The day is coming closer and closer! If your child is starting school in September, there is a lot to take in. You’re likely to receive ample information from your child’s school, but at times it can feel a little overwhelming. In this blog we share some top tips we think you’ll need to know in the run up to their first day.
Visits
Firstly, get ready for lots of visits over the summer term. You may find that your child’s teacher visits them in nursery to see them in their current setting, or may arrange a home visit to see them in their home environment. All schools, whether or not they do these initial visits, will have some settling in sessions over the Summer term. Typically, parents stay for an initial visit, then children will have subsequent visits where they will be dropped off. Add these dates to the diary - there will likely be a few!
The uniform
Uniform - an exciting part of school beginnings! Don’t worry about ensuring you have everything - we’ve created a separate blog post with a full run down of everything you will need, how to decide on sizes, and where to buy everything (plus tips on financing it all).
Parent involvement
A key part of the parent-school relationships is ensuring strong lines of communication. You are likely to receive invitations over the coming weeks and months to join many apps, email lists and more. Particularly common invites include an app for booking meals (more on that below), and an app for updating you on school newsletters and information. Make sure to join these as they come in - and keep a list of your passwords!
You may find that a parent Whatsapp springs up when you are invited to welcome evenings. These are unlikely to be overseen or organised by the school itself - but instead a prepared, helpful parent (usually with older children in another year) will likely set one up. Look out for someone with a clipboard on visit days - or ask around to see if one has started. If not, set one up yourself! These are a hotspot for non uniform day reminders, birthday invites and lost property announcements. Not one to miss!
Finally, you’re likely to be invited to join the Parent Teacher Association. If you’re a born organiser, or are keen to give something back to the school community, this might be for you!
Wraparound care
Working parents, it’s time to get your head around wraparound care. If you need to be at work before school begins, and are likely to still be there after 3pm, it’s time to think about breakfast club and after school club (that’s not thinking about holiday clubs, but more on those [link] here). Before and after school clubs are often in high demand, so it’s well worth signing up for these if you know you’re going to use them. Schools will usually advertise their wraparound care during school visits and talks, but if you missed the information, chat to the school office or receptionist who will point you in the right direction. Remember, wraparound care is also eligible for the UK government’s tax free childcare initiative (saving you 20%) - head here to find out more.
School meals
A great thing about starting school, for many children, is the provision of a free hot lunch. We’ve found, from our experience, that many picky eaters quickly settle in to eating with their peers and really enjoy the hot meal offered! This is free for children from Reception to Year 2, though needs to be booked through your school’s meal provider. Children will usually be given a hot and cold option, as well as a vegetarian option. This information will be given to you during visits, but again - ask if you’re not sure!
SEN and additional needs
If your child has additional needs, or you suspect they may do, your child’s school is on hand to support. If it is already established with your child's GP, nursery or childminder that they have a recognised additional need, get in touch with your school Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) who will work with you to put an Individual Education Plan (IEP) in place to ensure your child can enjoy and access everything school has to offer. You may also notice that as your child settles into school, an additional need becomes more apparent. Again, your school teacher and SENCO are the first port of call to support.
Keen to learn more? Head to the ParentKind Be School Ready Magazine
We’re proud to be partnered with ParentKind this academic year - and their fantastic school starter magazine has plenty more tips where these came from. Head here to read it, now!
