Welcome to your newsletter for week ending May 8th

We've had a lovely end to the week with our percussion performance in the George Hall- the children were brilliant and we hope that all families who came along enjoyed the skills on show!

Today we had an impromptu visit from MP Al Carns who met with our School Council- they asked some really pertinent, challenging (and interesting!) questions (read below for more information). We've also been learning about Sir David Attenborough as he celebrates his 100th birthday- the Picture News further below has more on this milestone that you might want to share with your children.  

Thankyou to the parents who came along to the Parent Voice meeting on Wednesday- we had nearly every year group represented which was great. Discussions were around our places of worship visits, the number of opportunities for parents to come in to school (and what those opportunities currently are), the information that parents would like to see on the website, homework, the way we teach and 'test' spellings and how we need to increase praise and recognition for children who do well in different aspects of school life. More detailed notes will be added to the Parent Voice page at some point next week.

We also had a working party meeting for our Rights Respecting Schools focus; the group consists of senior leadership, teachers, a Teaching Assistant, one of our parents and a Governor. If this is something you are interested in joining, please get in touch with Mrs Cooper via head@bournvillevillageprimary.org.uk

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

** 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 Challenge...

Attendance Armadillo

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

Introducing our Forest School Lead...

Hi, I’m Kaiser and I joined the Bournville Village Primary team in September 2025. One of my roles here is to manage classrooms during the short-term absence of the class teacher and covering teachers' planning time. I love the variety of my role and the opportunity to build rapport with children and staff across our entire school. Alongside my teaching role, I plan and lead Forest School sessions for Early Years children on Fridays.

I have always loved the wonder, calmness and freedom of the outdoors. Growing up in the 90s, my fondest childhood memories were always outdoor activities such as the long bicycle rides, playing outdoor games and exploring different parks and woods.

During my Forest School sessions, my aim is to facilitate activities that allow the children to freely express themselves and develop skills such as creativity, problem-solving and teamwork.

It is my hope that through these sessions the children develop a sense of love and care for the natural world such that they learn to make pro-environmental choices, paving a way for a sustainable future.

BVP's MP Visit 

Today BVP’s School Council were delighted to welcome Al Carns to school. Al held an engaging Q&A session with the children, giving them the opportunity to ask a wide range of questions - from how he first became involved in politics to his favourite biscuit!

The pupils were incredibly engaged throughout and asked some fantastic questions.

Here are our favourites:

• When will the bin strike end?
• How did you get into politics?
• Do you enjoy your job?
• What is your favourite biscuit?
• How much money do you earn?
• How old are you?

Al also spoke to the children about his experience climbing Mount Everest and how his career began in the Marines. This particularly captured the pupils’ imagination and inspired even more thoughtful questions.

A special shout out to B and W from year 6 for being so helpful in welcoming our visitors and assisting with tidying the George Hall after the team had left.

We are extremely grateful to Al and his team for taking time out of their busy schedule to visit our pupils. The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we hope they left feeling inspired by his stories and advice.

His final words to the children were:
“You can be anything you set your mind to. You just need to put the work in and believe in yourself.”

Gardening Help Needed!

As you will know, our school is set in large grounds with some amazing 'garden' features, however it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage and some of tthe flower beds, borders and vegetable patches around the site are in desperate need of some TLC!

We are looking for some volunteers who have the time, energy and passion to help us get our grounds looking as beautiful and cared-for as possible; whether this be individuals that come together as a group, an already established community group e.g. allotment holders, or a company that would like to develop a partnership- we are interested in anyone that can help!

We'd also love to hear from members of our school family and local community that would be able to involve our children - we have so many pupils who have a passion for gardening and growing and we know they would make excellent young horticulturalists -so having some support for this too would be really amazing!

If you or anyone you know might be able to help with coming in (for whatever frequency you choose) we'd love to hear from you. Please email Mrs Cooper at head@bournvillevillageprimary.org.uk if you have any ideas!

Thank you!

BVP's Budding Cricketer 

We need to give a special shout out to our very own F!

He has recently made his debut for Warwickshire County Cricket Club U10’s. He was selected for their U10 pathway programme and has been training with the county all winter. He will play a series of matches over the summer for Warwickshire (whilst continuing to also play club cricket for Bournville Village Cricket Club).

We think you’ll all agree this is a great achievement and we wish him all the luck going forward.  

Maths news

Earlier this week, it was Star Wars Day (May the 4^th be with you!) So why not celebrate with a little Star Wars-themed maths puzzle. If you need to turn to the dark side to help you, answers are underneath. Wish you good luck, I do!

Answers

ǝuo-ʎʇuǝʍʇ = ɹǝʍsuɐ uoᴉʇɐlnɔlɐɔ lɐuᴉɟ

uǝǝʇɟᴉɟ = ɐpo⅄

ɹnoɟ = ɐɔɔɐqʍǝɥƆ

uǝʌǝlǝ = ɹǝpɐΛ ɥʇɹɐp

xᴉs = ɹǝdooɹʇɯɹoʇS

ʇɥƃᴉǝ = uoɔlɐɟ ɯnᴉuuǝllᴉɯ

Upcoming dates 

Free Music Concert For BVP Pupils

The City of Birmingham's Brass Band are hosting a family concert on 31st May at St Francis Church, Bournville. We are delighted to say they are offering our families a special discount using the code: SCHOOL. This will provide a free U16 ticket (usually £8 per child) alongside an adult ticket for £10. This can be redeemed by selecting 'Promo Ticket' and entering the code when prompted. Please note this offer will not be available on the door. You can get tickets HERE.

This concert will run from 14:30 - 15:30. It has been put together specifically with a younger audience in mind and should be a great opportunity for students to experience live music at a lower price. A drink and biscuit will included in the ticket price, making it the perfect way to introduce younger families to live music. 

As part of our work to promote adults at BVP as Duty Bearers, staff are creating posters to demonstrate the UNCRC Rights of the Child that their role in school links to. We are also thinking about the Global Goals that are particularly close to our hearts. As well as displaying these around school, we will be periodically including them in newsletters. See below for the first one off the block- Mr Rogers!

Some of you have said that we aren't giving you enough information about what your children are learning - and how we teach different skills and concepts. We will be revising the information that is on the website and also introducing Year Group Welcome Packs that will come to you before the start of each new term. As well as information regarding topics that children will cover, we are working on developing resources that help you understand how we teach. If you have any thoughts about other information that could go in the packs, please let us know.

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! 

And finally...

Thank you to the parents and families who get in touch when something feels wrong- we are always aiming for the best educational experience for your children, but we know we don't always get it right. Working together to find improvements and resolutions puts us in the best position to achieve our aims, so please do keep keeping in touch!

Take care over the weekend and we look forward to seeing you on Monday.

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.

The Big Future- Children's Commissioner's National Survey 

For the first time ever, children will be eligible to vote in the next general election. They want to hear from as many children as possible, ages 0-18 from all backgrounds, in schools and colleges and every part of the country. 

Click the link below if your child would like to complete the survey. 

http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/thebigfuture. 

Deadline: Friday 23rd October

Grammar School Entrance Test (current Year 5)

Registration is now open for parents of current Year 5 pupils who would like their child to sit the entrance test for a place at any of the grammar schools in Birmingham/West Midlands (entry to Year 7 in September 2027).

Registration can be made online by visiting the website below. We would appreciate if this could be communicated to your current Year 5 parents in any upcoming newsletters.

The closing date for registering is 4pm on 26^th June 2026.  

The test will take place on 12^th September 2026.

www.westmidlandsgrammarschools.co.uk

Thank you

Grammar Schools in Birmingham

Water Safety on Holiday

Click the link below to read information from BCC about how to keep your child safe in the summer holidays. 

https://www.rlss.org.uk/safety-on-holiday

Football Funatics

Football Funatics are now taking bookings for their Holiday Camps.

Choose from one of the amazing venues below and be a part of the fun this half term.

Dates: Tuesday 27th May - Friday 29th May 2026

Times: 9AM - 3PM each day. 

Price: £17.50 per day.

(10% discount for siblings and full week bookings)

A packed lunch, 2 snacks & a water bottle are required each day. This will be stored securely at the venue.

(additional charges of £5 per 15 mins may be applied for consistent late collections)

We have a number of different art and multisport workshops including:

Gymnastics, Fun Training Session, Dance class, Games Day, Fun Sports Day, Boxercise, Football and lots more sports, arts and crafts.These are all included in the price.

Secure your place now by booking on one of the links below or visiting www.footballfunatics.co.uk 

Billesley Primary School Playscheme Booking Form: http://tiny.cc/BillesleyCamp

Hollywood Primary School Playscheme Booking Form: http://tiny.cc/HwoodCamp

We will then be in touch with more details and a welcome letter for your specified venue. 

Thank you for supporting us and we look forward to an amazing camp!