Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 12th July 2024
Date: 12th Jul 2024 @ 3:34pm
This will be my last blog of this academic year – where on earth has the time gone? So much has been accomplished this year which was affirmed by our very successful Ofsted inspection in May. The children have excelled themselves, as they do every year and have enjoyed all that has been on offer to them, whether it be in the classroom, around our local area or further afield such as on our residentials to The Conway Centre and Robinwood. The staff have also excelled themselves and continued their dedicated approach to every aspect of school life and I would like to say thank you for their continued support and hard work.
We say goodbye to some wonderful children in Year 6 as they leave us for pastures new at their secondary schools. Jenson, Jack, Enes, Jack, Franky, William, Lauren, Sophie, Leon, Michael, Olivia, Isabelle, Miley, Jack, Esme, Jacob, Mickey, Callum, Oliver, Seth and Lexi-Ann – you have been amazing and we wish you lots of love and luck in your new schools.
We also say goodbye to two members of our team as they move onto pastures new. We are going to miss Mrs Roche, one of our valuable teaching assistants, who has been with us for the past two and a half years and as previously mentioned, Mr Pasquill who starts a new career in the fire service in September after five years at OSJ. A huge thank you to them both for all they have done for Over St. John’s since joining our team and we wish them both lots of love and luck as they start their new ventures and look forward to hearing how they are getting on in the future.
Your child's school report was scheduled to be sent home electronically this afternoon. There is a survey now open on School Spider where you can acknowledge receipt of your child's report as well as make any comments, should wish to do so.
We finish next Friday 19th July at 2pm for the summer holidays – thank you to the parent who noticed that I hadn’t put that anywhere on my previous blogs as we could have been going right through until September again! Enjoy your holidays.
Absence During Term Time – Reminder of New Regulations from September
From September, there will be some changes to the way that Fixed Term Penalty Notices are issued for absences during term time. I have already shared the increase in the fine from September, but there will also be increased fines for anyone taking their child out more than once in a 3 year period as well as the consideration of prosecution if there is a third absence in a 3 year period.
The new National Framework for Penalty Notices includes:
- A single consistent national threshold for when a penalty notice must be considered of 10 sessions of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10 school week period.
- An increase to the rate of a penalty notice from £120 to £160 if paid within 28 days, and £60 to £80 if paid within 21 days.
- A second penalty notice issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling 3 year period being charged at a higher rate of £160 with no option for this second offence to be discharged at the lower rate of £80.
- A national limit of 2 penalty notices that can be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling 3 year period, so at the 3rd (or subsequent) offence(s) another tool will need to be considered (such as prosecution or one of the other attendance legal interventions).
School Uniform – reminder
As the school year is drawing to a close, I would just like to share a uniform reminder with everyone in preparation for September.
Our School Uniform Policy, the full version of which is available here on our website, states that our uniform consists of:
- Light blue polo shirt
- Blue school sweatshirt or cardigan with the school logo
- Grey skirt or grey trousers
- Sensible black shoes (not trainers) which are flat and offer support, Velcro fastenings are ideal
- Grey or white socks, grey or black tights
- Optional blue/ white checked dress/ playsuit or grey shorts in the summer
To keep costs as low as possible, the only branded item that we have is a sweatshirt or cardigan, which may be purchased from Winsford Market or obtained free of charge from The Green Uniform and Baby Bank (previously known as The Uniform Exchange.) All other items are widely available in supermarkets and other retailers.
Weekly Attendance
Well done to Linmere with their fantastic attendance this week.
Hatchmere: 89.52%
Sandymere: 94.74%
Delamere: 93.68%
Oakmere: 87.39%
Linmere: 98.46%
Blakemere: 95.00%
Holiday Activities and Food - Reminder
HAF summer is nearly here and I wanted to share with you some of the Holiday Activities and Food clubs available in your area. Coordinated by Edsential, Cheshire West's HAF programme has a whole host of clubs that are completely free for children and young people in receipt of free school meals.
Their interactive map means it’s easier than ever for parents/carers to search for various activity clubs on offer in your local area. From various sports such as basketball, swimming and football camps, to creative arts and crafts, healthy eating cooking classes, nature bushcraft, campfires, and storytelling. This summer promises something for every taste and interest. For older children there will be additional activities such as hair, beauty and wellness. And the best part? Free, healthy meals will be served throughout the programme, ensuring that children stay fuelled and ready for action.
To find a full list of the summer holiday activity clubs visit their website.
Summer Reading Challenge - Reminder
Winsford Library are delighted to be able to share with you details of our Summer Reading Challenge this year. Five thousand children from Cheshire West took part last year and they’re hoping for more in 2024.
The Challenge (4- to 12-year-olds) and Mini Challenge (Under 4s) are entirely free. Children are given a collector’s pack for starting and stickers every time they read two books. After reading six books, they are given a certificate and a medal. Any books qualify, from the library or not and can be in print, digital, or audio form.
In addition, they have loads of free events, including favourites like animal handling and fun science but also face-painting and even, in one library, a planetarium! These events can be previewed at Library events | Cheshire West and Chester Council. They also have special offers from partners such as Hayrack Church Farm (free child entry), Climbing Hut and Sick to Death as well as a prize draw for completers including toys and free tickets to Bewilderwood, Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre and Sick to Death.
Children can join the Challenge from ‘Start Up Saturday’ 6th July at their local library or via https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/read and can, from that date, book events for the first half of the holidays, then all the rest of the events can be booked from Saturday 27th July. The Challenge ends on Sunday 1st September.
#WakeUpWednesday
The sharing of nudes, semi-nudes and other explicit material is a prominent issue in today’s digital landscape: both their distribution and their misuse. In fact, the National Crime Agency has issued an alert to hundreds of thousands of education professionals after a study found that 26,718 cases of "sextortion" had been reported in 2023 - more than doubling from the year before.
It's vital for parents and educators to be aware of how they can safeguard children from exposure to, or involvement in, sharing intimate images – especially given that the sharing of such material featuring under-18s is a serious criminal offence. This week’s guide offers expert insight into the risks of sharing intimate images online, as well as tips on implementing measures to shield children from encountering inappropriate digital content of a sexual nature.
School Dinners
School dinners cost £3 per day, £15 per week. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive free meals as part of the government’s Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) scheme. Dinner money must be paid in advance via School Spider.
If you are in receipt of benefits and think that you may be entitled to free school meals, please click here for more information and support and how to apply. It is very important to apply for free schools meals whatever year your child is in, even if you receive the UIFSM in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, as the school receives a sum of extra money to further help support your child and their education.
Confirmed Dates for the Summer Term 2024
Dinner Week 2
Thursday 18th July: Year 6 Leaver’s performance at The Untied Reformed Church. 4pm – 5.15pm (tickets only)
Friday 19th July: Leaver’s Service in St. John’s Church at 9.15am. All welcome.
Friday 19th July: School closes for summer at 2pm
Confirmed Dates for the Autumn Term 2024
Tuesday 3rd September: School opens from 8.35am
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon