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

To see the latest photos of learning in school please click here

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 busy and purposeful one in school, with classrooms full of focused learning, a number of visitors in and plenty of additional learning opportunities for pupils to get involved in

Across the week, adults have noted pupils’ strong concentration during lessons in core subjects and the wider curriculum, building on prior knowledge and practising key skills with resilience and pride. In our 'pupil voice' activities, children have been talking confidently about their learning and have been able to remember leanring in previous year groups.

We welcomed several visitors, including English Leaders and colleagues from other schools in our Trust, who worked alongside staff to further strengthen our educational provision.

Before and after school, a wide range of clubs and booster sessions ran successfully, from sports to academic enrichment, giving pupils extra chances to practise skills, explore interests and socialise with friends.

Thank you for your support with attendance—regular participation truly boosts children’s confidence and enjoyment of school life.

Enjoy your weekend and I will see you next week

Mr Mitchell

We’d like to remind all families of the importance of arriving to school on time each morning. Our school doors open at 8:40am, and we welcome children into class at this time to settle in and start their day positively with toast and One Life journalling. School officially begins at 8:50am, and any arrivals after this time will be marked as late.

Arriving promptly ensures children don’t miss valuable time with their classmates or those important early learning activities that set the tone for the day. Thank you for your continued support in helping every child make the very best start to their school day.

We have started to launch a variety of activities at break and lunchtime.

Tuff Trays have been purchased and positioned around school. These trays are filled with different types of materials: Lego, Magnetic Shapes, water toys, Playdoh, fidget toys, building blocks, car small and large character figures and bubbles etc.

Watch this space - as the nicer weather approaches, we plan to offer further improvements including the introduction of three Sports Playgrounds where activities will change each day. The grounds have also had dry rivers carved into them to encourage den building using a wide variety of new equipment.

These changes are being made to ensure all children are active at break and lunch; especially benefitting the childrens' with social and behavioural development. The benefits for these children will be immense as they will be able to choose from a variety of activities which will help them develop friendships and teamwork skills by working together to achieve a common goal. This will build resilience, decision making, calculated risk taking, self-regulation and independence skills. The children will feel a sense of camaraderie and belonging as the activities are inclusive and favour a variety of skill sets other than physical strength or speed.

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.

We wanted to let families know that, from Monday 19th January, there will be no school crossing patrol outside school for a minimum of six weeks. The crossing patrol service is provided by Kirklees Council, not Overthorpe, and we have contacted them to request a replacement officer as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Kirklees are unable to provide a replacement crossing patrol. They have offered to deliver an assembly on road safety, which we have accepted.

In the meantime, please take extra care when crossing the road outside school, especially at busy drop-off and pick-up times. Children should be reminded to cross safely with an adult wherever possible.

Pride

This week in worship we shared the picture book Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk, written by Rob Sanders, which tells the true story of Harvey Milk. Through clear, age-appropriate storytelling, the book explores sexual orientation and highlights the importance of equality, fairness, and the right for people to live openly and love who they choose. Key themes include standing up for what is right, showing courage in the face of injustice, and using your voice to make the world a kinder and more equal place. As a school, we believe it is vital to help children develop a thoughtful understanding of the world around them and to learn that difference should be met with respect and acceptance. This worship supported our commitment to nurturing pupils who are compassionate, informed, and confident in valuing others for who they are.

Dear Parents/Carers,

We have the highest level of care for our children’s personal development and wellbeing here at Overthorpe C of E, and, as part of the ONE LIFE mission, we are working hard to educate your children with the ‘best that has been thought and said’ in this complex area. One of the biggest challenges we all have as educators and parents is how to support our children growing up in a digital world.

The research is very clear that we need to encourage age-appropriate boundaries and consider carefully what our children are consuming and how this may affect their brain development, particularly before their brain is fully developed (around 25 years old). With this in mind, we encourage our school community to join with parents and carers across the country in asking your MP to raise the social media age to 16. Your voice could genuinely influence what happens next as Keir Starmer is considering adopting the Australian stance.

All you need to do, is follow the link and sign the pre-prepared letter to our MP.

https://smartphonefreechildhood.eaction.org.uk/raise-the-age

Together we can make big things happen.

Thank you in advance.