Newsletters

23/24 - Summer 2, Week 7

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Dear parents and carers,

This will be the last newsletter of this term and, indeed, academic year. As always, it has been an incredibly busy term full of a lot of fun and enjoyment - from our new learning with Lego to trips to France.  We enjoyed productions, celebratory events and sports days.  Pupils have experienced visits to Walton-on-the-Naze, local schools and Colchester Castle.  However, we have also faced challenges, such as our OFSTED inspection, which, thankfully went well.

We also now have to say goodbye to our fantastic year six cohort who move on to secondary school - a momentous jump in their educational journey.  This cohort has always been a bit special to me as they joined the school at the same time as me!  Within their first year here they were subjected to two Covid lockdowns along with endless isolation through the old 'bubble system' - remember that?!  They have seen many of the changes that have occurred acorss the school but also put up with the most disruption: from a new roof being installed over several months to repair works taking our hall out of action following the school flood of summer 2021.   They have also been the first to experience some of our experiences we have brought in - being the first group of younger children to attend our day trip to France as we came out of the pandemic.

And through it all, they have grown in character, resilience, tenacity and ability through their ability to work diligently, act generously and live at peace with each other.  Not only have they achieved the highest SATS scores within the past six-seven years but I do believe we have had the lowest level of suspension and behaviour incidents within year six certainly since my time here.  Credit here too has to go to the staff across the school who have worked tirelessly to aid the pupils in achieving these great things!

And that is not all.  Before leaving, year six worked hard to produce a fantastic production for us to enjoy - with a real tear-jerker of a song at the end!  Their singing and acting talents were phenomenal and I know the whole school community enjoyed the show.  Well done to the year six team in getting this ready so soon to the end of SATS.

Finally, I hope you all enjoyed FordFest.  This year we raised an amazing £1460 that we can use to support families in financial difficulty to access our school experiences! I really do believe each year this just gets better and better.  I have received lots of feedback from parents - all very much positive with a few tweaks we will take on board for next year.  Our pupil flash mob dance was a particular hit! Again, well done to the staff, particularly the office, for the organising and smooth running of this fantastic event. 

So, there we are.  We have reached the end.  Please remember that school closes at 1:30pm on Wednesday 24th July.  This day will be a non-uniform day and year six are welcome to bring in school shirts for their peers to sign.  School reopens to pupils at 8:35am on Thursday 5th September.  But for now, I will leave you with this message, particularly for our year six parents...

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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Thank you to all parents and pupils who attended the Ford Fest this week. It was so lovely to see you all enjoying yourselves. 

I want to take this opportunity to say a huge well done to all the children for all their hard work this year and a big thank you to all the parents and carers for the ongoing support you give your children at home. 

Have a lovely summer and we will see you in September!

Thank you year 6 parents and pupils.

As this is the last newsletter for our current year 6 pupils I would like to take a moment and say a huge thank you to all of our wonderful year 6 parents for your kindness, support and feedback.

It feels like only yesterday when you trusted us with your children. They have seen all the amazing changes at WIlliam Ford over the last 4 years.

We would like to wish the pupils of year 6 the best of luck at their new schools. You will all be missed. 

 

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This week, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' has been recommended. 

This is a fun and interesting book set in a chocolate factory. There are lots of descriptions and fun characters along the way. I particularly enjoyed this book because I love chocolate!

Avani 5A

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School Reports to be sent home
All Day
19
July
Year 6 production time tbc
All Day
19
July
Year 6 End of Year Production
1:30pm – 3:00pm
19
July
Parents Evening to discuss reports
3:30pm – 4:30pm
22
July
Year 6 Leavers Assembly - Playground -
2:00pm – 3:00pm
23
July
Last Day of Term - Finish at 1.30pm
8:30am – 1:30pm
24
July
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19 Jul 2024
Ford Fest 2024
This week Cherie, Mercy and Ayaana from 4D tell us about Ford Fest
Read more
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Year Three

Intro

What we have learnt about this week

This week we have had a busy week in year 3 with the children taking part in their first sports day at William ford. The children were all amazing and participated extremely well in all the different sporting activities. 

This was followed by a fun-filled afternoon at Ford Fest where the children enjoyed playing on the inflatables, having their faces painted, playing some exciting games, and enjoying all the sweet treats!   

Within the classrooms, children have continued to work hard in all areas of the curriculum. Within maths, we have continued on our shape topic, looking at angles and turns which they have enjoyed. 

What we will learn about next week

Next week the children will complete their shape unit in maths by exploring making 3D shapes. 

They will also be coming to the end of their history unit on the Ancient Greeks by considering the legacy of these people on our lives today. We will also be finishing our fieldwork lessons in geography by comparing the data we took in Walton-on-the-Naze to Dagenham.

Year Four 

It has been another busy and eventful week for year 4 !

