Dear parents and carers,
This has been another exciting week at William Ford. One of the real highlights was the visit from Frankie Bridge, who many will know from S Club Juniors, The Saturdays, BBC Strictly Come Dancing, ITV's I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, and now as a panellist on ITV's Loose Women. Frankie joined us in Collective Worship to share her inspiring story of how she entered such a variety of careers. She spoke about never giving up, believing in yourself and, most importantly, being kind to others, because working well with everyone is often the key to success. This was a powerful and positive message for our pupils and one that linked perfectly to our school vision of helping children grow into people who are successful, healthy, fulfilled, and empowered to make a difference. We were also able to reflect on how her words connect to our Bible verse, “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me,” reminding us that the journey to success begins with seeking the right path. Our school radio station team had the fantastic experience of interviewing Frankie, a wonderful chance for our young broadcasters to build their skills and confidence.
Frankie’s visit was made possible through our work with Talamo, the company providing our new dyslexia and dyscalculia screener. This week, all our Year 3 pupils have been screened so that we can quickly identify any children who may benefit from additional support with reading, writing or number work. It is a privilege to be able to offer this early help to ensure every pupil has the best chance to thrive.
In Collective Worship we have also continued exploring the Book of Genesis, learning about how the world was made and what it means to care for and take responsibility for God’s creation. These reflections have helped us think about gratitude, respect for the world around us and our place within it.
Today, during our Start-of-the-Week Assemblies, Mrs Legg introduced an exciting change to how we celebrate positive behaviour. Instead of rewarding the house with the most points each term, we will now celebrate the year group that earns the most green points. At the end of each term, the winning year group will receive a sum of money to spend on our sponsored child in Colombia. This approach not only motivates pupils to work hard and behave well for their own success but also helps them recognise that their efforts can directly benefit someone else’s life. It is a wonderful way of putting our vision into action: making a difference to others while growing as successful, healthy, fulfilled, and empowered young people.
We are proud of how our pupils have responded to these opportunities and messages this week and grateful for the ongoing support of our families in helping us provide such meaningful experiences for every child at William Ford.
I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.
Mr. David Huntingford
Headteacher
