School Newsletter : 20 March 2026

| Issue 25 | Spring 2 | Week 4 |

Eid Mubarak

“Eid Mubarak” (Happy Eid) to all our Burdett-Coutts families who are celebrating this special Muslim holiday today and over the weekend. 

May this Eid bring new hope, new opportunities, and new beginnings. Our warmest wishes for a day full of celebrations, smiles, and sweet moments.

Marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, Eid al-Fitr is a celebration which continues for one, two or three days and people wish each other “Eid Mubarak”.

Celebrations vary from country to country but include gathering to view the new moon, decorating homes, family visits, eating special sweet foods, preparing and eating special meals, wearing new clothes and receiving gifts.

Out and About…

Tuesday 17th March: Proms Praise in the Royal Albert Hall: 

On Tuesday 17th March, 26 of the Choir Club travelled with Mr Carden, Miss Polly, and Mrs Li Rosi to the Royal Albert Hall for the wonderful biennial Prom Praise for Schools Concert which is staged by Langham Arts, from All Souls Langham Place.

This Christian evangelical concert is tremendously popular, attracting choirs from more than fifty schools from London and the South East. This year’s concert theme involved a journey through the history of the bible, and we sang appropriate songs as the drama unfolded throughout the evening.

We were fortunate enough to be seated in the front row of the circular stalls, within touching distance of the large orchestra, and the experience of singing with approximately eighty instrumentalists, and the organ, and maybe more than a thousand other school choir members, in front of an audience filling the Hall (which accommodates 5,000 people) was truly amazing.

Our school has been part of these concerts for twenty years, and the repertoire learnt for these occasions regularly takes a permanent place amongst the songs we sing in school and for our weekly worship. The Choir enjoyed the thrill of singing with orchestral accompaniment, experiencing the dazzling lighting effects, and watching and hearing the conductor and the players at very close range.

Wednesday 18th March: Year 1 Trip to the London Aquarium

Year 1 had the most magical day exploring the wonders of the ocean during their trip to the London Sea Life Aquarium. As they walked through the incredible underwater tunnels, the children were captivated by sharks gliding overhead, shimmering shoals of fish, and the mesmerising movement of jellyfish.

There were so many moments of awe and curiosity as the children observed different sea creatures up close and began to make connections to our learning about habitats and the natural world.

The visit was a fantastic opportunity to spark excitement ahead of our upcoming science learning, helping the children to understand how animals live and thrive in different environments. Their enthusiasm, thoughtful questions, and sense of wonder made us incredibly proud.

To round off our day, we enjoyed a lovely picnic together in Jubilee Park, soaking up the sunshine and sharing such a special experience as a class. It was a truly memorable trip, and we feel so lucky to be able to provide our children with enriching opportunities like this that bring learning to life in the most inspiring way.

Thursday 19th March: Reception Local Community & Park Walk

Reception set off on a fantastic community adventure, discovering the superheroes in our everyday lives! As we wandered past shops, cafés, restaurants, and surgeries, we spotted policemen keeping the streets safe and admired some of London’s most famous sights, including the magnificent Big Ben, Parliament and The Horse Guards.

The children loved imagining all the ways we can be heroes in our community while exploring our surroundings. Our journey continued all the way to St James’s Park, where tiny feet were ready for a well-earned end-of-term picnic party.

In the sunshine, we enjoyed the beautiful spring weather, spotting buds, blossoms and a variety of birds. Here the children reflected on all their learning and achievements this term – from mini-beast hunts to discovering how people help others. It was a joyful day full of laughter, learning, and celebration, making memories that we’ll treasure as our little explorers continue to grow!

Science Assembly

Many thanks to Zoe, who was a fabulous assistance during the Science assembly this week. We celebrated some super scientists for being curious, creative and resilient during their science rotation. Congratulations to Teddy, Younes, Analeia, Kevin, Alice, Zoe, Solange, Robyn, Cheryl and Jun.

We completed a cabbage water experiment and investigated the pH level when adding citric acid, lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda and soap. It was great to see the colour changing depending on what was added, and when it was all mixed together, soapy bubbles ensued!

