This week, William Ford joined schools across the country in celebrating National Dyslexia Week. The theme running through all of our activities was that we are all unique, and our differences make us special.

We were delighted to welcome Bald Chef Nick Jaye to William Ford as part of our celebrations. Nick led a whole-school assembly where he shared his journey of becoming a successful chef and author, showing our pupils that dyslexia has never been a barrier to his success. He spoke about how finding the right ways to learn helped him to achieve his goals and inspired everyone to see their own strengths and potential.

Following the assembly, Nick spent time leading workshops with different classes, where pupils had the opportunity to make delicious flatbreads using simple, healthy ingredients — showing how easy it can be to create nutritious meals at home. This linked perfectly with our school’s new catering project, led by Mrs Watkins, through which every class is learning to cook a range of healthy dishes.

Nick also enjoyed a tour of the school and was incredibly impressed by the inclusive provision we have in place for our dyslexic learners. He commented on how confident, creative and enthusiastic our pupils were, and how clear it was that every child is encouraged to thrive.

Before leaving, Nick met with Mrs Watkins and Mr Mulley to share ideas and plan future opportunities to develop our cookery and catering curriculum even further.

We are grateful to Nick for spending the day with us and for showing our pupils that dyslexia is not something to overcome, but something that can help shape creativity, confidence and success.