School Newsletter : 13 December 2024
| Issue 12 | Autumn 2 | Week 6 |
Burdett-Coutts Xmas Cheer & Celebrations
It has been the most magical of Christmas weeks, where Burdett-Coutts pupils have enjoyed a range of Christmas celebration events, including a Winter Disco for KS2, a hearty Christmas Lunch, a packed out EYFS & KS1 Nativity, plus a visit from a VERY SPECIAL visitor 🎅🏼
Who was our Special Visitor?
On Wednesday, pupils from Preschool to Year 2 had a special visit with none other than Santa! He took time out of his busy schedule to pop into school to tell the children all about his preparations for Christmas; including polishing his sleigh, working with his busy elves sorting, wrapping and packing gifts, as well as training the reindeer on their flying times!
Sadly, Christmas is not a time for long lunches, plays and crafts for him but he enjoys this time immensely, so he really doesn’t mind. He also brought along a special golden bell, which was the perfect instrument to accompany the singing of Jingle Bells, which everyone sang with great gusto during their visit with Santa. Before leaving, he gave each child a gift, which he hopes they will enjoy sharing and reading with family and friends over the holiday season.
KS2 Winter Disco
Not to be upstaged by the excitement of Santa’s visit for the younger pupils, KS2 pupils enjoyed their festive celebrations by dancing the night away at their Winter Disco! Safe to say everyone had a great evening, and there were some VERY energetic and creative dance moves on show!
Thankfully there were ample snacks – which were eagerly consumed – to provide a much needed energy boost across the evening. A truly wonderful evening of laughter, singing and dancing enjoyed by all.
Christmas Lunch
On Thursday, pupils and staff tucked into a fabulous feast, fit for Santa, the reindeer and ALL the elves, at our school’s Christmas Lunch! A scrumptious and yummy menu was on offer, with a full Christmas dinner, along with special treats including chocolate, juice and tasty desserts.
A HUGE THANK YOU to our wonderful catering team and kitchen helpers for organising, preparing and delivering this wonderful meal.
EYFS and KS1 Nativity:
We concluded our wonderful week, with the magic of Christmas as our younger pupils performed their delightful nativity play, “It’s A Baby!”.
Years 1 & 2 brought the wonderful story to life with their charming portrayals of the characters, including the particularly memorable innkeepers. The story unfolded as they reluctantly accommodated Mary and Joseph in their stable when their inn was fully booked.
However, as the night went on, the tired & grumpy innkeepers began to realise the extraordinary significance of what was happening right under their noses.
Beautifully dressed as angels and stars, Nursery & Reception added an extra touch of sparkle, and their heartwarming procession around the church during one of the songs was a highlight of the performance.
The entire audience was in awe of the children’s enthusiasm, effort, and teamwork, and we are so proud of every one of them. A big thank you to the staff and families who helped make this event so special. It was truly a performance to remember!
A HUGE thank you to all staff who have put in many additional hours over the last few weeks to prepare for the Nativity shows, the Winter Disco, the Christmas Lunch and of course, helping Santa with the preparations for his visit. Your dedication and commitment to provide such wonderful opportunities for our pupils and school community is much appreciated and applauded.
WINTER IS HERE!
Please ensure that all children wear a jacket to school, and have a hat. Gloves and scarves are optional, but are highly recommended as it starts to get much colder.
All pupils should now be wearing their full winter uniform and no longer in their summer uniform options, including PE uniform.
Please ensure all items of clothing including jumpers and sweaters are named!
Many thanks for your continued support.
Biscuit Bytes
Woof….
Happy Friday everyone! What an extra exciting week this has been, and it’s been a busy one too.
Our pupils have been finishing end of term assessments, as well as going out on many visits to sing in the community, and participating in Nativity plays in church. By the way, I’m quite disappointed I missed out on a camel role. Hopefully they’ll reconsider next year.
We also had a special visitor, who brought a very lovely ‘reindeer’ with him. I really enjoy visits from other animal folks, especially one who enjoyed singing and laughing as much as the children. It was a such a fun visit.
AND we also had the most amazing Christmas lunch! Sadly, I wasn’t invited but it looked like an amazing feast. I did however have a special dinner though, with some yummy gravy.
I also had my own special Christmas visit when Reception came to spend time with me. One of the pupils had kindly bought in a present for me which was shared in our Christmas Forest. Thank you so much, I have been playing with my new toy and the lovely office elves are making sure I get some of these treats each day. I think they know that given the chance, I’d eat the whole packet in one go!
