Newsletters

25/26 - Autumn 1, Week 5

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Dear parents and carers,

This week at William Ford has been one of celebration, inspiration, and pride, as we’ve marked National Dyslexia Week across the school. A range of activities have taken place, but perhaps the most memorable moment came during Monday morning’s Collective Worship, when a number of our pupils with dyslexia took the lead. They stood confidently in front of over 350 of their peers and spoke about how they are finding success in their learning – not by pretending their brains work the same as everyone else’s, but by understanding what helps them, using the support available, and being proud of who they are. It was a powerful moment of honesty, strength and joy – and a clear example of what it means to be empowered to make a difference.

Dyslexia is often misunderstood, but here at William Ford, we want our pupils to understand that it’s not a barrier – it’s a difference. While it can affect areas like reading and spelling, it also brings many strengths, including creativity, imagination and fresh ways of thinking. In a world that needs problem-solvers, visionaries and inventors, we want our pupils to recognise these as gifts. As part of our week’s celebrations, we were joined by Border Chef Nick, a talented chef and published author, who spoke about his own experiences of dyslexia and how it never stopped him from pursuing his passion for food. He led exciting cookery workshops for children across the school, showing them that success takes many forms, and that with belief and the right support, anything is possible.

This week has been a perfect reflection of our school’s vision – supporting every pupil to be successful, healthy, fulfilled, and empowered to make a difference, strengthened by the hope and example of God. That vision is not just a statement on a wall – it lives in the voices of pupils who stand tall and speak with confidence about who they are, and in the learning environments we create to ensure all children flourish in their own way.

Next week, I will be in Almaty, Kazakhstan, representing William Ford at the inaugural World Inclusion Congress. I’ll be sharing the story of our school – a story of inclusion with real purpose, where difference is valued and pupils are supported to thrive. It is a great honour to speak about the work we are doing here with pride on a global platform, and I look forward to updating you when I return.

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week, a week dedicated to raising awareness about dyslexia and promoting the understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with Dyslexia.  Here at William Ford, we had a visit from The Bald Chef who, despite having Dyslexia, has written funny children’s books and trained to be a chef.  We also held our own assembly led by some of our children with Dyslexia celebrating Dyslexia as a superpower and learning that many successful celebrities also have Dyslexia! 

Please remember when planning your children's packed lunch that we are a NUT FREE SCHOOL.

Your homemade lunches should

WE HAVE SEVERAL PUPILS WITH VARING STAGES OF ALLERGY ranging from slight swelling to severe Anaphalaxis.

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Year Three

Kaleb

 

Year Four

Ruqayyah

Year Five

Azowa

 

Year Six

Shiven

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Mixed by Arree Chung 

 

I started to read this book this week and I enjoy it. I like using the pictures to help understand and tell the story. The pictures are bright and colourful.  

The book teaches us how we are all individual and each have our own talents in our own way.  

 

Florence 3F 

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Pupil and Staff Individual Photographs
8:00am – 12:00pm
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October
Black History Month Assembly
8:00am – 8:30am
13
October
Cycle to School week
8:00am – 8:30am
13
October
Cycle to school week
8:00am – 8:30am
13
October
Bookings for parent evenings open at 10am to 2 pm daily please call 02082706582
8:00am – 8:05am
13
October
Ben Kinsella Workshop Y6 Class 6M
10:00am – 10:30am
13
October
Cycle to school week
8:00am – 8:30am
14
October
Year 6 swimming (Group 1)
9:30am – 10:30am
14
October
Year 6 Swimming (Group2)
10:30am – 11:30am
14
October
Cycle to school week
8:00am – 8:30am
15
October
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09 Oct 2025
Visit from Bald Chef Nick Jaye
National Dyslexia Week and a visit from Bald Chef Nick Jaye
Read more
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Year Three

We have had another busy week in Year Three with the children working hard in all areas. 

What we have learnt about this week 

This week in English we have introduced the children to inverted commas when writing direct speech. We have continued reading and discussing our shared reader ‘Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx’. We have also been looking at the features of an adventure story and using these when planning our own narrative. 

In maths we have been adding and subtracting 10’s and 100’s and looking for patterns within calculations. 

We introduced our Ancient Egyptian unit this week and asked the enquiry question ‘Who were the Ancient Egyptians?’ 

We continued looking at healthy eating in science. 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week in English we will be continuing to practise using inverted commas and writing our own direct speech.  The children will also be writing their own adventure stories based on Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx. 

In maths we will be continuing with addition and subtraction across a boundary. 

In our geography next week we will be learning about an explorer who visited every country in the world.  

In R.E. we will begin our new unit of work ‘Incarnation’ when we will learn about the baptism of Jesus. 

Year Four 

The children have had another successful week in Year Four. 

What we have learnt about this week 

In English the children have been writing reasons for and against a dilemma that is met by the lead character in our text, Nell and the Cave Bear. They have thought carefully about whether they are for or against Nell leaving the clan and running away. They have supported their ideas in explaining their belief on this subject. 

In maths the children have been ordering and comparing numbers up to 10000. They have been successful in explaining what makes one number bigger than another. 

RE has seen the children thinking about the Hindu act of puja. They have considered how Hindu people use the 5 senses to do this. 

History saw the children thinking about the assets and threats facing Stone Age people. They have also been considering the role of archaeologists. 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week will see the children continuing their text Nell and the Cave Bear. They will be thinking about mammoths and what we know about them from the text. 

Maths will see the children finishing their unit on place value and they will be concentrating on the skill of rounding. They will also be continuing to practice and improve their knowledge of the multiplication facts. 

 Geography will see the children comparing India to the United Kingdom. RE will involve the children thinking about the Hindu belief in reincarnation and moksha. 

Year Five

We have had another action-packed week in Year 5, with pupils learning lots and working hard! 

What we have learnt about this week 

This week in English, pupils have been learning about formal and informal language, identifying features of formal letter writing and writing a letter from Mary Jackson to Kaz (characters from our book: Hidden Figures).  

In Maths, pupils have been continuing our topic on addition and subtraction, learning how to use the column method. 

In Science, pupils have been learning about the solar system, as they build towards making their video-documentaries, as part of their project for Stargazing. 

In Geography, pupils learnt about the physical and human features of the UK, and specifically about key cities in the UK.  

What we will learn about next week 

Next week, we will be writing a biography in English, our reading of Hidden Figures will come to a conclusion. 

In Maths, we will be moving onto multiplication, looking at factors and multiples. 

In science, we will be learning about the lunar month, and the different phases of the moon (with some edible fun!).  

We hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Year Six

The children have continued to work hard and put good effort into lessons throughout the week. Just a reminder that class 6M will be going to the Ben Kinsella workshop in Barking on Monday morning. 

What we have learnt about this week 

During our English lessons this week, the children have planned and written a section of the children’s novel Street Child.  In their writing, the children have been encouraged to use descriptive vocabulary as well as include dialogue that moves the action forwards.  In maths this week, the children have worked on their knowledge and use of common factors and multiples and how to use this knowledge in other areas of maths.  In our science lesson, the children have begun to research an animal that is currently struggling to adapt to a changing environment whilst in geography the children have examined photographic evidence from the first successful ascent of Mount Everest to draw conclusions.    

What we will learn about next week 

Next week, class 6M will be visiting the Ben Kinsella workshop in Barking.  This is an anti-knife crime educational program run by the Ben Kinsella Trust.  In science, the children will continue to research an animal that is currently struggling to adapt to a changing habitat and then present their findings.  In their technology lesson, the children will tackle the next stage in making their waistcoats - pinning their fabric templates together and then starting to sew them.  This is a difficult task for many of the children and will continue for the next couple of weeks.   

 

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Each week, staff select two 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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