School Newsletter : 22 April 2023
| Issue 1 | Summer 1 | Week 26 |
Welcome back to the Summer Term
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter break and that you are all well rested and ready for a very busy Summer term! We have certainly started off with a whizz and a bang with trips, club sign ups and parents evening all having taken place.
Class termly homework outlines have been shared and can be found in your child’s Google classroom and many classes also sent home a paper copy of these this week. Please do read these, as there are some exciting home projects that have been set for this half term.
The new school menu for the Spring/Summer term can also be found here on the school website. If you need a paper copy, please ask at the school office. For those pupils who bring a packed lunch, please remember that crisps, bio drinks (Actimel etc) and juice are not permitted. Pupils are allowed one dessert type item eg: small amount of popcorn, 2 biscuits, a small piece of cake etc.
As the weather is getting warmer, pupils will be taking off their jumpers and sweatshirts on sunny days as the temperatures rise. We would appreciate it if parents could kindly take the time this weekend to label your child’s jumper or sweatshirt. This is immensely helpful when we find them around the school (as they are inevitably left in the playground), as they can easily be identified, and returned to the correct child.
Wishing you a good weekend and don’t forget that extended school day clubs begin next week!
Year 6 SAT’s Meeting
Year 6 parents, kindly note that there will be a SATS information meeting on Monday 24th April at 9:00am. Please make a note of this in your diaries to attend this important meeting, as we will be providing you with key information about the tests and how the week will be run. The meeting will be held in the ground floor hall and will last approximately 20 minutes.
SATS timetable:
- Tuesday 9th May: Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar
- Wednesday 10th May: Reading
- Thursday 11th May: Arithmetic and Maths Paper 1
- Friday 12th May: Maths Paper 2
Parents Evening
It was great to see so many parents and pupils taking the opportunity to meet with their child’s class teacher on Thursday, and review and discuss their child’s learning. If you were unable to attend, or would like to meet with your child’s teacher for any reason, please email the school office to request arranging a meeting.
Club Updates
After a busy few days, Enrichment Clubs registrations have now closed. Pupils (and parents) have been especially happy with the broad range of clubs on offer this term, which has meant more pupils have got their first choice preferences.
Club Dates for the Summer Term:
- Breakfast Club: Starts Monday 17th April and ends Friday 21st July
- After School Club: Starts Monday 17th April and ends Wednesday 19th July
- Extended School Day Clubs: Starts Monday 24th April and ends Friday 14th of July
Kindly note that all clubs begin this Monday 24th April.
Trips and Events: News round-up!
19th April: Westminster Abbey
On Wednesday, Year 4 went on a very exciting visit to Westminster Abbey, as the final part of The Coronation Club run by The Abbey. We were given access to some extremely interesting places, including a chamber where treasures were kept and the upper gallery which houses a museum.
There we saw some glorious robes and exquisite manuscripts, as well as fascinating effigies of Kings and Queens that had been placed on their funeral tombs. From the gallery, we got a wonderful view of the floor of The Abbey and the outside of the building and surrounding area. It was definitely worth the 108-step climb to get there! Finally, we saw The Coronation Chair that will be used at King Charles’ forthcoming coronation.
We are now looking forward to finishing our own coronation robe….. so watch this space!
London Marathon this weekend! – Good luck Narissa!
The London Marathon is the UK’s 2nd largest annual road race and will take place on Sunday 23 April. It starts all the way in Blackheath, near Greenwich and entrants have to run approximately 42.1 km (26.2 miles), before finishing on The Mall by Buckingham Palace. The event is televised lived annually and since its beginning in 1981, participants have raised more than £1 billion for good causes.
Our Chair of Governors, Narissa Bowles is running this year’s London Marathon and she has been training very hard in preparation. She received her entry from her running club, Ranelagh Harriers, in appreciation for her volunteering.
Did you know that Narissa has been volunteering at our school as a governor for over 10 years? And so, in recognition of volunteers everywhere, should you like to show your support, she requests that you please consider donating to our school’s PSA, The Friends of Burdett-Coutts.
You can donate to the Friends of Burdett-Coutts in several ways, by handing cash or a cheque to Miss Karen with “DONATION” clearly written on the envelope. Alternatively, you can make a direct payment to the following account: Friends of Burdett-Coutts | 20-35-93 | 53801950
Good luck Narissa – we’ll be watching out for you!