Club Reminders

PLEASE NOTE: All Enrichment and Booster Clubs finish TODAY (20th March)

Spring Term finishing dates for all other wrap-around clubs and boosters are as follows:

  • Breakfast Club: Friday 27th March
  • Morning Maths Boosters: Week ending Friday 20th March
  • Extended School Day (15:30 – 16:30): Week ending Friday 20th March
  • After School Club (15:30 – 18:00): Friday 27th March

Summer Term Enrichment Clubs

A letter to sign up for the Summer Term Enrichment Clubs will be coming home with pupils on Monday 23rd March.

Parents & carers, you will be able to sign up between 08:00 – 09:00 on Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th March, as well as during the Parents Evening meetings on Tuesday 25th March.

All Summer Term Clubs (Enrichment and Booster) will begin on Monday 20th April and finish on Friday 10th July 2026.

Late Collection

  • We understand that on occasions you may be running late due to circumstances outside of your control.
  • If this should occur, please email or phone the school office to inform them and of your expected arrival time.
  • This helps us ensure staff who work until 18:00 will be able to leave on time, with a member of the SLT providing cover if needed if they are unable to stay.
  • We thank you for understanding with this request.
  • A reminder that that a £5 late charge is applied to your fees for every 5 minutes that you are late.

Extended School Day Clubs: Spring Term Reviews

Infant Picasso Art Club:

Our Infant Picasso Art Club has been bursting with creativity this term! From vibrant painted chicks and expressive jellyfish to imaginative collages and character designs, our Key Stage 1 artists have explored a wonderful range of materials and techniques. The children have shown such confidence, individuality and joy in their work—each piece truly celebrating their unique ideas and growing artistic skills. Art Club is a special space where creativity is encouraged, risks are taken, and imaginations are free to flourish—and we are so proud of what our young artists have achieved.

EYFS Cooking Club:

Over the past few weeks in our EYFS cooking club, the children have absolutely loved getting hands-on and exploring the world of cooking. They have been learning about different types of equipment and what they are used for, as well as exploring a range of ingredients and how they can be combined to make different foods.

We have made a variety of delicious treats including cupcakes, brownies, pizza bagels and flapjack, Easter nests, along with lots more. The children have been so excited to see and taste what they have created, and have taken great pride in their work.

Alongside this, we have been learning about the importance of hygiene in the kitchen. The children have practised washing their hands before and after cooking and keeping their workspace clean and tidy. We have also talked about how food is cooked and how to stay safe, including understanding that ovens get very hot and that we always need an adult to help us.

It has been fantastic to see the children’s confidence grow each week as they try new things, develop their skills and enjoy their learning.

Tiny Towns Club:

In our after-school club, the children created their own mini towns based on what they would like to be when they are older. They used clay and outdoor materials to design and build their ideas, showing lots of creativity and imagination. The children had an amazing time exploring, creating, and bringing their future dreams to life.

KS2 STEM Club:

We’ve had a great time in STEM club for Spring. We looked at different ways to join cardboard, and how to join without glue or tape. We then planned our own maze games and spent 5 weeks building them and refining them as sometimes it didn’t always go to plan. We’re very proud of the results and some fun games the group have made!

Spanish Club:

This term, children in the Spanish Enrichment Club continued developing their confidence in speaking Spanish while exploring new vocabulary and everyday conversations. We began by learning the days of the week and how to say the date, helping pupils practise useful phrases they might use in daily life. We then moved on to learning about different types of food, including vegetables, meat, fish and drinks. Children enjoyed discovering new vocabulary and discussing what they like and do not like to eat. To bring all of this learning together, we imagined being on holiday in a Spanish-speaking country and meeting other children. Children practised asking and answering simple questions such as “¿Cómo te llamas?” and “¿Cuántos años tienes?”. They then wrote a short personal introduction in Spanish, sharing their name, age, where they are from and where they live, as well as their favourite colour and the foods they like or dislike.

Parents Evening

Our Spring term Parent Teacher Meetings will take place on Tuesday 24th March for all years apart from Reception.

Parents can book their meeting slots from 09:30 on Monday 2nd March via the Arbor App.

Each appointment slot is 15 minutes long. The first 5 mins are set aside for you to look at, discuss with and comment on your child’s work before meeting with the class teacher.

Please remember to complete the feedback slip provided, before you meet with your child’s class teacher.

If you experience any problems signing up on the Arbor App, please contact a member of the school office team, who will be happy to assist you.

Potential extension of our Preschool to include Under 2s

Dear Families,

Currently our Preschool offers 12 spaces for children aged 24 – 36 months. These children then transition into our 3-year old Nursery Class the term after their third birthday. We are conducting a viability process with the view to extending to our current Preschool provision to include children (babies) under 24 months.

From September 2026, we are looking to:

  • extend our Preschool provision to include an Under-2s room, to cater for for babies from 3-months to 23-months.
  • change our annual opening hours, to enable this provision for 47-weeks per year for Nursery to Preschool (including under 2’s) children.

This change in opening hours will allow us to offer holiday wrap-around care, in the form of a Holiday Club Provision, for Reception to Year 6 pupils.

At this stage, we would like to know if any of this additional offering (eg: Under 2s, change in opening hours and Holiday Club Provision) is something that would be of interest and benefit to our families, and we therefore we are asking for your feedback.

Please email the school office indicating your interest in an Under 2s place and a short Google form will be emailed for you to complete.

Feedback from this form will help to inform any decisions we make and, should it go ahead, the overall package of wraparound care offered.

We will share further information about the shape of the Holiday Club Provision in the next issue of the school newsletter. Our aim is to confirm before the end of March if this provision is going ahead, after which time you will be able to enrol your child.

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts and feedback.

Community Corner

This week in Collective Worship, Vicar David led a discussion of Jesus’ message on sowing seeds of kindness, and we began to explore the Easter story.

We started worship this week with a lovely rendition of Lamb of God led by Year 6 soloist, Max. We were also treated to the choir’s singing of As I Survey the Wondrous Cross, which they performed at Prom Praise in the Royal Albert Hall last night!

We are so proud of them, and a huge thank you as always to Mr Carden without whom we would not have access to such fantastic cultural capital.

Bible Teaching of the Week: John 19:16–42

Jesus is crucified, dies on the cross, and is buried.

We focussed on Mothering Sunday this week in lieu of our usual collective worship Bible reading.

Community Questions:

  • What does Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross teach us about love?
  • How can we put others first in our daily lives?
  • Why is it important to remember and reflect on acts of love like Jesus’?

Community Challenge:

  • This week, sow the seeds of love and appreciation. Write a note, give a hug, or do something kind to show them how much you care, following Jesus’ example of selfless love.

St Stephen’s Lenten videos:

St Stephen’s are sharing a series of short Lenten reflections, created with Holy Trinity Church — offering thoughtful pauses to reflect and take stock in everyday life.

https://www.sswsj.org/lenten-videos-2026.html (external link) >

Summer Term Class Assemblies:

Class assemblies take place on Fridays, starting at 09:05. 

Please ensure that you are on time and that your mobile phones are turned off. Kindly note that no filming or photography is permitted at any time.

Summer Class Assemblies will be listed next in next week’s newsletter.

Our PTA: The 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.

Our meetings take place on  Wednesday mornings from 09:00 – 10:00 in the Ground Floor Hall, with refreshments. Everyone is welcome!

Our next event: School Easter Fete Thursday 26th March @ 15:30 – 17:30.

Spring term meeting dates:

  • Wednesday 25th March

Easter Fair

Glue guns at the ready!

Upcoming Events

March 2026:

  • Wednesday 25th: Pimlico Music Foundation Concert: Disney at St. Gabriels Church. Choir Club pupils performing 18:00 – 20:00 (more information to follow).
  • Thursday 26th: School Easter Fete: 15:30 – 17:30
  • Friday 27th: Last day of school for the Spring Term. School finishes for all pupils at 13:30.

1. Pupil Medications

A polite reminder to parents and carers that we are unable to give over the counter or prescription medicines to pupils unless they have an agreed medical plan in place.

Should your child requires medication to be taken 3 times per day due to winter season illnesses, please give them their doses before school, after school and before bed time.

Alternatively, if you’re able to do so, you can pop into school during your child’s lunch break (12:30 – 13:30) to administer a midday dose if required.

