Newsletters

25/26 AUTUMN 2 WEEK 5

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Dear parents and carers,

It has been another exciting and joy filled week at William Ford. As we approach Christmas, the school is full of energy, music and hard work from our pupils. Staff continue to be incredibly proud of them.

Parent and Carer Survey now open

We are very proud of the experiences we offer your children and of how well the school continues to perform. From West End visits to trips to France, from the Trewern residential to the Lighthouse residential, from visitors across many careers to our nationally recognised curriculum, William Ford continues to thrive despite the financial pressures facing all schools.

We recently received very positive feedback from our staff survey and now look forward to hearing your views. The parent and carer survey is now open and we would be grateful if you could complete it once for each child. Experiences can vary between year groups, so every response is valuable. The survey will close on Monday 15 December.
Survey link: https://forms.office.com/e/dyPLPw3FD4

Please note that the form is anonymous, so complaints or safeguarding concerns cannot be responded to through this route. All comments must remain respectful and any offensive submissions will be deleted. We very much value working in partnership with you and thank you for taking the time to support us.

iSingPop Rehearsals and Christmas Concert

The children have been rehearsing incredibly hard for our annual iSingPop concert. The music coming from the hall has been wonderful. It is full of life, excitement and joy and we are sure you will be as impressed as we are. We look forward to welcoming as many families as possible on Wednesday 10 December at 4.00 pm in the sports hall.

Christmas Events at William Ford

The next two weeks are full of festive activities and we know the pupils are very excited. Coming up we have:

  • Christmas Jumper Day

  • Christmas Dinner Day

  • Santa visit

  • Our ever popular Christmas discos

Further details will be shared by class teachers and on the school website. Thank you in advance for supporting these events and helping create such a special time of year for our pupils.

Collective Worship

This week we continued exploring the story of Daniel. We looked at the moment when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to worship the king’s statue, and how God protected them. Pupils also reflected on their own ambitions, hopes and dreams for the future and how they can stay true to their values.

NSPCC Speak Out Stay Safe Programme

We are delighted to let parents know that our school is taking part in the NSPCC Speak Out Stay Safe programme. This national initiative teaches children that they have the right to feel safe and that they should always speak out if something is worrying them. Through clear, age appropriate videos and discussions, pupils learn who they can talk to and how to get help. This supports our ongoing commitment to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all pupils.

Thank you

As always, we are grateful for your support and partnership. Your encouragement makes a huge difference to the life of our school. We look forward to seeing many of you at the Christmas events over the next fortnight.

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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At William Ford CofE Juniors, we are proud to be part of the Place2Be program, which, is a leading provider of child counselling and mental health support, working with over 650 primary and secondary schools across the UK. 

The Place2Be project was first introduced to our school by Viv, whose dedication made a lasting impact on the wellbeing of our children. We are now delighted to welcome Nancy Volley, our new Place2Be mental health practitioner. Nancy is in school every Wednesday and Thursday, offering compassionate support to pupils, families, and staff.  

If you would like to meet Nancy in person, she will be at the William's Winter Wonderland on Thursday 11th December. Alternatively, please contact her on: 

Telephone: 0208 270 6582

Email: nvolley@williamfordschool.co.uk 

Nancy works closely with staff, families and children to improve emotional wellbeing and provide mental health support for the whole school. In-school support is made up of a range of universal and targeted interventions. 

To help our school community cope with challenges like these, in-school support includes: 

  • Place2Talk – self-referral service for children to book appointments with the Place2Be practitioner to talk about their problems and worries 

  • Place2Think – self-referral service for staff to book appointments with the Place2Be practitioner to talk about their problems and worries 

  • One-to-one counselling – a targeted intervention consisting of weekly counselling using talking, creative work and play to support children who are struggling 

  • Group work – therapeutic groups exploring issues like friendship, self-esteem, transition and bullying 

  • Parenting advice from our child mental health experts – Place2Be have launched a new service, Parenting Smart with practical tips for supporting children’s behaviour. There is advice for parents ranging from healthy gaming habits, to dealing with sibling rivalry, to tips for calmer bedtime routines. These short, engaging videos are available here: www.Parentingsmart.place2be.org.uk 

  • Online parenting course – This free online parenting course has been developed by Place2Be, in partnership with SLAM (South London and Maudsley-NHS Foundation Trust), and is based on tried and tested techniques and experiences from supporting children, young people and their families. The course is designed to support parents and carers of primary-age children in their parenting journey: www.place2be.org.uk/family 

  • Family Practitioner – there is access to a Place2Be Family Practitioner to provide dedicated advice and support for parents and carers in primary schools. 

  • Supporting your child’s mental health – There is more information on the Place2Be website for how to support your child’s mental health, including links to other organisations who can be contacted: www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/parents-and-carers/supporting-your-child-s-mental-health 

 

  • Guidance, training and safeguarding advice for staff – our mental health professionals share their expertise on issues such as managing and understanding behaviour, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), safeguarding and coping with staff stress. 

  • Support in a crisis – Place2Be works in partnership with Shout, a 24/7 text messaging service to support anyone in a crisis, anyone, anywhere: www.giveusashout.org 

For more information about Place2Be www.place2be.org.uk

As we approach the cold weather, please ensure your child has appropriate weather clothing, hats and gloves.

The January menu will be posted shortly, so please sit with your child to pre-order hot lunches to ensure they can eat a warm meal throughout the day.

Please remember we are a NUT FREE SCHOOL.

