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

Kestrels - Taking part in Bikeability

Headteacher's comment

As we come to the end of a very busy final week of Summer Term 1, I would like to take a moment to celebrate some of the many highlights across the school. Our Year 6 pupils have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in Bikeability this week, developing important skills and growing in confidence as they prepare for the next stage of their journey. I am also delighted that three of our pupils were recognised through the Trust attendance award, enjoying a well-earned cinema trip and McDonald’s on Monday – a fantastic reward for their commitment to being in school every day during the SATs period.

We have begun welcoming our new Reception families through home visits, which are always a special opportunity to start building strong relationships ahead of September. It has also been wonderful to see some of our UKS2 pupils represent Overthorpe at today's Trust football competition, where they did themselves proud and clearly demonstrated our value of resilience throughout.

We finished the week together in Worship, celebrating our attendance award winners and recognising the valuable contributions of our school ambassadors, who play such an important role in our daily life.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I wish you all a super half term break and look forward to welcoming everyone back on 1st June.

Mr Mitchell

Collective Worship

Coming to England

In Collective Worship this week, the children shared the beautiful story Coming to England by Floella Benjamin. The book tells the true story of Floella’s childhood in Trinidad and her family’s journey to England in search of new opportunities and a brighter future. Filled with excitement and hope, Floella imagined England as a welcoming place full of adventure. However, when she arrived, she quickly discovered that life was not always easy. Floella and her family experienced unkindness and discrimination because of the colour of their skin, which left her feeling confused, hurt and isolated at times.

Despite these challenges, the story is ultimately one of hope, resilience and belonging. Through the love, encouragement and guidance of her parents, Floella learnt the importance of courage, kindness and staying true to herself. Over time, she and her siblings found friendship, acceptance and their place within their new community. The children reflected deeply on how powerful simple acts of welcome, understanding and respect can be in helping others feel safe and valued.

As this was our final story linked to our British Values focus this half-term, the children explored the importance of tolerance and respect for people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds. At Overthorpe, we are passionate about nurturing children who are kind, compassionate and welcoming to others. Rooted in our Christian vision and values, we continually encourage our children to recognise the beauty in diversity and to understand that our community is strongest when everyone feels loved, respected and included. We want our children to grow into courageous individuals who challenge discrimination, celebrate differences and help build a world where everybody feels they belong — a true reflection of our vision of building “a nest to come home to.”

Chair of Governors Update

PTA Updates

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our wonderful PTA for their continued generosity and commitment to enriching the life of our school. This academic year, their fundraising efforts have made a significant impact, including funding brand new art resources to support our evolving art curriculum, a memorable visit to the Hepworth Gallery for our Year 6 pupils, and a class set of ukuleles to enhance our music provision. In addition, the PTA have generously funded a two-day artist residency, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to meet a professional artist and take part in mono-printing workshops. These experiences not only provide high-quality resources but also inspire creativity, curiosity and confidence in our pupils. We are incredibly grateful for the PTA’s dedication to supporting our school and helping us to provide such rich and meaningful opportunities for all.

The next PTA event taking place is the Rainbow Raffle on Thursday 21st May. This is a non-uniform day in exchange for a particular coloured treat. Colours will be announced nearer the time.