Please do not put any medications, creams, ointments etc in your child’s book bag. This can be very dangerous for other pupils or adults who may have allergies or if other children access these items.

If you have any questions, please email the school office and a member of staff will get back you. Many thanks for your understanding with this important Health & Safety issue.

2. Pupil Permission Forms for Trips

Parents & carers, please ensure that when pupil trip letters are sent home requesting permission for trips or visits, that you correctly read and complete the forms attached and return them to school by the date requested.

When forms are returned late, it is a challenge to manage and accurately provide the required confirmation / information to venues – which are usually requested 48 hours in advance. Furthermore:

  • Our admin and catering teams face additional pressure to prepare lunch orders and first aid.
  • These are difficult to amend at the last minute, and it also pulls them away from other duties & responsibilities they have.
  • Teachers are also unable to assign group pupil:adult ratios to ensure a smooth trip briefing with other staff/parents supporting the trip.

Because of this, pupils will miss out on attending a trip if the correct permission slips are not returned by the designated deadline. Instead they will be assigned appropriate class work to complete in a supervised buddy class.

Many thanks for your understanding and support with this matter.

3. School & PE Uniform:

Please ensure that your children are wearing the correct school uniform to school each day. It is important that all pupils are also wearing the correct school shoes – which are black shoes, and not trainers.

The Autumn/Winter term uniform options for pupils in Nursery to Year 6 are:

Girls:

  • Dark grey trousers, skirt or skort
  • Long-sleeve white shirt (Years 3 – 6)
  • White school logo polo shirt (Nursery – Year 2)
  • Tie (Years 3 – 6)
  • V-neck navy school logo jumper (Years 3 – 6)
  • Navy logo school sweatshirt (Nursery to Year 2)
  • Blazer (Year 6 only)
  • Plain black shoes (not trainers)

Boys:

  • Dark grey shorts or trousers
  • Long-sleeve white shirt (Years 3 – 6)
  • White school logo polo shirt (Nursery – Year 2)
  • Tie (Yers 3 -6)
  • V-neck navy school logo jumper (Years 3 – 6)
  • Navy school logo sweatshirt (Nursery to Year 2)
  • Blazer (Year 6 only)
  • Plain black shoes (not trainers)

On PE days, pupils must wear the school PE kit only.

This is especially important for safety.  Having the correct shoes for physical activities, and clothing that is not restrictive, for completing physical activity are essential for helping us to ensure pupils complete all PE lessons safely.

The Autumn/Winter term PE kit for all pupils from Year Reception to Year 6 consists of:

  • A school navy logo t-shirt
  • Navy  leggings, tracksuit bottoms or skort (no logos etc)
  • Plain black trainers
  • A school logo sweatshirt (not the v-neck jerseys for KS2 pupils. Sweatshirts are available from the school office in KS2 sizes).

Please note that pupils who do not have the correct PE kit will not be able to participate in their PE lesson. They will be given alternate work to do, and a note will be sent home highlighting why they were not able to complete their lesson that day.

We thank you in advance in supporting our school’s uniform policies.

Term Dates 2025-2026

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

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:

Preschool, Nursery & Reception Admissions

We currently have the following availability for places in our Early Years provision from January 2026:

  • Nursery Class (3-year olds): 1 part-time (afternoon) place available at present.
  • Preschool (2-year olds): From April 2026 we have 4 full-time places and 2 part-time (afternoon) places available

September 2026 Reception class vacancies will be announced in May 2026.

If you are looking for a Preschool, Nursery or Reception place for your child, please come along 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.

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.

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, Preschool took part in a fun spring sensory experience, where the children enjoyed creating their own “potions” using a variety of natural materials. They explored mixing, pouring, and experimenting, sparking their curiosity and imagination. We also made the most of the warmer weather by spending time outdoors, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine together.

Nursery:

This week, Nursery have been learning about Eid as Ramadan comes to an end. The children spoke about what people celebrate during Eid, as well as how they celebrate it and prepare for the special day. They shared ideas, asked questions and enjoyed learning about different traditions. They had lots of fun getting creative, making moons and lanterns using colourful gems and different materials. We also celebrated St Patrick’s Day, learning who St Patrick was and why the day is special to many people. We talked about how it is celebrated in different places, including wearing green, enjoying parades and sharing traditions. The children explored this through a range of activities, including themed crafts and play, and had fun making their own leprechauns.

