Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 22nd November 2024
Date: 22nd Nov 2024 @ 3:26pm
The children have had some great fun playing out in the snow this week – there was even a big snowman on the MUGA on Tuesday! Although the weather looks set to go much milder this weekend, please may you make sure that the children come to school with all their coats, hats, scarves and gloves as we do tend to go outside, whatever the weather. The girls would benefit from wearing tights (warm grey ones) or trousers in the colder weather too. Thank you.
Late Arrivals
Please may I take this opportunity to remind you that the gate opens at 8.35am and the register is taken at 8.45am. The whole school is then in Collective Worship at 8.50am. We are seeing an increasing number of late arrivals in the morning and this impacts not only the child who is late who has missed the register, the morning activity, the dinner selection and had to walk into a full school hall, but also on the rest of the school who are disturbed when the front door bell goes (which also sounds in the hall), when the office door then goes as children come into the hall, and the again when the children are taking their coats off and joining the other children to sit down in the hall. On Wednesday of this week, there were 18 late arrivals during the 15 minutes that the children are in Collective Worship and I am sure that you can see how this causes a huge disturbance. I have asked all the children to talk to their adults at home about any changes that they can make to their morning routines to ensure that the children are in school and in class before the gate closes, ready for the register at 8.45am. Your help with this is greatly appreciated.
PTFA Updates
As previously shared via School Spider last week, the PTFA are running a Christmas Jumper sale next Friday 29th November straight after school. Jumpers will be selling for £2 for a child and £3 for an adult. They are asking for donations over the next couple of weeks and there is a box in the office for you to drop them off in ready for washing.
We have had a quick look on the ASDA Cashpot for Schools at our current total and it is a whopping £485.64! The scheme closes next Saturday 30th September, so there is still time to earn us some more money just by doing your usual ASDA shop at no extra cost to yourselves.
Welcome to Mrs Roche
A very warm welcome back to Mrs Roche who has re-joined our staff team this week to support the teaching and learning in Linmere and Blakemere classrooms in the morning. We are very pleased to have her back and the children have enjoyed working with her this week.
Guardian Education Awards 2025
The Guardian Education Awards 2025 for Mid Cheshire are back for another year and promise to be the best yet! Ten awards will celebrate schools, nurseries and colleges across Mid Cheshire, honouring pupils and students, teachers and teaching assistants, and classes and teams. The Guardian want to highlight everything that’s good about Mid Cheshire's educators, shining a spotlight on innovation and best practice across the town.
Who should win one of their 10 awards?
There’s pupil of the year for primary and secondary, class or team of the year and headteacher of the year as well as awards for teachers and teaching assistants.
They will also be handing out a lifetime achievement award and an innovation award.
Entries are invited from teachers, parents, governors, pupils and anyone with knowledge of a particular school or education establishment. All schools are welcome to enter as long as they are based in Mid Cheshire.
Individuals or institutions can enter more than one category, but this should be made clear on the entry form.
If you would like to make a nomination, you can do so here using this link:
https://forms.office.com/e/ePXVHHKK4h?origin=lprLink
The closing date for entries is Saturday 30th November 2024.
Weekly Attendance
We have had quite a lot of illness in school this week which you can see has impacted on attendance. However, congratulations to the steely stomached Linmere who seem to have fended it off, resulting in the best attendance so far this year!
Hatchmere: 87.5%
Sandymere: 85.24%
Delamere: 96.67%
Oakmere: 92.92%
Linmere: 99.6%
Blakemere: 88.4%
#WakeUpWednesday
Findings from the Money and Pensions Service have found that only 47% of children in the UK have received a meaningful financial education. Money management is a vital part of being an adult and an exceptionally important skill that will benefit children for their entire lives. Having the knowledge and self-control to let savings build up interest – or avoid an impulse buy - can ensure that children go into adulthood at a significantly lower risk of financial difficulty. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales fast approaching, now is a great time to help children understand the value of money.
Of course, it can feel daunting when attempting to teach young people about something as complicated as money and responsible budgeting, but there are several options at your disposal. To break down these options, National Online Safety have put together this week’s guide in collaboration with financial education app GoHenry, helping you teach children and young people all they need to know about spending and saving.
Absence During Term Time – Reminder
As shared towards the end of last term, 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).
Applying for Primary School Places for September 2025
If you have a child who is turning 4 years old between now and 31st August 2025, 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 2025, but like the secondary school place, before making your application, it is important you view the Starting Primary School Booklet. Results are available from 16th April 2025. 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 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 Autumn Term 2024 – new dates highlighted
Wednesday 27th November: Pupil Librarian Training for some Y6 children
Friday 29th November: Christmas Jumper sale after school
Thursday 12th December: Whole School Pantomime Trip
Friday 13th December: PTA Christmas Fayre
Thursday 19th December: Carol Service in St. Johns Church at 1.30pm – collection from Church
Friday 20th December: Christmas Jumper Day and school closes at 2pm
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon