Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher Blog: Friday 9th May 2025
Date: 8th May 2025 @ 12:36pm
VE Day Celebrations
We had a lovely day in school yesterday celebrating and commemorating VE Day 80. Everyone looked fabulous in their red, white and blue themed outfits (ask your children about Mrs Boughey’s amazing suit!) and Mrs Monson had fittingly decorated our ‘Great British Corridor.’ All the children sang I'll Remember which we have been learning – a special song written to celebrate the event and we read the story ‘The Last Garden’ by Rachel Ip and Anneli Bray in Collective Worship. The children also thought about the day within their classes so head over to their class blogs where you might see some more information about what they got up to.
KS2 SATs
Next week our fabulous Year 6 children will be completing their KS2 SATs. I know how incredibly hard they have worked all year and how well Mrs M has prepared them for the week. Understandably, the children will be apprehensive about this but they absolutely do not need to be – it is one small part of who they are and what they can do and the best thing that they can do is have a lovely weekend where they rest, relax and play! I am sure that you will all join with me in sending them lots of love and luck!
Sports Day
Over the past couple of years since we have had the MUGA and equipment on the field, we have been very fortunate to have been welcomed by St. Joseph’s to share in their annual Sports Day as we didn’t think that we had the space to do it anymore. However, this year our Sports Lead, Miss Boydell, has come up with a new plan to enable us to carry out our own here at Over St. John’s. We now have a date of Friday 6th June with KS1 (Hatchmere, Sandymere and Delamere) in the morning and KS2 (Oakmere, Linmere and Blakemere) in the afternoon. If it is rained off, we have a reserve date of Friday 13th June. Parents/ carers are invited to join us and will be seated in the MUGA with a bird’s eye view of the finish line as the children start from the other end and end up at the MUGA. There are obviously some changes that we have had to make and those who have been used to our previous Sports Days will see this, but we are just so pleased to be able to host it. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all at St. Joseph’s for how they have welcomed and accommodated us over the last couple of years.
Attendance
As always, we are looking for attendance to be at least 96%. For the school this week we are at 96.76% – thank you! Since September, we are on 94.95% - creeping up again!.
Here is a rundown of each class attendance this week:
Hatchmere: 97.16%
Sandymere: 94.64%
Delamere: 98.68%
Oakmere: 96.50%
Linmere: 97.50%
Blakemere: 96.15%
Well done to Delamere for the best attendance this week who will receive our trophy in Collective Worship next Friday.
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
A strong sense of belonging is the foundation for emotional wellbeing, confidence and academic success. But how can schools and families create truly inclusive environments where every child feels seen, heard and valued? National Online Safety’s free guide has the answers. Packed with ten practical, easy-to-apply tips — like celebrating individuality, promoting participation and tackling bullying head-on — this free guide empowers parents and educators to foster a culture of belonging at school and at home.
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 12th to Thursday 15th May: KS2 SATS week
Tuesday 20th May: Pupil Consultation Evening 4pm – 6pm
Wednesday 21st May: Blakemere Snaptrap presentation (online awareness) at St. Joseph’s
Thursday 22nd May: Pupil Consultation Evening 3.15pm – 5.15pm
Friday 23rd May: School nurse to do Y6 and Reception height and weight screening and Reception vision and hearing screening
Friday 23rd May: School closes at 3pm for half term
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 weekend!
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon