Old Ford Newsletter
March 13th 2026
Principal’s Message
Last Sunday was International Women’s Day, and this month is Women’s History Month.
In school, we have been looking at inspirational women from across the world.
Who are the inspirational women in your life?
Ramadan
Please see the following information provided by Tower Hamlets. Only Y5 and Y6 pupils are permitted to fast at school during this time and must have written permission in advance from parents/carers. This must be emailed to info@oldfordacademy.org
Next week will mark the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It is most well known for fasting, which means that most adult Muslims don’t eat or drink during the daylight hours, but it is also a time where Muslim families come together in their faith and remember those around the world and at home who are less fortunate than themselves.
It is an important time for families, and children often like to take part in the fast. There are many ways in which families choose to support their children joining in while making sure that they are healthy and alert for school and be successful in their learning.
Some ideas that families have shared are:
- Fasting by taking their evening meal after dusk while still having breakfast and lunch.
- Fasting for one or two days of the weekend, when the children can be relaxed and are able to sleep and be calm.
- Giving up some foods that are more pleasurable while still drinking water and eating food that keeps the children well.
These ideas help prepare the children for fasting when they’re old enough and allow them to feel a part of this special time
There are a small number of parents who wish their children to fast daily or for some days during the month. We do encourage all children not to fast on days of additional exertion such as when there are PE lessons.
If your child is in Y5 or Y6 and wishes to fast, please contact the school as detailed above. We do not think that it is suitable for children who are Year 4 and younger to fast during the school day.
Ramadan Mubarak!
Dates for your Diary
Easter Holiday Club
Calling all 5 to 15 year olds!
Looking for something to keep the kids active and healthy this Easter holiday? Then look no further than our Be Well Easter Holiday Club at Mile End Park Leisure Centre and Stadium.
Our all-day Easter Holiday Club has plenty of activities to help your children make the most of their free time and will be taking place from Monday 30 March to Thursday 9 April 2026 every Monday to Thursday between 9am and 5pm. The club excludes Monday 6 April which is a bank holiday. It costs £23.30 per child per day. Children in receipt of free school meals may be eligible for a free place subject to availability and meeting eligibility criteria.
For more details and to book visit the Be Well website.
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
