Hundreds of youngsters from across Sittingbourne and Sheppey 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 criss-crossing 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 Sheerness Times Guardian and Sittingbourne News Extra supplements will be in the shops on Wednesday, October 10.

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