Newsletters

24/25 Spring 1, Week 3

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Dear parents and carers,

Another enjoyable and engaging week for our pupils at William Ford C of E Junior School!

Watoto Children's Choir Visit
This week, our Year Four and Year Six pupils were invited to Riverside Church to enjoy an inspiring and energetic performance by the Watoto Children's Choir. The choir, made up of orphaned and vulnerable children from Uganda, travels the world sharing a message of hope through music and dance. Their lively and engaging performance was a truly memorable experience for our pupils, showcasing incredible talent and a powerful message of resilience and faith.

Year Three Pantomime Trip
Year Three had a fantastic experience attending a pantomime in the West End of Central London. Pupils were thrilled to watch The Little Mermaid, a magical performance full of music, laughter, and excitement. We are incredibly grateful to PWC for sponsoring this trip, providing our pupils with the opportunity to enjoy live theatre in such a prestigious venue.

Rights Respecting School Bronze Award
We are delighted to announce that William Ford Junior School has achieved Bronze status as a Rights Respecting School! This prestigious recognition, awarded by UNICEF UK, celebrates our commitment to embedding children's rights into the school’s ethos and culture. The Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) supports schools in placing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) at the heart of everything they do, ensuring that pupils feel valued, respected, and empowered. A huge congratulations to everyone involved, and a special thank you to Mrs Buckingham and Mr Lazarus for their dedication and coordination in achieving this milestone.

Collective Worship
Our collective worship theme this week has continued to focus on peacemakers. On Monday, pupils explored the topic of arguments and conflict resolution, drawing insights from the book of James. We discussed how James teaches us to be slow to anger, quick to listen, and to seek peace rather than conflict in our relationships. This reflection has encouraged pupils to consider how they can be peacemakers in their everyday lives.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to another exciting week ahead!

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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We will be supporting Children's Mental Health week.  More details to follow in next week's newsletter.

🕵️‍♂️ Keep a Lookout for Headlice! 
Help us keep our school itch-free!

What are headlice?
Headlice are tiny bugs that live in hair and feed on the scalp. They’re not harmful, but they can be itchy and spread easily!

How do I check for them?
🔍 Use a fine-tooth comb on wet hair.
🔍 Look for small, white eggs (nits) near the scalp or tiny, moving lice.
🔍 Focus on areas behind the ears and at the nape of the neck.

What if I find headlice?
✅ Don’t worry—it’s common and treatable!
✅ Use a special headlice shampoo or treatment from your pharmacy.
✅ Comb hair every day for at least a week to remove eggs.
✅ Wash pillowcases, hats, and brushes in hot water.

How can we prevent headlice?
🚫 Avoid sharing hats, hairbrushes, or hair ties.
👩‍🦰 Keep long hair tied back.
🦠 Regularly check your child’s hair—just in case!

Need more help?
Talk to your pharmacist or visit Head lice and nits - NHS

💡 Let’s work together to keep headlice out of our school!

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Year Three - Chibuikem 3A                                   Year Five - Shiven 5W

Year Four - Suriel 4L                                               Year Six - Belita 6I 

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Gangsta Granny by David Walliams 

 

This book is called Gangsta Granny by the amazing comedian and book writer David Walliams. I have read this book many times and love, love, love it! I recommend this book to you because of the joy it’ll bring you whilst reading. In this gem of a book, it balances high comedy with an emotional message. This story is about little Benny and his not so ‘textbook’ granny. Try this book out! 

 

Ewura 6I 

Mental Health Week
All Day
From 27 Jan until 31 Jan
27
January
Y5 Group 1 Swimming
9:30am – 10:30am
29
January
Y5 Swimming Group 2
10:30am – 11:30am
29
January
City Hall Trip (School Councils)
All Day
30
January
Childrens Mental Health Week
8:00am – 8:30am
From 03 Feb until 07 Feb
03
February
Brilliant Club Graduation Trip
All Day
05
February
Y5 Group 1 Swimming
9:30am – 10:30am
05
February
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24 Jan 2025
Wototo Children's Choir
This week Rodiatu tells us about watching the Watoto choir
Read more
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Year Three

This week, the children have truly impressed us with their hard work and enthusiasm across all subjects. We had such a fantastic time at that pantomime – we hope that your children had a rememberable experience. 

What we have learnt about this week 

In maths, they took on the challenge of division, exploring it through the partitioning method and learning the short formal method too. Their growing confidence with these new techniques has been fantastic to see. 

In English, the children explored the structure of sentences by identifying main and subordinate clauses. They also examined the features of a diary, which sparked creativity and ideas for their own writing. Meanwhile, in history, we journeyed back in time to Ancient Egypt to learn about their fascinating gods and goddesses. The children were captivated by the myths and legends surrounding these deities. In Religious Education, they had the chance to delve into the Torah, gaining a deeper understanding of its importance and meaning. 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week promises to be just as exciting! In maths, we’ll focus on consolidating their knowledge of multiplication and division, ensuring they feel confident in their skills. Science lessons will involve grouping rocks based on their properties—a hands-on and engaging topic to spark curiosity. In computing, they’ll begin investigating loops and take their first steps in creating their own animations, which is sure to be a hit. In English, the children will continue crafting their diary entries, polishing and editing their work to make it shine. 

Thank you for your continued encouragement and support. We look forward to another fantastic week of learning! 

Year Four 

We have had another fabulous week in year 4. The children really enjoyed their experience watching the Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda. The really enjoyed joining in with the dance. 

What we have learnt about this week 

This week, the children have been writing setting descriptions in English. The have used their amazing imaginations to describe the cave in which Hiccup and the other trainees found their dragons. They have used some thoughtful and creative language.  

In maths the children have been learning about mixed numbers. They have been ordering them on a number line, and although many of them have found this quite tricky, they have really persevered. Well done year 4. History this week saw the children looking at Stonehenge which was built during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. They have considered various theories for why it was built and have come to their own conclusions. 

What we will learn about next week 

In maths lessons next week, we will be continuing our work on fractions. They will be learning what an improper fraction is and how to convert it to a mixed number. They will also begin to think about equivalent fractions. 

Next week in geography the children will be exploring differences in climate and physical geography between Scandinavia and the UK. 

RE will see the children continuing to consider the local area and the belief systems that are represented there. 

Year Five

The children in Year 5 have been working hard this week. Thank you to everyone at home who has been ensuring that the children remember to bring everything for swimming each Wednesday. 

What we have learnt about this week 

This week in English we have been exploring descriptive writing. We have learnt how to write expanded noun phrases in preparation for our writing next week. We have also ben colleting descriptive vocabulary to describe Beowulf and Grendel.  

In maths we have been dividing number up to and including four-digits this week, including those with remainders in the answer and demonstrating our understanding by solving problems requiring division. 

Our geography this week introduced latitude and longitude, and we used these to locate places on a world map. In science, we carried out an investigation to help us find out which materials were best for insulation and conduction. In art, we have been completing observational drawings. 

What we will learn about next week 

We will be completing descriptive writing activities in English and concluding our maths using multiplication and division to solve problems before returning to fractions. 

In history, we will be exploring how the Vikings are perceived and why we have come to think about them in this way. 

In science, we will be presenting our results and conclusions to our experiment. Whilst in PSHE we will continue to think about the hopes, dreams and goals in our lives. 

Year Six

What we have learnt about this week 

This week in Year 6, students have been busy with mock SATs, working really hard to prepare for the upcoming tests. To support their progress at home, please encourage regular practice with timetables, the four operations, and reading. Additionally, students can benefit from completing the maths worksheets they bring home after each lesson. 

