Keep up to date with all the news happening in the school at the moment. Articles are added during the week. Parents are encouraged to check regularly. Our weekly newsletter, emailed directly to parents, summarises content for the week.

• The Northumberland Children and Young People's Health and Wellbeing Survey 2022

  Thu 31 Mar 2022

  Pupils Survey 2022

  Our Year 6 pupils recently took part in a Northumberland Children and Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Survey.

  Here are the results and action we plan to take

   

  Breakfast	No major concerns
  Fruit and Veg	It looks like our boys might need some encouragement   We will be looking at ways to promote fruit and veg consumption for all pupils and will investigate the introduction of an allotment group for boys and work with them to grow fruit and veg
  Sport	Our girls seem to be more often taking part in some activities   We are looking at how we can utilise our field in the summer months to encourage all pupils to have the opportunity to practise sporting skills
  Active Travel	We are doing really well with cycling to school.
  Life during COVID	The positive was children found ways to keep in touch. The negative is 1/8 of our children felt less safe at home than at school.
  Lockdown	Children enjoyed doing things they normally wouldn’t (sleeping, playing games etc) and interestingly a significant minority also enjoyed doing school work at home/online.
  Smoking and Vaping	None of the pupils said they have smoked.  A few have tried vaping   We will address vaping in our lessons  and will run a poster competition where the children design a poster to highlight the negative health effects of smoking / vaping.
  Drugs	1/4 said that their teachers had talked to them about drugs   The staff will repeat lessons to ensure those who missed the lesson or message receive it.
  Staying Safe On Line	Half said they had seen something that upsets them online and more than Northumberland average use the internet for communication. Few seem to use it for school work.   We will continue to support parents and plan to hold a clinic where devices can be brought into school and support given in adding parental controls.
  Screen time	Results were typical so no worries about this.
  Bullying	Most children feel the school takes bullying seriously.   We will continue to take bullying seriously so all children feel safe
  Emotional Health and Wellbeing Support	reassuringly most children know where to get help if they are sad, worried, upset or anxious   Mrs Akram will continue to host drop in welfare sessions.
  Having fun	only a couple of children haven’t had fun with family or friends for at least a month

   

                         

                         

   

   

• Speed Awareness

  Thu 31 Mar 2022

  Please make a note many streets around the school site have a 20 MPH speed restriction. 

  

• Message from team Pudsey

  Thu 31 Mar 2022

  
  Thank you for supporting BBC Children in Need!
  
  Every year we're amazed by the kindness, energy and creativity of our supporters. Without fail, our supporters continue to come together and raise millions of pounds that change the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children and young people right across the UK.
  
  We hope that you had a great time taking part in this year's appeal for BBC Children in Need!
  
  We can't wait to support your efforts again in the future.
  
  Team Pudsey

   

  WE RAISED £360

• Burnside Choir

  Thu 31 Mar 2022

  It is with great excitement that our Choir Club will be back after Easter. The club, which is open to the children in Year 2-Year 6, will run for 11 weeks beginning Wednesday 4^th May and costs £49.50. We already have our first singing event booked at the Sage Gateshead in July! Numbers are limited and we have only 3 places available. If you would like to register your child please email Mrs Walker at mwmusic11@yahoo.com

• Instrumental Tuition

  Thu 31 Mar 2022

  We are pleased to announce that instrumental tuition will resume after Easter. Recorders and keyboards, delivered by MW-Music, are now at full capacity but there are spaces available for violin and guitar, delivered by the peripatetic teachers from Music Partnership North (MPN). Further details can be found on the music service website http://music.northumberland.gov.uk/ or you can register your child via the direct registration link: https://live.paritor.com/p/2302

• Sustrans Big Walk & Wheel

  Fri 18 Mar 2022

  Next week will be the beginning of our "Sustrans Big Walk & Wheel" which will be running from 21st March until 1st April.

  Our main focus for the next two weeks is to be more economically friendly and choose healthier options whilst travelling to school. If you travel to school by bike, scooter or even walk, children will be given a raffle ticket each day. If you live further away, you can still earn a raffle ticket for walking 10 minutes at the end of your journey.

  At the end of the 2 weeks (1st April) a winner will be picked out to win a prize! Best of luck!

  

• Attendance

  Thu 17 Mar 2022

  In January I wrote out to you about attendance explaining that prior  to embarking on sending out individual letters regarding attendance (as suggested by the DfE), I would like to give a blanket reminder to all parents reminding them about the importance of attendance at school, which I know you already know.

   

  The Department for Education (DfE) are clear, attendance at school should be prioritised. There has been too much disruption to schooling over the last two years.

   

  DfE guidance tells us that we must:

  ‘regularly communicate expectations for attendance and punctuality and school performance through your regular channels of communication with staff, pupils and parents’

   

  ‘establish robust escalation procedures which are initiated before absence becomes a problem, for example by: sending letters to parents and carers’

  January 2022

   

  Now that we are entering a more stable time in relation to COVID, every child should attend school regularly, unless they are self-isolating.

   

  We know that events come along in life, children become unwell, medical appointments need to take place. The DfE suggests good attendance is 95%, this allows for these life events. In a school year of 190 days this is around 10 days absence. Attendance that falls below 95% becomes a concern, because it can easily slip to 90%,  just another 9 days absence. This is the equivalent to 1 day in every 2 weeks.

   

  For us, attendance of:

  • 89 - 93% is starting to cause a concern.
  • 95% is good attendance,
  • over 97% is excellent – this is our target for your child.

   

  To complicate matters, add COVID into the mix and attendance at school begins to plummet. Following public health guidance is important to slow the spread of COVID, so although COVID illness counts towards each pupils overall absence, when we look at attendance we try not to include this.

   

  In the forthcoming week we will send letters to  pupils who’s attendance is concerning.  This is an early intervention, to raise awareness.

• Easter Holiday Club

  Thu 17 Mar 2022

  We are very eggsited that Easter is just a hop around the corner, we are planning to have an eggcellent time together in our Out of School Holiday Club.

   

  We will enjoy the field with our egg and spoon races and will have fun on our Easter scavenger hunt. We have lots of Easter art and craft activities planned and will be participating in lots of planting and gardening.

   

  Full Day Sessions 7.30am - 6pm £20

  Half Day Sessions - up to 5 hours  £16

  2 Hour Drop in sessions £6

   

  To support families,  the half day session and 2 hour session allow you to  select your times within our opening hours. 

   

  Lunches and dinners can be purchased at the cost £2.10 each.

   

  Breakfast and healthy snacks will be provided FREE of charge.

   

  To book your child’s place, please use the School Money App

   

  

• Gymnastic Competition Success

  Thu 17 Mar 2022

  WELL DONE to our Year 4MW gymnasts who were awarded Bronze in the recent Cramlington and Seaton Valley School Games Gymnastic Competition. 

   

  Daisy, Sophie, Rose, Christo, Spencer and Alfie performed superbly and submitted their floor routine to the judges electronically.

   

  After a nail biting wait the results have been announced and our children were awarded 3rd Place overall. Well done team Burnside!

   

  Should your child be inspired by our gymnastic team success and wish to try gymnastic lessons, the following link to a local club may be useful. 

   

  https://www.northerngymnasticsclub.co.uk/

  

• Is your child eligible for further funding?

  Tue 15 Mar 2022 Headteacher

  Pupil Premium Grant, Free School Meals
   

  All pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically receive a free school meal. However, if you receive any of the following benefits, your child may be entitled to the Pupil Premium Grant (including Burnside passport) and free school meals in Years 3 to Year 6:
   

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
  • Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

  or

  • if your child is adopted from care
     

  The passport gives you and your child access to additional funding and support in school.
   

  If you think you are eligible for this please contact Mrs. Lemin, in the school office who can provide support in  completing the application.