USE THIS: Newsletter Template 2025

| Issue 35 | Summer 2 | Week 3|

Summer Fair……. This Saturday!

Out & About..

Year 4 Trip to the Science Museum:
Year 4 enjoyed an incredibly exciting trip to the Science Museum, where we discovered the many careers that use science in the fascinating Technicians Gallery (we definitely have some budding pharmacists in Year 4!) and explored a range of marvellous inventions in the Modern World Gallery. The highlight of the day was attending not one, but two incredible live science shows, where we watched real-life experiments explode into action before our eyes! It was a fantastic opportunity to learn, explore and be inspired, and everyone had a wonderful time.

Year 3 Trip to Kew Gardens:

This week we ventured off to Kew Gardens to become plant scientists. What an amazing day we had! We split into 2 groups and headed off to explore. During our day, we had a workshop session booked, where we were able to connect our previous learning about plants to some new learning from the Kew teachers. It was great to see the children so engaged and using the knowledge from our science unit to impress the Kew teachers. After our workshop session, we then headed off to explore the gardens observing the plants and trees around us. We needed to find minibeasts, pollinators and different types of flowers, leaves and bark. The children were great at identifying different plants and what would attract pollinators to them. Once we had explored fully, we then had the best time in the children’s garden. It was a perfect sunny Wednesday! 

Years 4 & 6 Trip:  Playing Together Concert by Sinfonia Smith Square

On Thursday 18th June, Years 4 & 6 had the pleasure of walking to St John’s Smith Square to attend a chamber music concert given by their resident orchestra, Sinfonia Smith Square, and also players from Westminster City School.

We sat ‘café style’ at round tables and enjoyed a ‘menu’ of very contrasting pieces featuring many different instruments from the orchestra. Some of the players had recently visited our school to give workshops to Years 1 & 2 and Reception. The children from Westminster City School played alongside the orchestral members in two of the pieces.

A lot of the music we heard was contemporary, by composers such as Koshinski, Piazzolla, and Bacewicz. Also there were arrangements of pieces by Puccini, and Martinu.  At the end of the concert everyone was invited to join in (playing percussion instruments which were supplied to our tables) in a piece called Rather Be Clean Bandit.

This is our second collaboration with Sinfonia Smith Square, and we have been invited to be part of their next one, based upon Handel’s Messiah, in December.

Disney

Tickets are now on sale for the Disney performances this term. Prices are £5 per adult and £3 per child. Children under 3 years go for free but will have to sit with an adult.

Performance Dates & Times:

  • Monday 29th June at 14.15
  • Tuesday 30th June at 14.15
  • Thursday 2nd July at 18:00

 

 

Swimming Lessons for Years 5 – 6

We are delighted to announce that swimming lessons will begin again this term, for pupils in Years 3 to 6. Please see the table below for your child’s swimming weeks.

These lessons are an important (and statutory) part of the national curriculum and provide an opportunity for pupils to develop key skills and knowledge about water safety and learning basic swimming skills and strokes.

Pupils are issued with certificates at the end of each unit of swimming, which acknowledge the skill level that they have met.

All swimming lessons will take part at the Queen Mothers Sports Centre. Classes will complete their lessons in blocks (6 consecutive lessons over two weeks), instead of one lesson per week (over 6 weeks).

This arrangement ensures pupils have the best chance to consolidate and make the most of their lessons, with the opportunity to build on learning over sequential days, as opposed to having a week between each lesson.

On the weeks that your child’s class is swimming, they will need to wear their bathing costume to school with their PE kit over the top. They also need to bring in a bag; a towel, underwear and goggles, plus a cap (if they choose to use one).

Children will change into their PE kit after each lesson and put their towel and bathing suit in their bag to return to school.