In art, we explored the work of Frank Bowling, and students had a great time recreating his abstract piece Sacha Jason Guyana Dreams. In Geography, they learned about the different time zones across South America, while in PSHE, students reflected on their hopes and dreams for the world. The class also continued to develop their football skills and delve into the world of graphic scores in music. 

Keep up the great work, Year 6! 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week, Year 6 will be diving into some exciting topics! In maths, we will begin studying ratio. In English, we'll focus on punctuation, particularly semi-colons, colons, and commas when listing things. Students will also explore descriptions of an Indian market, write a setting description, edit their work, and engage in some grammar revision. 

In History, students will analyze the legend of Robin Hood and explore what it reveals about medieval justice. In Computing, they’ll learn how AI can be used to explore and generate images. Lastly, in RE, students will look at the concept of life after death in Hinduism. 

It's going to be a week full of learning and discovery! 

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Each week, staff select three children from each class who have shown effort and commitment to upholding an aspect of our school vision, shown at the bottom of the page. Congratulations to this week’s ‘stars of the week’ for their tremendous endeavours!

 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Three

3A

Name: Noah 

For: working diligently across the curriculum this week. 

 

Name: Zach 

For: always helping before a teacher asks. 

 

Name: Desiree 

For: showing kindness on the pantomime this week. 

3F

Name: Alexandra 

For: working hard across all areas of the curriculum 

Name: Harleigh 

For: acting generously towards adults and children and helping keep our classroom tidy 

Name: Emmanuella 

For: living at peace and being a calm member of the class 

3M

Name: Diya 

For: for maintaining an improvement in handwriting. 

Name:Jessica- Rose 

For: being an excellent role model when visiting another class 

Name: Marc 

For: working peacefully and calmly when working in another class. 
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Four

4L

Name: Kurtis 

For: working diligently and being focused in science. 

 

Name: Zac 

For: being kind and generous and helping with jobs in the classroom. 

 

Name: Iqrah 

For: always being a polite and calm member of the classroom. 

4IW

Name: Angeline 

For: writing a great English piece on a setting description.

Name: Umar 

For: Working hard in maths and being generous with his time.  

Name: Rosy 

For: being calm and focused during all lessons.  

4N

Name: Rodiatu 

For: her enthusiasm in participating in the Watoto performance. 

Name: Alexandra 

For: being kind and helpful to adults and for working hard in all lessons. 

Name: Davianna 

For: a peaceful and hardworking approach to reading sessions and in maths lessons this week. 
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Five

5H

Name:  Florence 

For: really remaining focussed to present more written work this week. 

 

Name:  Shengkai 

For: sharing his scientific knowledge with us this week to help others. 

 

Name: Liam 

For: settling really quietly and sensibly to work, especially during registration. 

5P

Name: Arbi 

For: Great attitude to learning and hard work, particularly in maths. 

Name: Patrick 

For: His generous and kind attitude towards everyone 

Name: Lilly 

For: A calm and peaceful approach to all her work. 

5W

Name: Olayikanmi 

For: working diligently and making great progress, especially in English.  

Name: Mercy 

For: acting generously and performing so well at the Young Voices concert. 

Name: Cherie 

For: living at peace and performing so well at the Young Voices concert. 
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Six

6B

Name: Micha 

For: Excellent effort with his scientific drawings. 

 

Bethany 

For: Enthusiastic joining in with singing at Riverside Church

 

 

Name: Avani 

For: Being a kind and calm influence in class. 

6I

Name: Hudson 

For: Trying his best this week. He is always so hard working and puts in 100%. 

Name: Emmanuel 

For: His infectious joyful manner, he always brings a smile to our faces. 

Name: Khalid 

For: Always does the right thing and for being a star role model. 

6L

Name: Aisha 

For:  Writing a fantastic diary entry in English. Excellent Work 

Name: Samuel  

For:  Sharing resources with his partner during art this week. Well Done 

Name: Teslim 

For:  For bringing a sense of peace to the classroom. It’s great to have you back! 
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