Spring Term - 2026
I am always in awe of the amount that the staff manage to fit in to a term at St John's and the manner in which the children embrace the opportunities available to them. From the academic lessons to more creative ways of learning, to the extra curricular clubs to the off site visits, we've had it all going on this term and we thank you for your support in all these elements that make our school what it is.
STEAM Week
We began the school term back in January with STEAM week focussing on art, D.T. and science. This was an opportunity for the children to develop further skills in these subjects and work towards end products such as the waistcoats, book holders, puppets etc that were produced, along with some excellent art work based on tone and texture using dragons as the stimulus. Each class shared a video via Dojo showcasing their work. If you didn't get chance to see these, they can still be found on the class stories in Dojo.
Children's Mental Health Week
During children's mental health week each class focussed on elements of the '5 ways to well being' strategy and learnt how to look after themselves.
Activities included baking for family members, making friendship bracelets, learning a new language, taking notice on nature walks, dance parties to be active, the daily mile, gardening in school and setting goals.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES
We continue to work on the key school development areas which focus on the development of oracy, assessment in the foundation subjects and our inclusive practices. Mrs Taylor continues to attend the 'Stockport Speaks' initiative training and is upskilling staff in their planning and delivery of oracy skills. This work focuses on language development and also children's abilities to hold conversations and become active listeners. As part of inclusion developments we are lucky enough to be one of the schools accessing mental health support through a pilot scheme. This is enabling a mental health professional to provide workshops in classes teaching the children how to deal with worries and also work with some individual children as part of our early help processes. A parental session is also planned for early in the summer term to provide practical advice on how parents and carers can help children navigate worries. In response to Ofsted's development point regarding handwriting, a new scheme has been purchased and staff have received training at the latest inset day to ensure we have a consistent style and presentation across school.
Young Voices
56 children attended the Young Voices concert in February, to join 8300 other primary school children singing a range of songs, including some Oasis. The children performed and behaved brilliantly, made even more special by the fact they were performing for so many parents and siblings that came and joined us.
A special thank you to Mrs Taylor for taking on the choir preparations and getting the children concert ready. It's a long day but an amazing experience for everyone. Next year's concert is already booked. Should you be in a position to be able to help us run a choir we would be very interested in hearing from you as we would love to have our choir running all year round.
The PTA have very kindly funded the majority of this year's cello lesson costs enabling every child in Year 5 to learn the cello, taught by a member of Stockport Music Service's teaching team. We are hoping they will be in a position to perform for us by the end of the year.
Staffing
At February half term we welcomed back Mrs Freeman who returned after maternity leave. She has resumed teaching in Year 4 for 4 days a week with Miss Smith teaching on a Friday in Year 4. Miss Smith has also reduced her hours to the equivalent of 4 days a week although Miss Smith has split these hours across the week to enable her to focus on the SENDCo role and supporting teaching and learning across school, along with her other leadership roles as Acting Deputy Head. I am pleased to confirm that Ms Cheng will also be starting with us as a Midday Assistant working each day during the lunch hour, supporting children with dinners and engaging in play with the children. Initially she will work alongside the Year 2 class. As you will have seen from a recent letter from the Governing Board, after an external recruitment process, the Governors, LA and Diocese representatives on the interview panel have made my role as Acting Headteacher a permanent one. Can I thank everyone for their kind messages and well wishes. I look forward to serving St John's to the best of my ability over the coming years. This now means the school will be looking to advertise and appoint a permanent Deputy Head in the coming months.
Residentials
Residential visits are an important part of what we offer at St John's. They give children the chance to develop independence, try new activities and build resilience in a safe and supportive environment. Being away from home, even for a short time, helps pupils grow in confidence and strengthen relationships with their peers. These experiences become real milestones in a child’s time at primary school and often create memories that stay with them for many years. Our Year 5 and 6 children recently enjoyed a five‑day visit to PGL at Boreatton Park, where 56 pupils took part in a wide range of activities including canoeing, climbing, laser tag, orienteering, the giant swing and zip wires. The children approached each challenge with great enthusiasm and represented the school extremely well throughout the week. My thanks go to the staff team who gave up their time, spent several nights away from their own families, and put so much energy into ensuring the children were cared for and able to make the most of every opportunity. Shortly after the Easter break, many of our Year 3 and 4 pupils will take part in their three‑day residential at Newlands. This visit offers a valuable chance for younger children to take their first steps towards independence, supported by familiar adults and friends. They will enjoy activities such as walking up Catbells, canoeing, ropes courses and a variety of bushcraft skills. We look forward to seeing them grow in confidence as they explore the outdoors and learn together.
Attendance
If your child is unable to attend school due to illness please inform us as soon as possible on the first morning of absence. Please let us know the reason for absence and how long you expect your child to be absent for. You can ring the office on: 0161 442 7424 and leave a voicemail or email: admin@st-johns.stockport.sch.uk Currently, our whole school attendance is 96.4%, which is slightly lower than normal for St John's. While we understand there will be illness across the school year, we would appreciate your support in ensuring your child is in school if they are well enough to attend and holidays and routine appointments are kept out of school time. The Local Authority are asking us to monitor any child who has attendance below 96%, hence we have regular attendance monitoring meetings with a representative from the Governing Board, Senior Leadership Team, Office Staff and Education Welfare Team. A polite reminder that the school office should only be used for children accessing school by prior arrangement or when attending/returning from appointments. It should not be the norm for children to be entering via this entrance as this prevents the office staff from being able to support other queries during a very busy time of day. Thank you for your support in ensuring children are at school in good time to be able to join their class on the playground at 8.45am. If your child walks to school on their own please reiterate the message that they should be lined up in the playground at 8.45am. Some children are waiting for each other outside of the school grounds, meaning they have not always been ready to enter school with their class.
The Governing Board
Our Governing Board plays a vital voluntary role in shaping the strategic direction of the school and supporting us to provide the very best for our children. This term marks the end of Shahid Hussain’s time as Chair, and I would like to thank him sincerely for his commitment and leadership over the last four years. We will shortly be holding a parent election for a new Parent Governor, with full details to follow from school. I would also like to express our thanks to John Hodgkinson for his long association with the school and his work as a Foundation Governor. The church PCC has now proposed a new Foundation Governor, whom we hope will be joining the Board in the near future. More information about the Governing Board and it's members can be found on the school website: https://www.st-johns.stockport.sch.uk/page/governance/49798
Church Links
Rev. Rowles and Miss Taylor continue to run the Play and Praise club on a Tuesday after school for Key Stage 1. This has provided further opportunity for the children to learn about Christianity through fun and creative activities. Rev. Rowles has also been sending invitations for families to join the church's wider offer whether that be the Family Services or children's choir. I know Rev. Rowles would be delighted to see more school families accessing the church. We are always very grateful for the supportive link with the Church. To support our celebrations in the build up to Easter the children will be attending the Church for a journey through Easter led by volunteers from the Church. We would love those who are able to join us for the Easter Service at 9.15am on Friday 27th March at St John's Church.
Our Fantastic PTA
As always we are extremely grateful for the work of the PTA and the support their events receive as they raise such vital funds for school. The PTA are just as committed to ensuring the wider offer at St John's continues and have been supporting by funding ICT licenses to enable children to access the software they need, cello lessons, music room developments and lunchtime activities. The PTA is always looking for new members who can offer as much or as little support and time as they are able. The PTA meet approximately every half term and organise and run much needed fund raising events for school. Should you be interested, then look out for letters and text messages about their meetings or contact them directly via email: ptastjohns@gmail.com.
Events this term have included:
- Family Bingo Night
- Year 4 Bake Sale
- Movie Night
- Break the Rules Day
- Mother's Day Stalls
- 50/50 lottery
- A Gin Tour at Stockport Gin
If you are interested in supporting the work of the PTA the next meeting is on Monday 20th April @ 7.00pm (online).
Parking and Travel Around School
As lighter morning and nights arrive it is great to see so many families utilising the cycling paths around school. Just a reminder to everyone that these are shared paths and we would like to avoid any possible accidents so please encourage good road safety habits from your children, encouraging them to ride on the left, wear helmets and be mindful of other users of the paths. We still have some concerns over the unseen exits from school onto the paths, we have communicated with the council regarding these and hopefully more signage will be installed but in the meantime please slow down around any pedestrian exits from school and encourage the children to look both ways before walking out of school gates onto the paths. We still receive emails and phone calls from local residents concerned about parking issues and their drives being blocked. Whilst we obviously can't police the local roads can we ask that all users of the school, drive and park legally, safely and considerately of our neighbours to support community cohesion and ensure the safety of the roads around school.
FABS - Before and After School Club
FABS BOOKINGS: Please remember that all FABS Breakfast and After School Club bookings must be made in advance using Parent Pay. Mrs Longworth can be contacted at fabsbookings@st-johns.stockport.sch.uk. Full payment must be made via ParentPay or a Childcare Payment Scheme at the time of booking. FABS is proving very popular at the moment, therefore we have had to extend the booking notice period to 7 days to enable adequate planning of resources and food supplies. Please contact Mrs Longworth to request more information. Details have also been sent out via School Spider about the upcoming Easter Holiday Club running from the 30th March to the 2nd April.
FABS will soon also be using Class Dojo to be able to share what the children have been up to during Breakfast and After School Club.
School Uniform and Readiness for Summer
As we move into the summer months, please can I remind families to continue following our school uniform expectations. Some summer adaptations—such as school‑appropriate shorts and summer dresses—are absolutely fine, in line with our uniform policy. Further details can be found on the school website. We do ask for your continued support in avoiding trainers during the school day and ensuring that jewellery is limited to a watch and small stud earrings if desired. With warmer weather hopefully ahead, please make sure your child brings a water bottle to school each day, arrives wearing sun cream, and has a sun hat for outdoor play. On particularly hot days, we will make sensible adjustments to ensure children stay safe and comfortable, including offering shade and limiting some activities if necessary.
Support for Families
As a reminder school is always here to try and support where possible. Should you have any concerns about your child or feel there may something with which school could help, please get in touch with either the class teacher or make an appointment to speak to Miss Smith, our SENDCo. Ways in which we may be able to help include: signposting you to advice, making adaptations in school, issuing Foodbank vouchers, consulting with the school nurse or accessing Early Help via a referral.
Wishing you all an enjoyable, safe and restful Easter break when it arrives.
Mr A Clerc & The St John's Team