The Ambler Chronicle

Edition 13. published 26 October 2025

MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER

Dear Ambler families,

What a wonderful start to the school year it has been (September feels like it was ages ago)! I am so proud of how well the children returned to school - settled and ready for learning, and pleased that so many of our parents/carers could join our Meet the Team opening mornings. It has been a joy to pop into classrooms to see children enthusiastic and engaged in learning - you can see snapshots of this shared by teachers in Google Classroom.

The children participated in workshops as part of our Black History Spotlight and we were all wowed by their singing and dancing in the playground performances. We also welcomed the Mayor of Islington to Ambler - he inspired our children by sharing how DREAMS qualities helped him to become Mayor.

This Autumn term felt extra special with the amazing One Ambler Community Event - it was everything I wanted it to be, with families and staff coming together, sharing food and meeting each other while the children had fun in the playground with crafts, and face-painting. This will definitely be an annual event as it is a great way to kick-start the school year.

A huge thank you to the first fundraiser of the year - Ambler’s Comedy Night organised by Friends of Ambler. The money will contribute to all the amazing extras we do to make learning exciting and fun for the children. This year we have already had some fantastic trips to Kenwood House, Tate Modern, Discover Children’s Story Centre in Stratford to name a few!

Last, but certainly not least, Ambler Children's Centre was graded 'Outstanding' following an Ofsted inspection on 9th September! I'm incredibly proud that the exceptional care, learning, and support that our amazing EYFS team provide to our youngest children every day is recognising by this outcome.

And now everyone is in much need of a break. I know it’s going to be a very busy Autumn 2 which kickstarts with the ‘Movie night’ for all children from Reception to Year 6 (see the poster for details). I wish you a wonderful half term break and look forward to seeing the children back on Tuesday 4th November 2025.

Sending love and best wishes,

Mrs McNicholl and the team.

RECEPTION AND SECONDARY APPLICATION DEADLINES

For families with children in year 6, the application deadline for a secondary school place is Friday 31 October. Apply for a secondary school place
If your child was born between 1 September 2021, and 31 August 2022, please remember to apply for a Reception place for September 2026. The application deadline is 15 January 2026. Apply for a primary school place

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Mon 3 Nov - INSET day - school and children's centre closed
Tue 4 Nov - First day of Autumn 2
Wed 5 Nov - School Photography Day 📸
Wed 5 Nov - Y5 trip to Royal Albert Hall
Wed 12 Nov - Royal Institution: Science in Schools workshops
Thu 13 Nov - SEN Coffee morning 🫖
Fri 14 Nov - Y6 IntoFilm trip to Vue Islington - 'Kensuke's Kingdom' 🎥
Mon 17 Nov - Y5 two-week intensive swimming begins 🏊
Wed 19 Nov - Y3 trip to Odeon cinema
Thu 20 Nov - Flu vaccine catch-up 🤧
Fri 21 Nov - 6G trip to Cartoon Museum
Fri 21 Nov - 6B trip to Cartoon Museum
Wed 26 Nov - Panto for Reception, Y1-Y3 (in-school) 🎭
Thu 27 Nov- EBSA (Emotional based school avoidance) Coffee Morning ☕
Mon 1 Dec - Y1 Toy workshop 🧸
Tue 2 Dec - Parents' Evening (R-6), 3:30-6:30pm
Mon 3 Dec - Y2 Great Fire of London workshop 🔥
Thu 4 Dec - Y4 Science Museum trip
Thu 4 Dec - Parents' Evening (R-6), 3:30-6:30pm
Thu 5 Dec - Reception Stay & Play session with families, 9-10:30am
Fri 5 Dec - FOA Christmas Tree sale and festive get-together, 3:30-4:30pm
Mon 8 Dec - 6B trip to Museum of the Order of Saint John
Tue 9 Dec - Y4/5 Pantomime @ King's Head Theatre
Wed 10 Dec & Thu 11 Dec - KS1 Nativity
Thu 11 Dec - Christmas lunch and Christmas Jumper Day 🎄
Fri 12 Dec - 6G trip to Museum of the Order of Saint John
Fri 12 Dec - Winter sing-a-long. All children and families welcome ☃️
Fri 12 Dec - Twilight session - Children's Centre closes at 4pm - extended day for Reception finishes at 4pm. No extended day for Y1-Y6
Fri 19 Dec - Last day of Autumn term, 2pm finish, no clubs/extended provision. Children's Centre open as usual.
Mon 5 Jan - INSET day - school and children's centre closed

SUPPORTING OUR HARVEST FESTIVAL

A big thank you to all our families for your generous donations to this year’s Harvest collection. The van was overflowing with your donations of food, toiletries, baby products and cleaning materials. The volunteers at Elizabeth House were grateful for your kindness and generosity.

