Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 15th May 2026
Date: 14th May 2026 @ 12:35pm
Please may someone just clarify what season it is for me?! Everyday has had a whole mixture of weather and I don’t know where we are up to! Whilst bracing yourselves for the weather - brace yourselves for a long blog today as there is lots of information to share with you all!
New Christian Values Hall Display
We have some beautiful new artwork up in the hall and corridor which represent our Christian vision of ‘Let your light shine before others’ and our Christian values of friendship, thankfulness, compassion, forgiveness, community and hope. If you have not been into school, please make sure that you take the time to stop and have a look when you visit for our upcoming Pupil Consultation Evenings next week. All the children have contributed to a class mosaic in the hall representing their Christian value and Mrs Kelly’s Art Club worked on the display in the corridor around our Christian vision. I am sure that you will be impressed! Thank you to all the staff and children for all their hard work.
KS2 SATs
I would like to take a moment to say how incredibly proud we are of our Year 6 children this week as they have completed their SATs assessments. They have approached each day with a calm determination, showing resilience, maturity and a real sense of responsibility.
Whilst the tests themselves are, of course, important, what has been most pleasing to see is the way in which the children have conducted themselves throughout the week – supporting one another, encouraging each other and simply getting on with the job in hand. They have been a real credit to themselves and to the school.
We know that SATs can sometimes feel like a big moment, but the children have kept everything in perspective and have done their very best, which is all we ever ask of them - they should feel extremely proud of what they have achieved.
A huge thank you too to the staff who have supported them so carefully along the way, and to you at home for your encouragement and reassurance.
Well done, Year 6 — we are very proud of you all!
Sports Day
We now have a date in the diary for this year’s Sports Day which will follow a similar format to last year. It will be held on Tuesday 23rd June with KS1 (Hatchmere, Sandymere, Delamere) in the morning and KS2 (Oakmere, Linmere, Blakemere) in the afternoon with more precise times to follow nearer the day.
We have had to work hard to manage to squeeze this into a packed calendar (which not only encompasses children, but also staff availability) and as such, if we are unable to go ahead for any reason – such as the weather – then we do not have a reserve date available this year. Therefore, keep your fingers, toes and eyes crossed for good weather!
Eco Club
Our new Eco Club have requested that I share some regular updates with you about wht they are getting up to. Here is their first instalment:
Sustainability continues to shine brightly across our school, guided by our commitment to care for God’s creation and our local community. Our Eco Club have been working enthusiastically to improve biodiversity by planting seeds around the school site to attract insects, as well as creating seed bombs to share and use within the wider community. These small actions are already making a big difference, reminding us that everyone has a part to play. This week, the children will be planning a whole‑school sustainability event, so watch this space. Together, we are learning to let our light shine by making positive choices that help our world to flourish.
Vacancy – Midday Assistant
We currently have a vacancy for a Midday Assistant here at Over St. John’s. This is a lovely opportunity to become part of our school team, supporting the children during lunchtime and helping to ensure a positive, safe and happy environment for all.
Full details of the role can be found either in the link below or attached to this blog. If you, or someone you know, may be interested, we would love to hear from you.
Food Policy
We have recently introduced an updated Food Policy, which is attached to this blog for your information. This sets out our whole-school approach to food and nutrition, supporting our aim of helping children to grow into healthy, confident individuals and develop positive lifelong habits.
In particular, we would encourage you to take a moment to read the sections relating to snacks and packed lunches. These offer guidance on the types of foods that best support children’s health, wellbeing and readiness to learn throughout the day.
Whilst we are not in a position to strictly enforce this, we would strongly encourage families to support us in promoting healthy choices at break and lunchtime, including fruit as a preferred snack and balanced options in packed lunches.
Thank you, as always, for your support in helping us to promote a positive and healthy food culture across our school community.
Attendance
This week, instead of sharing percentages, I wanted to show attendance in a different way. Across the school this week, children missed a total of 24 days – which is the same as 4 weeks and 4 days of learning. When we look at attendance in days rather than percentages, it becomes much more obvious how quickly small absences add up. Missing just one day here and there may not seem like much, but over time it can create gaps in learning, disrupt routines, and make it harder for children to keep up with new concepts that build on each other, putting them at a disadvantage compared to the other children.
We know that sometimes absences are unavoidable, but there are lots of ways that families can help reduce lost learning—by keeping to consistent routines, planning appointments outside school hours where possible, and encouraging children to come in even if they’re feeling a little tired. Every day in school really does count, and together we can make sure our children have the best chance to thrive.
Piano Lessons
We are really pleased to share that we will soon be able to offer piano lessons in school. This is a lovely opportunity for children to explore and develop their musical interests during the school day with a specialist provider.
Further information about the lessons, including how to register your interest, can be found in the leaflet attached to this blog. If you feel this is something your child would enjoy, please do follow the details provided to contact the provider directly.
We are looking forward to seeing this opportunity develop and to hearing lots of music around school!
#WakeUpWednesday
Exam periods can place significant pressure on young people, affecting their confidence, focus and overall wellbeing. This week’s guide explores supportive, realistic strategies to help pupils manage their workload, stay organised and maintain balance. From creating effective revision routines to designing calm study spaces, it offers practical ways to reduce overwhelm and build a sense of control.
It also highlights the value of active study techniques, creative revision methods and the thoughtful use of technology, including AI tools. With an emphasis on maintaining motivation and protecting mental health, the guide encourages a positive, sustainable approach to exam preparation that helps young people feel more confident and resilient.
Exciting Competition!
The UK-wide bookseller and stationer TGJones is inviting primary school pupils to take part in Bitesize Bookworms, a fun national book review competition. By describing their favourite book in one or two sentences we could win a £5,000 book and stationery bundle for our school. For further details visit //www.TGJonesonline.co.uk/bookworms. Entries must be submitted by Friday 5th June 2026, must be less than 25 words and written by the child.
We encourage as many children as possible to enter, so we have more chance of winning these fantastic prizes for our school! See the poster attached below.
School Dinners
School dinners currently cost £3.20 per day, £16 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.
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.
Illness - Reminder
It is that time of year when so many people are catching lots of different bugs that are going around. With some of these, it is important that your child stays at home to avoid passing the illness around but there are others that they are perfectly fine to come to school with. I am re-sharing a link that gives you an idea of some common illnesses and whether you should keep your child at home or send them in to school: Is My Child too Ill for School?
Absence During Term Time – Reminder
Penalty Notices are issued for irregular attendance, with days off here and there throughout the term including holidays.
The National Framework for Penalty includes:
A Penalty Notice must be considered for 10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10 school week period – these days do not have to be all at the same time, they can be a couple of days here and a couple of days there; they can be a combination of a couple of days holiday and a couple of days absence at other times too.
An increase to the amount of a Penalty Notice is now £160 if paid within 28 days, and £80 if paid within 21 days. This fine is issued to each parent separately for each child, so both parents receive the £80 fine, meaning that for one child it equals £160 (£80 for Mum and £80 for Dad) if both parents take the child.
A second Penalty Notice could be 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).
Operation Encompass – Reminder
As a school, we participate in a police-led initiative called Operation Encompass, a scheme which ensures that we can better support any child where a domestic incident has been reported to the police from their home.
Following a domestic incident, the police will make contact with the school and communicate relevant information to nominated, fully trained school staff. This will ensure that we are made aware early enough to support children and young people in a way that means they feel safe, supported and listened to.
Each school has a member of staff called a key adult who is trained to liaise with the police, when required, whilst ensuring support is available to the child. If you would like to speak to someone further about the initiative, or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or Mrs Bettley as the key adults for Over St. John’s.
We are committed to working in partnership with local relevant organisations to safeguard and protect children across Cheshire and provide the best possible care and support for our pupils.
You can find out more about Operation Encompass via the following site: http://www.operationencompass.org
Confirmed Dates for the Summer Term 2026
Dinner Week 2
Tuesday 19th May: Vision and Hearing check for Reception and Year 6
Tuesday 19th May: Pupil Consultation Evening 3.15pm – 5.30pm
Thursday 21st May: Pupil Consultation Evening 3.15pm – 5.30pm
Friday 22nd May: School closes for half term at 3pm
Monday 1st June: INSET Day - School Closed
Tuesday 2nd June: School opens at 8.35am
Wednesday 3rd June – Friday 5th June: Y5/6 Conway Centre Residential
Tuesday 23rd June: Sports Day – KS1 am, KS2 pm
Tuesday 21st July: Leavers Service in St. John's Church at 9.15am - all welcome
Tuesday 21st July: School closes at 2pm
Have a lovely weekend and moments where your family’s light can shine brightly.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon