School Newsletter : 19 April 2024
| Issue 25 | Summer 1 | Week 1 |
Run Kids Run: Donate via Just Giving!
We hope you’ve all been training hard in preparation for the Run Kids Run event at Battersea Park on Sunday 28th April.
Don’t forget to collect your donations via the Friends of Burdett-Coutts Just Giving page, which you can find @ www.justgiving.com/campaign/runbcrun
We’re utterly thrilled at this amazing opportunity to participate in what promises to be a fun, fitness fundraising event!
THERE’S STILL TIME TO REGISTER to compete in this fundraising event: simply fill in this Google Form: https://forms.gle/V3rbcVRERWsmVeck8
You can register up to 4 runners on one form and older siblings can also take part (please select the 2 mile Y5 & Y6 option).
Then get training, and ask as many people as possible to sponsor your child/ren’s sporting challenge, as every donation will go towards raising funds for our school.
On Sunday 28 April, bring your child/ren to Battersea Park from 2 – 4pm. The children will run their races and on completion, will receive a medal and snack at this fun family day out.
Fundraising goals:
Our school’s PSA, The Friends of Burdett-Coutts (Charity #1167707) are working with us to realise our School Council Playground Pledges of improvments to our playgrounds.
The total amount required is £16,000 to fund:
- Project 1: A REALLY BIG sandpit & sand-play equipment for the EYFS & KS1 playground.
- Project 2: A dedicated comfortable seating area and age-appropriate construction & imaginative play resources.
With a remaining £8,000 still to be raised, this is where you can help out, by having as many family members, friends and neighbours sponsor your child/ren to compete in the Run Kids Run event.
To make a donation, simply go to: www.justgiving.com/campaign/runbcrun
In-School training:
Our PE coach, Mr Raheem is leading in-school training sessions (see side panel for dates) for all pupils who have registered for the Run Kids Run event.
They will need to wear their full PE kit and trainers to participate, with additional lunch-time training sessions on their normal PE days.
For children to take part, parents must register them via the Run Kids Run Google Form AND inform the school office by email before the start of any session.
Thank you for your support in this whole-school fun, fitness fundraising event.
We hope to see many children signed up, ready to train and be sponsored for their run at Battersea Park on Sunday 28th April.
All funds raised will be donated directly to our school:
- Sponsorship can be made via the Friends of Burdett-Coutts Just Giving page
- Simply go to: www.justgiving.com/campaign/runbcrun
- We hope to have the sandpit completed in the May half term & place the orders for the play equipment & seating areas.
Other school/FoBC fundraising events this year:
- 02 May: Cake Sale
- 17th May: International Evening
- 6th July: Summer Fair
In-School Training Sessions @ 15:30 – 16:30:
- Monday 22nd April
- Friday 26th April
Year 6 Parents SAT’s Meeting
The KS2 SAT’s exams for Year 6 pupils will begin on Monday 13th May.
To support our pupils as they prepare for this crucial public exam, we request the attendance of all Year 6 parents & carers at an important meeting on Tuesday 23rd April at 09:00.
The meeting will cover essential information for both you and your child, including the process & timings during exam week, how best to support your child during this time etc. The meeting will last approximately 30 minutes.
Thank you in advance for your attendance at this meeting.
Community Corner
Graham started our church service by saying Happy Easter, which surprised everyone, but he explained that it is in fact still the Easter period.
The huge Paschal candle was lit at the front of the church, which will continue to be lit at the start of every service during Easter, as well as at every Baptism and Funeral service throughout the year, to remind us that Jesus is with us.
This week’s reading was Luke 24:13-35; the story of the two friends of Jesus travelling along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, filled with grief and confusion, discussing the death of their dear friend three days before.
A man appeared to them and asked what they were discussing. They told the man about the incredible Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet of God who said and did amazing things.
Eventually they arrived in Emmaus, an important town in the area, and sat down to eat with the man. As he broke the bread with them, they suddenly recognised him as their friend Jesus.
The picture attached depicts this story beautifully, with Jesus shown as a ghostly figure walking with the two friends.
We considered this feeling of God not being with us, of being scared, worried or concerned. But Graham explained that in fact God is always with us, even if it doesn’t feel like it and we cannot see or recognise Him.
Graham told the children how impressed he had been by the sustainable art work we had displayed in the gallery before the Easter break.
He and Helena had been so inspired by this idea that they ensured that the flowers in the church were more sustainable: they have sourced flowers that were going to be thrown away from the Horticultural Halls, and even made flowers out of pottery to decorate the church with.
What a fantastic idea!
Class Assemblies:
Fridays @ 9am. All attendees must be seated in the First Floor Hall by 9am:
- 3rd May: Year 2
- 10th May: Year 1
- 24th May: Year 4
- 14th June: Year 6
- 21st June: Year 3
- 5th July: Year 5
- 19th July: Nursery & Reception
Community Questions:
- Where is your favourite place to walk?
- Do you find going for a walk or being in nature inspirational?
- How do you think Jesus’ friends felt when they met him on the road after he had died?
Challenge:
- Try to find time to go for a walk or be in nature and take a moment to consider the important things in life.
Prayer:
Father God,
Help us to use peaceful moments to understand your plan.
Amen
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.
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Due to timing constraints, the Spring Fair proposed for Thursday 26th April has been cancelled. Instead we will be having a Cake Bake Sale on 2nd May @ 15:30 – 16:45.
Our next planning meeting will be on Thursday 26th April @ 09:00 – 10:00 in the Ground Floor Hall to discuss arrangements for the Cake Bake Sale.
All are welcome – please come along and join us, your energy & support is very much needed!
Meeting dates:
- Thursday 26th April
- Thursday 2nd May
Upcoming events:
- Thursday 2nd May @ 15:30: Cake Bake Sale
- Friday 17th May: International Evening
- Saturday 6th July: Summer Fair
Upcoming Events
April:
- Tuesday 23rd April @ 09:00: Year 6 SATS meeting in the Ground Floor Hall
May:
- Thursday 2nd May @ 15:30 – 16:45: PTA Cake Bake Fundraising Sale
- Monday 6th May: School Closed (May Bank Holiday)
- Wednesday 8th May @ 10:00 – 13:30: Y5 participating in Young City Makers Project at the National Gallery
- Monday 13th – Thursday 16th May KS2 SATs Week: Wishing all pupils the very best of luck this week 🙂
- Wednesday 22nd May: Year 4 Trip to the Science Museum.
- Monday 27th May – Friday 31st May: May Half Term Holiday (School Closed)
June:
- Monday 3rd June – Friday 14th June: Year 4 Multiplication Test Check Window Good luck to all pupils completing this test 🙂
- Monday 10th – Friday 14th June: Year 1 Phonics Screening Check Week. Wishing Year 1 lots of luck with this assessment 🙂
June (continued):
- Thursday 20th June @ 14:00 – 15:00: Reception Open Afternoon for September 2024 Reception Starters
- Thursday 27th June @ 09:00 – 10:00: EYFS Stay and Play Morning
- Thursday 27th June @ 15:00 – 18:00: Year 5 at Young City Makers Project at City Hall
- Friday 28th June: Staff INSET Day School Closed for pupils.
- Saturday 29th June: PTA Summer Fair.
July:
- Friday 12th July @ 14:30 – 15:15: Years 6 Leavers Service in St. Stephens Church
- Tuesday 16th July: Alms House Founders Day Service at St. Stephens Church.
- Friday 19th July: Year 6 Trip to Rochester Cathedral
- Wednesday 24th July @ 13:30: School ends for the Summer Holidays
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 Days:
- Monday: Year 4
- Tuesday: Year 2
- Wednesday: Reception & Year 5
- Thursday: Year 3
- Friday: Year 6
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.
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 |
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 from September 2024:
Reception class:
- 2 places
Nursery Class (3-year olds):
- 10 full-time places
- 3 part-time places (afternoon)
Preschool (2-year olds)
- 2 full-time places (from September 2024)
- 3 part-time afternoon places available NOW
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:
Preschool have had an exciting first week back. Our new class book is ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt‘, and we have been busy crafting our very own bear dens and delving into an array of bear-themed stories. We’ve also been uncovering fascinating facts about these magnificent creatures. We have brought the story to life with spirited actions and crafting our own maps for our bear hunt adventures.
Nursery:
Nursery have been busy with their sound recognition skills and taking their first steps towards independent writing. They have been identifying sounds and starting to write simple CVC words. We’re thrilled to observe their progress and can’t wait to see where their journey takes them next. Keep up the fantastic work, Nursery superstars!
Reception:
Reception have been thrilled to jump right back into their learning after the holidays. They have found space and time to reconnect with their friends along the way and worked together on our various provisions and learning opportunities available around the class.
Year 1:
In Year 1, the focus for R.E this term is Judaism; where we are learning about cultural practices around Shabbat, the day of rest. We talked about our own lives and the things that we do on each day and what we do in the weekends to rest. On the day of Shabbat – we are encouraged to restrain from working and using technology, so our challenge over the weekend is to find something restful to do without using technology.
Year 2:
In RE this week, Year 2 have been learning about what it means to belong. The children explored the concept of belonging, a feeling they experience when they are loved and accepted for who they are. You will feel welcomed and understood when you are surrounded by people who love and accept you. When you belong, you feel like you are in the right place. And where there is mutual understanding and support, there is a feeling of belonging. They reflected on who and what they belonged to, including a religion e.g. family, schools and clubs, etc and discussed how the feeling of belonging is inside them, but they might get a stronger sense of belonging when they are in their actual classroom/school or other special place.
Year 3:
In RE this half term, Year 3 will be learning about Hinduism and thinking about the question ‘How can Brahman be everywhere and in everything?’ To help us imagine what it means to be in everything, we thought about ourselves and what makes us unique in all the different roles we have. We made cubes from a net and included 6 different aspects of ourselves to help us understand that we can be different, but our essence stays the same. We love our new class mobile with our hanging cubes!
Year 4:
Year 4 have started their new science topic on Electricity. They’ve been learning to identify which appliances are electrical and non-electrical, and how to group electrical appliances based on whether they are mains-powered or battery-powered. During their science lessons, they were given a number of different mains and battery-powered appliances and asked to present the findings in a Venn diagram.
Year 5:
After a restful Easter break, Year 5 are excited be starting a new class novel, Street Child by Berlie Doherty. Set in the Victorian era, it follows the dangerous and tragic life of a young boy who escaped the workhouse. To put this all into an historical context, we have been studying the era in Guided Reading. Based on a true story, the runaway boy is helped to escape his plight by the great philanthropist, Doctor Bernardo. Ask your child what they have learnt about the Victorian times so far.
Year 6:
This week as Scientists we have started our new topic, ‘How do we see around corners?’ To begin we listed sources of light and thought about which of these reflect light, for example, the moon. We discussed how we see things, creating human models and drawing diagrams to explain what we had learnt. We were able to see that light travels in straight lines, and learnt that when light hits an object, it is reflected by that object and travels in straight lines to our eyes. Our eyes take in some of this light and information is sent to our brain. This is how we see the object.