Your support will make a real difference to those in need in our local community and, once again, demonstrates the strength of our 'One Ambler' Community.

"🌾✨ A huge thank you to Ambler School and all the families for their incredible generosity! ✨🌾

We couldn’t be more grateful for the amazing donation of food and household supplies from the families of Ambler from their harvest festival to support our weekly Food Hub.

This food will help us support the 278 households that attend the hub. Last year alone we distributed 2246 food parcels to 762 members. 💛🍎🥕🥫"

Elizabeth House

SHORT STORY COMPETITION

Our pupils got to express themselves through creative writing in the annual Islington Reading Road Map Short Story Competition in summer term.

We are proud to announce that, from all the entries across Islington, work by four Ambler children was selected and published in the Islington Reading Road Map book! The children were invited back to collect a copy of the book - it was wonderful to see them ☺️

BLACK HISTORY SPOTLIGHT

It's been an action-packed half term for Black History Spotlight, with a mixture of special events and class-based learning. Our spotlight theme this year is 'Black and Proud, Here and Now!' and we were so lucky to have the Mayor of Islington, Jason Jackson, right here at Ambler to launch it. He told us that he's proud of Islington because it's a place where so many different people belong and get on well together. We were so impressed with him, we made him our DREAMS hero for Autumn 1!

Our drama workshops with Bigfoot Arts Education also focused on local Black heroes and All About Dance delivered dance workshops for our pupil, staff and parents to help us learn a carnival-style dance for our playground performance.

Years 1 and 2 also had a puppet show from Little Angel Theatre Company all about Mae Jemison, the first African American astronaut.

A huge thank you to Friends of Ambler for funding these wonderful, enriching experiences! Children have also been reading and writing about Black heroes in class and we were blown away by children's fantastic homework projects about their own DREAMS heroes.

On 17 October, our kitchen manager, Ruth, and her team at Caterlink treated us to a sensational Black History Month themed lunch. There were many compliments from both staff and children, with more than one child saying that it was, "the BEST lunch ever!"

It was also Wear Red Day in support of the charity Show Racism the Red Card. There's still time to make a donation here. Weeks of enthusiastic practice culminated in two show-stopping concerts for our school community. Well done to Reception, KS1, KS2 and the Ambler Choir for their fantastic singing, and energetic, well-rehearsed performances.

Thank you to everyone who helped fundraise for Macmillan Cancer Support. From baking and donating some delicious cakes, coming to our coffee morning and buying from our afterschool cake stall, we really appreciate it!

All together we raised £263.50p!

Many parents find waiting for their child's neurodevelopmental assessment a long, somewhat frustrating experience as they await support for their child.

The Islington Neurodevelopment Team (NDT) have created a bulletin and resources to highlight what services, support groups and strategies parents can access whilst they wait. Please make use of this helpful resource. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKNHSWHT/bulletins/3f12edb

With increasing waiting times for NHS neurodevelopmental assessments via CAMHS, families considering (or waiting for ) an ADHD or autism assessment may want to consider the "Right to Choose" pathway, It is a legal right in England for NHS patients to choose their provider for certain specialist treatments, such as ADHD and autism assessments. This means you can select a different NHS-contracted provider, often a private one, even if your GP has referred you, and the service is free of charge. This right allows patients to potentially access quicker services or a provider they feel is a better fit. https://www.eastwickpark.nhs.uk/about-us/news/1642/

Families with children with communication and language, sensory processing and emotional regulation difficulties can find thresholds for school-based NHS speech and language and occupational therapy support too high for their child to receive direct support. Some Ambler families have shared that Growing Hope, a not-for-profit service offers free high-quality therapies for children with additional needs who may or may not meet the NHS caseload threshold. For more information and how to self-refer, visit https://growinghope.org.uk/

The School Wellbeing Service, an early intervention service within CAMHS has a useful webpage with resources and a link to their Youtube channel with parent webinars on topics like anxiety, sleep routines and friendship. Our link practitioner, Ayten, will be working with us to deliver support for children and parents this year.

FAMILY SUPPORT DATES

Tuesday 11th November - Bright Futures - Drop in Support for parents - 2.45pm - 4.00pm
Thursday 13th November - SEN Coffee morning with The Bridge Outreach Team -9.00am - 10.00am.
Thursday 27th November - EBSA (Emotional based school avoidance) Coffee Morning - 9.00am - 10.00am.
Tuesday 9th December - Bright Futures - Drop in Support for parents - 2.45pm - 4.00pm.

🤣 COMEDY NIGHT 😂

Friends of Ambler would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and supported our Ambler Comedy Night - it was a fantastic success!

A special shout-out to our amazing parents Tom Price and Beth Morrey for keeping us all in stitches, Rosie and Jack Baker for creating the perfect atmosphere with lights, music, and vibes, and Ellie Thompson for her brilliant artwork - we couldn’t have done it without you!

We’d also like to give heartfelt thanks to Maira, whose hard work and support throughout the evening helped everything run so smoothly.

For those who joined us, we’re sure you’ll agree it was a wonderful night full of laughter and joy and together we raised an incredible £2,216 for our school! Now that’s no laughing matter. All funds will go towards supporting school trips, workshops and resources that enrich the curriculum ensuring that every child's learning is supported by Ambler's community.

Well done, everyone!

Our popular annual Silent Auction is back, a great way to raise funds and find unique gifts (even for the hardest to buy for!). We’re looking for donations of items, services, or experiences, familiar favourites or fresh ideas!

Email friendsofambler@gmail.com with details by 14th November.

ATTIC PROJECT UPDATE

Friends of Ambler have been helping to develop Mrs McNicholl's vision for the attic and have designed a space to inspire children and enable a new and exciting programme of science, design & technology, art and food tech lessons. The work is well under and we can't wait to share more with you soon!

Part of Mrs McNicholl’s brief was to create a "Cabinet of Curiosities" - a gallery of objects to spark imagination and ignite curiosity. This has been built into the design and now we are asking for help from all of you...

Do you have any curious items at home that you’d be happy to donate (or loan) to Ambler's ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’?

These could be anything from nature like animal skulls, shells or snake skins, souvenirs from travel, scientific instruments, art prints or postcards. Anything of historic, domestic, scientific or artistic interest. Please email friendsofambler@gmail.com with photos and/or a description of your item, or any questions you may have.

We would also love to hear your suggestions for a name for the space - the working title has been the 'Curiosity Lab'. Please send us your ideas by completing this form.

Thank you.

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

Our One Ambler Community Celebration was magical! It was a lovely coming-together of our families and a celebration of the many cultures that make up our community. It was a non-uniform day - children and staff wore something that represented their culture, community or something that gives them a sense of belonging.

There was delicious food from around the world, art and craft activities, and a capoeira demonstration, featuring our own pupils. It was a wonderful atmosphere and it made us so proud of our Ambler community.

Thanks to all the parents, carers and staff who helped set up, clear away and run stalls, and to everybody who contributed food! A special thanks to Ms Daniels for organising the event.

FOOTBALL COMPETITIONS

Our Ambler football teams have been in recent action in the annual PESSPA Islington Football Competitions.

Both our Year 5 & 6 Boys and Girls teams did amazingly well to progress from the qualifying days to reach the finals. Our Boys team narrowly missed out on reaching the knockout stages, whilst our Girls teams made it all the way to the semi-final, where they missed out on dreaded penalties.

They didn't come home empty-handed though, winning the bronze medal in the third place playoff. A huge congratulations to all our players, who yet again have made us extremely proud of their ability, teamwork and behaviour.

Our Year 3 & 4 Football teams enjoyed a run out during the annual PESSPA Islington Football Competitions this half-term. Both our boys and girls teams played well and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the finals day. Well done!

Sunflower Parent Carer Support is here for families in Islington raising children with special educational needs. Their aim is to equip parents and carers with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to help their children thrive.

Through tailored guidance, practical resources, and a supportive community, Sunflower is helping families navigate challenges and celebrate every success

The coffee mornings will take place at North Library, Manor Gardens, London, N7 6JX, and you can see a list of dates available by clicking this link.

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Sophie Smith-Tong

Welcome to this term’s Wellbeing Update! At Ambler, we believe that wellbeing sits at the heart of a happy and successful school community. Here’s a look at what’s been happening across our school community to promote positive wellbeing for both pupils and staff.

We’ve recently sent out our first Staff Wellbeing Survey of the academic year, giving all staff the opportunity to share what’s working well and where we can continue to improve. The feedback will help us make ongoing improvements to support a positive, healthy working environment for the whole team.

We held our first Wellbeing Coffee Morning of this academic year, led by Chloe (Family Support Worker), Sophie (Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead), and Bridget (Senior Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead). They shared an overview of how we support wellbeing across the Ambler community, reflected on what’s been most effective so far, and outlined our next steps to strengthen and embed our approach.

Click on the images/links below to read the team's presentation, and to learn more about the Zones of Regulation.

Our Educational Psychotherapist, Katy, and Chloe are looking forward to starting their Autumn Term Family Group after half-term. The group’s motto is “It takes a village to raise a child”, a lovely reflection of the supportive and creative spirit of this work.

Families and children who take part find connection and encouragement in one another while exploring creative activities together. Look out for our coffee afternoon flyer for Spring Term Family Group to find out how you and your child can get involved.

THERAPEUTIC STORY GROUP

Katy and Georgia (Y6 LSA) are also running a Therapeutic Story Group on Friday afternoons. In this group, children embark on an imaginative journey together, creating characters, overcoming challenges, and exploring emotions through story. These sessions help to build confidence, resilience, and emotional understanding, particularly during times of change and transition. Another Story Group will run in the Spring Term.

PARENT AUDIT

A few parents have asked about the feedback from the Parent Engagement Audit - the results were shared in the Summer 2 Ambler Chronicle, so please feel free to look back and explore the summarised report, along with the next steps we’ll be taking as a pastoral team/school.

UPCOMING WELLBEING EVENTS

EBSA (Emotional Based School Avoidance) Coffee Morning – Thursday 27th November
Family Food and Eating – Thursday 27th February

DIGITAL @MBLER

Thank you to all the children who applied to be a Digital Leader - they will all receive an Ambition sticker for putting themselves forward. Sadly, I can only pick ten children and I hope that those who don't get to do the role this time around keep applying in the future. It remains a popular role in school and the ten new Digital Leaders cannot wait to get started, get their badges and start their shifts.

In terms of digital enrichment at Ambler this term, KPMG delivered a cyber security presentation to Years 5 and 6. They learnt about protecting data and how to use devices responsibly. Next half-term we will have the 3Discovery team back in to work with Years 4, 5 and 6, using iPads to create media. Watch this space!

Elsewhere in digital news, Childnet and Common Sense Media released advice on talking to children about graphic content they may have inadvertently seen online. It was issued in the wake of the assassination in Utah in September, but the advice remains relevant for other scenarios and in general.

Over half-term the children have been given permission in assembly to remind their adults about the parts of our Digital Charter that applies to grown ups, e.g. 'phone-free meal times'... so you have been warned!

And lastly, if you would like to show your child some constructive and creative use of technology (and need a free half-term activity) try Samsung KX in Coal Drops Yard and ask to be shown or have a go on some of their devices. They are very accommodating, it is under-used and you can combine it with other attractions in the area, such as the play park, the fountains, the nature reserve and The Lightroom.

SMARTPHONE PLEDGE

Last year, we launched a campaign asking parents and carers to sign a pledge to not buy their child a smartphone while at primary school. It was the result of a consultation with parents and received overwhelming support. Engagement has been very positive, with many parents/carers signing the pledge on Arbor.

The risks of having a smartphone (e.g. impact on sleep, mental and physical health, and inappropriate content) are discussed with children as part of our teaching on online safety, as well as possible alternatives to them. For example, a non-smart 'brick' phone is less likely to be a target for thieves, or offer unmonitored access to the internet, while still being useful for children and parents/carers to contact each other.

We encourage all our parents/carers to sign the Smartphone & Online Safety Pledge on Arbor.

If your child already has a device, please make sure you check their use of it, put controls in place where necessary and, most importantly, set clear boundaries for its use - summed up in the video below:

TATE MODERN TRIP

Thank you to Artis for inviting Ambler children to a special workshop at the Tate Modern of the artist Do Ho Suh. It was inspirational!

Ambler children have Artis sessions every week. The immersive lessons use dance, music and movement to enrich the curriculum and deepen understanding.

YEAR 6 RESIDENTIAL

Year 6 had the BEST time on their PGL residential trip, and the most amazing weather! Great memories made as they continue their final year at Ambler and prepare for their SATs.

YEAR 4 ROMANS

Year 4 went to the London Mithraeum. They examined and discussed Roman artefacts, and visited the underground ruins of the Mithraeum, learning all about the Roman temple and how it was discovered. In school, we created Roman shields using cardboard and foil, before splitting into groups and marching in formation to do battle!

MUSIC AT AMBLER

It has been a vibrant start of the year for music. Music in the Morning is back in full swing with 12 groups and over 60 children taking part, the school choir is in fine voice, Mr O'Driscoll's after school guitar lessons have started, and there are plans ahead for a school band!

Year 4 have also started their whole class violin tuition (pictures below) and children from Reception to Year 6 showed great confidence with their beautiful concert performances.

BACK TO THE STONE AGE

Year 3 had an amazing Stone Age workshop to launch their history topic this half term. It was wonderful to see so many children dressed up and approaching the activities with such enthusiasm. We learnt how to make spears, fire arrows using bows, create cave paintings on slate and investigate how stone age people used bones in their everyday life.

Thank you to Friends of Ambler for funding this workshop!

DISCOVERY CENTRE TRIP

Year 2 enjoyed their first trip of the year at the Discover Children's Story Centre in Stratford. We used the play space to generate ideas for a story and then created a story together, which involved space, a giraffe, and a character called Nemo!

Ms Harry was particularly impressed by how children made connections to their science learning on our journey to the Centre, pointing out when they could see 'transparent' or 'opaque' materials.

ATTENDANCE

Thank you to families for their continued support with improving attendance and understanding that the law requires children to attend school regularly.

A reminder to please:

Notify the school if your child cannot attend for any reason (each day they are absence)
Explain the reasons for your child’s absence. Please be specific.
Ensure your child is not absent where this can be avoided (e.g. minor illnesses, particular during this season). Minor Illnesses and Attendance guidance

We do not expect parents/carers to take children out of school for a holiday or other term-time leave. Absence may be granted by the headteacher in exceptional circumstances.

If you feel it is absolutely unavoidable to request term-time leave:

You must apply for leave in advance (request forms are available from the school office)
Submit your application at least 4 weeks in advance of the proposed leave dates
Apply before booking your travel .

If you withdraw your child during term time and the absence has not been agreed by the Headteacher, it is unauthorised leave, which may lead to a fine of up to £160 and/or court proceedings.

We understand that every family’s circumstances are different. Please email the school office to arrange a meeting with Mrs McNicholl if you have any concerns you would like to discuss.

ROAD SAFETY

A polite reminder to anyone driving - please drive and park safely and considerately. Please do not stop or park illegally on Ambler Road or Blackstock Road, or block pavements and pathways used by the school community and our neighbours. Thank you.

STAFF UPDATE

Thank you and well done to all of our staff for all their hard work supporting children and families through the start of the new academic year 👏

Parents/carers may already be aware that, after three years, Miss Jacob left early this term to pursue a career in adult social care. Miss Hylton has also left Ambler after five years with us. We thank them both for their contributions and wish them all the best for the future.

NEWS FROM EARLY YEARS

What an incredible start to the term it’s been! We’re still on cloud nine after our Ofsted visit at the beginning of September, where we were thrilled to receive ‘Outstanding’ in all areas, followed by the Nursery World Award for our work with Babies and Twos! Both such proud moments for our whole team!

Baby Room team collecting their award for their work with babies and Under twos!

Our new Reception children have settled in beautifully and are already embracing life at 'big school' as if they’ve always been here. Across the setting, lots of new children have joined us in Babies to Nursery, and it’s been great to see them exploring their new environments, making friends, and becoming part of our nursery family. We’ve also loved welcoming back our returning children and their families, and it’s been wonderful to see everyone transition so confidently into their new rooms.

There’s already been so much happening this term. Children have shown fantastic confidence during our Black History Spotlight performances, Forest School sessions are back in full swing, and there’s been lots of exciting learning taking place everywhere. Staff have also been busy with training in block play, enhancing our block areas and sparking new interests and creativity among the children.

We’re really looking forward to continuing this positive energy into the next half of the team and we have some exciting plans to redevelop our forest area - watch this space for updates!

Best wishes,

CÍara

RECEPTION

What a wonderful start to the school year it has been in Reception! The children have settled beautifully into school life, growing in confidence and independence as they become more familiar with our routines and expectations. It has been amazing to see new friendships being formed as the children learn how to share, take turns and play safely and kindly with one another.

We have begun our exciting reading journey through our daily Phonics lessons and guided reading sessions. The children have been learning to listen carefully to the sounds in words and are beginning to blend these sounds to read simple words.

The children’s creativity has been on show as well, designing and building everything from colourful paintings to tall towers, busy cities, and grand castles. The children have enjoyed experimenting with different materials such as paint, fabrics, wooden blocks and sand, and sharing their creations with friends.

Forest School has been a big hit! The children have enjoyed running, jumping and climbing around the forest while learning to appreciate and take care of nature. We are so proud of everything the children have achieved this term and can’t wait to see how they continue to grow after our half-term break!

NURSERY

It has been a wonderful start to the term in Nursery as we have welcomed and settled our new children into the setting. Everyone is becoming familiar with our routines and expectations, learning to take turns, share, listen to one another, and build new friendships.

The children have been busy exploring mark making on both a small and large scale and have loved experimenting with colour mixing. They have discovered how to create new colours—mixing primary colours to make green, purple, and grey—and were amazed to see how their colours changed when white was added!

Outdoors, the children have enjoyed challenging themselves in the playground, climbing ladders, and learning to use their bodies in new and confident ways. We are so proud of how well they have settled and look forward to seeing everyone back after the half-term break, ready for more exciting learning adventures!

TODDLER ROOM

This half term in the Toddler Room, we’ve had a wonderful time welcoming some new friends. The children have enjoyed getting to know each other, and it’s been lovely to see new friendships beginning to form.

We’ve been learning about our own features, as well as discovering the similarities and differences between ourselves and our friends. The children have enjoyed a variety of activities to help them understand and celebrate what makes them unique.

Using mirrors and photographs, we’ve been looking closely at our faces, talking about our eyes, hair, skin, and smiles. The children used paint to create their own self-portraits and explored 3D modelling by sculpting themselves out of clay.

We enjoyed some hands-on, exploratory play experience by constructing ramps using a variety of materials such as guttering, large blocks, wooden planks, and plastic tubes. We then tested the ramps by rolling toy cars and balls down them, observing the effects of height, angle, and surface.

🌈🦉 BABY ROOM 🦉🌈

This month, we celebrated Black History Month with a joyful exploration of African and Caribbean cultures. The children participated in a wide range of creative, musical, and sensory activities that brought these vibrant cultures to life.

We danced to music by black artists, listened to rhythmic beats, and wrapped ourselves in traditional African Kente cloth. We examined the beautiful patterns on the textiles and created our own versions of Kente cloth using paints. The children used paintbrushes, hands, fingers, and even tangerines to mark-make on canvas.

We had a wonderful time taking our little ones to the Little Angel Theatre for "Wow! Said the Owl". It was a sensory delight, full of colour, light, gentle narration, and music. The children were captivated by the owl puppet, the glowing sunshine, rainbow colours, and twinkling stars. Every moment was met with wide-eyed wonder and soft “wows” — and not just from the children!

Continuing with the rainbow theme from "WOW! Said the Owl", we held a colourful fruit tasting session through TasteEd. The children sampled a rainbow of fruits, including strawberries, bananas, kiwis, oranges, blueberries, plums, and grapefruits.

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