What we have learnt about this week

In Year 4, we are thrilled to share the latest updates from our busy and vibrant classrooms. The children gave the whole school an outstanding performance in their recorder concert, showcasing the remarkable progress they have made since September. In Maths, the focus has been on mastering the concept of money, while in Design Technology, collaborative efforts have resulted in the creation of impressive 3D models of the rainforest. In the Guided Reading sessions we continued to read our novel"Explorer", which the child found fascinating. Furthermore, this week was especially exciting as we celebrated Ford Fest, bringing a perfect end to our eventful week.

What we will learn about next week

Next week in Year 4, we have an exciting week ahead. In Maths, we will be completing our unit on money, mastering those all-important counting skills and problem-solving with different currencies. In English, the children will be finishing their information text on the Amazon rainforest, showcasing their research and writing skills.

Year Five

It has been a very busy week across the school and in Year 5. Sports Day was fantastic. It was great to see so many children cheering on their classmates and having fun in the activities. Another great day was had at Ford Fest, where Year 5 sold drinks. Thank you to all the children that helped out on the stall. We were very busy in that heat!

What we have learnt about this week

This week in English the children have been planning and beginning to write their own 'wonder' to go in a class 'Book of Wonders', based on our class text, The Nowhere Emporium. The children have had to use their imagination to creat their own amazing world behind a door. They look incredible and we can't wait to see the finished results next week.

In maths, the children have been furthering their knowledge of division by using long division with calculations that may have remainders.

In computing, the children have come to the end of their unit by looking at how to use binary to write messages.

What we will learn about next week

Next week we will be finishing our 'Wonders', including sketches of different elements of what will be inside their rooms.

In maths, we will be finishing the year with some final arithmetic focus.

Year Six

It is very sad to be coming to the end of our time with the Year 6 pupils. However, we are sure they will move on and achieve great success at their new secondary schools.

What we have learnt about this week

This week, class 6B visited the Heathway to carry out the geographical enquiry that they planned in class.  In science, the children have made video recordings of their findings on the impact of diet and exercise choices on the human body.  In R.E. the children have learned about the different types of service that Sikhs perform as part of their religion.  Of course, there has been lots of practice of the Year 6 production that the children performed today.  It was a fantastic performance and this was due to the hard work they have all put into it over the last few weeks.  The children were also lucky enough to have a transition workshop taken by Reverend Joel Edwards to help them take their next steps in their move up to secondary school.

What we will learn about next week

Next week, classes 6I and 6F will visit the Heathway as part of their geography study of the local area.  The children will also have their leavers' service where they will get to say their goodbyes to old school friends and teachers before taking their next step into secondary school.  We hope the children look back at their time at William Ford with fond memories and look forward to them popping back to visit us in their smart secondary school uniforms.  

 

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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

3F

Name: Avantika

For: always working dilgently and being a great role model.

 

Name: Arya 

For: acting generously all year.

 

Name: Alexandra L

For: living at peace in the classroom and playground.

3M

Name: Dwayne

For: listening to advice and acting upon it and for always wanting to achieve his best.

Name: Ellianah

For: always being friendly, caring and supportive of her classmates, especially during sports day.

Name: Alex

For: being calm, thoughtful and calm.

3N

Name: Abigail

For: always working to the best of her ability.

Name:  Christabel

For: being kind and helpful in class.

Name: Umayma

For: a peaceful approach to lessons.
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Four

4D

Name: Cairon

For: working well as part of a group and showing good leadership skills

 

Name: Nathan

For: being kind and helpful to others

 

Name: Dhruv

For: always working hard and promoting peace and kindness

4IW

Name: Everyone

For: working hard all year and making great progress.

Name: Everyone

For: being patient and kind to all class members. 

Name: Everyone 

For: Promoting excellent behaviour within the classroom and having a 'ready to learn' attitude.

4W

Name: Demilade

For: working diligently and writing a great informational report about the Amazon.

Name: Azraq

For: acting genrously and giving all his time to help at Ford Fest. 

Name: Deba

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

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Five

5A

Name: Jerry

For: producing brilliant work in History and Maths this week.

 

Name: Cherish

For: being a supportive member of the class during sports day.

 

Name: Fiona

For: always being a calm influence in the classroom.

5H

Name: Dylan

For:  great effort with his writing this week.

Name:  Kendra

For:  always being kind when working with others.

Name: Shekinah

For: her quiet, calm manner in class.

5P

Name: Harley

For: working really hard in English to produce a great start to his 'Wonder'.

Name: Bobby

For: showing great kindness and support to classmates during sports day.

Name: Chizaram

For: showing a vast improvement in her focus, living at peace within the classroom.
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Six

6B

Name: Robert

For: his focus and determination to work hard in lessons.

 

Name: Maddie

For: excellent peer relationships and hard work over the year.

 

Name: Aimee

For: her peaceful outlook and hard work over the year.

6F

Name: Clara

For: great confidence during her performance, learning extra parts. 

Name: Soma

For: being helpful during rehearsals.

Name: Aiden

For: setting a great example during rehearsals. 

6I

Name: Aaban

For: Growing in confidence and speaking more to adults.

Name: Joy

For: For always being helpful and working to the best of her ability.

Name: Kaiona

For: Always being thoughtful and considerate.
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