 

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Year Three

Yassin

 

Year Four

Tiana

Year Five

Kurtis

 

Year Six

Justin

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Moya, the Luck Child by Malachy Doyle 

 

This book is about a character called Moya who tries to escape an evil queen. She is known as a lucky child as luck follows her wherever she goes. I really enjoyed reading this book.  

 

By Marilena 3F 

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UK Day - Year 5
All Day
08
December
Lighthouse Swimming Lesson
10:30am – 11:30am
09
December
Christmas Dinner Day for all pupils - Book on day in class
11:45am – 1:30pm
10
December
Christmas Dinner All classes - Book during registration [In-person]
11:45am – 1:30pm
10
December
iSingPop Show [In-person]
4:00pm – 5:00pm
10
December
William's Winter Wonderland
3:30pm – 5:30pm
11
December
Williams Winter Wonderland [In-person]
3:30pm – 5:30pm
11
December
Christmas Jumper Day
All Day
12
December
iRock Show / Celebration assembly [In-person]
9:30am – 10:30am
12
December
Christmas Church Service Y3-4
9:30am – 10:30am
16
December
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Year Three

It has been a very busy but enjoyable week in Year Three. 

What we have learnt about this week 

In English we have planned and written an informal letter. This is for this half term’s written assessment task, and we are looking forward to seeing how the pupils have progressed in their writing so far and learning what we will need to focus on next term 

In our maths lessons, we have moved onto multiplication, and we have looked at making groups, odd and even numbers, sharing and multiples of 2.  

In geography, the children were introduced to grid references for locating features on a map and in science we continued our investigations into light and which materials create the best shadows. 

The children have enjoyed learning new songs ready for our iSing Pop concert next week.  

 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week we will learn about the features of a postcard and then we will then plan and write our own postcard. 

In maths we are continuing with multiplication and will be primarily focussing on multiplying and dividing by 3. 

We will begin our design and technology work by learning some simple sewing stitches ready to design and make our own Egyptian collar. 

In history we will consider who made the pyramids. 

Year Four 

Year 4 have worked incredibly hard this week and shown great focus across all subjects. 

What we have learnt about this week 

In English, the children planned a continuation of the story from Journey to Jo’burg, thinking carefully about what might happen next and how to keep the tone and characters consistent. 

In Maths, we explored the 3-, 6- and 9-times tables through problem-solving activities, including word problems and challenges that really tested reasoning skills. 

In RE, we looked at the different types of books in the Bible. The children were fascinated to discover that it includes books of poetry, law and history, among others. 

We’ve also been busy practising for our upcoming I-Sing Pop performance, which promises to be a joyful celebration! 

To finish the week, we celebrated India Day. The children looked amazing in their colourful outfits and enjoyed a range of creative activities, including cooking and making beautiful diva lamps. 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week in English, we will be writing our own continuation of Journey to Jo’burg, bringing the children’s plans to life in full stories. 

In Maths, we will continue working on multiplication and division, building confidence and fluency through problem-solving activities. 

In RE, we will learn about Mary Jones, a Welsh girl who lived over 200 years ago. Mary longed to own a Bible in her own language, so she saved for years and eventually walked 26 miles barefoot to buy one. Her determination inspired the founding of the Bible Society, which works to make Bibles available around the world. 

We’ll also carry on practising for our Christmas performance and enjoy a festive Christmas Dinner on Wednesday. 

Finally, remember that Friday is Christmas Jumper Day – we can’t wait to see everyone’s colourful and creative jumpers! 

Year Five

As we entered Advent this week, the school is already beginning to feel Christmassy! However, in classes, the Year 5 children have still been working hard. 

What we have learnt about this week 

In English we have been using our descriptive writing skills to describe a setting, including figurative language, and one of the main characters from our shared reading book, ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’.  

In maths we have been ordering and comparing fractions as well as using our knowledge of equivalent fractions to begin the addition of simple fractions. 

In geography, we have written information booklets as part of our mantle of being a relocation consultant for a family. 

In history, we have been discovering what runes were and how Anglo-Saxons wrote things down. 

We have been starting to learn some of the songs (and actions) for the iSingPop Christmas concert next week, which has been great fun! 

What we will learn about next week 

In English we will be writing information sheets for Refugee Support workers using the information and knowledge we have gained from ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’ book this term. 

In maths, we will continue with the addition and subtraction of fractions. 

Our geography topic about the United Kingdom will conclude with UK Day on Monday. 

As part of our food technology studies, we are expecting a visitor from Billingsgate Fish Market to come into school on Thursday morning to share information about preparing and cooking fish. With all that and our iSingPop Christmas concert and Winter Wonderland to look forward to, next week looks set to be a busy one! 

Year Six

Despite heading into December and looking forward to the various Christmas related events that will be happening in school over the coming weeks, the Year 6 children have been really focused and worked hard across the curriculum. 

What we have learnt about this week 

The children have continued working hard in their English lessons.  They have used the school IPads to research climate change and the devasting effects it is having on the world’s polar bear population.  They then used this research to plan a powerful speech which they will complete next week.  In maths, the children have completed their unit of work examining fractions and have made great progress in their confidence in tackling these questions.  In science, the children have investigated the effect of the number of batteries on the brightness of a bulb in a circuit.  Although not all groups had the same results, the children explored reasons for their differences and eventually developed a conclusion based on the majority’s results. 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week in English, the children will write and edit their powerful speeches about the effect of climate change on polar bears.  In maths, we shall be moving on to a new topic – units of measure.  We will be completing our final pieces of work in our history and geography lessons and then begin bringing all of the new knowledge discovered over the autumn term to create our show-piece mantle of expert creations. 

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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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Upcoming dates 23/12/25 and 31/12/25 

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