Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 16th October 2026
Date: 16th Oct 2026 @ 11:30am
Thank You for Your Support During Our SIAMS Inspection
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to our recent SIAMS inspection. A special thank you goes to the parents who took the time to speak with the inspector, our governors for their ongoing support and challenge, and, of course, our dedicated staff team for all of their hard work, commitment and preparation.
Most importantly, I would like to thank the children. Throughout the inspection, they were an absolute credit to the school and truly let their light shine. They spoke confidently about their learning, their experiences and what makes Over St. John's such a special place to be. Their kindness, enthusiasm and pride in their school shone through in every conversation.
Whilst I am unable to share the outcome just yet, as we must wait for the final report to be published, I can say that the inspector left with a very clear understanding of what a wonderful school community we have. The many positive comments received about the school were, however, surpassed by those about our children, who made a lasting impression through their warmth, honesty and character.
We look forward to sharing the final outcome with you in the coming weeks.
#WakeUpWednesday
AI companions are becoming increasingly popular with young people, offering round-the-clock conversations with virtual characters designed to feel like genuine friends. Platforms such as Character.ai, Replika and Snapchat My AI can provide entertainment and creative opportunities, but their human-like interactions also raise concerns. This guide explores potential risks including emotional dependency, inappropriate content, oversharing personal information and harmful mental health advice.
As AI companions become more convincing, helping young people understand the difference between synthetic relationships and genuine human connection is increasingly important. This guide offers helpful advice for parents and educators on discussing AI friendships, reviewing privacy settings, managing subscriptions and encouraging healthy offline relationships. It also highlights the importance of seeking support from trusted adults rather than relying on chatbots.
A Blooming Lovely Surprise!
Have you noticed how lovely the front of school is looking at the moment?
Earlier this week, one of our parents very kindly volunteered their time to help tidy and refresh the front garden area. Their hard work has made a real difference and has certainly helped to brighten the entrance to our school.
We are incredibly grateful for this act of kindness and generosity. It is wonderful when members of our school community give their time and talents to help make our school an even nicer place for everyone. In doing so, they have certainly let their light shine and set a wonderful example of community spirit.
Thank you once again for your support and for helping our school look so welcoming.
If you are ever able to volunteer any time to help with jobs around school, please do get in touch with Mrs McFarland in the office – we would love to hear from you.
Morning Routine - Reminder
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 few 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 it is not a play area - 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 as it is a car park and not a playground.
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 late 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.
Absence During Term Time – Government Regulations including Fines
Penalty Notices are issued for irregular attendance, not just holidays, with days off here and there throughout the term.
The National Framework for Penalties 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 (e.g. £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).
Upcoming Services at St. John's Church
We are fortunate to enjoy such a close relationship with St. John's Church and would like to remind you of one of their upcoming services that families may wish to attend. St. John's will also be holding a Christingle Service on Sunday 6th December at 10.30am. A Christingle is a decorated orange which symbolises Jesus as the Light of the World and is traditionally used during a special service celebrating hope, light and generosity. It is always a lovely occasion for families to attend together.
If you are planning to attend the Christingle Service, please let us know when we contact you later in the term, as the church would like an indication of numbers so that enough Christingles can be prepared. We will send out further information nearer the time and include a survey on School Spider.
Services at St. John’schurch provide wonderful opportunities to strengthen the links between our school and church communities. As a school whose vision is to 'Let your light shine' (Matthew 5:16), these shared celebrations help us come together, support one another and shine our light within the wider community.
Operation Encompass
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/
Whisper It Quietly... Christmas Is Coming! 🎄
I can hardly believe I am mentioning Christmas when we're only just into October, but I have been asked to share a festive fundraising opportunity that will benefit our school.
A local family-run business, Grange Christmas Trees, is supporting Over St. John's this Christmas. For every family who purchases a tree from them and mentions Over St. John's, the school will receive £5.
Whether you're someone who likes to get organised early or prefers to wait until December, it's a simple way to support the school whilst choosing your Christmas tree. Grange Christmas Trees offer a range of fresh, real trees in different varieties and sizes, which can either be selected at the farm or delivered locally, with prices starting at £50.
If you're planning to buy a real Christmas tree this year, please do consider supporting this initiative and remember to mention Over St. John's when placing your order. Further details can be found at: grangechristmastrees.co.uk
Best Start Family Hubs
We have been asked to share information about an exciting development within Cheshire West and Chester. You may previously have known these services as Children's Centres, but they are now becoming Best Start Family Hubs, offering a wider range of support for families with children and young people up to the age of 19 (or 25 for those with SEND).
The Family Hubs are keen to hear from parents, carers and staff about the types of support and services that would be most beneficial to local families. To help shape future provision, they have launched a short questionnaire which takes just a few minutes to complete.
As an added incentive, everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a prize draw with the chance to win a £100 shopping voucher.
Please see the attached flyer for further information and details of how to take part. Your feedback will help to ensure that services continue to meet the needs of families across our community.
Families receiving Free School Meals
Support with food during the school holidays through the Crisis and Resilience Fund is now open again for applications.
This support is available for £30 per week per school age child that receives income based Free School Meals if families are struggling to meet these additional costs during the school holidays.
This payment will cover the combined October half term and Christmas holidays period of 3 weeks, and therefore if successful, an award of £90 will be given per eligible child, which will be paid via a payment to your bank account.
To apply or find out more details, you can visit
School Holiday Support Payment | Cheshire West and Chester Council
If you're not in receipt of Free Schools Meals but need help with a sudden financial crisis, you can apply for our Crisis Payment scheme
Crisis payments | Cheshire West and Chester Council
Applying for Secondary School Places for September 2026
If you have a child in Year 6, the application round has now opened for you to apply for a secondary school place. It is very important that you do this before the deadline, which is 31st October 2026, otherwise your application will be classed as a late application and could have a severe impact on your preferred school choice. Results are available on 1st March 2027. To apply, you will need to create an account or log in on this link. Before making your application, it is important you view the chrome- Secondary School Booklet 2027 help you with your choices.
As a school, we are a partner primary with both The Winsford Academy and Hartford CE High School which means that applications for children from our school are considered above some other categories, should the school be oversubscribed. However, you have the option to apply for 3 secondary schools of your choice. Further details with regards to this can be found in the ‘Secondary School Booklet 2027’ link above.
Applying for Primary School Places for September 2026
If you have a child who is turning 4 years old between now and 31st August 2027, or know of a child who is, then the application round is also open for them to apply for their Reception place. The timescale is slightly different for this and you have until 15th January 2027, but like the secondary school place, before making your application, it is important you view the Primary Booklet 2027 . Results are available from 16th April 2027. To apply, you will need to create an account or log in on this link.
If you would like to visit Over St. John’s with a view to a Reception place next September or know of someone else who would, please do just ring the office and we will arrange a time to suit yourselves and us. We do not hold an open morning as I prefer people to see us as we are on a daily basis and have more personal time during a look around with me to ask any questions that they may have.
School Dinners
School dinners 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. 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 Autumn Term 2026 – new dates highlighted
Tuesday 20th October Pupil Consultation Evening 3:15pm -5:30pm
Thursday 22nd October Pupil Consultation Evening 3:15pm -5:30pm
Friday 23rd October School closes for half term at 3pm
Monday 2nd November School closed for INSET day
Tuesday 3rd November School opens at 8.35am
Sunday 6th December Christingle Service at St. John’s Church at 10.30am
Wednesday 16th December Carol Service in St. John’s church at 1.30pm. Collection from church
Thursday 17th December Whole school pantomime visit
Friday 18th December School closes at 2pm
Tuesday 5th January 2027 School opens at 8.35am
Have a lovely weekend with moments where your families light can shine.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon