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

Headteacher - Mr J Mitchell

Senior Leadership Team - Ms L McCarthy, Ms L Stott, Mrs S Wood

Designated Safeguarding lead - Mrs S Wood

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

As we reach the close of another academic year, I am filled with pride as I reflect on the many individual and collective successes our children and school community have achieved together.

This final week has truly captured the spirit of what makes our school special:

• Year 6 sent us off in style with their high-spirited end-of-year production, “Rock Bottom,” and a moving church service earlier today that brought pupils and families together.

• Our attendance awards assembly yesterday gave us a wonderful opportunity to recognise and celebrate so many pupil for attendance progress and high attendance.

• The ever-popular ‘99 Club’ ice creams brought smiles to faces on Wednesday, rounding off the week with a treat to celebrate attendance of 99% or over.

These moments, alongside countless everyday achievements in classrooms, on the playground, and beyond, highlight the talent, kindness, and resilience shown by all our children this year. Thank you to every child, family, and member of staff for your hard work, support and daily reminders of living out our school values.

Please read on in this newsletter for important updates, including new school site entry procedures and information about Gregg’s Breakfast Club for September.

As we head into the summer holidays, I wish you all a peaceful and relaxing break. I look forward to welcoming everyone back in Septembe. Please remember that our ‘Meet the Teacher’ events will take place straight after school on the first day back (for Y1 - 6) and on the morning for Reception - all are on Tuesday, 2nd September.

Have a wonderful summer!

Mr Mitchell

We are excited to invite all parents and carers to our Meet the Teacher event, taking place after school on the first day back, Tuesday 2nd September. This will be held in your child’s individual classroom and is a wonderful opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher, hear about their approach to teaching, and learn about key messages and expectations for the upcoming academic year.

We encourage all families to attend, as this is a great chance to ask questions, build connections, and start the year off together as a school community

To ensure the continued safety of all our children and security of our site, please take note of the following important changes to our drop off and pick up procedures from September 2025. Further details are shown on the map below:

• The top gate, previously used by UKS2 and EYFS families, will no longer be open at drop off or pick up times. Please use the designated entrance as indicated on the map.

• The internal gate that links the staff car park to the hall fire doors will be locked at all times. Parents should only park in the staff car park if prior approval has been granted.

• At 8:55am, after school has started, the pedestrian gate at the bottom entrance (the alley between the houses) will be locked. If you arrive after this time, you will need to enter via the main car park and buzz into school using the bottom vehicle gate to gain access.

These changes have been implemented to maintain a secure environment for our children. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in helping us keep our school safe.

We would just like to share some exciting news; Barn Owls is relocating!

(Please see the school map above for school gate entry and our new location.)

This has been an exciting opportunity to start our new 2025 academic year and we have spent a long time planning and making our new location the very best for your child!

We open our doors to our new Barn Owls on Tuesday 2nd September at 8:40am and parents are welcome till 9:15am for our settling in morning.

Pick up is on Tuesday 2nd September at 11:30am from the main office.

As of Wednesday 3rd, drop off and pick up times will be 8:40am and 3:20pm.

I look forward to welcoming you all.

Have a wonderful summer!

Miss Vaughan

Unfortunately, due to recent, unavoidable, staffing changes, the before-school Greggs Breakfast Club that runs in the hall from 8:15am, will no longer be running from September.

Over the years, all the staff who have supported this club have done so entirely on a volunteer basis, generously giving their time beyond their usual duties. We would like to sincerely thank each of them for their dedication and commitment to providing this valuable service free of charge to parents.

In light of this change, we believe it will be more beneficial for all pupils if any available staff volunteers focus on providing toast for all children each morning, ensuring everyone continues to have the opportunity for a tasty and filling start to the day.

School will continue to open at 8:40am before the registration at 8:50am. This means that all children will have time to eat their toast breakfast before school starts.

We understand this may be disappointing for the small number of families who regularly used the Greggs Breakfast Club. If you would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact the school to explore options for paying for Owls, before-school care. We kindly ask for your understanding as we make this transition aimed at supporting the wellbeing of all our pupils.

As another successful academic year comes to an end, the governing body held their final meeting to look at the progress the school has made since September. We were particularly pleased to note the results from the SATs and Phonics check as well as the Yr 4 Multiplication test. Governors were also pleased to note that the school has been awarded the Gold Sportsmark award. Congratulations to everyone involved in all these achievements.

I attended the Yr 6 performance earlier this week and it was wonderful to see how confident the children were in their singing and acting. Well done to the staff and children involved!

Finally, the Governors would like to wish the Yr 6 children every success for the future as they move on to High School in September.

In addition, we would like to thank all the staff at the school for their hard work over this past year and wish ‘good luck’ to the staff members who are leaving in order to further their careers at other schools.

Mrs J Hopwood

Chair of Governors

Attendance Progress Awards

As the academic year draws to a close, I write to inform you of the departure of four valued members of our Overthorpe family: Mrs Griffiths, Mrs Wardman, Miss Khurshid and Mrs Sessions.

Mrs Griffiths
After more than a decade of dedicated service, Mrs Griffiths will be leaving us for pastures new. Throughout her time at Overthorpe, she has worked in a wide variety of roles and has been instrumental in the early development of hundreds of children as they began their educational journeys. Her impact on our school and its community is truly impressive, and her legacy will be felt for years to come.

Mrs Wardman
Miss Wardman has been a key player in our school team for ten years, most recently making a significant contribution in Lower Key Stage 2. Her adaptability and wide-ranging skill set mean she has made a difference wherever she has worked in school. Her new school is incredibly fortunate to have her joining their team.

Miss Khurshid

Miss Khurshid leaves us after working closely with the Year 1 team, particularly in a supportive role with one of our SEND children. She is now embarking on a relocation and the next stage in her life. Her compassion and dedication have been greatly appreciated, and she will be missed by colleagues and children alike.

Mrs Sessions

We would also like to say a fond farewell to Mrs. Sessions, who has been with us since April 2024. During her time here, she has supported a number of children across various year groups and has taught phonics sessions to many of our pupils. She will be greatly missed by staff and pupils alike.

We would like to personally thank all four for the invaluable roles they have played at Overthorpe. On behalf of everyone here, I wish them all the very best for the future. Please remember, you know where we are, and you are always welcome back to the ‘nest to come home to' at any time.

X: Overthorpe_Acad

School website: https://www.overthorpecofe.co.uk/

Email: office@overthorpe.enhanceacad.org.uk

Tel: 01924 325300

Address: Edge Top Road, Dewsbury, WF12 0BH