Newsletters

24/25 - Summer 1, Week 1

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Dear parents and carers,

Welcome back to the summer term! I hope you and your families enjoyed a fun, relaxing and refreshing Easter break.

Summer is always a wonderful time to be in school. The warmer weather, longer days and the trees blossoming across our site bring a real sense of life and energy. We also have an exciting term ahead, with many memorable experiences to look forward to – including the Year 6 residential to Trewern in South Wales, the Year 4 and 5 overnight trip to France, sports day, and of course, our Year 6 end-of-year performance. Dates for these and other events can be found on our school website.

Although the children returned on Wednesday, our teachers were in school on Tuesday for a valuable day of training. This gave us time to work together as a team to further develop our curriculum. We focused in particular on how we can use projects and children’s imaginations more effectively to bring learning to life. Our approach encourages pupils to act as ‘experts’ – working to fulfil a brief or solve a problem for a client. It’s a way of raising aspirations and opening their eyes to future career possibilities in a fun, immersive way.

We also reflected on how we develop spirituality throughout our curriculum, ensuring pupils are not only gaining knowledge but also growing in character, compassion and purpose. As I led the training, I was struck by how much we already achieve at William Ford – there is so much to celebrate! And yet, as many of you know, I always want more for our pupils.

One thing that continues to limit us is funding. We’ve recently partnered with a fundraising consultant to help us attract more investment through corporate sponsorship. This support will be directed at key projects, including:

  • Developing the outdoor space for our Lighthouse provision

  • Replacing the play equipment by the main gate

  • Refurbishing the seating area used by Years 4 and 5

  • Providing iPads for pupils across the school to enhance their learning

  • Reducing the cost of school trips like Trewern and France, so more families can access them

To strengthen our funding bids, we urgently need written testimonials from parents and carers about the difference William Ford has made to your children. We know many of you have shared kind and powerful words with us in person – now we’d love to be able to share them more widely.

If you are willing, please send your testimonial – however short or long – by email, addressed to Mr Huntingford, via: office@williamfordschool.co.uk. The more heartfelt, the better! These will be used specifically to support bids for the projects listed above – not to top up general school funds.

Finally, in Collective Worship this term we’re learning about the miracles of Jesus. This week, we began with the miracle at the wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. We reflected on how this story reminds us that Jesus brings transformation – that ordinary things can become extraordinary when we invite Him in. We encouraged the children to think about the parts of their own lives where they can bring positive change, share joy, and help others experience something special.

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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Welcome back to the summer term!  

If your child has an EHCP, I will be contacting you to arrange the annual review over the next couple of weeks.  

If your child is transitioning to secondary school in September and they have an EHCP, we will be also inviting your child’s secondary school SENDCO to help with their transition. 

There are still dates available for Miss Albany's parent evenings.

 

Monday 28th April is now full but Tuesday 29th April still has a lot of spaces available.

Log in and book your place now via the app

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Year Three

Chibuikem

 

Year Four

Suriel

Year Five

Justin

 

Year Six

Belita

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Moya and the luck child by Malachy Doyle  

We like this book because the main character is adventurous, and she is lucky. Moya was found by three men, and they looked after her till she was grown up. We like Moya because of her brown hair, we also like the way she dresses and how she likes flowers. We recommend this book to anyone who likes nature and people who like flowers and plants. 

 

Ellianah & Paula 4IW 

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Class photographs and missed individual photographs
All Day
28
April
Parent evening 3A
3:30pm – 5:30pm
28
April
Trewern - Duke of Edinburgh trip [In-person]
All Day
from 29 Apr until 02 May
29
April
Parent Evening Class 3A day2
3:30pm – 5:30pm
29
April
May Day Bank Holiday
All Day
05
May
SEN Trewern [In-person]
All Day
from 07 May until 09 May
07
May
SATS WEEK [In-person]
All Day
from 12 May until 15 May
12
May
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25 Apr 2025
New Breakfast Club
This week, Iqrah (4L), lyanah (5P) and Tahiya (3M) tell us about the new breakfast club.
Read more
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Year Three

We hope you all had a lovely and restful Easter break. It’s been wonderful to welcome the Year 3 children back to school this week. They’ve come back full of enthusiasm and ready to dive into our new learning topics for the term. 

What we have learnt about this week 

In maths this week, the children have started a brand new topic on money. They’ve been learning how to recognise different coins and notes, and how to convert between pounds and pence. We’ve had lots of practical activities where children have used real and pretend money to solve problems, helping them to develop a strong understanding of how money works in everyday life. 

In English, we’ve begun reading an exciting new book called The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. The children are already fascinated by the story and its main character, Roz, a robot who finds herself alone on a remote island. To go alongside our reading, the children have started writing setting descriptions, using rich vocabulary and descriptive language to bring scenes from the story to life. It’s been lovely to see their imaginations at work as they describe the island and its wild surroundings. 

What we will learn about next week 

Looking ahead to next week, we’ll be starting a brand new topic in science all about magnets and forces. We’ll begin by exploring the concept of friction and carrying out investigations to see how it affects movement. This will be a hands-on unit with lots of opportunities for experiments and discussions. 

In maths, we’ll be continuing with our work on money, moving on to adding and subtracting different amounts. This will help the children develop confidence in using money for real-life situations, such as shopping and giving change. 

In English, we’ll carry on with our descriptive writing, encouraging the children to expand their ideas and use exciting language to describe characters and settings in even more detail. We’ll also continue reading The Wild Robot, and we’re excited to see how the story unfolds. 

Year Four 

We hope that you have had a lovely Easter break and have enjoyed welcoming year 4 back this week to commence the summer term. 

What we have learnt about this week 

In English, the children are now coming to the end of their poetry unit of work. The children have planned and created shape poems. Maths has seen the children start a new unit of work based around money. They have been comparing amounts of money and have been converting between pounds and pence. 

The children have been introduced to their new geography unit based around the rainforest. The children will be taking on the role of environmentalists and considering the impact of deforestation on the planet.  

 

What we will learn about next week 

In maths next week, the children will be continuing their work on money. Any opportunities that you can give them to use cash, will help them to consolidate this important life skill.  

In Science, the children will be continuing their studies of electricity and will be looking at circuits and the symbols used to represent the components of circuits. 

In English we will be starting a new unit linked to the book Explorer which will also enhance our studies in geography. 

Year Five

We hope that you have had a lovely Easter break and have enjoyed welcoming year 4 back this week to commence the summer term. 

What we have learnt about this week 

In English, the children are now coming to the end of their poetry unit of work. The children have planned and created shape poems. Maths has seen the children start a new unit of work based around money. They have been comparing amounts of money and have been converting between pounds and pence. 

The children have been introduced to their new geography unit based around the rainforest. The children will be taking on the role of environmentalists and considering the impact of deforestation on the planet.  

 

What we will learn about next week 

In maths next week, the children will be continuing their work on money. Any opportunities that you can give them to use cash, will help them to consolidate this important life skill.  

In Science, the children will be continuing their studies of electricity and will be looking at circuits and the symbols used to represent the components of circuits. 

In English we will be starting a new unit linked to the book Explorer which will also enhance our studies in geography. 

Year Six

It has been another fantastic week in Year 6! The children have continued to show incredible enthusiasm and determination in all areas of their learning. Their positive attitude and hard work are really paying off, and we couldn’t be prouder of the progress they are making. 

 

What we have learnt about this week 

In English, we have been focusing on developing our comprehension skills. The children have been learning how to make a clear point, support it with evidence from the text, and explain their thinking in detail.  

This week in Maths, we have been continuing our revision lesson in preparation for SATs with a focus on fractions. 

In PSHE, the children have continued to explore important topics related to their healthy me unit. 

In PE, we’ve started our cricket unit, which the children are really enjoying! They’ve been learning key skills such as batting, bowling and fielding, while also showing brilliant teamwork and sportsmanship. It’s been a pleasure to watch their confidence grow on the field. 

Reminders 

A few important reminders: 

Please ensure children bring in their PE kits on the correct days so they can fully take part in lessons. 

Reading records should be brought in regularly to help us track progress and encourage a strong reading routine at home. 

Parents, when reading with your children at home, please ask them inference questions—questions that encourage them to think about what’s being implied rather than just what's being stated. This is an important skill that will help them when answering SATs comprehension questions and will really support them in preparing for the upcoming assessments. 

We’re also thrilled to announce that on Friday 16th May, Year 6 will be going to the cinema to watch Minecraft! This trip is a well-deserved reward for all the children’s hard work and commitment throughout the year. If you would like more details about the visit, please see the email from the school for further information and cost. 

We are so proud of everything the children have achieved this week. Their resilience, focus and positive attitude continue to impress us every day. Keep up the amazing work, Year 6 — you’re doing a brilliant job! 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week revision for SATs will continue in Reading, SPAG and Maths. Alongside this, the children will continue their PSHE and PE lessons.  

 

 

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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: Miyah

For: showing enthusiasm in music

 

Name: Desiree

For: always being ready to learn

 

Name: Darcie

For: always having a smile on her face and being polite to others

3F

Name: Elijah

For: working diligently and producing an excellent piece of geography work

Name: Jessica

For: helping others in our geography lesson

Name: Emmanuella 

For: always living at peace an being a role model for others

3M

Name: Eleanor

For: an amazing effort with reading at school and at home.

Name:  Reggie

For:  being a sensible and caring friend when his classmate was unwell and ensuring he told an adult to quickly get his friend help.

Name: Osinachi

For: demonstrating an excellent approach to lessons and always being calm and ready to learn
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Four

4IW

Name: Rosetta

For: writing a great poem in English despite struggling at firs

 

Name: Umar

For:  being helpful and kind around class as well as writing a great poem in English.

 

Name: Favour 

For: stating term with a calm and positive attitude

4L

Name: Suriel

For: working really hard on her shape poem.

Name: Fathima

For: sharing her amazing ideas about poems with the class.

Name: Jamie

For:  being peaceful and working really hard in the Lighthouse.

4N

Name: Maxwell

For: contributing enthusiastically to all lessons.

Name: Adesewa

For: being kind and helpful to her friends.

Name: Jameel

For: a more settled approach to lessons
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Five

5H

Name: Shalom

For: great work in English lessons.

 

Name: Geovarni 

For: generously helping us all with solving problems in Maths.

 

Name: Azraq

For: working peacefully in class this week. 

5P

Name: Maysan -  James

For: Working diligently and producing a great piece of work

Name: Elliot

For: Acting generously and sharing with others

Name: Arbi

For: Always willing to go the extra mile.

5W

Name: Manha

For:  working diligently across all subjects

Name: Shiven

For: acting generously and being kind to others.

Name: Rosie 

For:  living at peace and having a calm attitude in the classroom
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Six

6B

Name: Bethany

For: Working hard in  lessons.

 

Name: Joanna

For: working collaboratively and sharing ideas with her peers

 

Name: Dylan

For: Working calmly and with good focus in lessons.

6I

Name: Fiona

For: For her great inference answer using point, evidence and explain well

Name: Philip

For: Always being kind and his thoughtfulness.

Name: Ayaan

For: Being at peace during lessons

6L

Name: Daniella

For: Working hard in all lesson this week

Name: Bobby

For: Being generous with his time in group and partner work

Name: Ryan

For: Making the right choices throughout the week
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