What has your reception child got to start school - panicking

[Hdieonfjc]

Sorry if this has been done to death but I'm really stressing that my 4 year old who starts school in September hasn't got the correct things? We've had no information off the school, I went in for a meeting one on one (not even my child or partner was allowed to go) in July and I thought they would tell me what I need but all they did was spend 20 minutes talking about the new curriculum and 20 minutes telling me how strict the uniform policy is?? I don't even know where I'm supposed to take her on the first day and I don't know anyone else who is starting who I can ask as I'm new to the area. Where I'm from originally the reception kids did half days to start with but I don't know if that's a thing in this new area so I haven't arranged anything with work.

I have:
Uniform
Pe kit
Lunch box

Does she need a bag? What are you meant to put in? Does she need a pencil case? Again if she does what should it have in it?

I feel so unprepared I only know what day she is starting because I looked it up myself!

In my experience pencil cases are not usually necessary. A (usually transparent) water bottle. Black easy to manage shoes. A waterproof coat, wellies if they do forest school.

Name labels...label literally everything, even shoes.

If they haven't asked for it don't worry about it.

Check your spam folder for communications by the way...you can send an email with any questions I bet someone will be monitoring the inbox.

Also relax, as a teacher upthread said, everyone will be figuring it out in the first week.

Email the school but also try asking on your local Facebook group if you have one. You might find other parents on there who can answer your questions.

My DS started Primary 1 this week. Only things I bought were, school uniform/shoes. PE kit/plimsoles and drawstring bag. Probably won't need the PE kit at first, so I wouldn't worry about that being a priority just now. Book bag. Water bottle. I bought some things from the school uniform website, but most things I got from George clothing, which is relatively cheap

Email about school opening and closing times (if you don't already know) My DS gets free lunches up until Primary 4, so didn't feel the need to buy a lunch box. You may however be asked to pack a mid morning snack. So I just bought these small plastic snack pot things to put fruit/veg in. Or a small insulated food flask. That's about it really. Oh and labels. Label everything!

Meant to add, the book bag was provided by the school, but not sure if all schools do this. I would just email

As a tip: name everything. Everything. Even socks. Some schools insist on it, but even if they don't, you should do it if you want the stuff you send your child with to come back to you. Make it obvious: with sew-in tapes, or iron-on, or those little stamps. If you just write on the label with a biro it will wash off in no time.

If there are say three classes in the reception year, that's 90 kids all in size 4/5 or 5/6 identical clothes, and 90 sets of things like water bottles and lunch bags, and the teachers and TAs can't be expected to know who has this character on, or that so-and-so has a green coat or this sort of shoes. And your child won't always remember or will think it's fine to swap.

School run snacks are a good tip; reception kids will often be over-tired grouchy monsters by home time, and will fall asleep in their dinner. Hopefully you will find a FB group for the school or the reception class, and often a new class parents whatsapp group will be started once you get going. Except for those with older siblings in the school it will be new for lots of other parents too, you're not the only one!

Ours have to have a small hand sanitiser attached to the bag

You may not have missed anything.

Our Primary School sent an email round on the last day of term saying no parents would be contacted in anyway until 1st September that included the new starters.

We go back on 2nd September, so I expect several shops to be mad busy on 1st September with new starters trying to get anything.

Indoor shoes
Uniform
School bag
Pencil case
Water bottle
Pe kit

Sticker everything!