Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 27th March 2026
Date: 27th Mar 2026 @ 8:08am
I can’t believe that last week I was talking about the glorious weather and then Wednesday happened! Anyway, as we come to the end of a busy and joyful term at Over St John’s next Wednesday, I want to celebrate everything our school community has achieved. Our children have worked incredibly hard, from Year 2’s brilliant progress in swimming to the fantastic uptake of our wide range of extra‑curricular clubs. We’ve welcomed new pupils and staff, enjoyed excellent attendance at Pupil Consultation Evenings, and seen so many children go ‘Over and Above’ in their learning and behaviour.
Behind the scenes, our dedicated staff and governors have continued to ensure our school runs smoothly. We’ve had a wonderful World Book Day led by our Reading Champions, our Agents of Change have launched the Ocean Friendly Schools Award, and our Junior Safety Officers have helped keep everyone safe. Everywhere you look, there has been light, kindness, and positivity.
Looking ahead, there is so much to be excited about but I think the most exciting for the children are the Year 5 and 6 residential to the Conway Centre, the Robinwood adventure for Years 2–4, and all the special moments the summer term brings—especially for our Year 6 pupils as they begin their final journey with us.
This term, our school vision - “Let your light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16) - has been truly lived out. Thank you to our whole community for shining so brightly.
Don’t forget to join us in church at 9.15am for our Easter Service. All welcome.
Attendance
This week, instead of sharing percentages, I wanted to show attendance in a different way. Across the school this week, children missed a total of 45 days – which is the same as 6 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.
Reading the Rainbow
Thank you to all the children who took part in Reading the Rainbow this week. 44 children read at least four times at home and had their reading logged through the weekly Learning with Parents link. We are so grateful—not only to the children for their effort and commitment, but also to the adults at home who support them and take the time to record their reading. We see huge improvements in fluency, confidence and understanding when children read regularly at home, and your support makes a real difference to their progress.
A reminder that our parent reading survey was sent out last week—please do take a moment to respond. Your feedback helps us understand how best to support reading at home and continue building a strong reading culture across the school.
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, as previously shared, the the price of the meal will be increasing from 1st April. They will then cost £3.20 per day, £16 per week.
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.
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
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 Spring Term 2026
Dinner Week 3
Wednesday 1st April: Easter Service in St. John’s Church at 9:15am. All welcome
Wednesday 1st April: School closes at 2pm
Summer Term 2026
Dinner Week 1
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