The Ambler Chronicle

Edition 10. published 5 April 2025

Follow: amblern4

Visit: www.ambler.islington.sch.uk

Donate: Ambler Community Fund

MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER

Dear Ambler families,

We had a very busy Spring 2 and everybody is ready for a break!

One of the highlights for me was World Book Day - thank you for allowing me to change the date so I could join in the fun! I think the children loved dressing up and all of the activities planned by the teachers.

Thank you to parents/carers who came to parent consultation meetings - I hope you felt proud of the progress your child/ren has made over the last two terms. It is a great opportunity to share success and next steps to support learning.

Upper KS2 Ambler’s Got Talent 2025 took place and wowed us all! The children all used their DREAMS qualities by entering the competition. From solo musical performances, girl bands and comedians - the bar was set very high!! Congratulations to all finalists and the overall winners.There is lots to look forward to as we enter Summer 1 including trips, residentials and a fundraiser for Yr 6. Thank you to Friends of Ambler who subsidised the cost of many of the experiences above.

I wish all our Ambler community a great break and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 22nd April 2025.

Have a happy, healthy break from all the Ambler staff.

Best wishes,

Sandy McNicholl

REMINDERS

Tue 22 Apr - First day of summer term
Tue 22 Apr - Y3 two-week intensive swimming begins 🏊
Fri 25 Apr - Y5/6 Futurezone Debating Tournament
Wed 30 Apr - Fri 2 May - Y4 Cardfields residential
Fri 9 May - FOA 90's Disco 💃🪩🕺(7:30pm-11pm)
Thu 15 May - "Responding to Behaviour" coffee morning, 9-10am
Fri 16 May - Y6 Clissold Park 5k 🏃
Sat 17 May - Car Boot + Jumble Sale (10am-1pm) 🚗🛍️
Mon 19 May - Arts Week 🎨
Fri 23 May - Last day of Summer 1
Mon 2 Jun - INSET day - school and children's centre closed
Tue 3 June - First day of Summer 2
Sun 8 Jun - Grow Ambler Gardening Day🌿
Sat 21 Jun - SUMMER FAIR 🎪🎉
Tue 22 Jul - Last day of academic year, 2pm finish

SCHOOL UNIFORM REMINDER

Children from Reception to Year 6 are expected to wear school uniform. Please visit our website for full details of what is permitted. Cycling shorts - as with leggings - can be worn under skirts/dresses, but not in place of trousers/shorts.

Next term, parents/carers will be contacted if children are not in school uniform and expected to send their child into school the following day with correct school uniform.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

🥪☀️⚽ FREE HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES WITH LUNCH 🎾🎵🍎

Islington's Spring programme will take place over the school holidays from Monday 7 April to Thursday 17 April 2025.

The programme offers a wide range of activities and it is free for eligible young people. You can find out more here

If you are not eligible, some activities are free for everyone and some require a small payment. Anyone attending will be offered a free lunch.

During the school holidays Hackney will be teaming up with a number of schools, sports activity providers and community services to offer a wide range of exciting activities and a daily healthy free meal as part of the government funded Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF).

Find out more and how to book here

Browse and book activities here. Activities include tennis, gymnastics, drama, musical theatre and much more. Please ensure you have your FSM code and contact hafprogramme@haringey.gov.uk if you have any questions regarding booking.

📖 WORLD BOOK DAY 📖

This year's World Book Day was a fantastic celebration of the power of stories to transport us anywhere in the world and beyond! With the theme 'Read To Travel', students and staff embraced the magic of books. We explored new places, cultures, and adventures through our favorite reads.

From exciting dress-up costumes to creating a book passport to trying different foods from different countries, the day was a reminder that every book is a ticket to a new place.

Even though World Book Day is over, let's keep reading to travel!

🌟AMBLER'S GOT TALENT

This term saw the return of Ambler's Got Talent for Year 5 and 6! The acts that performed used all their DREAMS qualities to showcase their talents in front of the whole key stage and the judges were blown away by what they saw.

We had singing, gymnastics, comedy, drumming, dancing... the list goes on. A big well done to everyone that auditioned and performed in the final and a special congratulations to Indigo, Ellie and Sofia for being our overall winners!

Y5 SCIENCE MUSEUM TRIP

Year 5 enjoyed a fun day out at the Science Museum this half-term to round off our Forces unit. They were treated to a interactive scientific experience in the Wonderlab, before attending a rocket display workshop.

During the visit, teachers and Science Museum staff were extremely impressed with the children's knowledge about the different forces that act on a rocket when it launches. Well done Year 5!

SWIMMING GALA

Ambler's swimming team made a splash at the annual Islington Swimming Gala this half-term, with Violet winning Silver in the Year 6 Girls Freestyle and Rosa claiming Bronze in the Year 6 Backstroke. Our Year 6 Girls and Year 4 Boys Medley Relay Team also brought home a Bronze Medal (Y6: Rosa, Violet, Ellie & Lily Y4: Danny, Jude, Oskar & Noah).

Thank you to all the children who participated in this year's gala, from the trials and preliminaries, all the way to the finals. The standard of swimming and levels of positivity and sportsmanship throughout were truly inspiring. Congratulations to you all!

It has been another fantastic term for times tables! Congratulations to 4G who are this term's TT Rockstars winners. We also held our termly times tables competition for individual times tables champions. A huge well done to Felix, Ted, Rafi, Midhuna, Adam, Robin, Zoe and Safa who represented their classes and congratulations to Dan for holding onto his title of reigning champion!

FAMILY GROUP GRADUATION

Congratulations to all the children who graduated from our Spring Term Family Group! Thanks again to the parents/ carers who supported all the children in the group and to the teachers for their input... the Family Group motto is: "It takes a village to raise a child"... all the children made great progress with their targets and had lots of fun in the process!

Please come along to our Coffee Afternoon Tuesday 29th April at 2.30pm to find out about our Summer Term Family Group!

STEM CLUB

KS2 were treated to a great assembly from the children that attended STEM club last term and Meg Begley, the scientist who led the club. They shared the amazing investigations they carried out including building earthquake-safe buildings and making rockets out of film cannisters. The children used all their self-belief to speak loudly and clearly in the assembly and they did a fantastic job! Well done!

🐝📖 SPELLING BEE 📖🐝

We had another incredibly exciting Spelling Bee this term. It was a tough competition as we have so many great spellers at Ambler! Our Year 3 and 4 winner was Valentina in 4B and our Year 5 and 6 winner was Ash in 6B. Well done to everyone who took part!

Toni is our Bright Futures practitioner, who offers appointments for parents and carers to discuss any areas they need support with. She can help with a variety of issues from behaviour, routines to finding local activities and resources for you family to access. Toni will be running a drop in session on Tuesday 29th April, let Latoya know if you would like to book an appointment.

Below is the Bright Futures holiday timetable.

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING LEAD

Sophie Smith-Tong

We are excited to update you on some recent initiatives at the school aimed at supporting the mental health and wellbeing of both our children and their families.

Recently, we held a parent audit in collaboration with Islington Council to explore how we can better support parents in promoting their children's mental health and wellbeing. A big thank you to all those who participated in the focus group and completed the survey, including our dedicated staff and our lovely Family Support Worker, Latoya, for her continued efforts in supporting our community.

In addition, I have compiled and shared the findings from our children's wellbeing survey with the Senior Leadership Team, which was conducted during the second part of the Spring term. The report has provided valuable insights, and we will be discussing the next steps and actions to be taken next half-term. The children offered positive and constructive feedback, which will help guide us as we continue to improve our support.

We also recently completed our staff mindfulness course, equipping a group of delegates with the tools to manage their work-life balance and integrate these practices into the school environment.

