Old Ford Newsletter
July 16th 2026
Principal’s Message
Well we’ve reached the end of another successful year at Old Ford…
All that’s left for me to say is have a great holiday with your families, enjoy yourselves, keep safe and we’ll see you all back in September!
END OF TERM IS TUESDAY 21ST JULY AT 3.30PM.
SCHOOL STARTS AGAIN FOR ALL PUPILS ON THURSDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER AT 8.55AM.
Staff Goodbyes
We say goodbye this year to Kerry Bradshaw. Kerry has worked at OFPA for an incredible 28 years! We will all miss Kerry’s sense of humour, her smile and her ability to always see the bright side of things. Thank you on behalf of all the pupils and their families who you have worked with over your time here.
We also say farewell to Rosie Vincent. Rosie came to us as a trainee and quickly developed into a strong Y2 teacher. Every day Rosie travels into Old Ford from her home near the coast and is joining a school near to where she lives. We will miss you Rosie!
Water Safety in Hot Weather
Please read this message from Tower Hamlets public health:
With the warmer weather, we are seeing an increase in children and young people entering local docks, canals and basins across Tower Hamlets after school. This can be extremely dangerous. Even on hot days, water temperatures remain very low and can cause cold water shock, leading to involuntary gasping, breathing difficulties and loss of control in the water. There are also hidden hazards such as strong currents, sudden drops, submerged objects and slippery edges, making it difficult to get out safely.
We are asking all parents and carers to speak to their children about these risks and to ensure they do not enter open water and instead use supervised swimming facilities only.
You can find more information about staying safe around water from the Royal Life Saving Society.
Summer Activities!
Attendance
We all know how important regular attendance is. If children aren’t in school, they will miss out on important learning.
I know sometimes children are genuinely to ill to come to school, but if they only have a minor cold or cough it is find to send them in. There’s some good advice here from the NHS if you’re ever not sure.
From this week, we will be sending out weekly messages via MCAS with your child’s attendance percentage for the year to date. 90% may sound like high attendance, but over the course of a whole school year, it’s equal to FOUR WEEKS of missed school!
Dates for your Diary
Autumn Events
How can I be more punctual?
Be prepared
Go to bed at a reasonable time
Give yourself more time in the morning
Be aware of the time
Fire Safety
Members of the Fire Brigade have been in our school recently, talking to pupils in Year 2 – Year 5 about fire safety, and what to do in the event of a fire. Use the links below to download the documents.
Community Resources for Families
- The government has launched their Best Start in Life supporting the Plan for Change target of 75% of children being school-ready by 2028. Visit the Best Start in Life website and sign up for personalised weekly emails.
- Have you ever considered volunteering? The Early Help service allows parents to come together, learn new skills and prepare for work.
- The new expanded funded early education entitlements are available now – discover more about the 2-year-old childcare extension.
Online safety
We are still getting reports of pupils on social media apps such as Snapchat.
As you know, an important part of our curriculum is teaching pupils about esafety. We know that a lot of our pupils spend a lot of their time online, either through online gaming or on social media apps. This can sometimes lead to contact with inappropriate people
and/or exposure to inappropriate language. We strongly recommend that you monitor your children’s usage of the internet and that you are aware of what they are doing online.
Most social media apps have an age limit of 13+. If you are allowing your children to access these apps you are putting them at risk!
Start and end of the day
Please remember that there are no staff on duty in the playgrounds before and after school so parents/carers should supervise their own children. Children should not be playing with balls or on the climbing frames.
To keep children safe please do not park on the double yellow or zig-zag lines when you are collecting or dropping off. Tower Hamlets parking enforcement officers are conducting regular patrols in the area.
When collecting your child at the end of the day please wait until all pupils are in their lines before speaking to the teacher and collecting your child. We need to make sure that all of our pupils go home with the right adult!
Bow Foodbank
Did you know Bow Foodbank now operates out of Bow Community Hall?
Tuesday 10am – 12pm
Tower Hamlets residents only
Tuesday 12.30pm – 4pm
Click and Collect, order by 1pm Sunday.
Wednesday 2pm – 7pm
Open to all
Thursday 10am – 1pm
Tower Hamlets only
Friday collection 8am – 12pm
Order by 9pm Wednesday
Bow Foodbank is open to all, there’s no need for a referral or voucher. Visit them at:
Bow Community Hall
1, William Place,
E3 5ED
See you soon!
We are now closed for the holidays! We hope you enjoy your break and we look forward to seeing you back at school on Thursday 3rd September.