Head Teacher Blog: Friday 25th September 2020

Date: 25th Sep 2020 @ 10:19am

Earlier today, you will have received an e mail containing a letter from the Director of Public Health who has requested that some changes are made and additional measures are put in place in all schools in Cheshire West and Chester, due to the rise in the number of cases of the virus in the area – I have attached the letter here also in case you did not see it. In summary, for Over St. John’s, this means the following from Monday 28^th September:

• All adults – parents/ carers/ visitors - must wear a face covering when dropping off and collecting children, including on the playground.
• All staff must wear a face covering on the playground at drop off and pick up times.
• Parents/carers must arrive and leave promptly when dropping off/collecting their child – please do not congregate and do maintain social distancing. As soon as your child has walked through the school gate, please leave as there are members of staff who are supervising them. This does also mean that you cannot wait around to wave your child off as they enter the building.

As per the government guidance, children in primary schools do not need to wear a face covering for a variety of reasons and this continues to be the case.

At Over St. John’s, we have previously asked for only one adult to drop off and collect. This means that only one adult can come anywhere on the premises – please do not come with others who then wait on the grass area or cross, for example, as this increases the amount of people that others are coming into contact with. We also need to be considerate of the general public who want to use the pavement outside school and find it difficult to maintain social distancing when extra adults are waiting there.

As a gentle reminder, here is a list of the times that classes can arrive and be collected and the ‘window’ that we would ask adults to arrive in. Please do not arrive outside these times and wait – once again, it makes social distancing difficult and increases the amount of people on the premises. I am so sorry that again, I am doing my Wicked Witch of the West routine, but it is absolutely vital that we all stick to these guidelines to keep everybody safe.

Class	Drop Off Between:	Children Enter School	Arrive for Collection Between:	Children Leave School
Blakemere	8.25am – 8.30am	8.30am	2.40pm – 2.45pm	2.45pm
Linmere	8.25am – 8.30am	8.30am	2.40pm – 2.45pm	2.45pm
Oakmere	8.30am – 8.35am	8.35am	2.45pm – 2.50pm	2.50pm
Delamere	8.35am – 8.40am	8.40am	2.50pm – 2.55pm	2.55pm
Sandymere	8.40am – 8.45am	8.45am	2.55pm – 3.00pm	3.00pm
Hatchmere	8.45am – 8.50am	8.50am	3.00pm – 3.05pm	3.05pm

 

#WakeUpWednesday

First released in 2016, Overwatch is still a hugely popular game today, played by millions worldwide. So, should parents be concerned? What risks could children encounter and what safety measures can be implemented? Find out with this week’s Wake Up Wednesday guide from the National Online Safety team.

Created by experienced technology journalist, Carly Page, this guide aims to give adults a starting point to help them understand exactly what they need to know about Overwatch. Click below to access your free guide now.

Applying for Secondary and Reception Places for September 2021

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 31^st October, otherwise your application will be classed as a late application and could have a severe impact on your preferred school choice. Results are available from 12.30am on 1^st March 2021. Before making your application, it is important you view the Starting Secondary School booklet. To apply, you will need to create an account or log in if you have an existing online account.

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. Further details with regards to this can be found in the ‘Transferring to Secondary School’ information booklet in the link above.

If you have a child who is turning 4 years old between now and 31^st August 2020, 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 15^th January 2021, but like the secondary school place, before making your application, it is important you view the Starting School booklet.  To apply, you will need to create an account or log in if you have an existing online account.

Reminders

School dinners cost £2.30 per day, £11.50 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 the School Money system as we do not accept cash in school anymore due to our COVID-19 Risk Assessment.

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.

Absence During Term Time

Please may I remind you that schools are not allowed to authorise pupil holidays in term time. Any child going on holiday in term time will receive an unauthorised absence. Our registers are regularly checked by the Education Welfare Service and parents may be issued with a fine from the Local Authority for unauthorised absence, which is currently £60 per child, per parent and this rises to £120 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days.

Confirmed Dates for the Autumn Term 2020 – new dates are highlighted

Friday 23^rd October: School closes for half term

Monday 2^nd November: School reopens

Tuesday 3^rd to Friday 6^th November: Artist working in school in all classes

Friday 18^th December: School closes for Christmas – if government COVID-19 guidelines are still in place, finishing times will be as follows, but I will keep you updated:

Blakemere at 1:45pm

Linmere at 1:45pm

Oakmere at 1:50pm

Delamere at 1.55pm

Sandymere at 2pm

Hatchmere at 2.05pm

 

I hope that you all have a lovely weekend.

Take care,

Mrs E Snowdon

Files to Download