Welcome to your newsletter for week ending March 13th

Another busy week at BVP finishing with a really wonderful event by a selection of our Violinists, ranging from Year 3 to year 6. It was a magical 'mini concert' with confident and captivating performances from the children involved. Thankyou to the families who came to support their children.

We have some additions to our school calendar- A Reception and KS1 Service at 9am on Tuesday the 24th and KS2 at 9am on the 25th. These will be short services marking the importance of Easter- we'd love to see you if you are able to join us. 

On a very different note, we have been thinking about the challenges that some of our children face in school and one of these is having different teachers during the morning or afternoon sessions each week, when class teachers are having their planning and preparation time outside of the class. Having a range of teachers to cover these sessions is common practice in schools up and down the country and is something our children are very used to. Unfortunately we have concerns that during these lessons when 'usual' class teachers are out of the room, the standard of behaviour from some children has dropped. Within school we are looking at ways of improving this, however we would also like your help in reminding children that regardless of the teacher in the room, our behaviour expectations remain as high. Showing respect and demonstrating integrity throughout the school week is something we are focusing on and any messages you can give to your children to reinforce this would be hugely appreciated.

We are also looking at ways of improving transition times across the school day-specifically when children leave and enter the buildings for break and lunchtimes and and when they need to move around the school independently (going to the toilet etc). Next week we will start to talk to children about some new initiatives and will be trialling them in the last week of term; we will keep you posted with how it goes!

To view more dates, please visit our website calendar under the 'Families' tab or click here.

Big Walk and Wheel: 16th-27th March

We are taking part in Big Walk and Wheel, the UK’s largest inter-school cycling, walking, wheeling and scooting challenge. The challenge runs from 16 – 27 March 2026. It’s free to take part and we would love everyone to be involved.

What do you need to do? 

Encourage your child to walk, use a wheelchair, scoot or cycle to school on as many days as possible during the event. We know it may be more difficult for some pupils to take part than others. If you want to discuss more about your child’s specific needs, please contact Mr Hall and we will make sure to look into how your child can take part.

Why we are taking part

Big Walk and Wheel is a great way to build physical activity in children’s daily routine which is important for their physical health and mental wellbeing. Active school runs also help to reduce congestion and air pollution outside the school gate. Plus, there are some great prizes to be won every day if we get enough children taking part!

Useful resources

Walk Wheel Cycle Trust has developed a handy Parent/ Caregiver page on the challenge website. It is packed with advice to help you have a hassle-free journey to school. For more information about the event go to www.bigwalkandwheel.org.uk.

Enjoy the challenge!

Year 5 Author Visit (18/03/26)

On Wednesday 18th March we have an author visit for Year 5.

Nat Luurtsema will be coming in to talk about her new book The Overthinkers: 

Birdie is an overthinker, and she has a lot to overthink. Her BFF Chloe wants new friends (BETRAYAL), she will be a teenager in one year (BREATHE), yet owns ZERO bras (surely some mistake?!), and a boy at school maybe has a crush on her (BUT HOW TO BE SURE?!). 

So Birdie has made a Happy List to tackle all the awkward and emotional challenges of being a tween. THEN she will stop being an anxious ball of stress and be happy! 

That's the plan anyway...

If you would like to pre-order the book, click the link below https://howbraveisthewren.com/product/the-overthinkers-club-bvp-pre-order/

Celebrating Cultures Day (27/03/26)

We are looking forward to our "Celebrating Cultures Day" on Friday March 27th.

Year 4 will be performing the dance they have learnt in their SAMPAD sessions. This will commence at 2.45pm. Parents are welcome to attend.

Finally, parents are welcome to bring food to share into school at the end of the day- we'd really love to see as many families as possibly, staying at the end of the day, to come together, share food and drink that has is of special significance to you, and to celebrate the wonderful diversity we have in our BVP family. 

** If your child is in KS2 and has their Values assembly in the George Hall, please can families wait at the school office, NOT the playground.**

Today the following pupils received the Values Certificate for demonstrating Compassion...

KS2 Violin Concert

Huge congratulations to the musicians who performed in our mini strings concert this afternoon. The children played beautifully, conducted themselves perfectly and demonstrated respect and appreciation for each other. We are looking forward to the older musicians in the group, performing again in our Summer Concert on Friday 10th July at 6pm. 

Litter Picking Legend!

Over the weekend P in year 4 spent time picking up litter on Willow and Sycamore Road. P collected a whole bagful as you can see below! P, your parents and BVP family are so proud of your respect and compassion for your local environment and community. You are a wonderful example to all at BVP! 

Ramadan Fasting Form

Parents and carers are kindly asked to inform the school if their child will be fasting during Ramadan.

This helps us ensure that we can support students appropriately throughout the school day.

If you have not already notified the school, please contact the school office and request a Ramadan fasting form.

The completed form should be returned to the office as soon as possible so that staff are aware and can make any necessary arrangements for your child during this period.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Appointments During School Hours 

We've noticed an increasing amount of children being collected/ dropped off for appointments during school time. 

We understand that sometimes this is unavoidable but if our families could try to book appointments outside school time (08:40-15:20) that would be really appreciated. 

