Welcome to Ballynahinch Primary School
Dear Parents and Guardians,
A very warm welcome to Ballynahinch Primary School! We are delighted that your child will be joining us in Primary 1 and becoming part of our school family. Starting school is a special milestone in your child’s life and we are privileged to share in this exciting new chapter with you.
At Ballynahinch Primary, we believe that every child is unique and full of potential. Our dedicated and caring staff work hard to create a safe, happy, and stimulating environment where children can learn, grow, and develop at their own pace. We place great emphasis on nurturing positive relationships, both within the classroom and throughout the wider school community.
This information pack has been designed to help you and your child prepare for the journey ahead. Inside, you will find important details about our daily routines, uniform requirements, school policies, and how you can support your child as they settle into school life. We have also included information about what to expect in the weeks leading up to your child’s first day and throughout their P1 year.
We value the partnership we have with our parents and believe that by working closely together, we can give your child the very best start to their educational journey. If you have any questions or concerns at any stage, please do not hesitate to get in touch — we are always here to help.
We look forward to getting to know you and your child in the weeks and months ahead and to watching them grow, learn and thrive as part of the Ballynahinch Primary School family.
Yours faithfully,
Mr J Anderson
Principal
Ballynahinch Primary School
At Ballynahinch Primary School, we are proud of our school uniform and ask that all children wear their full uniform every day. Wearing uniform helps to create a sense of belonging and pride in our school community, and we appreciate the support of parents in helping us to maintain this.
We kindly ask that all items of clothing, especially jumpers and coats, are clearly labelled with your child’s name. This makes it much easier to return lost property to its rightful owner.
Our school jumpers, embroidered with the Ballynahinch Primary School logo, are available to purchase locally from Rhoda Stewart in Ballynahinch and from Buzz School Uniform Zone.
Boys
- Grey trousers OR black tracksuit bottoms (preferred)
- White polo shirt
- Red school jumper
Girls
- Grey skirt/trousers OR black tracksuit bottoms (preferred)
- White polo shirt
- Red school jumper
Summer Uniform
Boys may wear grey shorts and girls may wear a red & white summer dress
PE Uniform
All our Primary 1 pupils receive a P.E. bag from our PTA on their first day. On P.E. days, P1 children need only to change from their school shoes into their black P.E shoes / plimsoles. These are required to remain in school.
Provisional Starting Arrangements
To help your child settle into school life smoothly, we divide the Primary 1 children into two smaller groups at the beginning of the school year. This allows the class teacher and classroom assistants to spend quality time with each child in a smaller, more relaxed setting.
Working in smaller groups means that staff can get to know your child’s individual personality, needs, and interests, while helping them to become familiar with the school routines, classroom environment, and new friends at their own pace. It also provides a calm and supportive atmosphere for children as they adjust to this exciting new stage in their lives.
Once everyone is feeling happy and confident in their new surroundings, the two groups will come together to form the full class.
Group A
Children in Group A should come to school on the following days:
Tuesday 2nd, Thursday 4th, Monday 8th, Wednesday 10th & Friday 12th September from 8.55am-1.30pm
Group B
Children in Group B should come to school on the following days:
Wednesday 3rd, Friday 5th, Tuesday 9th, Thursday 11th & Friday 12th September from 8.55am-1.30pm
Both groups of children will attend school everyday from Monday 15th September, 8.55am-1.30pm.
At 1.30pm the children should be collected from the Primary 1 entrance. Wrap Around Care is available from 1.30pm and should be booked through your child's School Money account.
Please note cars are not allowed in the school grounds for safety reasons.
After the Halloween break children will stay in school until 2.00pm.
On the first day
Arrival and Settling In
We ask that all parents park in the Lower Car Park and walk up the hill with your child to the P1 classroom. When you arrive, please bring your child into the classroom and help them settle at one of the play activities set out for the morning.
Once your child is happily engaged, we encourage you to let them know you’ll be back to collect them at home time and then quietly slip away. This helps to keep the classroom calm and supports a smooth start to the day.
Most children settle quickly into our morning routine, which will feel very familiar to them after their time at nursery. While it’s natural for a few children to feel a little emotional in those early days, please be reassured — these feelings usually pass within a few minutes of you leaving, and our caring staff are always on hand to provide comfort, encouragement, and distraction through play.
Snack Time
At Ballynahinch Primary School, we operate a snack system in Primary 1, similar to what many children will have experienced in Nursery.
A variety of healthy snacks are provided each day, giving children the opportunity to try different foods and enjoy a sociable snack time with their classmates.
The cost for snack is £30 per term, which can be paid at the start of each term.
School Meals
Dinners are cooked on site in our school canteen. At present, dinners cost £2.60 per day. The termly meal menu is posted on school website to allow parents to see the weekly meal pattern and book dinners accordingly. Dinners should be booked a week in advance i.e. by 12pm on Sunday night, through School Money.
Packed Lunch Arrangements
Children who bring a packed lunch will be supervised in their classroom from 12.15pm to 12.30pm while they eat.
Please send your child’s lunch in a separate lunch bag/box to help keep items organised and to avoid any spillages. We kindly ask that drinks are sent in plastic containers with secure, screw-on lids for safety.
To help us keep the classroom clean and tidy, all lunch waste will be returned home in your child’s lunch bag/box at the end of the day.
Breakfast Club & Wrap Around Care
Absence from School
If your child is absent from school, please send a message via Seesaw to explain the reason for their absence. It’s important that we receive this information, as we are required to record and code all absences on our attendance system.
We kindly remind parents that family holidays should not be booked during term time, in line with Department of Education guidelines.
Arriving Late or Leaving Early
If your child needs to arrive late to school or leave early for any reason (including medical appointments), please send a note to your class teacher in advance through SeeSaw. When collecting your child, they should be picked up from Reception.
Drop Off and Pick Up Arrangements
To help us keep all children safe, we kindly ask that all cars are parked in the Lower Car Park, and children are walked up the hill to the school building. The area around the turning circle is kept car-free at all times, unless in exceptional circumstances. We appreciate your support in keeping this a safe space for our pupils.
The Primary 1 entrance door will open at 8.45am each morning.
Before this time, children booked into Breakfast Club should be brought to the exterior Dining Room entrance. Any P1 children there will be brought to their classroom at 8.45am by our staff.
Children arriving at 8.50am should be brought to the Primary 1 cloakroom door, where they will hang up their coat, wash their hands, and go into the classroom.
For security reasons, only authorised adults are permitted inside the building during drop-off and pick-up times.
If you wish to speak to the teacher, please feel free to send a note via Seesaw, or contact the school office to arrange a convenient time. Teachers are always happy to talk with parents and carers and work in partnership to support your child’s school experience.
Punctuality
We kindly ask that all children arrive at school by 9.00am each morning. The Primary 1 entrance gate/door will be locked once school begins, to help keep our school safe and secure.
On the rare occasion that your child arrives late, please bring them to the Main Entrance, where a member of staff will welcome them and take them to their classroom.
Preparing for School
Starting school is an exciting milestone, filled with opportunities to play, learn, and make new friends. At Ballynahinch Primary School, we work hard to make sure your child feels happy, safe, and confident as they begin this new chapter.
Children often pick up on how adults talk about school, so it’s important to speak positively about the experience. Please avoid using school as a threat — instead, help your child look forward to all the fun, friendships, and adventures ahead.
To help your child settle smoothly into school life, it’s helpful if they can practise the following skills before September:
- Play kindly with other children, sharing and taking turns
- Tidy away their own toys after playtime
- Use the toilet independently
- Wash and dry their hands properly
- Recognise their name or a familiar symbol on their belongings
- Change their shoes by themselves
- Put on and fasten their coat
- Use a knife and fork and open their lunchbox
Developing these simple, everyday skills will help your child feel more confident and ready for the routines of school life.
What Do They Do All Day?
One of the most common answers you’ll hear when you ask your child what they did at school is “Nothing… just played!” But rest assured — Primary 1 is a busy and important year, and while much of the learning is through play, it’s carefully planned to support your child’s development.
Many activities are practical, hands-on, and involve lots of talking and listening. After a busy day at school, your child might just want some quiet time when they get home, and that’s perfectly normal.
Structured Play
A big part of P1 is Structured Play. During this time, children can explore different areas in the classroom — painting, playing with sand and water, building models, ‘reading’ books, or baking pretend cakes in the home corner!
Although it looks like fun (and it is!), every activity is carefully planned around class topics to support language development, social skills, problem-solving, and early literacy and numeracy. It’s also a valuable time for the teacher to observe the children, get to know their interests and abilities, and gently extend their learning.
Stories, Rhymes and Singing
Stories, songs, and rhymes are a big part of each day in P1. Many involve counting, movement, and drama, helping to build early language, number skills, memory, and confidence — and of course, they’re great fun too!
Mathematics and Numeracy
Your child won’t be doing ‘sums’ straight away. In P1, we focus on practical, hands-on activities using sorting and counting resources. Children learn to think about numbers, patterns, and shapes through play and discussion before moving on to recording their work on paper later in the year.
Reading
It’s important to know that formal reading books aren’t introduced immediately. Before a child is ready for this, they need to develop important early skills like recognising sounds, enjoying stories, and talking about pictures.
In the first few weeks, your child will bring home books to share with you. Look at the pictures together, chat about what’s happening, and enjoy the story. We’ll provide more information and support on how to help with reading at home in September.
World Around Us
Our beautiful school grounds are a wonderful resource for learning. Throughout the year, children explore a range of topics and themes, discovering more about their world through hands-on activities, nature walks, and outdoor investigations.
P.E. and Outdoor Play
Primary 1 children have regular P.E. sessions and lots of outdoor play. Through these activities, they develop balance, coordination, spatial awareness, and confidence in using their bodies. It’s also a great opportunity for teamwork and problem-solving through fun games and challenges.
And finally...
Consider Joining the PTA (Parent & Teacher Association)
Our Parents are wonderfully supportive and generously share their time and talents to help raise funds for the school. The PTA plays a vital role in organising fun events and activities that benefit all our children.
We warmly encourage you to consider joining the PTA and getting involved in the many exciting school events throughout the year. Your support makes a real difference and is greatly appreciated by the whole school community.