Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 16th January 2026
Date: 16th Jan 2026 @ 2:41pm
I hope that you have all had a good week. We have been very busy in school as the children and staff continue to work hard. I have received lots of information to share with you this week from different places – not all relevant to everyone, but please do take the time to look in case it is relevant to you. Thank you.
Extra-Curricular Clubs
Thank you for signing up to the extra-curricular clubs which begin on Monday. If anyone has not had chance to yet, there are still spaces in KS2 Ball Games on Tuesdays from 3pm - 4pm (all Spring term) and KS1 Nursery Ryhmes on Thursdays from 3pm - 3.45pm (this half term only).
Counselling
We have been made aware of a website, Stop Breathe Think, that offers free counselling for children aged 8+. Through the service, you can access up to six free online counselling sessions with one of their lovely trained counsellors. The first step is to book in for a first intake appointment so that they can have an informal chat to get to know you better. You can do this via their ‘click here to refer’ button on their website.
Whatever you’re struggling with, talking to someone can really help. Nothing is too big or too small.
PCF Survey
The Cheshire West and Chester Parent Carer Forum, which support parents and carers who have children with special educational needs, is currently carrying out a survey to find out parents and carers views that will then help to shape future SEND services across health, education, social care and the community. If you have a few minutes to spare, please consider competing the survey. As well as the link above, there is also a flyer below.
Information from the Children’s Commissioner
I wanted to share an important new resource that has recently been published by the Children’s Commissioner: “What I Wish My Parents or Carers Knew: A Guide for Parents on Managing Children’s Digital Lives.”
As we all know, supporting children’s safety is a shared responsibility between families, schools, and the wider community. This has become more difficult as our children’s lives are now deeply connected to the digital world. Many parents tell us they struggle to balance protecting their children from online harm while allowing access to spaces that are central to learning, socialising and play.
This new guide is based on views of children themselves. The Commissioner’s team spoke directly with young people across England, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, to understand what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to managing online habits. One really key thing that came up was when the children were asked if they would give a smartphone to their own teenager, most said no. They want to be protected for as long as possible.
As educators, we see first-hand the challenges families face. Many schools have taken steps to limit or ban devices in classrooms, but concerns remain about what children are accessing online outside of school. Young people have said that they value clear, firm and informed boundaries from adults when it comes to online safety. As one child spoken to by the Commissioner’s team put it:
“Don’t be afraid to be firm… If you are worried your child is seeing harmful content and you don’t know what they’re watching and it’s affecting their behaviour, just take it that you know best – they don’t.”
Our shared goal is simple: to keep children safe and cared for. This guide offers practical advice to help you with these conversations and decisions at home. I encourage you to take a look and use it as a resource for your family.
You can access the guide here: What I Wish My Parents or Carers Knew: A Guide for Parents on Managing Children’s Digital Lives
Thank you for working with us to keep our children safe, both in school and online.
#WakeUpWednesday
Virtual reality (VR for short) has existed for decades, but it’s only in the last 10 years that the technology has really become publicly available. With VR’s rapid rise as a gaming and educational medium, there are plenty of unknowns regarding its use – for adults and children alike. Is it safe? How long should someone use VR for? How expensive is it? What’s clear is that VR is becoming ever more ubiquitous in everyday life: from companies using it for training to at-home fitness. Knowing what the technology is capable of is more useful than ever.
In the guide, you'll find tips for avoiding potential risks such as physical accidents, premature exposure and eye strain.
Child Protection Authority Consultation
We have been asked to share the following information with all families, should you wish to respond to the consultation:
The Government has launched a consultation on proposals to establish a Child Protection Authority (CPA) in England, a key recommendation from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The CPA will provide national oversight, embed good practice, and drive improvements in the system to better protect children from harm. The consultation is open until 5th March 2026 and seeks views on the proposals for the CPA.
Read and respond to the consultation here.
Morning Routine - Reminder
As we start the new year, please may I take this opportunity to remind you again about the morning routine at Over St. John’s. The school gate opens each morning at the beginning of the day at 8.35am. The children are able to go straight to class and get on with the activities that are there for them. Our register is taken at 8:45am promptly and as such, if your child is not here at 8:45am, they will be marked late on the register. Please ensure that your child is in school a couple of minutes before 8:45am so that they are on time for the register as I close the gate a couple of minutes before this time. If you arrive before 8.35am, please remind your children that they should stay by your side as Delamere Street is a very busy road and traffic also turns into our car park – they should not be playing and running around outside whilst waiting.
The whole school goes in to Collective Worship each morning at 8:50am and if children are late, it can be unsettling for them to have to walk in to Collective Worship in front of the whole school as well as distracting for the children that are already there. Your support with this would be greatly appreciated.
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
As I have shared a number of times previously, there have been some changes to the way that Penalty Notices are issued for absences during term time. Penalty Notices are issued for irregular attendance, with days off here and there throughout the term including holidays.
The new 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).
School Dinners
School dinners cost £3.10 per day, £15.50 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.
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 Spring Term 2026 – new dates highlighted
Dinner Week 3
Monday 19th January: Extra-Curricular clubs start
Monday 9th February: PTA ‘Rose for Someone you Love’ on sale this week
Monday 9th February: No clubs this week due to Pupil Consultation Evenings
Tuesday 10th February: Pupil Consultation Evening 3.15pm – 5.30pm
Thursday 12th February: Pupil Consultation Evening 3.15pm – 5.30pm
Friday 13th February: School closes for half term at 3pm
Monday 23rd February: School opens at 8.35am
Monday 23rd February: Canal and River Trust Water Safety Assembly
Wednesday 1st April: Easter Service in St. John’s Church at 9:15am. All welcome
Wednesday 1st April: School closes at 2pm
Monday 20th April: School opens at 8.35am
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon