Alex, Kendra and Aaliyah are excited to be starting at Ambler Primary School

Are you excited about coming to school?

What happens when I get to school?When you go into school you will hang up your coat on your coat peg that has your name and your picture on it. You will find it so much easier to take your clothes on and off if your coats and shoes have easy fastenings like big buttons, zips and Velcro instead of laces. You will then put your book bag in the box.

Aaliyah’s mum has come into class with her and is helping her find her coat peg and get comfortable. Once Aaliyah is happy and settled, her mum will say goodbye.

Alex and Kendra have just arrived at the Reception class entrance door with their grown-ups. Alex and Kendra are already making friends as they go into the classroom together.

When you get to school your grown-ups will bring you into the classroom and help you get settled.

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What are you looking forward to doing at school?

What will I do at school?

First of all, you will register that you are in school today, and then you will have a choice of activities:

• writing, craft or painting and sometimes even the Forest School and the activity trail

• climbing, a mud kitchen, trikes and much more!

You will also be learning phonics, maths, reading, writing and other things with your teacher’s help.

Kendra and Alex are playing in the sand tray.

“Let’s build a sandcastle,” Alex says to Kendra.

You can choose whether you want to play and learn inside class or in our outside learning area that is sheltered from the weather. There are lots of opportunities for physical activities outside and we have all-weather clothing available for you to put on so you can stay dry outside.

Kendra and Aaliyah are in our role play area that we change regularly. At the moment it looks like a hospital. Aaliyah pretends to be the patient and Kendra is her doctor and is going to make her better.

Alex is playing with Lego. He plans to build a fire engine!

Joshua is reading a lovely story in our cosy Book Corner.

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What is your favourite food?

What happens if I am hungry or thirsty?

Aaliyah, Kendra and Alex are sitting with all their friends, including Joshua, as their teacher offers them some fruit.

“This fruit is really delicious and good for you,” says their teacher. “I hope you are all going to try some.”

“I would like some fruit, please,” says Aaliyah. “I love all sorts of fruit.”

The special day child and their partner will help to set the table. You will find where you are to sit by looking for your lunch mat with your name on. This is the lunch mat that you will make yourself when you start school.

You can have a snack of fresh fruit during the morning and water is available for you whenever you want a drink. Remember it is important that you drink some water regularly, especially in hot weather!

The food is lovely and there is lots to choose from, with different meals for any special diets. There are plenty of staff available to help. They will sit at the lunch tables and talk about your day with you. They will also help you as you learn to manage on your own at mealtimes.

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What happens if I need the toilet?

Can you use the toilet by yourself?

You can just go to the toilet when you need to, but if you are working with your teacher, it is polite to let them know.

Aaliyah goes to the toilet.

When she has finished, she makes sure she flushes to leave the toilet nice and clean for the next child who will use it.

She washes her hands with warm water and soap and dries them on a paper towel. Then she goes back to her class.

Aaliyah is so pleased that she practised going to the toilet on her own at home so she could remember everything once she started school.

We will encourage you to go to the toilet on your own, but we are always there to help you if you need it. We know accidents can happen, so it is a good idea for you to keep a spare set of clothes at school in case you need to change out of wet clothes.

Aaliyah knows that she has a spare set of clothes that she keeps in a cloth bag on her coat peg at school. This means that if she ever has a toilet accident or gets wet when playing with water, she can change into her own spare clothes. The school staff will help her change if she needs it.

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Are you looking forward to coming to school?

What happens at the end of the school day?

When school is finishing for the day, you come together and sit on the carpet to listen to a story. You will sometimes have a ‘Show and Tell’ session or you might be talking about what you have been doing and learning during the day.

You will then collect your coat and other belongings, so you will be ready to go home.

Alex, Kendra and Aaliyah are listening to a story about a child visiting the countryside for a holiday.

The teacher asks if anyone has been to the countryside.

“I have,” says Alex. “There were horses chasing each other in the field. It was so exciting!”

The teacher has seen Alex and Kendra’s grown-ups.

“Your grown-ups are here, Alex and Kendra,” says the teacher, and they say goodbye as she lets them go to their grown-ups.

Kendra and Alex are looking forward to telling their grown-ups all about the fun they have had and the friends they have made.

If you are staying after school for our Extended Day, we will take you through to the Centre where there are lots of play activities waiting for you.

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Aaliyah, Alex and Kendra love coming to Ambler Primary School and they think you will too!

Ambler Primary School and Children’s Centre - Blackstock Road - Islington - London - N4 2DR Email: office@ambler.islington.sch.uk - Email: childrenscentre@ambler.islington.sch.uk

School Telephone: 020 7226 4708 - Children’s Centre Telephone: 020 7359 7628 www.ambler.islington.sch.uk