Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 20th March 2026
Date: 20th Mar 2026 @ 1:36pm
What a glorious couple of days we have had in school! It has been so lovely to see the children enjoying themselves out in the sunshine although their joy, kindness and enthusiasm really brighten our school community, regardless of the weather. I have even been seen outside without my big coat!
Easter Service
The children have been practicing hard in class in preparation for our Easter Service which takes place at 9.15am in St. John’s church on Wednesday 1st April. It would be so lovely to see as many of you as possible in church to share in their hard work – there will be a mixture of reading and singing as the children share the story of Easter week with you all – from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. We look forward to seeing you there.
Don’t forget that we finish at 2pm on that last day.
Good Mood Gifts
As part of our ongoing KiVa anti-bullying work, we have been talking about ways to support people who may have been bullied. One of these was by giving them a good mood gift.
However – it is something that we are trying to share with everyone as they cost nothing and put us all in a good mood. Good mood gifts are just little things that we can say or do to cheer someone up and put them in a good mood – we don’t actually have to give a real gift as there shouldn’t be a cost. We have talked about paying people compliments, inviting someone to join in a game or sit with us, sharing a wonderful smile with someone… there are lots of ways! As the week has gone on, I have been noticing more and more good mood gifts being shared around school. These small acts of kindness are wonderful examples of how our children live out our vision to ‘let your light shine’, brightening someone else’s day through simple, thoughtful choices.
I know that yesterday morning I was bombarded with them on the gate in the morning and I told the children about the wonderful, positive effect it had on me! Ask your children what good mood gifts they have been giving and see if you can spot any that they may have shared with you!
School Dinners – Change to Price Reminder
School dinners currently 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. However, we have been notified by Edsential, who runs our kitchen for us, that the price of the meal will be increasing from 1st April. They will then cost £3.20 per day, £16 per week.
Edsential have shared some information with us about what they do to ensure continuous improvement and the lowest possible price for our school:
- School meals that taste good and do good – whilst young people get to enjoy delicious meals they know and love, Edsential school meals ensure that every bite is packed with hidden nutritional value.
- No compromise on quality – with 32% of catering providers reporting they are using lower quality ingredients, with Edsential we are ensuring there is no compromise on quality.
- Negotiating with suppliers – we continuously review our local and national supply chain to ensure they deliver on our shared expectations.
- Dedicated local support – Business Managers, over 600 catering staff and a mobile support team – all around the corner when you need them.
- Serving safe meals for all – we follow statutory guidance from the DfE, alongside best practices from the Food Standards Agency and Local Authority, to ensure every child receives safe, high-quality meals.
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.
#WakeUpWednesday
The parental controls on smartphones allow you to block or restrict certain apps, features, content, downloads or purchases that might not be suitable for young people. Setting limitations around age ratings, Siri and web searches enables you to filter out age-inappropriate content and vastly reduce the likelihood of your children being exposed to potentially upsetting material and information.
In this week’s guide, you'll find tips for helping young people to avoid pitfalls such as sexting, contact from strangers and excessive use.
Free Easter Egg Hunt - Reminder
Winsford Town Council will be holding a free Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday 4th April which some of you may be interested in attending. Please see the attached poster below for more information.
Easter Holiday Family Activities at West Cheshire Museums - Reminder
Grosvenor Museum, Lion Salt Works and Weaver Hall Museum will be running free crafts between 10:30 – 3:30pm on the dates below over the Easter Holiday. Activities and entry to the museum are free with donations welcome.
Grosvenor Museum, Chester, CH1 2DD
7th & 8th April – Make your own owl mask
14th & 15th April – Make your own story cubes
Lion Salt Works, Marston, Northwich, CW9 6ES
8th & 9th April – Make your own Easter basket
15th & 16th April – Create your own rainbow
Weaver Hall Museum & Workhouse, Northwich, CW9 8AB
9th & 10th April – Make you own miniature hobby horse
16th & 17th April - Create your own Spring wreath
A Museum Explorer Club will also be running at Weaver Hall Museum, Lion Salt Works and Grosvenor Museum. The museums will be running special 1-hour STEM or art-based craft sessions between (11-12pm and 12-1pm) with a dedicated member of the learning team. They are £5 per session and booking is necessary. To book please call Weaver Hall on 01606 271640, Lion Salt Works on 01606 275066 or Grosvenor Museum on 01244 972197.
8th April – Victorian Toys – Weaver Hall Museum
9th April – Outstanding Owls – Grosvenor Museum
10th April – Eggy Experiments – Lion Salt Works
15th April – Aboriginal Art – Lion Salt Works
16th April – Art Discovery Day – Grosvenor Museum
17th April – Investigating the seasons – Lion Salt Works
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).
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
Dinner Week 2
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
Monday 20th April: Year 6 weekly swimming begins
Monday 4th May: School closed – May Day Bank Holiday
Tuesday 5th May: Class photographs
Monday 11th May: Year 6 SATs week begins
Wednesday 13th May – Friday 15th May: Y2/3/4 Robinwood Residential
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: School opens at 8.35am
Wednesday 3rd June – Friday 5th June: Y5/6 Conway Centre Residential
Wishing you a restful weekend — and moments where your family’s light can shine brightly.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon