School Newsletter : 22 September 2023
| Issue 02 | Autumn 1 | Week 2|
PE Lessons
Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct PE kit to school each week.
Pupils who are 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.
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).
- Pupils in KS2 (Years 3 – 6) must wear a school navy sweatshirt for PE and NOT their school jumper.
- Plain black trainers (velcro if your child struggles with shoe laces)
- Please ensure all items of uniform are clearly labelled (with a permanent pen or label)
PE lessons are on:
- Monday: Year 6
- Tuesday: Year 5
- Wednesday: Early Years & Year 3
- Thursday: Year 1
- Friday: Year 4 & Year 2
- Please note change of day for Year 1 & Year 6
Flu Immunisations: October 3rd
This autumn term all primary school aged children in England (from Reception class to Year 6) will be offered a flu vaccination by the NHS school aged immunisation service. Most children are offered a nasal spray flu vaccine.
Flu is an unpredictable virus that can kill thousands of people during a flu season. The flu vaccine is the best defence we have against it. Vaccination of children is based on the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the independent expert advisory group that advises the Government on vaccination.
The opportunity to have a free flu immunisation will be offered at our school on 3rd October.
Parents & carers, please take a few minutes to scan the QR code on the poster below – this will take you to the Central and North West London NSH Foundation Trust Immunisation Programme webpage. Search for our school, Burdett-Coutts to give your consent for your child to have their flu vaccine.
Alternatively, you can head straight there @ https://app.schoolscreener.com/Portal/#/CNWLLon/pr/CNWLi2324flu/101122
Information Coffee Morning
Are you worried about your child’s concentration or focus? Are there concerns about behaviour at home? Do you have a niggle at the back of your mind about ADHD? Does your child forget things or struggle with routines? Do you find it difficult to get your child to bed at night?
Join us on on Wednesday 18th October @ 09:00 to 10:00 where Alexander Haswell, our School Educational Psychologist will be hosting a FREE Coffee Morning to answer any questions and concerns you may have. Open to all parents and carers – everyone is welcome!
For further details, please speak to our school’s SENCO, Ella Camplin to find out more.
School Meals
If you would like your child to move from bringing a packed lunch to having a school meal, you must inform the office at least a week in advance of this change being made. Kindly note pupils are not allowed to alternate between having packed lunches and/or school meals on a daily or weekly basis. If you have any questions, please see a member of the school admin staff at the school office.
You can find the current school lunch menu here >
If you require a printed copy, please ask at the school office. Should you have any questions about the menu, kindly make an appointment to speak with Miss Barnett.
Are you getting to school on time?
Why good school attendance matters: Missing a few days of school here and there may not seem a big deal, but research shows that it can have a significant impact on children’s learning.
Children who miss a substantial amount of school fall behind their peers, and struggle to catch up. Most of the work they miss is never made up, which can lead to big gaps in their learning.
- Poor attendance often starts at primary school and children who fall into this pattern are likely to under-achieve at secondary school.
- Pupils who miss between 10 and 20% of school (that’s 19 – 38 days per year) stand only a 35% chance of achieving five or more good GCSEs, compared to 73% of those who miss fewer than 5% of school days.
- An attendance rate of 95% is generally considered good; this allows for children to miss 9.5 days across the school year.
- Persistent absence (PA) is defined as an attendance rate of 90% or below.
- All pupils are expected to have an attendance rate of 95% or higher.
Attendance class of the week: Each week we will be celebrating the class with the highest attendance levels.
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.
- Remember pupils need to be in school by 08:55.
- The pupil entrance gates open at 08:40.
Upcoming Events
September:
- Monday 25th: Year 6: Inter-generational Music Project @ Norton House (Visit 1)
- Monday 25th: Years 2 & 4: Fire Brigade and Neighbour Hood Watch Visit
- Thursday 28th: Year 2: Trip to Kensington Palace
- Friday 29th: MacMillan Coffee Morning
October:
- Monday 2nd & 3rd: School individual photographs. Details to follow.
