Overthorpe C of E Academy

BELIEVE, ENJOY, ACHIEVE

“At Overthorpe, we are one family.

We nurture the courage

and skills to fly higher than the flock,

whilst building a nest together –

a place of knowledge, character and faith to come home to.”

TRUST, FRIENDSHIP, ENDURANCE, FORGIVENESS, HOPE

Photos of Learning in school will be added from Week 2

Executive Headteacher - Mr J Mitchell

Head of School - Ms L McCarthy

Senior Leadership Team - 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

Headteacher's comment

What a fantastic start to the new school year! It has been wonderful to welcome our pupils back and see the school buzzing with excitement, enthusiasm and a positive attitude towards learning. Children have returned settled, motivated and ready to embrace new opportunities, quickly re-establishing routines and demonstrating our school values through their excellent behaviour and engagement. Classrooms have been full of purposeful learning, smiling faces and high expectations, creating a calm and productive atmosphere across the school. We are incredibly proud of how well our pupils have returned and would like to thank our families for their continued support in helping make the start of term such a success. We look forward to another exciting and rewarding year together.

Best wishes,

Ms McCarthy
Head of School

Mrs Simpson's retirement

As we begin the new school year, we would like to take this opportunity to recognise and thank Mrs Simpson, who has retired from her roles as Lunchtime Supervisor after many years of dedicated service to the children and families of Overthorpe Academy.

Mrs Simpson has been a familiar, friendly and reassuring presence in our school community, helping pupils stay safe and caring for them throughout the school day. Her commitment, reliability and kindness have touched the lives of countless children and families over the years, and she has become a much-loved member of our school team. Her contribution to the academy has been invaluable, and her positive impact will be remembered by staff, pupils and parents alike. On behalf of everyone at Overthorpe Academy, we would like to thank Mrs Simpson for her many years of service and wish her a long, healthy and happy retirement. She will be greatly missed by us all.

Vision & Values Week

This week has been a wonderful opportunity to pause, come together and celebrate the vision and values that lie at the heart of our Overthorpe family. Through sharing inspiring picture books, exploring our Christian values in greater depth and working collaboratively with an artist to create our beautiful whole-school bird display, pupils have been able to reflect on what it truly means to 'fly higher than the flock' and 'build a nest together'. Taking the time to revisit who we are, what we strive to achieve and how we care for one another has provided a strong foundation for the year ahead. We hope that every child leaves this week feeling valued, inspired and a true part of our school family, ready to help our community flourish throughout the year.

Senior Pupil Representatives

Our new Senior Pupil Representatives have made a wonderful start to their roles this week. They have already met to select this half-term's Pupil Ambassadors, ensured that collective worship has run smoothly, and demonstrated excellent leadership, positivity, commitment and enthusiasm. We are incredibly proud of the way they have embraced their responsibilities and look forward to seeing the positive impact this team will have across our whole school community.

Attendance

This week's Learning Champions

Starting next week!

Breaktime Snacks and Packed Lunch Update

Healthy eating is an important part of our school’s commitment to supporting children’s health, wellbeing and learning. When preparing packed lunches, we ask parents to include a balanced selection of foods, such as fruit and vegetables, a source of protein (for example meat, fish, eggs or humous), a starchy food such as bread, pasta or rice, and a dairy item such as cheese or yoghurt. Fruit-based desserts are encouraged, and cakes or biscuits may be included occasionally provided they are not chocolate coated and are low in sugar.

As a nut-aware school, we ask that nuts and nut products are not brought into school. This includes peanuts, mixed nut packs, peanut butter, Nutella, cereal bars containing nuts, cakes containing nuts and foods made with nut-based sauces. Please check packaging carefully, as some products may contain nuts even when they are not obvious ingredients.

To help children make healthier choices, please do not include sweets, chocolate bars, chocolate-coated biscuits or cakes, chewing gum, crisps, sugary popcorn, fizzy drinks, squash, chocolate spread or jam sandwiches. Processed meat products such as sausage rolls, pies and sausages should be limited and included no more than twice per week. Fresh water is available to all children throughout the day and at lunchtime.

For breaktime snacks, we encourage simple healthy options such as fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, yoghurt, plain crackers, rice cakes and low-sugar cereal bars. Please avoid chocolate, sweets, cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks, crisps and processed meat snacks. Thank you for your support in helping us promote healthy habits and ensure that all children have nutritious food to fuel their learning throughout the school day.

Our full updated policy for packed lunches and breaktime snacks will be put on our school website ready for September.