2-year old Pre-school Provision
We are excited to confirm that we will be offering 2-year old provision from September 2023.
If you would like to reserve a space for September 2023, please collect an application pack from the school office as soon as possible, and return this along with your deposit to secure your place.
Please note that places are limited and we have had a strong repose for those avalibale already. School families have a week to sign up before the offer for places is advertised more widely across the borough.
If you know of friends or family currently on a waiting list for a 2-year old place, but who are not attending our school, please do ask them to make contact with the school
If you have any questions or queries about the provision, please make contact with the school office.
- If you have any queries about this, please email office@burdettcoutts.co.uk
Are you getting to school on time?
A huge thank you to all of our families who are in school everyday and arrive on time! It is important that your child attends school every day and on time. Arriving late to school is unsettling for children and disrupts the start to their day.
Our school day starts at 09:00, and all pupils need to be in school by 08:55, to ensure that they are ready for learning at 09:00. Teachers are waiting in classes with learning ready to start at this time.
The main pupil entrance (gates) will open at 08:45 and will close at 08:55. After this time parents will need to bring their child/ren via school office. Please ensure your child is in school before 08:55.
From the February Half Term you will need to sign your children in if entering through the office. The time of entry and reason for lateness will be noted.
We are carefully monitoring attendance and punctuality as we have noticed an increasing trend of both becoming a pattern for some families.
Routines are the easiest way to ensure your child attends school on time every day, so try to create good routines for the start of your day, particularly if mornings are hectic in your household.
Try and prepare as much as possible the night before, and ensure that older children are taking much more responsibility for their readiness for school.
Did you know?!
- 10 minutes late every day = 33 hours lost learning each year!
- Lateness and absence has a significant impact not only on your child’s learning, but also others, as teachers may have to re-teach late arrivals to ensure they can participate in the lesson.
Upcoming Events
April:
- Monday 24th April: Extended School Day and Booster Clubs begin for all pupils
- Thursday 27th April: Teacher Strike Day (TBC and more information to follow)/
May:
- Monday 1st May: Early May Bank Holiday – School Closed
- Tuesday 2nd May: Teacher Strike Day (TBC and more information to follow).
- Monday 8th May: Coronation Bank Holiday – School Closed
- Tuesday 9th – Friday 12th May: Year 6 SATS week. Good Luck!
- Thursday 18th May: Ascension Day
- Monday 29th May – Friday 2nd June: May Half Term Holiday
Community Corner
Collective Worship
The whole school attends acts of Collective Worship every day.
- Mondays and Tuesdays: key stage singing assemblies led by Mr Carden.
- Wednesdays: Church service led by Graham or Helena, the clergy at St Stephens with St John on Rochester Row. These services are very child-friendly, and Year 6 take a leading role by processing, singing in the choir and reading the Bible readings and prayers.
- Thursdays: We focus on celebrating achievements, led by a member of SLT, School Council or a class teacher with their class. When a class teacher leads the assembly, their class also recite a piece of poetry they have been learning. We would be very grateful if parents could support their children in learning these poems when it is their turn.
- Friday: Opportunities for classes to share what they have been learning with their families and the rest of the school.
St Stephen’s Church is looking particularly spring-like at the moment. If you attended any of the special services over Easter, you will have seen the cross (made from the Christmas Tree) covered in beautiful flowers and the Paschale (Easter) candle taking pride of place on the chancel steps.
In church this week we heard the Gospel reading from John 20:1-18, the part of the Easter Story describing the arrival of Mary Magdalene at Jesus’s tomb only to find him not there. This extraordinary moment changed Mary’s life and how she viewed things for ever.
Graham spoke to us about how different people will see the same thing in different ways and the impact of events on how you perceive people or situations. He even stood on his head to demonstrate different perceptions and ways of looking at things!
Community Questions:
- What impact did Jesus’ resurrection have on the disciples?
- How do you think you would have felt if you had been to the empty tomb and then met the living Jesus?
- What does the resurrection mean to you?
Term Dates 2023-2024
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 2023 |
||
|
Start of Term (for Years 1-6) |
Tuesday |
05 September 2023 |
|
To |
Friday |
20 October 2023 |
|
Half Term |
Monday |
23 October 2023 |
|
|
Friday |
27 October 2023 |
|
Return on |
Monday |
30 October 2023 |
|
End of Term |
Friday |
22 December 2023 |
|
SPRING TERM 2024 |
||
|
Start of Term |
Tuesday |
09 January 2024 |
|
To |
Friday |
09 February 2024 |
|
Half Term |
Monday |
13 February 2024 |
|
|
Friday |
17 February 2024 |
|
Return on |
Monday |
19 February 2024 |
|
End of Term |
Friday |
29 March 2024 |
|
SUMMER TERM 2024 |
||
|
Start of Term |
Monday |
15 April 2024 |
|
To |
Friday |
24 May 2024 |
|
Half Term |
Monday |
27 May 2024 |
|
|
Friday |
31 May 2024 |
|
Return on |
Monday |
03 June 2024 |
|
End of Term |
Friday |
24 July 2024 |
| INSET DAYS | ||
| Teaching & Learning: Curriculum & Safeguarding |
Monday |
04 September 2023 |
| Assessment & Pupil Progress |
Friday |
01 December 2023 |
| Teaching & Learning TBC |
Monday |
08 January 2024 |
| Teaching & Learning: Curriculum Map Autumn/Spring |
Tuesday |
22 March 2024 |
| Teaching & Learning: Curriculum, Assessment & Pupil Progress |
Friday |
28 June 2024 |
|
|
|
|
| BANK HOLIDAYS (school closed) | ||
| May Bank Holiday |
Monday |
06 May 2024 |
September 2023: Nursery & Reception places available
If you are looking for a Nursery or Reception Place, for your child from September 2023, please contact the school and make an appointment to join a school tour.
We’d be delighted for you to join us for a 30-minute bespoke EYFS tour, where you will 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.
Please contact us to register for our tours which take place every Thursday, with times available from 09:30 – 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.
Nursery:
We are very excited to be back at school, and to welcome some new members to our class! We have celebrated by making our own play dough, following step by step instructions and moving our big muscles to mix the dough. There was plenty of stirring and measuring, which resulted in some wonderful play dough that we are so proud of and have been busily using all week in our play.
Year 1:
Welcome back to Summer Term! Hopefully you’ve all had a lovely break to rest and recover. We’re already busy and settled into learning this week. In Literacy we have been focusing on grammar, in particular using punctuation such as full stops, capital letters, commas and apostrophes. This week we learnt what a contraction is and will practice spelling them correctly in our writing.
Year 2:
In Year 2, we have taken on the role of Geographers! We are studying different places and the relationships between people and their environments, to make sense of the world and our place in it. We travelled to Kenya and explored the main human and physical features of the country. We learnt about the key geographical features including their wildlife, landscapes and culture. We found out all about the cultural identity of the Maasai Tribe, and compared their lives in Kenya to how we live in the UK. We also learnt some words and a song in Swahili, and made Maasai style necklaces. We used atlases, maps, photos and digital tools such as Google Earth and our iPads to complete our research.
Year 3:
In our Science Unit this term we will be studying Plants and Growth. We have begun by exploring and learning about the different parts of plants and flowers. We then demonstrated this learning by drawing and labelling the different parts of a flower.
Year 4:
This week we are very excited to be starting a new book, The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes. This is a very different book from our previous text, the highly amusing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We don’t know much about The Iron Man yet but have been thinking about the author’s style of writing, and are practising using evidence from the text to back up our thoughts about the character. This is a very important skill which we need to use in both guided reading and writing. We are looking forward to meeting the other characters in the book and discovering what adventures they will go on!
Year 5:
In Jemison Class this week we have been focussing on collaborative learning and working together. Each half term we change our learning partners, to get used to working with everyone in the class – this helps us to be more flexible and develop our cooperation skills. We really enjoy working together and supporting each other. This week we have been problem solving in Maths together and working out our mistakes and talking about what we need to do to learn from them.
Year 6:
This week in Religious Studies, we have been beginning to explore our big question, ‘Does belief in Akirah help Muslims to lead good lives?‘ Akhirah is the word Muslims use to refer to life after death. Belief in an afterlife encourages Muslims to take responsibility for their actions, as God will hold them accountable and reward or punish them accordingly. Akhirah explains humans’ existence on Earth, saying that life is a test from Allah. We discussed what we consider to be good actions some of which involved eg: helping the poor, taking care of the environment, supporting our peers and lonely neighbours etc. We then moved on to explore how faith can influence our daily decisions when faced with challenges.