Overthorpe C of E Academy

BELIEVE, ENJOY, ACHIEVE

'Overthorpe is more than a school-

We are the heart of the community.

In our family, we nurture the courage,

And skills to fly higher than the flock,

Whilst always providing a nest,

To come home to.'

TRUST, FRIENDSHIP, ENDURANCE, FORGIVENESS, HOPE

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Headteacher - Mr J Mitchell

Senior Leadership Team - Ms L McCarthy (Deputy Head), Ms L Stott (Assistant Head), Mrs S Wood (SENDCo)

Designated Safeguarding lead - Mrs S Wood

Deputy DSLs - Mr J Mitchell, Ms L Stott, Ms L McCarthy, Mrs A Godfrey

In History, Wrens have been looking at how historians use sources of evidence to learn about the past.

It’s been a fantastic week in school, and it was amazing to see so many of you at our new-format Parents’ Evening event. Earlier in the week, one of the highlights was the cross-country competition — we are eagerly awaiting the official results! All the children gave their very best, brilliantly demonstrating our school value of endurance.

Looking ahead to next week, we’d like to remind you that flu immunisations will take place on Thursday. Enjoy your weekend, and I look forward to seeing you all next week.

See you all on Monday

Mr Mitchell

Celebrating Black History Month

As part of Black History Month, our worship this week focused on the theme of endurance and the incredible achievements of inspirational Black individuals throughout history. We shared the powerful book You Come from Greatness by Sara Chinakwa, which celebrates the lives of figures such as Matthew Henson, Desmond Tutu, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr., all of whom demonstrated remarkable resilience and strength.

In class, children explored the inspiring stories of Henry 'Box' Brown, who escaped slavery by mailing himself to freedom in a wooden crate; Floella Benjamin, a pioneering broadcaster and advocate for children; and Sylvia Townsend, who became a ballerina and opened her own dance school despite facing racial segregation. Remarkably, Sylvia taught herself ballet by reading books from the library, showing incredible determination to follow her passion.

These stories sparked thoughtful discussion and reflection across the school as we continue to celebrate the rich contributions of Black individuals to history and society.

It was wonderful to see so many of you at our Parents’ Evening yesterday. Thank you to all who were able to attend — we hope you found the discussions with teachers useful and informative. We were pleased to hold the event in the school hall this time and hope you found the new format effective; we would very much welcome your feedback on this. If you were unable to attend, please do contact the school office so that we can arrange an alternative appointment.

If your child is attending an after-school sporting club, we ask that they come to school wearing their PE kit for the day. This will save time getting changed after school and allow them to maximise the amount of active time they can enjoy in the club.

As a reminder, our PE uniform has not changed in recent years and remains as follows:

Plain white t-shirt
Plain navy or black shorts (or joggers in colder weather)
School jumper (in colder weather)
Suitable, safe footwear such as trainers for outdoor PE

All PE uniform should be plain and unbranded to ensure it remains affordable and accessible for all families. Thank you for helping us make the most of every minute our pupils spend being active.

As many of you will be aware, Overthorpe’s school uniform has remained consistent for a number of years. Any significant changes to our uniform would always involve full consultation with parents, and would be made in line with Department for Education (DfE) guidance for schools, ensuring that our approach remains both fair and affordable for all families.

If you receive any correspondence from adults in school regarding uniform, please be assured it is simply to alert you to aspects of school uniform that may not be in line with the school’s policy.

We are pleased to announce one optional adjustment to our uniform: pupils are now able to wear plain black trainers (without coloured or white markings or soles), as well as traditional black shoes. This means parents may choose to purchase just one pair of plain black trainers for both school and PE, helping to reduce costs and create a more flexible and practical option for families. Of course, if you wish to continue sending your child in all black school shoes, as has been the case for many years, that choice remains entirely up to you.

As always, should any uniform adaptations be needed due to SEND or medical reasons, please contact us so that we can discuss and agree adjustments for your child.

Thank you for supporting a uniform policy that is both inclusive and responsive to the needs of our school community.