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

As part of their chemistry unit, year five have been testing the transparency, magnetism and hardness of materials.

This week has been a fantastic start to the new term, with classrooms thriving from our youngest children in Early Years right through to Year 6. Pupils have settled quickly back into routines and there has been a strong focus on learning, from targeted reading and maths support to wider curriculum learning in every year group.

We were also pleased to welcome a number of visitors into school, including specialist tutors, external colleagues and professionals working with staff on our art curriculum and attendance, all helping us to further improve the provision for our children.

Alongside this, pupils have taken part in a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities such as dance club and booster groups, giving many chances to develop confidence, teamwork and new skills beyond the classroom.

Have an superb weekend everyone and I will see you next week.

Mr Mitchell

We will be holding two short information sessions for parents to learn more about the upcoming national assessments for pupils in Years 4 and 6. Both sessions will take place in Kestrel’s classroom from 3:30pm to 4:00pm.

Year 6 SATs Parent Meeting – Tuesday 27th January
This session will outline the arrangements for the Year 6 SATs in May, including what the tests cover, how we prepare children in school, and ways you can support learning at home.

Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) Parent Meeting – Tuesday 3rd February
We’ll share key information about the national multiplication tables check, explain how it is carried out, and offer practical tips for helping your child become confident with their times tables.

We look forward to seeing as many parents as possible at these helpful sessions.

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Parents Attendance Letter January 2026.pdf

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This week in collective worship, we shared The Birthday of the World by Rachel Remen as our first story of the new year. In the book, a grandfather tells his granddaughter a powerful, imaginative story about a time when darkness covered the world — until a great light broke through and ended it. As the light spread, sparks of that light fell into everyone and everything. The grandfather explains that these sparks are still within us today, and they begin to shine and glimmer when we choose love, friendship, kindness and forgiveness. This story gave our children a meaningful starting point for reflecting on what is special about them and what they can bring to the year ahead. It also aligns closely with our school’s nurturing ethos and our purpose to help pupils grow spiritually — not only by learning about beliefs and values, but by noticing the “light” within themselves, recognising it in others, and choosing actions that help it shine in our community each day.

This half-term, our Senior Pupil Representatives were proud to recognise and thank 35 school ambassadors who have selflessly given their time to support others and help our school run smoothly. These pupils were awarded an ambassador badge and certificate in recognition of their commitment and service.

Our ambassadors have played a vital role in school life, supporting the daily organisation of worship, acting as playground buddies, helping at key events such as Anti-Bullying Week and Children in Need Day, and leading parts of our recent Christingle Service in church. Their willingness to serve others with kindness, responsibility and care has not gone unnoticed.

We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and selfless spirit shown by these pupils. They are wonderful role models who truly live out our Christian values each day, and we are immensely proud of the way they are growing into young people who make a positive difference within our school and wider community.

Messy Church, Saturday 17th January from 4pm at Thornhill Social Club. Join us for two hours of fun, crafts, songs and relaxed worship followed by refreshments. Open to people of all ages, do come along and see what it's all about.

We kindly ask parents and carers to avoid parking in front of residents’ driveways when dropping off or collecting children. There have been several recent reports of driveways being blocked, causing inconvenience to our neighbours. Please park considerately to help keep good relationships within our school community and ensure everyone’s safety.