- Monday 2nd: Year 6: Inter-generational Music Project @ Norton House (Visit 2)
- Wednesday 4th: Year 5: Theatre Workshop: Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons (in school)
- Monday 9th: Year 6: Inter-generational Music Project @ Norton House (Visit 3)
- Monday 16th: Year 6: Inter-generational Music Project @ Norton House (Visit 4)
- Wednesday 11th@ 09:30: Harvest Service @ St. Stephens Church. Parents & carers invited; doors @ 09:15
- Wednesday 18th: Coffee Morning with Alex Haswell (school educational psychologist)
- Wednesday 18th: Parents Evening. Details to follow.
- Monday 23rd – Friday 27th: October Half Term
- Monday 30th: Year 6: Inter-generational Music Project @ Norton House (Visit 5)
November:
- Tuesday 31st @ 09:00: Year 6 SATS information meeting (school hall)
- Wednesday 1st:Year 4: In-school Theatre Workshop (Mayan Civilisation)
November (continued):
- Thursday 2nd: Year 5: British Museum trip (Tablet Tour of The Greeks)
- Monday 6th: Year 6: Inter-generational Music Project @ Norton House (Visit 6)
- Wednesday 8th: Year 3: British Museum trip (Ancient Egypt)
- Thursday 9th: Year 6: Churchill War Rooms trip
- Friday 10th: Remembrance Day Service. Parents & carers invited. Details to follow.
- Monday 13th: Odd Socks Day
- Friday 17th: Year 2: Tower of London trip
- Tuesday 21st: Year 1: National Portrait Gallery trip
December:
- Friday 1st: INSET Day (no school for pupils)
- Wednesday 6th: 9 Lessons Christmas Service @ St. John Smith Square. Details to follow.
- Thursday 7th: Christmas Jumper Day
- Friday 8th @ 14:00: EYFS & KS1 Nativity @ St. Stephens Church. Doors from 13:45
- Friday 15th: End of Extended School Day Clubs (15:30 – 16:30)
- Friday 15th @ 14:15: KS2 Nativity @ St. Stephens Church. Doors from 14:00
- Friday 22nd @ 10:30: Christingle Service @ St.Stephens Church. Parents & carers invited. Details to follow.
- Friday 22nd December: School finishes at 13:30 for the Christmas Holidays.
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 |
12 February 2024 |
|
|
Friday |
16 February 2024 |
|
Return on |
Monday |
19 February 2024 |
|
End of Term |
Thursday |
28 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 |
Biscuits Bytes…..
Woof!
Well this week has flown, as have the leaves this week! Great to chase around the playground but I’m sad about the darker evenings – my walks are not as fun! However, I have found my flashing light collar to make sure I am visible in the darker evenings. Please make sure you are also taking care if you are walking about as the evenings get darker.
I am looking forward to lots of autumnal walks, and I love running though and chasing the leaves. I wonder if I will get a long walk in the forest this weekend? I’ll let you know!
I’ve had lots of fun visiting in classes again this week, and especially enjoyed joining back in with after school club in the afternoons. Thank you Juniors for including me in your football games. I love it 🐶
Have a wonderful weekend (hope you get to chase the leaves too) and see you all again on Monday.
Love Biscuit x
Community Corner
This week our church reading was from Romans 14:1-12, where Paul wrote to the Romans to tell them not to judge others and to forgive those who judge you. Graham explained that we are all different: for example, some people eat meat, some don’t, some people speak different languages or have different beliefs, but it is really important to understand each other and not judge those who are different to you.
Graham then shocked us all by cutting poor Mr Carden’s tie in half! He said that sometimes children, and even adults, do things they regret and explained the need to make sure they always say sorry for their actions or words. We also thought about other words that are important to remember, such as please and thank you.
This week we trialled having the Choir Club joining the Year 6 Choir up on the steps at the front of church and they did so brilliantly, processing up the aisle at the beginning and end of the service. And huge well done to Ali for the beautiful solo!
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.
