Newsletters

24/25 - Summer 2, Week 5

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Dear parents and carers,

This week's newsletter has a theme of health and wellbeing, reflecting on how we can support our children physically, mentally and spiritually. From healthy eating and active lifestyles to emotional support and spiritual reflection, it has been a week that highlights the importance of looking after the whole child.

Physical Health
We were delighted to welcome our new school meal provider, Apetito, and the response has been fantastic. The pupils have given very positive feedback and the meals I have tasted have been absolutely delicious. The food is not only tasty but also healthy, meeting all national nutrition standards and fully complying with Natasha’s Law, which ensures clear allergen information. Please remember that meals must be ordered two weeks in advance so that our kitchen receives the correct deliveries from the supplier.

It was also wonderful to see so many children taking part in Sports Day, enjoying the sunshine and celebrating the joy of being active. Thank you to all the parents who came to support-it makes a real difference to the children when you are there cheering them on.

Mental Health
We are very grateful to Viv McCarthy, who has supported just over a third of our pupils and families through her counselling work with Place2Be. Viv will be leaving us at the end of this academic year, and we want to thank her for her care, dedication and the positive impact she has made across the school. While we are sad to see her go, I want to reassure you that Place2Be will continue at William Ford. We will be recruiting a new counsellor over the summer and will ensure a smooth transition so that this vital provision remains in place. Please join me in thanking Viv and offering her our prayers and best wishes for the future.

Spiritual Health
In Collective Worship this week, we focused on the story from John 6:16–24, where Jesus walks across the Sea of Galilee to reach his disciples. This story reminds us that even in life’s most difficult and uncertain moments, Jesus comes to us and brings peace. It has encouraged pupils to reflect on the importance of faith and trust, especially when facing challenges.

Thank you for your continued support in all areas of school life.

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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The children are preparing for their transition to their new class and year group. Information on who your child’s new class teacher will be in September is coming home in a letter with your child today.  They will also be spending the morning with them on Thursday 10th July to support their transition into the next academic year.  

We are looking for any pre-loved clothing, toys or uniforms for our Summer Fest. Any donations will be gratefully received. They could help parents who are struggling to make ends meet. Please bring any donations to the school office

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Menu for last weeks of school term

Please access ParentPay to Prebook your children's lunch. If you are still having issues, please contact the school office on 02082706582 or email office@williamfordschool.co.uk

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Nellie Choc-Ice and the plastic island 

 

This is an exciting and interesting book to read. I learnt lots of interesting facts about looking after the environment and recycling plastic.  I enjoyed this book as it is adapted to support my reading.  

 

Faith 3M  

 

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Walton on Naze Trip Year 3 & Lighthouse
8:00am – 8:30am
07
July
Bikeability Yr 5
All Day
08
July
Alice in Wonderland - Drama Club Performance
3:45pm – 4:45pm
09
July
Bikeability day 2
All Day
11
July
Year 6 Swimming Wk 6
8:00am – 8:30am
11
July
Local Heritage Production - Sports hall
1:00pm – 3:00pm
16
July
iRock Concert / Ms Rugg club's Dance performance
9:45am – 10:45am
18
July
Year 6 End of Year Show - Time TBC
1:30pm – 3:00pm
18
July
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04 Jul 2025
Sports Day
Some Year Four pupils in the potato race - read on to find out what they have to say about sports day.
Read more
03 Jul 2025
Community Month Picnic - Year 5
Year 5 had a fantastic time at the beginning of the week, as they arranged a Community Picnic at Dagenham Park. Lots and lots of parents joined us, with picnic blankets, snacks and ice lollies - the pupils played some games and we all had a lovely time, even in the extremely hot weather!
Read more
27 Jun 2025
Year 6 trip to Eastbrookend Country Park
This week Milana in 6B tells us about the Year 6 trip.
Read more
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Year Three

Year Three have had another brilliant week.  

What we have learnt about this week 

This week the children have enjoyed a range of lessons. They particularly enjoyed taking part in Sports Day on Thursday. Well done to everyone (including parents) who took part!  

During English the children focused on instructional writing and have produced some lovely sets of instructions on how to look after and how to grow a dragon!  

Our history unit concluded this week, and the children looked at the Legacy of the Greeks and the amazing history they have left behind.  

During science the children planted their seeds and have begun to observe what is happening. They have been very keen to water and look after them.  

Our DT lessons have continued, and the children have designed their gardens they think are ‘Fit for a King’ and begun to look at sculptures as features within.  

RE we have continued our unit on Sikhism and have been exploring what a Gurdwara is and why the Langar is important to Sikhs. 

  

What we will learn about next week 

 Next week the children will be planning and writing their last assessment piece for Year 3! This will include looking and writing and explanation text on ‘How to look after a Dragon’.  

In science the children will continue to observe their seeds and write about any changes they can see.  

Our geography lesson this week will see us take a trip to Walton on the Naze! The children will take part in a range of field work activities, enjoy lunch on the Naze, and explore the beautiful town and compare it to Dagenham.  

Please check the letter for information about what your child will need to bring and the times we will be leaving and arriving back. 

 

Year Four 

Year Four have had another fantastic week. They have particularly enjoyed participating in Sports Day on Thursday. Well done to everyone (including parents) that took part. 

What we have learnt about this week 

This week in English, the children have been looking at the features of persuasive leaflets. They have completed a careful analysis in order to plan their own 

In Maths, the pupils have been looking at coordinates, both reading and plotting, and have moved on to translating shapes. 

In RE they have continued their unit on marriage, particularly thinking about Hindu weddings. Geography has seen the children thinking carefully about the people who live in rainforests across the world. They have compared their lives to the children’s own lives. 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week in English, we will continue to explore our class book, Revolt of the Romans. The children will be planning and writing their own persuasive leaflets that will encourage other schools to visit Colchester Castle. 

 In Maths, the children will continue their unit on position and direction, consolidating their knowledge of coordinates and completing some problem solving and reasoning investigations linked to this topic.  

In Science, our lesson will centre around the layers of the teeth, allowing students to understand their structure and function. 

In Design Technology, the children will have the exciting opportunity to design and create a pavilion using various materials to enhance their creativity and practical skills. 

Year Five

Year 5 have had a hot but industrious week - well done to all the children for working through those really hot days. Well done everyone for remembering to bring your water bottles! 

What we have learnt about this week 

This week in Year 5, we have been extending out newspaper reports bas upon the appearance of ‘The Nowhere Emporium’ and ensuring that we included quotes using both direct and reported speech. 

In maths, we have been solving problems where the decimals have a differing number of decimal places and sequences of decimal numbers. 

For R.E. we have looked at how Hindus view God and comparing this with what we learnt about Hinduism in Year 4. 

Everybody participated well during Sports Day, and we hope all our visitors enjoyed it too. We also had fun at the Community Picnic in the park- thank you to all those who managed to join us, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week, we will be continuing our decimals unit in maths looking at multiplying and dividing decimals. 

In English, we will be sharing our newspaper reports and continuing the story of ‘The Nowhere Emporium’. 

IIn Geography, we will continue to act our role as flood risk consultants, looking at how flood may be prevented, or precautions people can take. 

Next Wednesday morning, Year 5 will be visiting Dagenham Park Secondary School for some very special taster sessions for Art, Drama and Science.  

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Year Six

Year 6 have worked exceptionally well this week, showing creativity, teamwork, and enthusiasm in everything, they’ve done. It’s been a fun and productive week, filled with memorable moments and impressive achievements. 

What we have learnt about this week 

The children all gave their best at Sports Day – we were so proud of their effort, energy, and team spirit!  

They’ve also been working hard in rehearsals for the upcoming performance, and it's great to see their confidence growing with each round. Every run-through shows real progress, and their enthusiasm is shining through. 

 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week promises to be another exciting one for Year 6 as we continue our journey toward the end of term. 

From next week, the children will begin rehearsing without their scripts as they continue preparing for the show.  

 

They’ll also be visiting the Heathway to shop for ingredients they’ve chosen for their recipes. Once back in school, they’ll be putting their cooking plans into action and making their own dishes – an exciting hands-on experience! 

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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!

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