A Friendly reminder that if your child does have an appointment during school time evidence of the appointment will need to be shown to the school office. This can be an email, text message or letter as long as it has the date and time and location of your child's appointment. 

Attendance Armadillos 

This week, the attendance armadillos were handed to... 

Upcoming Concerts...

In our KS2 Nurture Group this week, the children took part in a fun and creative challenge where they designed and built houses or habitats to keep a very special item safe… an egg! Throughout the sessions, the children worked together to plan, build, and put their ideas into action while also completing a few surprise challenges along the way. They showed great problem-solving and resilience as they adapted their designs to protect their eggs and worked well as a team to encourage each other. We are very proud to share that all the children successfully kept their eggs safe and uncracked by the end of the activity!

Useful Links For Families 

We know that life can be stressful and that there may be times when families require additional support and advice.  Below are links to organisations that can offer help and advice locally.

https://www.forwardthinkingbirmingham.nhs.uk/ - The City’s Mental Health Partnership  for 0-25yr olds.  You can also access information about PAUSE Hub drop -ins that take place weekly  where you can get  support and advice for your child.

https://the-waitingroom.org/  This is your one stop directory for health and wellbeing services across Birmingham and Solihull.

As always if you would like to discuss your child’s mental health or wellbeing please do not hesitate to contact us [email protected] or contact the school office.

Neurodevelopmental Pathway Information Day 1st April - 10am 

An event designed to bring together local organisations, charities, and specialists who support autistic children, young people, and their families.

For families with children and young people, who are awaiting an Autism assessment, to offer guidance, support and a place where families can learn about the services available to them within the community, and have a chance to meet others in similar situations.

Date: Wednesday 1st April 2026

Time: 10.00 am till 14.30 pm

Venue: Sense TouchBase Pears, 750 Bristol Road, Selly Oak, B29 6NA

Organised by: Birmingham Community Healthcare, Neurodevelopmental Pathway, Autism Team in collaboration with SENSE

Next week we will be on WEEK 1 of the menu.

You can pre-book meals in advance on Arbor till the end of the academic year (Arbor>> Meals>> Meal Choices Available>> Select Meal Choice)

Reminder: Even if your child is a packed Lunch, parents will need to book that lunch option on Arbor! 

BVP Discos

Hi, we hope you've all had a good week!

A final reminder to buy your tickets for the spring discos. They are available to buy on Arbor now, but will be taken off at lunchtime on the day of the disco to allow class lists to circulate.

Monday 16th March

- Reception Spring disco (3.20-4.30pm)

Tuesday 17th March

- Y1 Spring disco ( 3.20-4.30pm)

Thursday 19th March

- Y2/3  Spring disco (3.20-5pm)

- Y4/5/6 Spring disco(6 -7.30pm)

Please do get in touch (Becki 07964166963) if you would like to join the PTA disco teams and I can add you to the exsiting Whatsapp groups.

School Shop, Ice Cream & WWF Fundraiser

We will hopefully be opening the school shop and selling ice creams on Friday 20th, alongside a group of Y6s who are setting up a stall to raise money for WWF.

PTA Egg Hunt 

And finally, in the last week of term we have the Egg hunt on Wednesday 25th (tickets to go on Arbor shortly) and The Easter hat parade on Thursday 26th. The children will have the opportunity to walk around the playground on a marked-out route to show you their wonderful bonnet creations (which don’t have to be Easter themed!) Gates will open at 2pm with a 2.30pm start. Drinks and hot cross buns will be available. Normal pick up time.

Thanks all, from Becki and the PTA team x

And finally...

The term has flown by and we're almost at the point when we distribute our Parent/ Carer Survey for the term. Look out for this next week please- let's see if we can break our record of 213 responses which we managed in the Summer of 2024!

Have a good weekend- let's hope the sun continues to shine a little for us. Enjoy time with your families and friends and we look forward to seeing you all on Monday. Take care of yourselves and each other. 

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is the responsibility of everyone in our school and at all times we consider what is in our children’s best interests. We work to ensure our children are safe and cared for and by doing this we are protecting their health and development and preventing them from harm. If we are worried, we will raise concerns, share information, and take prompt action with the aim of ensuring families receive the right help at the right time.

SkillVille Multi-Skills Easter Camp

We are excited to be launching our SkillVille Multi-Skills Easter Camp this Easter holiday! The camp will run from Tuesday 7th April to Friday 10th April, 9:00am–3:00pm, and is open to children from Reception to Year 6.

Across the four days, children will take part in a wide variety of fun activities including sports, team games, outdoor adventure activities, cooking and creative challenges. The camp is designed to keep children active, engaged and having fun while developing important skills such as teamwork, confidence and resilience.

The camp will be run by  SkillVille, who will lead a range of exciting multi-skills activities throughout the week.

The cost is £25 per child per day, and children should bring a packed lunch and water bottle (please remember that we are a nut-free school).

Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To book your place please complete the booking form: https://forms.gle/sEyPLrEv4mnUum7T6

Once your child’s place has been confirmed, you will receive a confirmation email with payment details. Places will only be secured once payment has been received.

Birmingham Bulletin 

Click here to view this weeks Birmingham Bulletin. 

Message from St Francis church 

Kaboom are hiring! Please see below for more information.