How Can I Help My Child When They Start School?

Starting school is an exciting step for your child. There is lots of practising you can do with your child to make sure they are ready when the big day comes. If you can do this over the summer, in a gentle and fun way, it will make the transition to big school all that easier for them.

• Talk with your child about starting school and engage with the activities on offer to help them to familiarise themselves with their new school.  Read stories about starting school and talk about the things that you did when you were at school.  Talk about the routines that you will have once school starts so that they will know what to expect.  Have a look at the pictures on our school website to help your child become familiar with the adults who will be working with them and the classroom and outdoor environment.
• Don’t underestimate the importance of developing social abilities and their skills of independence.  Encouraging your child to listen to instructions, to take turns and to be patient are all important life skills.  Give them opportunities to play with other children and to enjoy activities both with and without you.
• Toilet training your child is also important.  Make sure that they know that they can ask to go to the toilet at school; they don’t have to wait to be told.  Showing them how to wipe themselves independently and how to pull underwear and tights up is also useful.  Don’t forget that they should wash their hands after they have been to the toilet.
• It is helpful if your child is independent in dressing and undressing themselves for when they start their PE lessons.  Putting shoes on the right feet often takes some practice!

Once your child has started at school, the teachers will provide you with further information about what you can do to help.  Your child will also bring home 3 reports during the academic year which will give you guidance on what they are able to do and what their next learning steps are.  

Useful Links

Click on the links below to get you started on some useful ways you can help your child at home. The school website contains lots of practical information about helping your child.  Click here to find out more about phonics, maths, handwriting and creative learning.   Reading in Reception – this is a useful guide to helping your child with their early reading and book enjoyment skills.   Learning Through Play – Letters and Sounds – this is another useful information leaflet with ideas for fun activities to help support your child’s phonic skills.   Learning Through Play – Numbers – more fun activities to try out at home, this time focusing on numbers.