I will also be wearing some special winter bandanas that were lovingly made for me by a family in school. They are amazing and I am sure you will love them as much as I do!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Love Biscuit x
End of Term Reminders
As we come to the final week of the Autumn term and before we break up for the Christmas holidays, a few reminders as follows:
- Monday 16th December: All Autumn homework projects due in school.
- Wednesday 18th December: School Christmas Fair @ 15:30 – 17:30 in the Ground Floor Hall.
- Thursday 19th December: After School Club finishes
- Friday 20th December: Breakfast club finishes
- Friday 20th December: School finishes at 13:30 for all pupils.
- Friday 20th December: Christingle Service
Please take time to look around the house and return all reading books and library books to your child’s class by Wednesday this week.
This will allow us to sort and prepare them so they are ready for use in the Spring term. Please note, no new books will be sent home in the last week of term.
Many thanks
Christingle Service
Please have your child bring an orange to school by Wednesday 18th December. They will each be making their Christingle on Thursday 19th December to use in our service on Friday 20th December.
| DATE | SERVICE/ASSEMBLY | DETAILS & TIMINGS |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 20 December | Christingle Service | For all parents & carers. The service is from 10:15 – 11:15, and will be held in St Stephen’s Church |
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 come along to 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 for 2025 will follow in next week’s newsletter.
Upcoming Events
December:
- 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 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:
- 3 places (from January 2025)
Nursery Class (3-year olds):
- Please make enquires to the school office with regards to any upcoming vacancies. We are currently full, however we are in the process of extending our intake numbers, so please do make contact for further information.
- A waiting list is now in place for full-time places. Please contact the office for information on how to join the waiting list.
Preschool (2-year olds)
- Please make enquires to the school office with regards to any upcoming vacancies. We are currently full, however we are in the process of extending our intake numbers, so please do make contact for further information.
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 09:15 – 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 combined holiday cheer with hands-on learning as we read the story, Dear Santa. Each child took a turn pulling an item from a special box while Miss Gordon narrated, “I wrote to Santa to send me a present, and he sent me a…” The children named their chosen item, and Miss Gordon added, “It was too…”, prompting the children to use a descriptive word like “too loud”, “too small”, or “too big”. This engaging activity encouraged turn-taking, patience, and sharing while helping children develop their descriptive language and literacy skills.
Nursery:
This week, Nursery started reading The Gingerbread Man. The children loved the story; sharing their ideas about what might happen next and having fun building houses for their Gingerbread Men and decorating them with treats. They added their own special touches, with colourful and imaginative designs. It was such a fantastic week filled with storytelling and creativity. Everyone is already looking forward to more adventures with the Gingerbread Man next week.
Reception:
Reception has transformed into a magical elf workshop this week, inspired by our learning about Christmas and the busy lives of Santa’s helpers! The children have been hard at work in the art area, designing and building creations using junk modelling, snipping and sticking like true craftspeople. Some have even taken on the role of head elf, writing important letters to Santa. It’s been a joyful, glitter-filled mix of creativity, fine motor skill development, and festive fun – our very own North Pole in action!
Year 2:
As historians, Year 2 have been learning about the Great Fire of London, looking at key events and understandings the ways in which we can find out about the past through discussing primary sources. Last week, we were very proud to present our very own assembly about the Great Fire of London, sharing our learning with the rest of the school, and our parents and carers.
We also learnt about Sir Christopher Wren and became architects, using our knowledge about materials from our Science lesson, to create designs of a London street for King Charles II. The details included ideas on what the new houses and streets should look like, identifying the best materials and including new safety features, such as smoke detectors and fire alarms.
Year 3:
Year 3 pupils put on their nutritionist hats to design a plate of food with all the food groups. We referred to our knowledge of protein, fats, minerals, vitamins, water and how they all work together to create a healthy diet. We also worked as historians to investigate Egyptian death masks, and then created our very own. We also enjoyed a delicious Christmas Lunch on Thursday, as well as the other festive activities we have taken part in so far!
Year 5:
We had a great Parent’s Evening, thank you to all everyone who attended. As well as completing our Year 5 assessments; in Science, we are currently looking at The Human Life Cycle. We have been comparing the growth of male and female babies by looking at data and translating the information into graphs. Moving forward, we will be looking at puberty and adolescence, then adulthood and finally old age and life expectancy.
Year 6:
In Science we have been learning what a microorganism is and the conditions in which they thrive and replicate. We looked at some of the main types of microorganisms: viruses, bacteria and fungi, and discussed where they can be found, and how they can be recognised by their distinguishable shapes. We also sorted harmful and helpful microorganisms, for example, helpful ones can be found within our guts and penicillin; with harmful bacteria being found in mould and undercooked food.