School Newsletter : 23 February 2024

| Issue 20 | Spring 2 | Week 6 |

New Signing-in System: Maximising Learning Time

We have installed a new school office security and monitoring system (InVentry) to record all comings & goings made by staff, visitors, parents, pupils, contractors etc. We will also be using this system to record late arrivals as well as early pickups (for example for a dentist appointment).

This will help us monitor patterns of lateness and punctuality, so that we can work closely with those requiring additional support to If your child is late, you will need to come into the office and register their arrival. On the touch screen, you will need to select the select the sign in tab on the touch screen, your child’s year group and then the  initial of their first name. You will also be asked to register the reason for your late arrival eg: appointment (medical/dentist), left late, traffic etc.

Conversely, if your child needs to be collected before the end of the school day, you will need to sign them out. Once again, you will need to select the ‘Sign Out’ tab, your child’s year group and select the initial of their first name. You will also be asked to register the reason for leaving early eg: appointment (medical/dentist) or illness etc.

Burdett-Coutts School Poster Design Competition

Well done to everyone who entered the Burdett-Coutts School Poster Design Competition. We were really impressed with your creativity on producing a poster for the Year 4 and 5 Disney KIDS production of The Lion King.

After much deliberation from the many outstanding entries, the following winners were selected:

  • Omra (Year 3)
  • Adam E (Year 4)

Congratulations to our winners!

Numeracy Program @ St Stephen’s

In conjunction with Capital City College and supported by the Mayor of London, there will be a free numeracy programme held at St. Stephen’s Church. Open to any adults over 19 years old, the program will run every Monday morning @ 11.30am, for six weeks beginning on Monday 19th February 2024.

Please see the information leaflet and the enrolment letter below for more information. If you require paper copies of these documents, please ask at the school office.

Friends of Burdett-Coutts

Our next event is the Easter Fair on 15th March. Please come to our meetings if you can, it’d be lovely to meet new parents and it’d be great to have you onboard. Our meetings will be on Thursdays in the Ground Floor Hall from 9 – 10am on the following dates:

  • 7th March
  • 14th March

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 1, Year 4 (session 1)
  • Tuesday: Year 5
  • Wednesday: Year 4 (session 2) & Year 6
  • Thursday: Year 3
  • Friday:  Early Years, Year 2

Cashless Payments: Parent Portal on Arbor

On Monday 8th January, parents were sent a welcome email from Arbor via the school office email account. Please read this carefully, as it contains vital information of the steps required to download the Arbor app, which is now live and ready to use for our school.

Once you have downloaded the app and followed the setup steps, you will be able to pay online for the following:

  • Breakfast Club
  • After School Club (6 o’clock club)
  • School Trips and Visits
  • Nursery Extended Day Fees
  • Preschool Fees

You will also be able to view your child’s details held by the school, such as their attendance record  and the named adults allowed to collect them from school.  After the Easter Break, you will also be able to sign up and pay for Extended School Day (Enrichment) Clubs.

We understand that while paying online is the preferred option for many of our families, those wishing to continue paying by cash will still be able to do via the school office.

  • If you’re unable to download or log into the Arbor App, please contact the school office.
  • We hope that this will be a smooth transition, but as is often the case with new technology, there may be some disruptions so please bear with us during this process.

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.

February 2024 half term vouchers for pupils eligible for FSM are available for collection from the school office.

Are you getting to school on time?

We have noticed several pupils are consistently late to school each day. It is essential that every child arrives at school by 08:45 so that they are in class and ready to learn at 09:00. If your punctuality has slipped recently, please ensure that you take steps to arrive in school on time after the February half term break.

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

February:

  • Thursday 29th: Y6 Thames Explorer Trip

March:

  • Friday 1st: Year 6 Visit to Stamford Bridge
  • Thursday 7th: World Book Day. Pupils are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite book character.
  • Friday 8th: Mother’s Day Service 10:30 – 11:30 @ St. Stephens Church. Mothers, Grandmothers and those caring for others in this role are kindly invited to attend this service of thanks. Church doors will open at 10:20, please be seated by 10:30 and ensure that all mobile phones are on silent or off.
  • Tuesday 12th March: Proms Praise Concert at the Royal Albert Hall for Year 6 and the School Choir. Separate information with times etc has been sent to all pupils attending.
  • Wednesday 20th March: Last Day of Extended School Day Clubs @ 15:30 – 16:30.
  • Wednesday 20th March: Year 1 Trip to Hyde Park Lookout Centre (2/2 sessions)

March/April:

  • Thursday 21st March: Spring Term Parent/Pupil Information Evening. Information on how you can sign up for these via the Arbor App will be sent out after the February half term break.
  • Friday 22nd March: INSET Day (school closed for all pupils)
  • Monday 25th March: Year 4 & 5 showcase performance of the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre!
  • Thursday 28th March: Early school finish @ 13:30 for the Easter Holidays
  • Friday 29th March – Friday 12th April: Easter Holidays

Term Dates 2023-2024

Please find here the agreed term dates set by our school’s Governing Body for the upcoming academic year, starting September 2023.

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

Friday

22 March 2024

Teaching & Learning: Curriculum, Assessment & Pupil Progress

Friday

28 June 2024

BANK HOLIDAYS (school closed)
May Bank Holiday

Monday

06 May 2024

Community Corner

This week in church we turned our attention to the period of Lent, which began during the half term break on Ash Wednesday (the day after Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day).

Our new Year 6 readers did brilliantly with the reading from Mark 1:9-15. The reading covers Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan and his subsequent time spent in the wilderness looked after by angels. However, Luke and Matthew’s accounts give us many more details about his three temptations by the devil.

Graham explained these temptations, like an inner voice telling you to do the wrong thing, by acting as the devil – he even climbed up the side of the pulpit, up a rickety ladder and got two large stones out of a bag. The children were mesmerised!

Graham linked Jesus’ time in the wilderness to the period of preparation and prayer Christians undertake during Lent. He also explained that this is similar to the period of Ramadan for Muslims. It is important for people to use this time to be still, focused and get ready for what is to come.

Fasting, or stopping yourself doing something that is normally part of your daily life, helps to focus the mind on the good we can do and being available for the positive aspects of life rather than listening to that negative inner voice trying to tempt us.

We also had the opportunity to thank the outgoing Head Choristers Daniel and Sarina, say Well Done to the continuing Deputy Head Choristers Sasha, Ryan and Sara; and welcome in the new Head Choristers Ali and Sofia.

We are confident Ali and Sofia will continue the wonderful job of Daniel and Sarina in representing the school in all singing events and will lead the choir ably.

Lenten Prayer:

Almighty God,
Whose Son Jesus Christ did fast forty days in the wilnerness,
and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to thy Spirit;
and, as thou knowest our weakness,
so may we know they power to save;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Class Assemblies:

  • 1st March: Year 1
  • 15th March: Year 3

Community Questions:

  • What promises do you make?
  • Do you always keep your promises?
  • How do you feel when you see a rainbow?

Challenge:

  • Promise to do a kind act this week and keep your promise.

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.

Preschool, Nursery & Reception Admissions

We only have a few places remaining in our early years provision for this academic year. Currently we have:

  • 1 full-time Preschool and 1 part-time afternoon places available (2-year olds)
  • 2 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.

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:

We have been having so much fun since coming back from half term. We have started a new book called ‘Wow! Said The Owl’ by Tom Hopgood. We have been having lots of fun exploring colours through this text, creating pictures and going on a rainbow hunt. We also made yummy banana pancakes to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. They were so tasty!

Nursery:

Nursery have been actively engaging in learning all about numbers. The children have been learning how to form and match numbers with the right number of objects by counting. They have compared numbers through hands-on activities, using flash cards and number representations. They have also begun to develop an understanding of what number comes next.

Reception:

With a focus on the concepts of ‘taller’ and ‘shorter’, our future mathematicians dove into a tower-building challenge, with each group aiming to construct the tallest tower imaginable. Armed with determination, the children collaborated on using their maths skills, to measure and compare their results. Along the way, they discovered the power of communication, compromise, and resilience, laying the foundation for lifelong skills in teamwork and empathy.

Year 1:

Year 1 have been reading Julia Donaldson’s books during the Spring term. One of our favourites so far is ‘Room on the Broom’. We’ve written descriptions of a witch, focusing on adjectives and then created beautiful art work to go with our descriptions.

Year 2:

As Mathematicians, Year 2 have been describing and making equal groups to link repeated addition and multiplication together. They’ve used concrete resources, pictorial representations and stem sentences to support their understanding. The pupils have also been exploring arrays, learning that as they multiply numbers, they will get the same answer no matter what order they multiply the numbers. This means that multiplication is commutative. They have looked at the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables and realised that multiplying numbers is not as hard as they thought because it is like counting in steps of 2, 5 and 10. Furthermore, the pupils have applied their knowledge of the times-tables to division, using sharing and grouping methods to divide by 2, 5 and 10.

Year 3:

Year 3 are very excited to be back at school and to share the books we have been reading over the holidays. Each week, we visit our school library to choose a book that we want to read at home. We love this time as we can share stories and recommend books to each other.

Year 4:

Year 4 have made a busy start to the half term, learning about persuasive adverts and rhetorical questions in their Writing. They’re continuing to read ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and learning about the key characters in Reading. While in Science, they have been learning about changes of state; including investigating the temperature that’ll melt chocolate at the fastest rate. They thought about how to make the investigation a fair test and made predictions about what would happen.

Year 5:

In Writing, Year 5 have been mastering the skill of using subordinating conjunctions and clauses. By incorporating these sentence structure elements, they are enhancing their writing in preparation for future writing tasks. The pupils have had fun creating their own sentences and identifying the key elements.

Year 6:

In Guided Reading this week, we have begun reading ‘The Explorer’ by Katherine Rundell. Fred, Con, Lila and little Max’s plane is on the way to Manaus when it falls out of the sky. Lost in the Amazon rainforest, they must figure out the basics of survival: water, shelter, food. They are faced with the dilemma of do they wait for rescue or find a way to rescue themselves? We have begun to discuss the initial impressions we have of the characters using our inference and retrieval skills. It is very different from the books that we have read this year and the opening already has us hooked.