Our BWA Survival Guide:
Tips and Tricks to get the most out of your child’s time at BWA
Your child has recently or will soon join Belleville Wix Academy? Here is a small guide to help you settle in and find the information you need.
Class WhatsApp
Main point of contact
As a parent of a new pupil, you’ll be delighted to know that each class has its one or two dedicated PTA class representatives. These friendly folks maintain a WhatsApp group where parents can connect, share PTA messages, celebrate birthdays, and stay informed about school events.
Since the group usually contains some parents who know the school well through older siblings, this is the best place to ask or confirm information about clubs, PE days or certain events.
If you’re eager to join your child’s class WhatsApp group, simply reach out to any other parent. They’ll gladly add you to the group. For our reception and nursery classes, we’ll be collecting phone numbers during the July parent welcome evenings to create a new group.
Remember that at all times the school’s guidelines apply to these parent groups. Read more about that here:
Two Schools in one building
Two parent associations
Our school building is quite unique, as it’s home to two distinct schools operating side-by-side: Belleville Wix Academy (BWA), which is a state school, and the private École de Wix (EdW), which is attached to the prestigious Lycée Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington.
This dual system means our school has a vibrant and diverse community! Typically, for each year group, you’ll find three classes:
- An English stream class (BWA registered children)
- A French stream class (EdW registered children)
- A bilingual class that includes up to 14 BWA-registered children and 14 EdW-registered children
Parent Associations: PTA & APL
Given this unique setup, each school has its own dedicated parent association:
- The PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is a registered charity that focuses its fundraising efforts on supporting Belleville Wix Academy (BWA). This includes vital contributions for things like teaching equipment, books, playground equipment, and sports equipment, which help BWA stand out.
- The APL (Association des Parents d’Élèves) raises funds for cultural activities related to the French and bilingual classes as well as an LCDG Charity fund to help pay for the fees of some students. (More information on their website apl-cdg.org.uk)
Collaboration and Co-organisation
Despite having separate fundraising goals, there’s a significant amount of overlap and cooperation due to sharing premises and the presence of the bilingual classes. This often leads to both entities co-organising many events throughout the year. Additionally, you’ll frequently see the PTA communicating about APL-organised events, such as the summer fair, and vice versa, with the APL sharing details about the PTA’s winter fair. This collaborative spirit truly enriches our entire school community!
Morning and Afterschool Clubs
7.30am – 6.00pm
School clubs ensure a smooth transition to/from extracurricular activities and the classroom, with club staff picking up or dropping off your child directly from their classroom.
Morning clubs generally start at 8.00 am with a pick-up by staff directly at the gate and afternoon clubs generally operate from 3:10/3:30 pm to either 4:30 pm or 5:00 pm. Premier-Education offers childcare until 6.00 pm.
July 2025 Update
1. BWA Clubs registration opens 12pm (noon) on July 16th 2025. (download PDF below)
2. Premier-Education clubs registration seems to already be open.
3. Kidoloisir replacement is called WixKidz and booking is done here : bellevillewix.magicbooking.co.uk
Afterschool club providers are plenty, but club lists can be found at these locations:
- BWA Extra-Curricular School Clubs: Listed on the school’s official website, these clubs are managed by either school staff or partnered external organisations (such as Premier Chess Coaching, The Jam for dance, Playball, Premier-Education/Youngstars for multisport or tennis, Wandsworth Music,…). Some are free, some require payment through schoolgateway.com and some require payment/registration directly with the corresponding external organisation.
Registration is done on a termly basis.
https://www.bellevillewix.org.uk/our-school/clubs Kidoloisirs: Kidoloisirs now welcomes both Ecole de Wix and BWA students (all streams). Offering a variety of afterschool clubs (Judo, Arts and crafts, Cooking, Science,…), they operate from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM with an optional extension to 17:30 PM (Garderie).
All staff are bilingual, speaking both English and French.
Registration is done on a termly basis.
https://kidoloisirs.com/
Kidoloisir replacement is called WixKidz and booking is done here : bellevillewix.magicbooking.co.uk- BWA Breakfast Club: Bookable directly on ‘school gateway’ (schoolgateway.com), Parents and carers must take their child to the canteen and present them to a member of staff in the breakfast club for registration. Start time 7.30 am – Last entry at 8.00 am. Breakfast is offered to all children attending the club.
Registration is done on a day-by-day basis.
https://schoolgateway.com - Premier-Education (aka Youngstars) “After School Wraparound Care“: In addition to providing some of the afternoon clubs listed above under item 1., Premier-Education/Youngstars is the only provider enabling after-school care until 6.00 pm. However, children can be picked up at any time by ringing the Youngstars doorbell in front of the school.
Registration is done on a day-by-day basis but prebooking early is recommended.
https://www.premier-education.com/parents/venue/courses/35098
Registration and Scheduling:
Each provider has its own registration and payment methods.
BWA Clubs & Kidoloisirs generally must be registered for the entire term.
Notably, the registration dates for each provider vary, so it is crucial to note these dates and register early to ensure a spot, as some clubs are highly sought after.
- BWA Termy Clubs typically open registration about a month before the term starts.
Kidoloisirs registration usually opens in the month before the term starts.
For detailed information and to register, please refer to the school’s website or contact the providers directly.
Lost and found
Use name labels and check regularly!
Jumpers, jackets, scarves, gloves, school bags, helmets, water bottles, lunch boxes,…
Everything gets deposited in the outdoor lost and found boxes opposite the school reception door.
Please label all your children’s clothing and verify the boxes every time something is missing. Boxes are cleared but the PTA/APL three times a year to avoid them overflowing and clothing getting damaged.
For name labels, please consider using www.stikins.co.uk as they are cost-effective and the PTA gets a commission – Don’t forget to use code 25663
Second-hand uniform sales
two/three times a year
Two or Three times a year, the PTA and their Ecole de Wix counterpart, the APL, will organize a second-hand uniform sale.
For this, we request for (washed) uniform donations before the sale. After sending out notices to all parents, we will also clear out the lost and found and wash and sort any uniforms with missing/unreadable labels to be added to the sale.
Dates of the uniform sales are communicated separately by email, WhatsApp and on this website’s event page.