Newsletters

25/26 - Spring 2, Week 4

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Dear parents and carers,

Firstly, I would like to apologise once again for the disruption caused by the closure of the school on Tuesday and Wednesday. This decision was taken at very short notice and we appreciate the inconvenience this will have caused families.

What initially appeared to be a straightforward boiler fault developed into a wider issue affecting the gas supply to the school. Engineers worked throughout both days to resolve this and I am pleased to share that gas was successfully restored shortly after lunchtime on Thursday.

School closures are extremely rare and decisions of this nature are never taken lightly. On this occasion, the decision was made in line with government guidance and in consultation with the Local Authority and the Diocese to ensure the safety of all pupils and staff.

Despite this disruption, we were delighted that our Year 5 pupils were still able to attend their visit to see The Lion King in London’s West End. This was a fantastic experience, enriching both their literacy and music curriculum. It also supports our wider vision of raising aspirations by exposing pupils to a range of careers within the performing arts industry, including roles such as stage management, lighting and sound, costume design and production. With major film and media developments taking place locally in Dagenham, this is an exciting and relevant sector for our pupils’ futures.

We are very proud of the wide range of educational visits and experiences we offer, including residentials, concerts, theatre trips and international visits. However, we are increasingly concerned about the number of pupils being collected significantly late following school trips.

This is not acceptable. Staff give their time willingly to provide these opportunities, often working well beyond the school day and travelling long distances home. Late collection places an unfair burden on them.

We are also encountering situations where we are unable to contact parents because telephone numbers are incorrect, unavailable, or calls and messages are not being responded to. In some cases, this has had to be reported to children’s services as a safeguarding concern.

If there were to be an emergency involving your child, it is essential that we are able to contact you immediately.

Therefore, I must ask all parents to ensure that:

  • The school holds up-to-date and working contact numbers

  • There is always a named adult who can be contacted during the school day and during trips

  • Messages from the school are checked promptly

  • Children are collected on time following trips and events

Thank you for your support in keeping all of our pupils safe.

This week, we were also delighted to welcome Rajiv Garodia into school, who spoke to pupils about his role working with Visa. He provided a fascinating insight into global finance and how money moves around the world, helping pupils to understand the many career opportunities within large international organisations. You can read more about his visit below.

Our Year 4 pupils are continuing their preparations for our Easter celebration, which will take place on Wednesday. We look forward to welcoming many of you to this special event.

In Collective Worship this week, we have been reflecting on the value of repentance and the importance of saying sorry when we get things wrong. We have explored how this helps us to grow, restore relationships and move forward positively.

Finally, a reminder that school will close early at 1:30pm next Friday. Please ensure that your child is collected promptly.

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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World Down Syndrome Day is held on 21st March to symbolise the, “triplication” (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome, which causes the genetic condition. March is the 3rd month, and 21 represents the 21st chromosome. 

This year we are asking children to grow sunflowers in honour of someone they may know in school, at home or in their community with Down’s Syndrome. 

You can find out more about the condition here: https://21together.org.uk/

 

 

🎭🌷 YEAR 4 EASTER PERFORMANCE 🌷🎭

🌼🐰 You are warmly invited to a joyful Easter celebration! 🐰🌼
Come and enjoy a fantastic performance by our talented Year 4 pupils, sharing the Easter story through music, acting, and creativity.

📅 Date: Wednesday 25th March
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM
📍 Location: Large School Playground

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🎩🌸 EASTER HAT / BONNET COMPETITION 🌸🎩

Get creative and design your own Easter hat or bonnet!
🐣🌼🥚 Think bright colours, flowers, chicks, and Easter eggs! 🥚🌼🐣

🏆 Prizes will be awarded for the most creative designs!
👒 All children are encouraged to take part.

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🐣 We look forward to celebrating with you! 🐣
Parents, carers, and families are all welcome.

✨🌷 Let’s make this Easter extra special together! 🌷

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Year Three

PHILIP

Year Four

EVOLET

Year Five

AZOWA

Year Six

AJ

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Weirdo 3 extra weird! & 4 super weird by Anh Do 

 

This is a funny book to read as the main character Weir gets up to a lot of mischief.  

My friend received this book from Santa and recommended I read it and now I think others should also read it too! 

 

Joy 3F 

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Swimming Y5 Group 1
9:00am – 10:30am
24
March
Swimming Y5 Group 2
9:45am – 11:45am
24
March
Easter Celebration Event (time TBC)
9:00am – 10:00am
25
March
SEN Bikeability Riding Lesson
1:00pm – 3:00pm
25
March
Scandinavian Food Tasting - Year 4
1:30pm – 3:00pm
25
March
Last Day of Term - Early finish 1.30pm
1:30pm – 2:00pm
27
March
Half Term
All Day
from 30 Mar until 10 Apr
30
March
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20 Mar 2026
Reward Green Point Cinema Trip
We hear from the 'Green Point Heroes' about their reward trip.
Read more
19 Mar 2026
Rajiv Garodia inspires William Ford pupils with lessons on finance, determination and global careers
Another inspiring careers talk at William Ford
Read more
12 Mar 2026
Margaret Mullane MP inspire pupils about careers in politics
Learning about careers in politics 
Read more
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Year Three

The children have been working hard despite the unusual week we have had! 

What we have learnt about this week 

In English, children learnt about the use of apostrophes for singular possession. They have also planned and written a description of a new superhero or God based on characters in the book. In maths, children began learning about perimeter and learnt how to calculate it. In history, children learnt about Alexander the Great and how he was significant during the Ancient Greek civilization. In RE, children learnt about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, they presented their understanding and knowledge by creating a poster detailing the events and how they are celebrated.   

What we will learn about next week 

Next week, children will plan and write a recount about events the main character gets up to in the book Here Comes Hercules. In maths, children will consolidate their understanding of perimeter by measuring the perimeter of different shapes. In geography, children will explore the impact of the volcano erupting on their island. In computing, children will begin to create their book trailer based on Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx, 

Year Four 

We have had an eventful week! The pupils returned to school with a great attitude towards their learning.  

What we have learnt about this week 

In Maths, children have continued to work on their fractions unit. Children have been comparing and ordering mixed numbers, and they have also been completing number lines with mixed numbers. In history children discovered who the Romans were and created a human timeline using cards and key dates. In French, children learned about the months of the year. In RE, children worked in groups and retold the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet. They were able to understand the act of humility and love. 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week we will continue to rehearse for our production. Children will be looking at open and closed switches in science and will be recognising that a switch opens and closes a circuit. In Computing children will be producing their own spreadsheet based on their research. In History, children will continue to learn about the Romans. We are looking forward to another productive week of great learning.  

Please remind children to bring in empty plastic bottles for our science unit.  

Year Five

The children had a fantastic and engaging week in Year 5, filled with exciting learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. 

What we have learnt about this week 

They enjoyed a fantastic trip to the Lyceum Theatre to watch the West End show The Lion King. In English, they created similes inspired by My Troubles Are Like Sumo Wrestlers and wrote their own stanzas in pairs. In Maths, they practised rounding decimals to the nearest whole number and one decimal place. In Science, they investigated the best materials to use during food preparation. In RE, they debated who was responsible for the death of Jesus Christ, and in Computing, they planned their own alien stop motion animations. It has been a great week of learning! 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week, the children will continue their exciting learning across the curriculum. In English, they will write their own stanzas of the poem and perform them as raps. In Maths, they will be learning about percentages and how to express percentages as fractions. In Computing, the children will create their own alien stop motion animations. In History, they will design leaflets about the Vikings using all the knowledge they have gained this half term. In Geography, the children will compare the cities of New York City and London. In PE, the children will attend their final swimming lesson. 

Year Six

It’s been a slightly unusual week with a couple of days out of school, but the pupils returned in great spirits and settled back into their learning routines quickly.  

What we have learnt about this week 

Year 6 have continued their preparation for SATs, with a strong focus on developing their comprehension skills and deepening their understanding of grammar. The children have been working hard to apply their knowledge more confidently and accurately. 

In Maths, we have been exploring angles, building both understanding and precision, while also continuing to strengthen our mental arithmetic skills through regular practice. In shared reading, we are continuing our work on The Highwayman, where pupils have been engaging thoughtfully with the text and beginning to explore characters and themes in more depth. 

Overall, Year 6 have had a very positive and productive week—well done to everyone for their continued effort and focus! 

What we will learn about next week 

Looking ahead to next week, we will continue our focused preparation for SATs, as it is the final week before the Easter break. The children will be encouraged to give their very best effort, consolidating their learning and approaching each task with confidence and determination. 

In English, we will begin writing our own narrative poems based on The Highwayman. The children have worked hard to develop their ideas and understanding of the text, and we are looking forward to seeing their creativity and expression come through in their writing. 

In Maths, our focus will shift to position and direction, where pupils will be working with co-ordinates and applying their knowledge in a range of contexts. In RE, we will complete our final lesson on the Salvation topic, continuing to explore Gospel narratives about Jesus and deepening our understanding of their meaning. 

We are looking forward to another positive and productive week with the children. 

 

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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!