Newsletters

23/24 - Summer 2, Week 5

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Dear parents and carers,

OFSTED

Well, what an interesting and unexpected week.  As I am sure you are all aware, we were notified on Monday morning that the school was to experience its graded OFSTED inspection, which took place on Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd of July.  Rules and regulations around inspection prevent me from sharing any outcomes until the final report is published.  Needless to say, it was a very intense and involved process (hence I do not want to risk a re-inspection by sharing too much)!  What did make the inspection process so much easier for us all was the feedback that was shared with us: the comments made by pupils and parents - both through the surveys and in person with the inspectors.

The inspection was not unexpected.  It has been over ten years since William Ford was last inspected (including four different headteachers who, since then, have been in post).  I do not believe it is any secret or surprise to hear that back when I began at the school in 2020 (remember that time, during the pandemic?), it was clear that the school was in need of much modernisation and improvement.  And that is what we have done.  Many of you have been with us throughout this full journey and have seen how the school has transformed during this time due to the commitment, hard work and dedication of the staff.  But that is not all that has changed within the past ten years.  There have been three subsequent OFSTED frameworks during this time, each one becoming more progressively challenging for schools to hit those higher grades. 

That all said, I am immensely proud of the entire school community and how everybody came together to prepare for this inspection.  Many stayed late on Monday night to prepare, including staff whose pay is based on working set hours who voluntarily gave up their time to support teaching colleagues.  Everybody here has gone above and beyond and managed the inevitable levels of stress that an inspection can bring.  I also want to say again, thank you - both parents and pupils - for your support and encouragement during this challenging week.  Your support makes it all worthwhile.

Sadly, that is all I can share at this stage, and I am afraid that is all I am likely to be able to say before September as OFSTED do not release reports during the summer holiday.  

I do, though, look forward to being able to share this with you as soon as possible!     

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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As you can imagine, it has been a very busy week for staff and pupils, but we have lots of things happening before we break up for summer.

On Thursday 11th July we are holding our Year 6 leavers festival - tickets are available on ParentPay. There will be music games and general fun, a chance for our year six pupils to build memories with their friends before they embark on their secondary school education. 

On Friday 12th July our new pupils joining Year 3 in September will be coming in to spend time in their new classes.

On Wednesday 17th July 9.30-11.30 am is year 3 and 4 sports day and 1.00-3.00 pm for year 5 and 6. We would love to see as many parents there as possible supporting the pupils (do not forget your trainers for the parent race!)

Thursday 18th July is Ford Fest ( so no after-school clubs will be running on this day) wristbands for inflatables are £5 (on ParentPay) for William Ford Pupils and, as a special offer for any Year one and Year two Village Infant Pupils, there will be reduced price wristbands only £2 (Can be purchased from William Ford school office in cash)

Year 6 Parents especially for your diaries 

Friday 19th July at 1.30pm Our amazing Year 6 pupils will perform their leavers show 'Goodbye my Friend'

Tuesday 23rd July at 2pm We will be holding our year 6 leavers assembly and we finish on Wednesday 24th July at 1.30 pm

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This week, 'Mr Majeika' by Humphery Carpenter has been recommended. 

I am enjoying reading this book because it is funny and exciting. It is very interesting and it is set in a school.

Maddison 3F

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SEND Learning Plans on Provision Map
All Day
05
July
Y6 Temple Visit (6I)
10:00am – 12:00pm
05
July
I Rock Concert
10:00am – 11:00am
05
July
y6 Temple trip 6F
10:00am – 12:00pm
08
July
Y6 Temple Visit 6B
10:00am – 12:00pm
10
July
Year 6 leavers festival
4:30pm – 6:00pm
11
July
Pupil Voice - Thank you celebration party/treat
All Day
12
July
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04 Jul 2024
Walton on the Naze trip
This week, year three pupils tell us about their geography trip to the coast.
Read more
28 Jun 2024
Year Three Ancient Greek Day
This week Rodiatu in 3F tells us about Year 3's Ancient Greek day.
Read more
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Year Three

It has been an incredibly busy and stressful week, but the children have made us all so proud, from their enthusiasm and great behaviour on our trip to Walton to their interaction with the inspectors.

What we have learnt about this week

During our trip to Walton the children completed a shop survey, measured the water table and identified shells. They compared the two different beaches and were excited to see the crabs in the rock pools. 

In English, we have written a physical description of a dragon using similes, expanded noun phrases and alliteration.

In maths we have continued our work on money by completing a range of investigations.

In R.E we have considered why God chose Noah to help him. The pupils were really thoughtful when considering Noah's qualities. 

What we will learn about next week

In English, we will learn about adverbs in our grammar lesson. We will also add details of our dragon's character to our description. We will also begin to plan our final Year 3 assessment piece of writing. 

In maths, we will be beginning our work on shape.

In history, we will consider what like was like for children in the Ancient Greek period.

In music, we are continuing to look at ballads by learning David Boiwie's Space Oddity and discussing the story behind it.

 

Year Four 

In week has been a very busy for year 4. The children have made a great effort in all lessons this week.  

What we have learnt about this week

This week, in English, we have been crafting dramatic adventure stories set in the rainforest. 

In Maths, we have explored equivalent fractions, mastering, simplifying and comparing fractions.

In Geography we have been researching palm oil, discovering its impact on the environment and the importance of sustainable practices.

In history  we have been looking into why Romans departed Britain. 

What we will learn about next week

Next week in Art, we will be focusing on creating sculptures and models. This will be a fantastic opportunity for the children to explore their creativity and work on their fine motor skills.

In Maths, our focus will be on learning about time, including how to read a clock, understanding different units of time, and solving time-related word problems.

In English, we will be delving into the world of information texts. The children will learn how to effectively research, organise information, and present it clearly and concisely. It promises to be an engaging and productive week of learning ahead!

Year Five

Year 5 have made us proud this week with their behaviour and hard work, showing the Ofsted visitors what makes William Ford School an amazing place to be.

What we have learnt about this week

In English this week, the children have continued their role as journalists, writing, editing and publishing their newspaper reports. The results have been amazing. Who knew we had so many budding reporters in our midst!

The area of cuboids has been our focus in maths this week. The children have made comparisons to finding the area of 2D shapes and the volume of 3D shapes, as well and learning and implementing the formula involved in finding the volume.

Science this week has been creative. The children have been able to show their understanding of the life cycle of birds and reptiles using art.

What we will learn about next week

Next week in maths, the children will be looking at strategies they can use to improve their arithmetic skills.

In English next week, we will be coming towards the end of the book, The Nowhere Emporium, and the children will be writing their own ‘wonder’ to go in the Book of Wonders. They will be using all the creative writing skills to write the most imaginative wonder they can.

Year Six

This week, the Year 6 children worked really hard to show our Ofsted visitors how much progress they have made across the curriculum this year.

What we have learnt about this week

This week in English, the children have further developed their descriptive writing skills by reading a story start and then continuing the story with their own ideas.  Along the way, they have edited their work as they identified corrections and improvements that could be made.  In maths, the children were set the task of working on a budget to plan a disco for Year 6.  We await a response from Mr Huntingford!  In science, the children have researched the negative effects of drug and alcohol misuse, whilst in history the children have explored the suffragette movement and its impact on the right to vote we have today.  Class 6I were also lucky enough to visit a Gurdwara as part of our exploration of Sikhism in R.E.

What we will learn about next week

Next week, classes 6B and 6F will also have the opportunity to visit the Gurdwara in Barking.  In geography, the children will plan their enquiry ready for their visit within the local area.  In science, the children will begin to examine the impact of diet and exercise choices on the human body.  The children will continue to practise for their end of term production.  We would also like to remind you to ensure your child brings their full and correct P.E. kit on their allocated P.E. day.

 

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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

3FL

Name: Yunus

For: working hard to improve his behaviour.

 

Name: Angeline

For: being a helpful member of 3F.

 

Name: Evelina

For: living at peace and being a good role model.

3M

Name: Ade

For: an impressive improvement in creative writing this year.

Name: Gloria

For: always helping around the classroom and supporting her friends.

Name: McKelle

For: her perfect behaviour on the school trip but also in class during every lesson.

3N

Name: Martin

For: a good approach to all lessons this week.

Name:  Quinn

For: being kind and helpful, particularly in dance.

Name: Israel

For: a calm and thoughtful approach to all lessons.
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Four

4D

Name: Malachi

For: putting in great effort when writing his adventure story

 

Name: Collins

For: always being sensible, kind and helpful

 

Name: Cherie

For: living at peace and working well in all lessons

4IW

Name: Joseph

For: working hard in all lesson this week. 

Name: Ayaan

For: being kind and helpful around the class.

Name: Jada

For: always having a positive attitude to learning in class 

4W

Name: Lilly-Jean

For: working diligently and making progress when editing her literacy work.

Name: Will

For: writing an excellent adventure story.

Name: Manha

For: living at peace and working well in a team. 
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Five

5A

Name: Belita

For: working diligently and producing fantastic science work.

 

Name: Samuel

For: supporting others in the class. 

 

Name: Aisha

For: her calm attitude and influence in class.

5H

Name: Daniel

For: making a great effort with his writing this week.

Name: Anita

For: her generosity towards others in the classroom.

Name: Priscilla

For: her calm nature and sensible approach to all aspects of school life.

5P

Name: David

For: working really hard to create the final draft of his newsletter.

Name: Lillie

For: representing our class well when talking with our special visitors.

Name: Bobby

For: always respectfully listening to his classmates during discussions.
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Six

6B

Name: Dre

For: working especially hard in English.

 

Name: Khadeeja

For: being a great work partner.

 

Name: Zaiya

For: being an excellent role model.

6F

Name: Mwene

For: developing confidence when reading aloud.

Name: Julian

For: great teamwork when completing group work.

Name: Kebron

For: always being focused and ready to learn.

6I

Name: Corey

For: Great contribution to our discussion in science. You were fantastic. 

Name: Reggie

For: His funny responses in lessons and for always trying hard.

Name: Phoebe

For: Her confident explanation in PSHE.
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