Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 24th April 2026
Date: 24th Apr 2026 @ 2:17pm
Welcome back to school
Welcome back everyone – I hope you all had a really lovely Easter break and were able to enjoy some quality time together. It has been wonderful to welcome the children back into school this week, returning refreshed and ready to learn. The start of the summer term has certainly arrived with some beautiful weather and it has been a joy to see the children outside enjoying the sunshine – long may it continue!
As the weather becomes warmer, many families begin to think about our summer uniform options. Children may wear grey shorts or a blue and white checked dress, alongside the usual school polo shirt and sweatshirt or cardigan. A gentle reminder, however, that children should continue to wear sensible black school shoes rather than trainers, in line with our school uniform policy. Trainers are appropriate for PE and sport, but not for everyday wear in school. On occasion there may be a genuine need for a child to wear trainers for medical or specific reasons, but this should always be agreed with me in advance.
Don’t forget that there is always the Green Uniform and Baby Bank to support families with school uniform as well as a variety of other things.
Thank you, as always, for supporting us in maintaining a smart, practical and consistent school uniform.
Visit from the Police
This week we were delighted to welcome officers from the local police team into school, following an invitation from our Junior Safety Officers. They spoke to the children about keeping themselves safe when out and about in the local area, with a particular focus on crossing the road safely and using zebra crossings where these are available.
The officers also talked to the children about e‑scooters, and e‑bikes that do not have pedals, explaining clearly that these are illegal to use in public spaces including on public roads, pavements and parks. They shared that the police have the power to seize these vehicles and have them scrapped. This was an important and useful message for the children to hear.
In addition, the police discussed the traffic and parking situation outside school at the start and end of the day. They will be carrying out some spot checks at busy times to support considerate and safe parking by everyone, helping to keep our whole school community safe.
We are grateful to our Junior Safety Officers, Finlay and Alyssia, for organising the visit and to the police for taking the time to reinforce these important messages with the children. These conversations supported our wider aim of helping children understand that the choices they make when out in the community matter, and that by acting safely, responsibly and considerately, they are letting their light shine for others to see.
Attendance
As shared previously, instead of sharing percentages, I ill continue to show attendance in a different way. Across the school this week, children missed a total of 11.5 days which is the same as just over 2 weeks of learning. When we look at attendance in days rather than percentages, it becomes much more obvious how quickly small absences add up. Missing just one day here and there may not seem like much, but over time it can create gaps in learning, disrupt routines, and make it harder for children to keep up with new concepts that build on each other, putting them at a disadvantage compared to the other children.
We know that sometimes absences are unavoidable, but there are lots of ways that families can help reduce lost learning—by keeping to consistent routines, planning appointments outside school hours where possible, and encouraging children to come in even if they’re feeling a little tired. Every day in school really does count, and together we can make sure our children have the best chance to thrive.
School Dinners
School dinners currently 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.
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
With millions of apps available and children accessing them from an increasingly young age, app stores can present a range of risks. From malware and copycat apps to inappropriate content and persuasive in-app purchases, this guide highlights how easily young users can encounter issues – even when using official platforms.
It also offers clear, practical advice to help adults manage these risks. From setting up parental controls and checking app credibility to having open conversations about safe usage, the guide supports adults in building children’s awareness, encouraging safer choices and promoting more balanced, responsible app use.
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
Penalty Notices are issued for irregular attendance, with days off here and there throughout the term including holidays.
The 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 Summer Term 2026
Dinner Week 2
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