Lastly, we are hosting a Parent/Carer Coffee Morning on May 15th from 9-10 am in The Lodge, where we will explore ways we respond to behavior as a form of communication. We hope to see you there and look forward to your input!

The North Islington Access Hub is a place to visit if you need support with:

🟡Money Food 🟡Food 🟡Housing 🟡Wellbeing 🟡Family 🟡Community safety 🟡Work-related issues

Visiting the North Hub: Please drop in for an initial chat with one of our friendly team members or book an appointment. Drop-in sessions are Mon- Fri 9.00m - 5.00pm.

To book an appointment email alev@manorgardencentre.org or Call 07784 826 301

YEAR 6 CHOIR TRIP

Ambler's Year 6 choir visited Islington Assembly Hall this half-term and were treated to a wonderful morning of singing, dancing and watching a live performance by a brilliant live band.

DEBATING CLUB

Ambler's Debating Club visited Newington Green Primary School to put their oracy skills into action as preparation for an inter-school tournament next term. The debaters split into teams and prepared responses to the motions 'This House believes we should have a three day weekend' and 'This House believes that cars should be banned to help the environment'. The debaters responded quickly to the prompts, developing robust arguments against both motions and impressing Ms Harry with their excellent use of sentence stems and vocabulary! Well done to all those who took part.

OFFICE HELPER

The admin team were delighted to welcome our office helper on Thursday morning. After a busy morning helping Claire, Laura and Sajeha, they snuck out for a well-earned coffee/hot chocolate for their break.

Thank you, Felix. What an asset to the team!

This was one of the many prizes offered during Friends of Ambler's Silent Auction, raising funds for our attic redevelopment. Thanks again to all those who organised, offered prizes and bid.

NEWS FROM EARLY YEARS

As we approach the end of the Spring Term, it is a great time to reflect on the wonderful learning and progress that has taken place in our Early Years Foundation Stage classrooms.

Throughout the Spring Term, the children have been immersed in a range of engaging topics and high-quality texts. The children have enjoyed visits to various places including Twist Museum, Tall Stories for a production of Elmer, Gillespie Nature Reserve, Finsbury Park and Ridley Road Market.

The children have had the opportunity to express their creativity through art, music, and role play. They’ve made beautiful 3D models from recycled materials, created their own Banksy prints, and performed Oi Frog! to showcase their growing confidence and imagination.

Outdoor play continues to be a highlight, with plenty of opportunities for physical activity, games and digging. The children continue to enjoy Forest School, building obstacle courses and exploring nature walks.

Thank you for your continued support. It has been a pleasure to watch your children grow and develop this term, and we are excited for what’s to come.

Wishing you all a lovely Spring break!

Cíara

Nursery class meeting new friends at Forest school 🪱

REMINDERS

16th April - Reception offers

22nd April - First day of Summer Term 1

26th May - 30th May - Half-term holiday.

2nd June - Inset day. Children's Centre closed to all children.

3rd June - Start of Summer Term 2

9th July - Nursery Graduation, 2pm 🎓

16th July - EYFS end of year party 🎉

22nd July - Last day of term

14th August - Children's Centre closes to all year round children

ADMISSIONS & TOURS

We will soon be offering out nursery places for September. Places fill up quickly, so if you are interested in a place for your child, now is the time to submit an application! The application form can be found here.

Dates for our Children's Centre tours have been released and can be booked via Eventbrite. The open mornings give prospective parents and carers the opportunity to visit our Baby Room, Toddler Room and Nursery Rooms and experience our learning environment in action.

STAFFING UPDATE

I am delighted to introduce a new member to our EYFS team, Ali! Ali has joined us as an Early Years Educator in Nursery, bringing with them a wealth of experience working with children and a passion for creativity!

It is with mixed emotions that we will be saying farewell to Michelle, who will be leaving us before the end of the summer (date TBC). Michelle has been an invaluable member of the team for the last 18 years, and we are truly grateful for her dedication and hard work. It is a huge loss for Ambler, but a great opportunity for Michelle as she pursues her dream of working for the NHS.

I am also excited to share with you that in September, Eva will be training to gain her Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Eva will remain at Ambler throughout her training, but she will be working with older children. This means we will be recruiting a Baby Room Lead for one year and we will begin this process after Easter to ensure we find the right person to fill such big shoes!

🐸 RECEPTION 🐸

This term, Reception has been busy exploring the wonderful changes that happen in spring. The children have been learning all about the outdoors, spotting signs of new growth such as beautiful blossom trees and bright yellow daffodils. They also enjoyed making bird feeders to help look after the birds as the seasons change.

As part of our learning, we took a trip to Gillespie Nature Reserve, where we searched for wildlife. The children were excited to spot sparrows in the trees and discover minibeasts hiding under logs.

To deepen our understanding of nature, we read some fantastic books, including Tad, Tadpole’s Promise and Growing Frogs, which helped us learn about the fascinating life cycle of frogs. During our Forest School visit, Cat showed us some fresh frogspawn, which was an exciting sign that more changes are on the way.

To finish off a fun-filled term, the children put together their very own version of Oi Frog. They worked hard to make costumes, plan their lines, and decide how to move and perform. Their brilliant storytelling and enthusiasm earned them a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review from the audience. Well done, Reception!

🫛 NURSERY 🥕

Our nursery children had an exciting visit to the Twist Museum, and what a fantastic time they had! From mind-bending optical illusions to interactive exhibits, the little ones were full of curiosity and excitement as they explored the world of perception and creativity. They giggled with delight at the mesmerizing displays and loved getting hands-on with the playful exhibits. It was a truly magical experience that sparked their imagination and made learning so much fun!

The children have had an amazing time at Forest School, exploring nature and discovering the magic of the great outdoors. From observing frogspawns to spotting wildlife, they’ve embraced every adventure with curiosity and excitement. As our Forest School sessions come to an end, we celebrate the wonderful memories made and the confidence our children have gained. There will be a new group after half-term so please keep an eye out for the email.

Our nursery children have been having a fantastic time in their TastEd sessions, using their senses to explore a variety of delicious and nutritious foods. From smelling fresh herbs to feeling different textures and tasting new flavours, it has been a wonderful hands-on experience! We were also delighted to welcome the nutrition team from the Department for Education, who visited to see TastEd in action. They were so impressed by how engaged and excited the children were in their food exploration. These sessions are carried out once a term and will continue after Easter. If you have any children who are prone to be ‘fussy eaters’ and would like to know more, please speak to the nursery team.

BABY ROOM

We’ve had a lovely jam packed half term in baby room.

The children continue to enjoy the forest school sessions and their learning and curiosity is changing with the seasons.

We have spent a long time exploring individual boxes as a way of children learning that some things are theirs, some things are shared, and some things belong to others. The children identified their own and others boxes, played in, on, and with their boxes and then had a whole body sensory painting experience in them.

We were lucky to have a visit from Angela Brooksbank who is the illustrator of our core book ‘B is for Baby!’ Her visit helped to consolidate the children’s learning on the book and all things beginning with B, children made attempts at naming objects, participated in a collaborative illustration, tried on beads and even got to eat bananas!

We have had two local outings this half term which the children have really enjoyed. We had a soft play session at the Sobell Centre and a trip to Finsbury Park to extend and provide new opportunities for the children to testing their bodies capabilities.

The end of this term marks a time for us to say goodbye to some of our babies. Some move away and others are now 2 and going to Toddlers! We wish them well on their next adventures.

🐮 TODDLER ROOM 🐷

This half term in Toddler Room we have been exploring farm animals and their babies. We read 'Noisy Farm' and used natural materials to create our own farms.

We have been looking at how to look after babies. We have been changing their nappies, clothes and feeding them and talking about how important it is to care for babies and each other.

We have experimented with cooking different foods in Toddler Room. One of our favorites this term was making our own monster biscuits.

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