Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre

Ambler Primary School and Children’s Centre is a unique, culturally diverse, community school with children from 6 months to 11years of age. It is a place where every decision made puts the needs of the child first and foremost – a school that is aspirational for every learner.

Our school is a place where children arrive with smiles on their faces, full of questions and a desire to learn. This is due to the dedicated and passionate staff in the school who ignite learning and support the children to ‘Achieve More’ using their DREAMS qualities. The aim is to create lifelong learners ready for the 21st century, ready for the BIG WORLD!

Our enriched curriculum drives what we believe to be important. We celebrate role models and embrace equality and diversity. We place a strong emphasis on oracy, providing children with the tools to use their voice to justify their ideas. Through challenge, collaboration and problem solving we allow our children to make excellent progress and fulfil their potential.

Rated ‘Outstanding’ in the previous Ofsted, we are a school that is dynamic and innovative in order to support the needs of all children; academically and in terms of their mental health and well-being.

Most importantly, we are ‘One Ambler’ a school supported by parents, governors and Friends of Ambler with the sole aim to make school life the best it can be for every child. This is summed up in a quote from our recent parent survey

At Ambler we believe in children and families and know that just providing good services is not enough. We want our children and families to have outstanding services and ‘Achieve More‘. This dedication has been reflected in our most recent Ofsted inspection, when we were rated as ‘Outstanding‘ in all areas.

The Ambler campus of school and children’s centre provides a seamless integrated service from pre-birth to the end of year 6 together with adult and community learning opportunities, recreational activities for the wider community and comprehensive extended day provision. The campus serves many children and families from a range of backgrounds and cultures and this vibrant blend makes the Ambler community a unique and energising place to be.

Our children have a thirst for learning and attendance levels reflect the fact that pupils do not want to miss out on the exciting range of services available to them. Across the campus we encourage children to make decisions for themselves and acquire the skills to become independent learners and the shapers of tomorrow.

Ambler supports children and their families, offering a challenging, high quality and creative approach to development, learning and achievement, leading to a successful and positive future. Ambler’s values are used to help everyone in the School and Children’s Centre to ‘Achieve More’. We’ve improved standards year-on-year but we always want to do better.

The Ambler Primary School curriculum consists of

• The National Curriculum core subjects of English and Maths which are fully updated to the new curriculum requirements of 2014 and rigorous in their approach
• The National Curriculum foundation subjects, which are taught through a relevant, contextual and inspiring topic led creative learning journey
• RE, PHSE and Citizenship
• WOW days every half term that will engage and inspire our learners
• An enrichment programme for each year group comprising chess and board games, book club, cooking, additional music ,debating skills, philosophy, additional sporting opportunities
• A programme of extracurricular activities that includes creative and physical opportunities

We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum provided by the government which includes seven areas of learning. Three prime areas: Personal, Social and Emotional development; Physical development and Communication and Language. These are the fundamental building blocks on which all future learning is based. The specific areas of learning follow: Literacy development, including reading and writing; Maths development, including number and shape, space and measure; Understanding the World, including science and information technology and Expressive Arts and Design, including painting, drawing, imagination and drama. By the end of reception year children should have reached the Early Learning Goals or achieved a Good Level of Development (GLD).

Ambler Primary School originally opened on 25 October 1898 as Ambler Road Board School for boys, girls and infants.

The school was reorganised from 1932-36 to form Finsbury Park School for junior boys and junior girls, holding 348 and 351 children respectively. In 1949, the school was reorganised for mixed juniors and renamed Ambler Primary. In 1971, Ambler Primary and Finsbury Park Primary were amalgamated to form Ambler Primary for mixed juniors and infants. A nursery block was added around this time. In 1982 there 250 mixed juniors and infants.

January 2006 saw Ambler Primary School expand using the dental block behind the Primary School and a refurbishment project was undertaken to form a new Children’s Centre linked to the School, to provide full wraparound care and education for children aged 6 months to 11 years. An extra nursery class was added to the Children’s Centre in 2010.

In September 2013 and due to popular demand, Ambler Primary School and Children’s Centre embarked on a programme to grow the school to a two-form entry offering, adding an extra class each year. In January 2015, the school also built ‘Vince’s Lodge’ on the site which provides extended services such as a breakfast club and after school care.