Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 23rd May 2025
Date: 23rd May 2025 @ 2:20pm
Pupil Consultation Evenings
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us this week for our Pupil Consultation evenings, our third and final one of the year. Schools are only bound to provide one opportunity per year for parents to discuss their children’s progress with their child’s class teacher but as a school we go over and above this as we feel it is a very important part of your child’s school journey and your attendance at such evenings is very important.
Get Ready for School Bags
Cheshire West Libraries have just launched “Get Ready for School” bags. These are designed for children who are just about to go to school for the first time. The bags each contain four picture books on the theme as well as useful information for parents. The are 100 bags, with 15 different sets of books. The bags are free to borrow, with there being no fines or reservation charges if borrowed on a child’s card. See poster attached below.
Please also find attached a poster showing that public libraries are accessible. They have recently purchased hundreds of dyslexia-friendly children’s titles and graphic novels, plus they also have a collection of foreign language books that can be reserved.
Attendance
As always, we are looking for attendance to be at least 96%. For the school this week we are at 94.28% Since September, we are on 94.86% which has dipped ever so slightly.
Here is a rundown of each class attendance this week:
Hatchmere: 97.27%
Sandymere: 96.19%
Delamere: 96.32%
Oakmere:96.80%
Linmere: 94.40%
Blakemere: 86.15%
Well done to Hatchmere for the best attendance this week who will receive our trophy in Collective Worship on the first Friday after half term.
As always, I appreciate how difficult it is when there is illness circulating but also appreciate you checking Is my child too ill for school? and being reassured that we will send them home if they are too ill to be in school. You might also be interested in this link from the Government about support for parents for attendance:
Improving School Attendance - Government Support for Parents May 2024
#WakeUpWednesday
Around 70% of teenagers say they’ve seen real-life violence on social media in the past year. Violent content online isn’t just something young people are occasionally stumbling across – in many cases, it’s becoming a routine part of their digital world. From fights and stabbings to toxic ideologies, disturbing videos are often just a click away on social media or group chats.
This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide highlights the unseen risks this poses to children’s mental health, sense of safety and social behaviours. With insights from a leading expert, it offers practical ways for parents and educators to respond with empathy and support – not punishment or panic.
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 currently cost £3 per day, £15 per week.
From Thursday 1st May next week, the cost will rise to £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.
Confirmed Dates for the Summer Term 2025 – new dates highlighted
Dinner Week 1
Monday 2nd June: School opens at 8.35am
Monday 2nd June – Friday 13th June: Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check window
Tuesday 3rd June: Witton Dental Practice visiting to talk to each class
Wednesday 4th June: Reception new starters meeting at 4.15pm in Hatchmere classroom
Friday 6th June: Sports Day at Over St. John’s (KS1 am and KS2 pm)
Monday 9th June: Phonics Screening Week for Year 1
Monday 9th June: New Starters Group A Session 1 - 1.15pm – 3.15pm
Friday 13th June: Reserve Sports Day at Over St. John’s (KS1 am and KS2 pm)
Monday 16th June: New Starters Group B Session 1 - 1.15pm – 3.15pm
Thursday 19th June – Friday 20th June: Y4, Y5 and Y6 London residential
Monday 23rd June: New Starters Group A Session 2 - 1.15pm – 3.15pm
Monday 30th June: New Starters Group B Session 2 - 1.15pm – 3.15pm
Tuesday 1st – Wednesday 2nd July: The Winsford Academy Induction days for Year 6
Friday 11th July: Annual Reports due out
Friday 18th July: Leaver’s Service in St. John’s church at 9.15am. All welcome.
Friday 18th July: School closes at 2pm
Have a lovely half term holiday!
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon