Over St. John's CE Primary SchoolHead Teacher's Blog: Friday 2nd May 2025
Date: 2nd May 2025 @ 2:31pm
What beautiful weather we are having! It has been so lovely to see the children enjoying themselves playing outside in the sun. Please may I remind you to make sure that your child brings a drink of water and has a sun hat in school in the warm weather. Before they come to school, please can they have previously applied sunscreen with a high SPF and that if they need a top up, it is in their bag and they are able to apply it themselves. Thank you for your support with this.
Community Safety
You may have seen a post on Winsford Police’s Facebook page yesterday (I have attached a screenshot below) about their visit to Over St. John’s. Our Junior Safety Officers, Frankie and Ava, invited them to come to school to talk to our children about lots of things that they can do to help keep themselves safe when out and about. It was also very important for them to understand that Police and PCSOs are safe adults that they can go to for help and not someone that they should be afraid of.
All the Fun of the Fair Menu
We are having a themed day dinner menu on Thursday 15th May. Please see the menu attached below and order in the usual way.
Attendance
As always, we are looking for attendance to be at least 96%. For the school this week we are at 95.54% – thank you! Since September, we are on 94.9% which continues to creep up slightly. It would be amazing if we could finish the year with a number beginning with 95!
Here is a rundown of each classes attendance this week:
Hatchmere: 99.09%
Sandymere: 95.24%
Delamere: 98.42%
Oakmere: 94.40%
Linmere: 91.90%
Blakemere: 95.38%
Well done to Hatchmere for the best attendance this week who will receive our trophy in Collective Worship and get their treat 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
Thriving Families Winsford
I have received a leaflet from HomeStart today that some families might find of help – it is attached below. Thriving Families Winsford supports families with a hole host of things such as parenting support, mental wellbeing or building stronger family relationships – whatever works for you. No referral is needed, you can just contact them directly via telephone or e mail. All the details are on the leaflet below so please feel free to use as you wish.
#WakeUpWednesday
Traffic-related incidents are a major risk for young pedestrians and cyclists - which is why it’s so important to equip children with the skills they need to stay safe.
We can explore essential, easy-to-teach habits that help children build lifelong road safety awareness with our children - from spotting quieter electric vehicles to crossing safely at designated points, this week’s guide is packed with tips to keep young road users visible, vigilant and secure.
National Online Safety’s free guide shares practical advice like making ‘practice’ journeys, wearing reflective clothing and staying focused near roads.
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 £3.10 per day, £15.50 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 3
Monday 5th May: School closed for May Day Bank Holiday
Tuesday 6th May: Class photographs
Thursday 8th May: Red, white and clue non-uniform day for VE Day
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
Monday 9th June: Phonics Screening Week for Year 1
Monday 9th June: New Starters Group A Session 1 - 1.15pm – 3.15pm
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, long weekend!
Take care,
Mrs E Snowdon
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