Newsletters

24/25 - Spring 2, Week 1

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Dear Parents and Carers,

We hope you all had a restful half-term break. We have lots of exciting events planned in the run-up to Easter, including Parents’ Evening, our Easter celebration featuring the Year 4 retelling of the Easter story, and the Year 3 trip to France, amongst others. All dates and details for these events can be found on our school website: www.williamfordschool.co.uk.

Collective Worship

In Collective Worship this week, we continued exploring the theme of being peacemakers—encouraging everyone to seek peace rather than conflict. Sadly, last half-term saw a small number of pupils becoming more interested in arguments at break times instead of finding peaceful ways to solve problems. We talked about how conflict can make everyone unhappy, and we also discussed the importance of forgiveness in resolving our differences and moving forward.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
(Ephesians 4:32)

School Council Meeting

This week, I was privileged to meet with our School Council. The pupils had created some excellent PowerPoint presentations packed with thoughtful ideas on how to improve our school. Impressively, they took into account the financial constraints all schools face. I will be discussing their suggestions with staff at our next INSET day to see which we can implement.

Traffic on Ford Road

Parents will be aware that we sadly had two incidents involving cars and pupils on Ford Road in February. Along with Ford Road Nursery and Village Infants School, we are working with the council to find a manageable solution that allows staff to get to work, enables those who need to drive to safely drop off their children, and also reduces the amount of traffic on Ford Road. One solution is to use the car park off Siviter Way leading into Old Dagenham Park. This car park has no restrictions, and it is only a short three- to four-minute walk through the park to William Ford’s back gate.

We understand there are frustrations regarding traffic enforcement officers. These officers are employed by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and are not under our control. However, they have made it clear to me that their primary concern is with cars parked on the yellow zigzag lines or in resident-only bays for extended periods, rather than those who park responsibly and drop off quickly. That said, please be aware that the school cannot intervene if a different enforcement officer decides to issue a ticket. We appreciate your support in keeping all of our pupils safe and encourage you to consider alternative parking options whenever possible but also recognise some parents do travel some distance to attend our school.

Thank you for your continued cooperation. Let’s look forward to a productive and rewarding half term filled with peace, kindness, and a range of wonderful school events for everyone.

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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Please find here a range of free resources and videos to help your child who is dyslexic. 

Resources - Made By Dyslexia

The resources are really useful and there is also a range of courses should you want to learn about this specific learning difficulty yourself. 

Thank you all for the last week, it was a busy first week back.

Don't forget to allow your children to dress up for WORLD BOOK DAY on 6th March 2024 and encourage them use their imaginations to make the character their best one ever.

 

Year Three

 

 

Year Four

Year Five

 

 

Year Six

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The thief Lord by Comelia Funke 

 

It is about two orphaned children that are on the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways of the city. Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the thief lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema. This book is wonderful and by a bestselling international children author.  

 

Elliot 6I 

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World Book Week
8:00am – 8:30am
03
March
Snaresbrook court workshop -Y6
12:00pm – 4:30pm
03
March
World Book Week
8:00am – 8:30am
04
March
World Book Week
8:00am – 8:30am
05
March
Y5 Group 1 Swimming
9:30am – 10:30am
05
March
Y5 Swimming Group 2
10:30am – 11:30am
05
March
Royal Court of Justice visit - Y6
12:00pm – 4:30pm
05
March
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Year Three

It has been lovely to welcome the children back after a much needed half term.  

What we have learnt about this week 

In maths week have continues to learn about length and have practised converting between units of measurements which hasn’t been easy, but the children rose to the challenge. 

In English, we have started our new book ‘Here Comes Hercules.’ We have used the text to help develop the quality of our setting descriptions. The children used expanded noun phrases to improve their writing. 

We were lucky enough to have a virtual of the Bevis Marks Synagogue this week and we had the opportunity to pose questions to a member of the Jewish community. The children learnt a lot and explained their knowledge in a piece of written work. 

In geography the children designed their own volcanic island which they have made in the classroom. Our work over the next few weeks will focus on this island. 

What we will learn about next week 

In maths we will be learning about perimeter. 

In English we will be introducing the use of similes and metaphors and using this in a character description. 

In history we will be introducing our new topic and learning about the Ancient Greeks.

Year Four 

What we have learnt about this week 

In English, Year 4 are continuing to immerse themselves in the world of "How to Train Your Dragon." The children are currently planning and writing diary entries from the perspectives of Hiccup and Toothless, allowing them to explore character development and creative expression. 

In Maths, we are wrapping up our unit on fractions, focusing on subtracting fractions from both fractions and whole numbers. The students are developing their understanding of this important concept through practical problem-solving. 

In geography, we recently engaged in a lesson on trade with Scandinavia. The children learned about the why the UK trade with these countries and also looked at Scandinavia’s strong philosophy of being sustainable countries. 

In science, we explored how sound changes as it travels away from the source. The children conducted experiments to observe this phenomenon, reinforcing their understanding of sound waves. 

What we will learn about next week 

In English, the children will begin planning their own quest stories, drawing inspiration from the beloved characters in How to Train Your Dragon. This creative exercise will not only enhance their storytelling skills but also foster their imagination. 

In maths, we will start a new unit focused on decimals, where students will learn to understand and manipulate these concepts through engaging activities. 

As part of our geography curriculum, we will be undertaking a food tasting session to deepen our cultural understanding of Scandinavian society. This experiential learning opportunity promises to be both enjoyable and educational. In Religious Education, the children will commence lessons centred around the theme of Salvation as we approach Easter. 

Lastly, please remember that World Book Day is next week. We encourage everyone to engage in the various activities planned to celebrate the joy of reading! 

Year Five

It has been a great start back to the term and Year 5 pupils have shown enthusiasm and great effort in their learning.

What we have learnt about this week

This week in maths, we have been learning about decimals, fractions and the beginnings of percentages. Pupils have been learning how to find equivalents. 

In English and Reading, we have started our new book and topic: William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. We have been learning about all the characters and have also been learning about Shakespeare, resulting in the pupils writing a biography about William Shakespeare's life. 

In Science, we have begun our new topic: Animals, including humans, and have been learning about the different phases of the life cycle of humans. 

In Geography, pupils have been researching physical and human geography in North America. 

 

What we will learn about next week

Next week, pupils will be learning about idioms and the Shakespearean words and phrases, in English, as well as diving deeper into the book and learning about the tangling of love and mystery in A Midsummer Night's dream. 

In Maths, pupils will be looking at hundredths and thousandths as fractions.

In RE, pupils will be continuing their topic on Salvation, looking at the gospels and considering who was responsible for Jesus' death. 

We hope you have a wonderful weekend and look forward to seeing all Year 5 pupils on Monday! Please remember your swimming kits for Wednesday.

Year Six

What we have learnt about this week 

This week in PE, Year 6 began their dance unit, focusing on coordination and rhythm. In English, students explored the vocabulary in The Highwayman, summarizing key events from the poem in groups. We also focused on identifying adverbs and adverbials. In PSHE, we revisited the similarities and differences between Islam and other religions. In Maths, students ordered fractions, percentages, and decimals, worked out missing percentages, and calculated the area and perimeter of rectangular shapes, along with the area of triangles. 

What we will learn about next week 

Next week, we’re all excited for our Crown Court visit! In English, we’ll be analyzing the poetic devices in The Highwayman, identifying relative clauses, and revising our reading techniques. In Maths, we’ll focus on the area of a parallelogram, work with line graphs and dual bar charts, and practice reading and interpreting pie charts. It’s shaping up to be an exciting week ahead! 

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Each week, staff select three 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!

 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Three

3A

Name: Yahdeen

For: Working diligently in RE

 

Name:Daniella 

For: acting generously. Always happy help others.

 

Name: fatiym

For: Living at peace with everyone.

3F

Name: Victor

For: working diligently in geography to create a church for our volcanic island

Name: 

For: acting generously and helping others

Name: Maryum

For: being kind and helpful in the class

3M

Name: Reggie

For: working with greater independence in all subjects and for making fantastic improvement in maths

Name:  Esther

For: willingly offering her own time to help around the classroom.

Name: Hugo

For: having a fantastic work ethic and for being settled and organised at the beginning of every lesson.
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Four

4D

Name: Theo

For: great work in English this week.

 

Name: Arya

For: helping to tidy up around the classroom

 

Name: Elliah

For: being very polite and kind to everyone.

4IW

Name: Zion

For: his hard work in his maths work this week.

Name: Abby

For: is hard work in his maths work this week.

Name: Holly

For: always being polite and kind

4N

Name: Chidera

For: hard work in all lessons and for producing a beautiful Easter card

Name: Isabella

For: being kind and helpful around the classroom.

Name: Israel

For:  a calm approach to all lessons.
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Five

5H

Name: Abdullah

For: presenting his work neatly in English

 

Name: Florence

For: acting generously in a partnered writing activity

 

Name: Slav

For:always working calmly during partnered and group activities. 

5P

Name: Daimon

For: orking hard on his biography and producing a great piece of writing

Name:Munachimso 

For: Her great attitude to learning and making good progress in her writin

Name: Adesewa

For: always being happy to work with others and creating an effective voice over in geography

5W

Name: Ayaan

For: working diligently and putting lots of effort into his writing. 

Name: AJ

For: acting generously and concentrating better in class. 

Name: Mia S

For: living at peace and making good progress in swimming. 
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Six

6B

Name: Milana

For: Excellent effort and attitude towards her work.

 

Name: Kostya

For:  Sharing his ideas with the class.

 

Name: Lacie

For: Working quietly and calmly in lessons. 

6I

Name: Ayaan

For:  Being more focused during lessons.

Name: Samuel

For: Keeping us entertained with his funny stories during boosters

Name: Tilly

For: Always having a smile on her face and being kind to others

6L

Name: Daria

For: Working diligently in Maths lessons this week

Name: Daniel

For:  Being kind and helpful to oth

Name: Royal Praise

For: Promoting peace in sports activities this week
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