If you have any questions or queries about your child’s swimming lesson, please contact the office to arrange a time to meet with a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Year 5

  • Tuesday 16 June: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 17 June: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 18 June: 12:00 – 13:00
  • Tuesday 23 June: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 24 June: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 25 June: 12:00 – 13:00

Year 6

  • Tuesday 30 June: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 01 July: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 01 July: 12:00 – 13:00
  • Tuesday 07 July: 11:00 – 12:00
  • Wednesday 08 July: 09:30 – 10:30
  • Thursday 09 July: 12:00 – 13:00

Community Corner

This week in collective worship, we explored how the Bible teaches us that God loves everyone.

This week’s worship was a little more intimate, with Year 3 heading out to Kew Gardens and Year 5 taking part in their swimming lessons. Vicar David joined us to share some teachings about our reading this week, treating us to a little history on the Romans and how they would have benefitted from Paul’s letter. Well done to Kason in Year 4 who guessed first try how long it would take to read the entire letter from start to finish (two hours!). We didn’t get the full reading, but David gave us the main message: that no matter how tough things are, God loves each and every one of us.

Bible Teaching of the Week: Romans 5:1-8

In his letter to the Romans, St Paul writes that God helps people grow stronger through love, hope and perseverance, even when life is difficult.

Community Questions:

  • What does it mean to be resilient?
  • Can you think of a time when patience and hope helped you?

Community Challenge:

This week, when things feel tricky, try to stay positive and help others. Encourage with kind words or actions, remembering God’s love never gives up.

Class Assemblies 09:00 – 09:25

  • 19 June: Year 1
  • 25 June: Reception (Thursday as Friday is an INSET day)
  • 03 July: Year 2
  • 10 July: Nursery

Please arrive on time, as late entry can disrupt the children and the flow of the assembly. Photos must not be shared on social media.

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 is:

School Summer Fair – Saturday 20th June @12:30 – 16:00

Meeting Dates:

All meetings for the Summer Term have concluded.  We will send out a list of meeting dates for the new school year (September) in one of the upcoming newsletters.

A HUGE thank you for all the time, effort, energy and enthusiasm from all of our amazing FOBC (PTA) members.  You are all amazing and we are very grateful for all your help and time that you generously donate to the school.

Wishing you all an amazing summer break and we look forward to seeing you in the new school year 🙂

Upcoming Events

June 2026:

  • Saturday 20th: School Summer Fair: 12:30 – 16:00
  • Wednesday 24th: Year 4 & Year 5 Tate Britain Animation Workshops (in school)
  • Wednesday 24th: School Choir Singing Morning (themed on storytelling and literature – including songs from Matilda: The Musical at St. Gabriel’s Church 09:00 – 12:00.
  • Friday 26th June: INSET Day – SCHOOL CLOSED to all pupils
  • Monday 29th: Disney (Frozen) Matinee Performance 14:15 – 15:15 (details to follow)
  • Tuesday 30th: Disney (Frozen) Matinee Performance 14:15 – 15:15 (details to follow)

July 2026:

  • Tuesday 2nd: Disney (Frozen) EveningPerformance 18:00 – 19:00 (details to follow)
  • Tuesday 7th: Year 1 Trip to the Florence Nightingale Museum.
  • Thursday 9th: Whole School Sports Day
  • Friday 10th: Last day of Booster and Extended School Day Clubs
  • Tuesday 14th: Founders Day Service – Year 6 (Time TBC)
  • Wednesday 15th: Year 3 and Year 6 KEIR site visit, 09:15 – 12:00
  • Thursday 16th: Y6 Trip to Rochester Cathedral
  • Friday 17th: Last day of school for the summer term. School finishes at 13:30 for all pupils

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. Enrichment Clubs: 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.

4. School & PE Uniform:

With the warmer weather now settling in, pupils are welcome to switch to their summer school uniform options.  Please ensure that all pieces of school uniform are named.

