Newsletters

25/26 - Spring 1, Week 2

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Dear parents and carers,

As we move into the second week of term at William Ford, it has been lovely to see the children settling back into routines and school life so quickly.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and engagement with the school. Working in close partnership with families remains vital to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our pupils.

Final call: Parent survey

This is now the final call for responses to our parent survey. We have received around 50 responses so far, but we would really like to increase this, particularly from Year Six families.

Every response is read individually by the leadership team. Feedback has already helped us identify areas for improvement, as well as aspects of our provision that parents value and want us to protect. It is also a pleasure to share positive comments directly with class teachers. The survey is anonymous, and while we ask for your child’s class, this is optional and simply helps us target improvements and share praise more accurately.

If you have not yet completed the survey, we would be very grateful if you could spare a few minutes to do so.

Survey link: https://forms.office.com/e/dyPLPw3FD4

A week of positive feedback

It has been a fantastic week at William Ford. We have welcomed a number of visitors into school, all of whom have commented very positively on our provision, particularly for neurodivergent pupils and those with special educational needs.

We have also had colleagues from the local authority quality assure our work. They provided extremely strong feedback, especially around our curriculum approach, how we meet the needs of all pupils, and the strength of our extensive enrichment programme. Alongside this, they shared helpful suggestions about how we can continue to develop the school further, which we welcome.

Rights Respecting Assembly

On Monday, our collective worship focused on a Rights Respecting Assembly led by Mrs Buckingham. Pupils learnt that special educational needs and neurodiversity are protected rights, and that appropriate provision must be made to support everyone. this included the difference between equality and equity This linked closely with our collective worship themes of new beginnings and British values.  Our current article is: A child with a disability has the right to live a full and decent life with dignity and, as far as possible, independence and to play an active part in the community - article 23 UN charter for rights of the child.

Equity vs. Equality: What's the Difference?

Year Five staffing update

We are aware that there have been some questions and comments regarding Miss Ibukun’s absence in Year Five. Children within 5I and Year Five generally we be aware that Miss Ibukun has been absent since just before Christmas. Unfortunately, when a member of staff is required to take a longer period of absence, this can sadly lead to rumours occuring.

We would therefore like to be very clear. Miss Ibukun has been called away to care for a very seriously ill family member. During this difficult time, the school is fully supporting her and her family. We are sure she would appreciate your prayers and good wishes.

We have carefully observed and recruited a regular agency teacher to cover the class during Miss Ibukun’s absence. This followed observing several staff and ensuring we appointed the right person to provide consistency and continuity for the children.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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Psalm 139:14 Wall Art, 11"x14" I am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Ready to Frame Print – Watercolor Flowers Biblical Art Wall Décor for Home, Ideal for Spiritual or Religious Women : Amazon.co.uk:

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The Behaviour Iceberg 

Children’s behaviour is like an iceberg. What we see above the surface—tantrums, tears, refusal or withdrawal—is only a small part of the picture. 

Under the surface are the reasons behind the behaviour, such as big feelings, tiredness, hunger, sensory overload, changes at home, or difficulty communicating needs. These hidden factors are often much bigger than the behaviour itself. 

When we look beyond the behaviour and ask “What is my child trying to tell me?”, we can respond with understanding and support. Remember, all behaviour is a form of communication.  

If you would like any help or support with strategies to support you child at home, please get in touch with  myself, Mrs Finch or Mrs Noakes. 

 

 

We will be launching our France Day Trip on June 5th 2026.

We only have 40 spaces and the space can be secured with a small deposit of £40 / £30 for pupil premium will be payable by 31ST January 2026 to hold the space. Prompt response is essential.

Once the deposit payment is received instructions for our payment plan will be emailed to you.

The outstanding balance must be paid by 15th May 2026.

They will visit a Waffle Factory, where they will learn the art of making waffles. After our baking session, we will then head to Pizza La Nonna where we will enjoy a delicious lunch before visiting Le Touquette Beach and town. We will have time to practice our conversational French as well as witness the stunning seaside views.

Keep an  eye on your emails 

Don't forget our

LIGHTHOUSE TUCK SHOP

every Tuesday 

at breaktime.

only 50P per item 

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Year Three

Kaleb

Year Four

Kris

Year Five

Sofia

Year Six

Kayla

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We are very fortunate at William Ford to have a library filled with a range of different books for all children. These books are chosen by the children taken home to read. Each child has a reading record to record when they read at home, you can encourage reading at home by signing this record book. Children are to then show this to their teacher.   

 

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Young Voices performance
All Day
19
January
Swimming Y5 Group 1
9:00am – 10:30am
20
January
Swimming Y5 Group 2
9:45am – 11:45am
20
January
Cinderella PWC Panto [In-person]
3:00pm – 6:30pm
21
January
WF vs St Peters
3:00pm – 3:30pm
23
January
Swimming Y5 Group 1
9:00am – 10:30am
27
January
Swimming Y5 Group 2
9:45am – 11:45am
27
January
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09 Jan 2026
Inspiring careers visit from cybersecurity entrepreneur Simon Lacey
Learning about careers in cyber security
Read more
09 Jan 2026
Colombia Day Learning
Ela, Keyanna and Eshaal from year 3 show their Colombian inspired artwork
Read more
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Year Three

It has been another great week of work in year 3! 

What we have learnt about this week 

This week in English, children learnt all about the interesting wildlife that live amongst us in London. They used this information to write a summary and descriptive paragraph. In maths, children focused on the multiplication facts for the 8 times tables as well as using the inverse to find division facts. In Science, children used Lego to show the different types of rocks. Children began the new geography unit where they created their own class island!  

What we will learn about next week 

Next week in year 3, we will begin to explore diary writing, looking at the features as well as planning their own diary entry based around the book Wild Cities. In maths, children will begin to use their times tables to multiply a 2digit number by a 1-digit number without exchange. In history, children continue to learn about Ancient Egypt, this week they will be learning about the gods and goddesses. Lastly in RE, children will continue to explore Judaism and learn about the torah.  

Year Four 

It’s been a good and busy week in year 4. 

What we have learnt about this week 

This week in English, children continued reading their text ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ and then went on to describe two characters. They used their descriptions to create descriptive sentences using pronouns. In Maths, the children multiplied by 10 and 100 and divided by 10 and 100. Children experimented with rice on a drum and a tuning fork dipped in water to demonstrate that sound is caused by vibrations. Children began their new Geography unit by locating Scandinavia and the UK on a world map. In RE, children identified places of worship and completed an activity.  

What we will learn about next week 

Next week in year 4, we will begin to plan our own dragon description. In maths, children will begin to look at related facts and use their times tables to multiply a 2digit number by a 1-digit number and a 3digit. Children will continue with exploring sound in science where we will begin to look at pitch. In history, children will learn about who the Archer is and why he was significant. In RE, Amesbury children will collect and interpret evidence on different places of worship. They will then design their own place of worship.   

Year Five

Everyone is now settled back and working hard for the Spring term. 

What we have learnt about this week 

As part of our P.E., we enjoyed our first swimming session this week. Well-done to everyone who remembered their swim kit, towel and swimming hat!  

In English we have continued reading and discussing ‘Beowulf’ and writing summaries of the story. In Maths, we have started our new topic for multiplication and division. We have begun to multiply larger numbers by single digit numbers and 2-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers. In science we have been investigating air resistance and gravity and coming up with our own enquiry questions. During R.E. we thought about people who have inspired us and influenced us in our lives, as well as those who might be inspired by us! 

  

What we will learn about next week 

Next week in Year 5, we will be exploring descriptive writing about some of the characters in Beowulf for English. In maths, we will continue to develop our multiplication skills by multiplying larger numbers by 2-digits and problem solving with multiplication. We will also begin our new Geography topic about North America and research the Vikings for history. Our science will involve thinking about a plan for an investigation for testing parachutes! 

Year Six

What we have learnt about this week 

In English, the children have made a terrific start to writing their diary entries, confidently expressing themselves through thoughtful questions, well-developed ideas, and emotive language. In Religious Education, we have begun our new topic Life After Death, where pupils are exploring a range of worldviews and analysing what different beliefs say about the afterlife. The children have approached this topic with maturity and curiosity and are thoroughly enjoying their discussions. 

In Science, Year 6 have continued their role as investigators in a crime-scene enquiry, attempting to uncover the thief who stole the laptop. Through this engaging context, they are exploring light, its strengths, and its limitations. Let’s hope they solve the case and identify the culprit soon. 

Year 6 have had a fantastic week overall — keep it up. 

 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week, in Art, the children will be studying a range of artists, learning about their lives and exploring their unique artistic styles. They will then use this knowledge to create their own pieces of artwork inspired by these styles. As part of our Rights Respecting work, we are focusing on Article 23 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which highlights the rights of children with disabilities. The children were introduced to this important right last week and have already shown great thoughtfulness and maturity in their discussions. 

Alongside this, we will continue our learning in English, Maths and Science as usual. Keep up the excellent work, Year 6. 

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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!