Reception:

Reception stole the show in their recent assembly, dazzling everyone with creativity, confidence, and sheer joy. Their brilliant adaptation of The Gingerbread Man featured skipping lambs, slithering snakes, wobbling aliens, energetic dancers, musical percussion, and enthusiastic singing, bringing laughter and excitement to the whole audience. We are so proud of the effort and adaptability everyone showed, especially as some of the shyer children found their voices and performed with such clarity, confidence, and sparkle. Their teamwork, courage, and show-stopping performance skills truly shone, creating a magical experience full of energy, humour, and unforgettable moments.

Year 1:

In English, Year 1 have been inspired by Katie and the Sunflowers to create our very own vibrant masterpieces! The children explored colour, texture and shape, using warm yellows, oranges and reds to paint bold sunflower backdrops before adding torn paper petals to bring their flowers to life. We talked about how artists use colour to create feeling and movement, and the children loved imagining themselves stepping right into their paintings—just like Katie in the story. It was a wonderfully creative session, full of imagination, careful crafting and lots of sunshine!

Year 2:

In RE, Year 2 have been learning about the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. The children explored what Christians believe happened before, during and after the crucifixion, including the resurrection, and began to understand why this is such an important event for Christians. They also learnt about Easter symbols, focusing on eggs and chicks, and discussed how these represent new life and hope. The children engaged thoughtfully in discussions, sharing their ideas and asking meaningful questions to deepen their understanding. It has been wonderful to see their curiosity and respect when learning about different beliefs and traditions.

Year 3:

This week, Year 3 have enjoyed diving into their Geography unit about the UK. We have learnt what countries make the United Kingdom, the capital cities and some of the major cities. We also learnt about importing and exporting goods, and had a fun lesson finding the country of origin for a variety of food items. We discussed why the UK climate is brilliant for growing potatoes, carrots and apples. And how we have to import some fruits like oranges and bananas, as our country isn’t the right climate to grow them. We even had some mint that had travelled all the way from Kenya!

Year 4:

Year 4 have had a busy and exciting week. Alongside working incredibly hard on their end-of-term assessments, the children have continued to enjoy a wide range of engaging and creative learning experiences. In Science, we have been exploring the fascinating world of animals and classification. The children have learned how to group animals based on their characteristics and have loved discovering what makes species unique. Music lessons have been full of energy, with everyone developing their keyboard skills. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they learn new notes, rhythms, and simple melodies. In Geography, the class have been working hard to create informative leaflets about Fair Trade and its impact on the cocoa industry. Ask your child about all the fun facts we’ve learned about the wonderful world of chocolate: you might be surprised by how much they know.

Year 5:

This week, Year 5 have explored our units even further. In Maths, we moved onto how to read percentages and now understand that ‘percent‘ means part of a hundred. We are beginning to read percentages as fractions and decimals to further develop our knowledge in this area. In Writing, we are beginning to explore persuasive language to convince the thief girl in The Promise to plant the acorns she found in the bag. We’ve included high modality verbs and strong persuasive language to be extra convincing! In PSHE, we learnt what to do if someone needs to go into the recovery position and the circumstances in which we will need to do this. For RE, we continued to explore the Easter story and Jesus’s destiny to die on the cross for our sins. During Art, we completed a beautiful artwork, exploring shading. textures, colour and line when drawing a stunning toucan!

Year 6:

As Scientists, Year 6 explored the question: “What’s the best design for a paper aeroplane?” The children designed and tested different paper aeroplanes, gliders and helicopters to investigate how they travelled through the air. By launching their creations and observing how they flew, the pupils began to understand how air resistance and forces acting on the surface of the paper affect the speed and movement of an object. They compared their designs to a simple scrunched-up piece of paper and discussed why some models travelled faster or more smoothly than others. Everyone  showed great curiosity – making predictions, testing different designs and thinking carefully about how they could improve their models. It was a fantastic opportunity to explore how scientists and engineers investigate flight and how nature and real aircraft designs inspire these ideas.