developing their musicality alongside their teamwork skills.

Year 2:

This week in Science, Year 2 have been learning about how to classify things as alive, dead or never alive. The children explored the seven life processes and used the acronym MRS GREN (Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion and Nutrition) to help them remember what all living things do. The class took part in a sorting activity where they grouped different pictures into alive, dead or never alive. They used their understanding of MRS GREN to explain their thinking, showing great reasoning skills and scientific vocabulary. It has been fantastic to see the children engaging so thoughtfully in their learning, confidently discussing their ideas and explaining how they know whether something is alive, dead or has never been alive.

Year 3:

Year 3 have had a great dive into all our new topics and start to develop our knowledge of these new concepts. We are currently learning about Sanatani Dharma for R.E and are learning about Rangoli art to tie these together. The children loved seeing the patterns and designs and have started to practise their own. The end goal is a Rangoli elephant, which we will create over the course of the term. We have been enjoying our Disney Frozen rehearsals and really appreciate the help at home learning the lines and songs for this show! The songs are on Google classroom. In Maths we are just rounding up our fraction unit and the class are now able to add, subtract and find a non unit fraction of a number too.

Year 4:

It’s been a theatrical week in Year 4! We have begun preparations for our Disney performance, and the children are already showing great enthusiasm. Thank you to all the grown-ups at home who are supporting with learning lines and practising songs as it really helps build confidence. Continuing the dramatic theme, our Year 4 class assembly is also approaching (Friday 1st May at 9:00am). As this is their final assembly before moving on to Year 5, we would really appreciate your support in helping your child practise their script so we can make it the special performance we know it can be! In our learning, we have started exploring setting descriptions inspired by The Iron Man with some imaginative ideas using subordinate clauses already emerging. In Science, we have begun our topic on electricity, sorting appliances into mains-powered and battery-powered.

Year 5:

Year 5 has had a fantastic week, continuing their learning across a range of subjects. In English, we have been analysing The Lost Book of Adventure in preparation for writing our own survival narratives next week. In Maths, we have started statistics, focusing on reading data from tables, graphs and timetables. In Science, we began exploring the life cycles of mammals and amphibians, creating our own life cycle diagrams of an animal of our choice within these classes. In RE, we continued learning about diversity and Buddhism, while in PSHE, we have been discussing how to stay safe in online communities. In music, the class enjoyed working together to create rhythms using percussion instruments, led by Mr Carden.

Year 6:

Year 6 have been inspired by our class text Wonder to combine reading and art in a meaningful way. They created self-portraits based on the iconic book cover illustrated by Tad Carpenter, using bright, colourful backgrounds to reflect individuality and self-expression. Within their designs, they included thoughtful reflections on the many ways they can show kindness to others. Through this activity, they have been exploring the key messages of the book, particularly the importance of empathy, acceptance and choosing kindness in everyday life. It has been wonderful to see them connect these ideas to their own actions and reflect on how they can make a positive difference to those around them.