BC Newsletter Template (Yvonne)
| Issue 7 | Autumn 2 | Week 1 |
Out & About…
Wednesday 6 November: Year 1 Trip to the Florence Nightingale Museum
Year 1 pupils were surprised to be greeted by ‘Florence Nightingale’ herself when we arrived at the museum! She retold her story about her impressive lifelong work involving nurses and hospitals. The pupils really enjoyed dressing up in nursing outfits, completing scavenger hunts of Florence’s belongings and looking inside Florence’s bedroom! We were all very well behaved and had an amazing day out.
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.
Biscuit Bytes
Woof….
🐶 Happy Friday everyone!
Welcome back to the second half of the Autumn term. I hope everyone had a pawsome holiday – whether you enjoyed seeing family and friends or just took time to lie about at home.
I did a little of both. First resting at home and then travelling to Bath where I enjoyed some wonderful forest walks with my best friend Koda!
It is definitely getting colder outdoors now, winter is coming. I have been busy growing my winter fur to keep me nice and warm, but unfortunately you can’t do this. So please make sure that you wear a coat to school each day now, as it is often still chilly for morning playtimes and a coat is needed to play outdoors.
Please remember to label your coats, hats, scarves and gloves so that these can be easily returned if they are lost.
Wishing you all a fun weekend and enjoy the lovely crisp autumn days.
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 |
---|---|---|
Monday 11 November | Remembrance Day Service | For all parents & carers. The service is from 10:30 – 11:30, and will be held in the KS2 playground (weather permitting). The main gates will open at 10:20 and close at 10:30 |
Friday 15 November | Year 5 Class Assembly | For Year 5 parents & carers only. Please arrive and wait in the Ground Floor Hall by 09:00. A member of staff will let you know when to proceed up to the First Floor Hall to take your seats. |
Friday 22 November | Year 6 Class Assembly | For Year 6 parents & carers only. Please arrive and wait in the Ground Floor Hall by 09:00. A member of staff will let you know when to proceed up to the First Floor Hall to take your seats. |
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 John’s Smith Square. The doors will open at 10:10 and close at 10:15 |
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):
- 20th November
- 4th December
- 11th December
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 >
Upcoming Events
November:
- Monday 11th 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 10:30, the main gate will open at 10:20.
- Thursday 14th November: Year 6 Trip to Churchill War Rooms @ 09:30 – 14:30
- Monday 18th November: Year 3 Trip to The British Museum @ 09:00 – 15:00.
- Monday 25th November: Year 4 Trip to The British Museum @ 09:00 – 15:00.
- Monday 11th November: Year 5 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
- Wednesday 11th December: KS2 (Year 3 – 6) Disco @ 17:00 – 19:00
- 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:
- 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:
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 (starting now)
- 2 part-time places (starting now)
- 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 we have been diving into the wonderful world of the book Owl Babies! To bring the story to life, we introduced our new class pet, an owl. We explained that owls are special because they come out at night and prefer quiet surroundings. This sparked a great discussion about nocturnal animals. The children helped build a home for our owl in the classroom. Preschool got creative by making their own finger puppet owls, helping them connect with the story in a hands-on way. They also enjoyed acting out scenes from Owl Babies, which led to thoughtful conversations about the emotions of the baby owls in the story. It was a week full of learning, creativity, and discovery!
Nursery:
The first week back after the term break has been fantastic. We began reading our new story, The Leaf Man, and built up so much suspense that the children are eager to see what happens next. They’re completely captivated by the story, which has made our reading time really exciting. For our creative activity this week, the children had a great time with leaf painting, using different colours and patterns to make their own unique leaf designs. It was wonderful to see them so engaged, experimenting with textures and letting their imaginations run wild as they created their own versions of ‘leaf man’.
Reception:
This week, Reception were creative in preparation for Remembrance Day, using pipettes and eyedroppers to drip vibrant paint and ink onto coffee filters. This activity helped develop their fine motor skills as they carefully controlled each drop, watching the colours blend and spread to create stunning, unique poppies. It was a wonderful way to introduce them to the concept of remembrance through hands-on art, and their beautiful poppies will be displayed proudly as we honour those who served. Well done, Reception!
Year 1:
Year 1 have settled back well into school routines after our half term break. Everyone enjoyed sharing what they did over the break and what they’re looking forward to in the coming half term. We have been enjoying ‘buddy reading’ together and sharing stories with each other after our lunch break.
Year 2:
This week in Year 2, we became both Historians and Artists as we explored the significance of Remembrance Day and the meaning of the poppy. We learnt that the tradition of wearing poppies as a symbol of remembrance began during the First World War, as they were among the first flowers to grow back on the battlefields and have since come to represent hope and reflection.
We also read Where The Poppies Now Grow by Hilary Robinson and Martin Impey, a touching story about two friends, Ben and Ray, who grow up together and experience the impact of the First World War. Their friendship and courage helped us understand why it’s important to remember and honour those affected by war.
As artists, we created our own poppies to wear and worked on a stained glass poppy project to celebrate this meaningful symbol.
Year 3:
This week in Year 3, we have learnt about Remembrance Day and created a poppy wreath around one of the windows in our door. We have also started our new history topic, the Ancient Egyptians; something that we have been looking forward to for a long time! We are diving back into our Maths learning with subtractions of hundreds and have started reading the The Sun King for our Writing topic.
Year 4:
At the end of last term, we finished our class text, I Was a Rat. Everyone was thrilled with the ending and really enjoyed reading it. With the beginning of the new term, we have started a new class text, Hetty Feather. Everyone came up with some very creative predictions on what they think the book is about and what they think will happen.
Year 5:
This week, we have started reading our new class text, Odysseus, an adaptation of the classical Greek myth by Homer. It is full of action and adventure and is already appealing to everyone. It is also packed with new and exciting vocabulary which the children can incorporate into their written work. We are continuing to write narrative stories and shall be writing our own chapter of the book, based on the travels of the hero. It is a beautifully illustrated book which we’re sure will inspire some fantastic artwork for our classroom.
Year 6:
This week in our Guided Reading lessons, we have begun to explore a new text, The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas. Set during WW2, so far we have been introduced to a boy called Bruno and his family who are having to move to a place called ‘Out With‘. We have begun to make predictions as to what this place could be and who the character called ‘The Fury‘ might be.