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 Summer term uniform options for pupils in Nursery to Year 6 are:

Girls:

  • Navy blue and white gingham dress
  • Dark grey trousers, skirt or skort
  • Short-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)
  • Navy logo school sweatshirt (for PE lessons: Years 3 -6)
  • Blazer (Year 6 only)
  • Plain black shoes (not trainers)

Boys:

  • Dark grey shorts or trousers
  • Short-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)
  • Navy school logo sweatshirt (for PE lessons: Years 3 – 6)
  • 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:

Term Dates 2026-2027

Please find here the agreed term dates set by our school’s Governing Body for the upcoming academic year, starting September 2026.

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 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): We have a waiting list for Nursery  places for September 2026.  Please feel free to book a tour and submit admissions documents to secure a place on the waiting list.
  • Preschool (2-year olds): We have 1 full-time and 2 part-time (PM) places available for September 2026.

September 2026 Reception:  We have a waiting list for Reception places for September 2026.  Please feel free to book a tour and submit admissions documents to secure a place on the waiting list.

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.

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 in Preschool, we have been diving into our exciting underwater theme inspired by the story Hooray for Fish! The children have loved exploring a variety of sea creatures and learning all about life beneath the waves. Using blue paint, different textures, and a range of materials, the children worked together to create a beautiful underwater backdrop. Through this sensory and creative experience, they explored colours, textures, and their imaginations. They then designed and created their own colourful fish, carefully adding them to the backdrop to bring our underwater scene to life. We have also enjoyed making jellyfish and crabs. The children have shown wonderful creativity, curiosity, and enthusiasm as they explored all things under the sea!

Nursery:

Reception:

This week in music, the children have been introduced to keyboards and have been exploring how to create different sounds using the keys and settings. They learned how to change tones, experiment with rhythms, and play along to backing tracks. The children showed great enthusiasm as they began to understand how music can be built and layered in different ways. A real highlight was having the chance to share their own short musical pieces with the class, proudly performing on the keyboards and supporting one another as audience members. Thank you Mr Carden for helping to build the children’s confidence, listening skills and enjoyment of making music together.

Year 1:

Year 2:

In English, Year 2 have been reading Rosie Revere, Engineer and exploring the exciting world of inventions. We looked closely at some of the creative inventions from the story, discussing what they might be used for, how they worked and the different materials they could have been made from.

Inspired by Rosie, the children imagined themselves as young inventors and used their creativity to design inventions of their own. They carefully thought about the purpose of their invention, its special features and how it would help people. The children then planned their descriptions, using their ideas to prepare for writing their own invention narratives. We were impressed by their imaginative thinking and the inventive solutions they created.

Year 3:

What a great week we’ve had in year 3 this week! We’ve started a new maths unit about shape, angles and turns, which was a lot of fun moving around the classroom and completing quarter, half and three quarter turns to help our understanding. We have really enjoyed our writing lessons this week, and even completed some drama related to the story we are writing about. It was great to see the children step into the role and develop their understanding of the setting and characters through drama and role play. I’ve attached some photos of the children doing this. Anas is acting as the little boy in bed, not sleeping on the classroom floor 😅. Our Disney rehearsals are really coming together and we tried our costumes on for the first time this week! We can’t wait to share our hard work with you. The best part of the week was our class trip to Kew Gardens. Please see the trip blurb about this! 

Year 4:

In Maths, Year 4 have begun our new topic on Shape. The children will be learning about different types of angles and using their knowledge to identify and compare the properties of quadrilaterals and triangles and other polygons. In Writing, we are starting to plan our own stories inspired by Secret Sky Garden. As part of this unit, we will be focusing on using speech punctuation accurately and applying plural possessive apostrophes correctly within our writing. Our Science learning on sound and vibrations has built up our vocabulary and knowledge of our ears and all the bones we can find in there.

As our Disney production starts to ramp up, we are making our final preparations for the show. A huge thank you to all the grown-ups at home for supporting with line learning and practising songs. We’re sure there are a few Disney lyrics stuck in everyone’s heads by now, but all the hard work and dedication will be worth it when the children take to the stage for the final performance!

Year 5:

Year 6: