Hundreds of youngsters from across Maidstone, Malling and the Weald have been making their tentative first steps into the world of learning.

It's a time that fills parents and children alike with great excitement, pride and anticipation, and pupils are now halfway through their first term.

But of course, these crucial first few weeks at school are about so much more than remembering the alphabet, or simple sums - there are friends to make and playgrounds to explore.

Over the past few weeks our photographers have been crisscrossing the county, capturing the moments that will stay with these youngsters and their parents forever.

Once again we will be bringing all of these pictures together in our hugely popular First Class specials - brilliant, colourful supplements that will appear in all KM Group paid-for newspapers in the week starting Monday, October 8.

It will be an unmissable opportunity to have a lasting keep-sake of your child's start to school life, so make sure you pick up a copy.

The Kent Messenger supplement will be on sale from Thursday, October 11 and you can also buy pictures online, which will be available to order in the coming weeks.

A full list of the local schools taking part in the First Class special will also be published next week.