Last few places for Preschool, Nursery & Reception
We only have a few places remaining in our early years provision for September 2023. Currently we have:
- 2 full-time Preschool (2-year olds) places
- 3 full-time Nursery (3-year olds) place available, and 1 part-time place (afternoon)
- 4 Reception class places
If you are looking for a Preschool, Nursery or Reception place for your child from January 2024 or September 2024, 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 09:30 – 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:
Our preschoolers had a blast sculpting and shaping with playdough this week. An activity that not only sparked their creativity but also helps to build essential fine motor skills. Learning through play is always a win-win!
Nursery:
Nursery had a wonderful time enhancing their pincer grips while counting and sorting colourful pompoms into Pop-its. Tweezers and pompoms made learning an absolute delight!
Reception:
This week Reception have been working on creating self-portraits. First, we discussed ‘what are the features‘ that are found on our faces? We discovered that these are our eyes, nose, mouth, eyebrows, hair etc. We then used a mirror to look at our faces and our own specific features and discussed further how everyone’s features are unique. We then worked in small groups with an adult and drew our portrait using a pencil first, adding paint in the following lesson.
Year 1:
Year 1 welcomed a special guest from the Magical Toy Museum last week for an interactive workshop. We learnt all about Modern and Victorian toys and the differences between them. We talked about toys that have been around for a long time such as dolls and how they have changed over time to what we see in shops today. As part of the workshop, we were able to pretend and act as different toys, which we really enjoyed!
Year 2:
Year 2 have been focusing on place value for the first weeks of the term. Children have learnt a variety of ways in which they can represent numbers up to 100. This has included using base 10, part-whole models, rekenreks, 10s frames, place value grids, numbers and words. Children have demonstrated a fabulous understanding of these various ways when partitioning numbers into tens and ones to find out how many tens and how many ones are in a two-digit number. They understood that if, for example, 32 is made of ‘3 whole tens‘ and ‘2 ones‘, then the 3 represents 30 and the 2 represents 2. Therefore, 32 can be partitioned into 3 tens and 2 ones, or 30 and 2, but they also learnt how to partition numbers flexibly by exchanging tens for ones so 32 can also be partitioned into 20 and 12, or 10 and 22.
Year 3:
In History this week we have been discovering how people during the Stone Age use to draw animals and handprints inside caves as way of communicating and recording. In Art we have recreated these types of images, drawing animals using earth coloured pastels. We used our fingers to smudge the colours together, which is one technique we have been learning about in art lessons when working with pastels to add texture, additional detail and contrast to pictures. It’s great fun – but messy!
Year 4:
This week in Al-Khalili class we are very excited to have the goldfish back and we are going to have a vote to name it. Currently, he is living on the windowsill in our castle book corner which we have finished painting. We particularly love the drawbridge that we can use pulleys to open and close to go in and out! We can’t wait for our first trip to the library to get books for the corner. Painting the castle helped us work together as a team – we really enjoyed it.
Year 5:
Our focus in Maths now is place value. We can read and write numbers to one million and compare and order numbers up to one hundred thousand. We can also partition numbers up to one million and explain our answers using numerals, base ten materials and counters. This week we are re-visiting rounding numbers to the nearest ten, hundred and one thousand. Ask your child to tell you the mnemonic we use to remind us of the mathematical rule.
Please ensure that your child is practising these skills on IXL and completing 75 minutes per week of Maths and English. Your child has been given a reading log and has chosen a book from our book corner or library. Please check that these books are in their book bag every day and that they are reading every night as it is so integral to their learning.
Year 6:
This week as historians, we have been learning about trench warfare and life in trenches during WW1. We were shocked to discover that they were very muddy, often filled with water and the toilets overflowed. The conditions were so bad that many soldiers got sick. Soldiers got ‘trench foot’ from standing in muddy water all day which was very painful and in the worst cases meant they would have to have their foot amputated. Also, 113,000 soldiers died from diseases in the trenches. From learning about all these terrible conditions they had to endure, we then wrote letters home to loved ones, adopting the role of a soldier, but trying hard to sound optimistic and not tell them the truth about the awful conditions that they were living in.