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 (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

Shading skills in Kestrels

This week has seen a great start to our Year 6 maths tutoring programme with Mr Shaw, supporting pupils during the school day. Across school, there have been many learning highlights: Woodpeckers have enjoyed creating their own mechanisms, Wrens have been working hard on their letter writing, and Sparrows have shown fantastic effort in practising their times tables.

Looking ahead to next week, a number of after-school clubs will be starting, and on Friday we welcome our PCSO into school. Year 6 parents are warmly invited to meet with him at 9:00am to share their experiences and any concerns they may have about the local community.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mr Mitchell.

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.

As we settle into the term, we’d like to remind parents and carers of our school uniform policy. Wearing the correct uniform helps our pupils feel part of the school community and ensures everyone is dressed safely and appropriately for learning.

Everyday Uniform:

• Yellow polo shirt (with or without the school logo)

• Navy blue sweatshirt (with or without the school logo)

• Grey or black trousers, skirt, or tailored shorts

• Summer check or striped dress in school colours (blue or yellow)

• Plain black, sensible shoes, boots, or trainers – no other colours, please

Please note: Flip-flops, Crocs, and heeled shoes are not appropriate for school.

PE Kit:

• Plain white t-shirt

• Plain navy or black shorts (or joggers in colder weather)

• School jumper for warmth if needed

• Suitable, safe footwear such as trainers for outdoor PE

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our school smart, safe, and ready for learning!

We want to take a moment to recognise and celebrate all the children who stood up in front of the whole school this week to share why they would make a great Senior Pupil Representative. It takes real courage to speak publicly, especially in front of peers, and every candidate showed impressive confidence, passion, and determination. They each expressed a genuine desire to make a difference in our school community, and their speeches reflected thoughtfulness, empathy, and leadership beyond their years.

We are incredibly proud of how these pupils embraced the opportunity and how they have inspired other children to be bold, believe in themselves, and go for it!

The votes have now been counted. We are delighted to announce our new Senior Pupil Representatives for this school year:

Belle

Bella

Arabella

Ella

Deacon

George

This year's Parental Events calendar can be found below as an image and also as a pdf attachment. Please refer to this for the main events for this academic year. Eventually, this will move to the bottom of this newsletter so that you can refer to this on a weekly basis, should you need to.

We would like to remind families that we are a nut-free school. Kirklees Catering ensures that no nuts are used in any of the food they provide, and we kindly ask parents and carers to continue supporting this by avoiding nut-based snacks in packed lunches or breaktime treats. We have children with severe nut allergies, and their safety and wellbeing are of paramount importance. Thank you for your understanding and support.

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.

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