Newsletters

24/25 - Autumn1, Week 7

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Dear parents and carers,

It’s hard to believe how quickly this first half-term has flown by! We have much to celebrate and to be thankful for. Visitors to the school have been consistently impressed by what we offer, especially our recent renewal of the Inclusion Quality Mark and Centre of Excellence status. This recognition highlights our commitment to providing an inclusive, enriching environment for all pupils. We are equally proud of the career education opportunities we offer, ensuring our pupils are inspired and prepared for their futures and I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to share more about this at a recent conference and with many visitors. We have also featured in a publication!  Please see our news article below about FutureMinds magazine and how this celebrates our school's provision.

Our Year Three pupils have settled in beautifully this half term. It has been heartening to see them quickly adapt to the routines, forge new friendships, and engage with the exciting learning opportunities on offer. The positive feedback we’ve received from so many Year Three parents has been wonderful and encouraging. We truly appreciate your support, and it motivates us to continue striving for the best outcomes for your children. Seeing how quickly they have embraced school life is a testament to both their resilience and the strong partnership we have with our parents. Thank you once again for your kind words—they mean the world to us and push us to give our very best every day.

It was also wonderful to meet so many Year Six parents online as we prepare for the Trewern residential in the Black Mountains of South Wales during the week beginning 11th November. Residentials offer a wealth of benefits for our pupils. They build independence, allowing children to step outside their comfort zones, while fostering resilience and self-confidence. Many pupils will achieve things they never imagined possible, whether through outdoor challenges, team-building activities, or personal growth experiences. Residentials also help pupils strengthen friendships, develop leadership skills, and create memories that last a lifetime—experiences they can draw upon long into their futures.

This week in Collective Worship, we concluded our learning on Jonah. Joel from Dagenham Parish Church joined us to summarise the story, and it was truly inspiring to see how much the children had absorbed. Jonah’s journey teaches us valuable lessons about second chances, making the right choices, and trusting that, no matter the mistakes we make, we can always turn things around for the better. As we reflect on the story, I’d like to challenge each of us, adults and children alike, to think of a situation where we may have taken the wrong path and consider how we can put things right. Let’s see this next half-term as a fresh opportunity to make positive changes, whether at home, at school, or in our communities.

 

I pray you all have a wonderful weekend and half term break.

 

Mr. David Huntingford

Headteacher

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Items wanted! 

If anyone has any of the following items at home that they no longer want, please could you donate them to the Lighthouse. All donations would be greatly appreciated.

  • Working CD players
  • Baskets
  • Small plastic containers (old tupperware are perfect - lids not needed)
  • Arts and Crafts resources 

Your School Photograph is Ready!

Vancols Photographers are pleased to confirm that the School Photographs are ready to view using the QR code on your proof card.

If you have already scanned the QR code on the Proof and registered you will receive an auto email notification.

If you have not done it yet, don’t panic, you can still view by scanning the QR code on your Proof and following the instructions.

If by chance you have not received your Proof or it has been lost you can call Vancols Parent Line on 01206 273711, for class photos you will need the school number. For individual photographs you will need the pupil’s admission number from the school database.

Regards

Vancols Photographers

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Year Three

Hamza 3F

Year Four

Alexandra 4N

Year Five

Julia 5W

Year Six

Belita 6I

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Break up for Half Term @3.15pm
All Day
25
October
Black History Month
8:00am – 8:30am
From 01 Oct until 25 Oct
01
October
Autumn Half Term
All Day
From 28 Oct until 01 Nov
28
October
Children return to school @8.35am
All Day
04
November
Ben Kinsella Workshop Y6 class 1
10:00am – 12:30pm
05
November
Ben Kinsella Workshop Y6 class 2
10:00am – 12:30pm
06
November
Ben Kinsella Workshop Y6 class 3
10:00am – 12:30pm
07
November
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24 Oct 2024
Inclusion Quality Mark - Centre of Excellence
William Ford retains its Centre of Excellence status.
Read more
24 Oct 2024
In the press: Nurturing creativity and aspiration in primary schools
William Ford's provision appears in FutureMinds magazine
Read more
18 Oct 2024
Tailors at William Ford
This week Kostya and Jasmine from year 6 tell us about how they became tailors.
Read more
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Year Three

What a great final week this has been. The children have settled into William Ford school life amazingly and have worked diligently.

What we have learnt about this week

This week in maths, we began looking at subtraction with a focus on crossing 100s. We consolidated this towards the end of the week, and it was great to see the progress that they had made. In our English lessons, we have written a book review of Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx - the children loved this book, and we recommend looking at other books by the author. In science, the children became poo detectives and analysed some animal poo (fake of course!). The children were able to determine whether that poo came from a herbivore, carnivore or an omnivore.

What we will learn about next week

When the children return, we will begin our new book "Around the World in 80 days", which we are sure the children will love as it links to our geography unit this term. 

In maths, we will continue with addition and subtraction with a focus on compliments to 100 and inverse operations.

In science, we will begin our new unit 'Light', which we are sure the children will love. We will continue looking at Ancient Egypt in our history lessons. We will also begin to start designing Egyptian collars for our DT unit.

Year Four 

In this final week before half term, the children in year 4 have made a great effort in all the lessons. 

What we have learnt about this week

This week in Year 4 has been both productive and engaging. In English, the children focused on enhancing their editing skills and grammar, enabling them to refine their writing. 

 In Maths, we consolidated our understanding of addition and subtraction. Our Geography lessons were particularly exciting as we explored the diverse culture, climate, and geography of India; the children enjoyed learning about its rich heritage and varied landscapes.

Additionally, in Religious Education, we investigated the foundations of Hinduism, fostering an appreciation for this ancient faith and its practices. 

What we will learn about next week

Upon their return, the children will embark on a new English journey with the book "Journey to Johannesburg", which promises to be both enlightening and engaging.

In Maths, we will focus on understanding and calculating areas.

In Science, children will delve into the concepts of states of matter, fostering their curiosity about the world around them.

Finally, in Religious Education, we will continue our exploration of Hinduism, deepening our understanding of diverse cultures.

Year Five

Intro

What we have learnt about this week

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What we will learn about next week

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Year Six

Intro

What we have learnt about this week

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What we will learn about next week

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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: Manhoor

For: working diligently in maths this week.

 

Name: Teddy B

For: offering to help tidy the classroom this week.

 

Name: Fatima

For: always following instructions and being ready to learn.

3F

Name: Ronni- May

For: working hard in maths when using column method for subtraction

Name: Amiya

For: always being kind and helpful towards her peers

Name: Khadija 

For: always being a peaceful and calm member of 3F

3M

Name: Tahiya

For: always putting in 100% effort in her work.

Name:  Olivia

For: always helping around the classroom.

Name: Marc

For: having a calming attitude in the classroom.
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Four

4D

Name: 

For: 

 

Name: 

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Name:  Iqrah

For: always having excellent manners and having a peaceful attitude

4IW

Name: Eleojo

For: working hard in Maths this week and remaining focused. 

Name: Kingston

For: being thoughtful and helpful around the classroom. 

Name: Evelina

For: always being calm and ready to learn in all lessons. 

4N

Name: Naqi

For: working really hard in maths lessons this week.

Name: Alexandra 

For: being kind and helpful in the classroom.

Name: Jameel

For: trying hard to be much more peaceful and calm this week.
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Five

5H

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5P

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5W

Name: Lyra

For: working diligently and producing a fantastic piece of art on our topic: Space. 

Name: Muhammad

For: acting generously and always giving 100% in all lessons. 

Name: Mercy

For: promoting peace and working well in a team, in Science. 
 

Working diligently

 

Acting generously

 

Promoting peace

Year Six

6B

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6I

Name: Zain

For: Always displaying lovely manners.

Name: Emmanuel

For: Being more focused in class and working well with others.

Name: Samuel

For: Being at peace.

6L

Name: Alexandre

For: Working hard in all lessons. Well Done

Name: Lilly

For: Always thinking of others

Name: Aisha

For: Demonstrating a kind and calm demeanor 
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