If your child is starting school after summer, what are you doing in the coming weeks?

[Kibble19]

Mine starts next year, but they’re my first so I’m curious about how others do it.

Tell me about the practical stuff - how many uniforms did you buy? Did Smiggle just take £100 for their schoolbag? Did your school give you a list of what they’ll need for the classroom?

Are you doing anything special before their first day? Personalised hanger for their uniform? A balloon bouquet? Family flying in from Spain for it?

Are you taking the first week off work in case something goes wrong? Drawing love hearts on your wrist and the child’s?

Yes, other posters will judge you for what you have (or haven’t) done, but go for it. Tell me so that I can come back to this post in 12 months when it’s my turn.

(Assuming you mean Primary school)

Let them choose their own backpack and a water-bottle over the summer.

School will let you know what you need specifically - mine didn’t need any stationery or pencil case, but did need wellies and waterproofs for a weekly forest school session.
I get school shoes as close to September as I can. 5 polo shirts, 3 bottoms and 2 jumpers.
Lots of socks. Label everything. Everything.

On the day;
Do their favourite breakfast on the day and take some sweet photos.
Keep it calm and happy. Lots of kids cry at drop off.. so you don’t want to do too much or expect too much to add to that pressure/sense of overwhelm/change.

In the months leading up to starting school you can read picture books about starting school to help them get used to and excited about the idea.

The first week sometimes it’s a staggered start; a few hours, half day etc. (varies from school to school how long they do this for) so you’re likely going to have to take a bit of time off.

The best tip I was given by my DCs head at Infants was if possible take them to a cafe (Morrisons or similar is ideal) and let them choose their food. Lots of little ones find choice overwhelming.
otherwise it was have fun. They’d had settling in visits by now and both home and nursery had talked about going to school.
But it was really keeping everything low key, but being prepared for them coming out hungry and thirsty and to tell youu nothing.
And at my DCs school they didn’t start changing for PE until several weeks had past. And there was a school book bag that they had to use.

They might not need a backpack. At our school they have a school book bag they all use.

As a retired Headteacher, I would say get them to practice getting dressed/undressed in their school uniform and school shoes. Socks can be particularly difficult but will be extremely helpful on PE days. I would also wash their uniform several times so it’s not stiff and uncomfortable.
When one of my DS started school, I cut a small piece of fabric from inside a pocket on a dress I used to wear frequently and put it in his trouser pocket. I told him if he missed me, just to put his hand in his pocket and feel the material from my dress. That was so many years ago, neither he nor I can remember if he did! 😂

Going to have as lovely summer as I can with him! Going to help him continue his name writing and getting dressed himself and tidying up own toys: other skills that can be useful for independence. Have arranged a couple of play dates with kids going to his school. Going to try to make him feel loved and special.

On the day will give him cereal like normal, whatever he fancies but no pancakes or anything that’ll make it time-pressured or overly a fuss. Will take a photo holding Magnadoodle saying “first day of school” and get him there nice and early with a smiley face from me. Will take my own crying off round the corner after drop off.

Lots of good tips there!

I’m already wondering if school staff help the youngest kids with daft stuff like if their zip gets stuck on their jacket, if they drop their lunch tray, if they are wandering around alone.

Every time I think about it, I think I’ll just homeschool instead. 😂

I'm keeping it as low key as possible. For my child, a massive build up is not the preparation she needs and will make her anxious.
I am having to take the first 2 weeks off because they are 'settling in' for the first few days (attending one day) and after that, it takes several weeks to get on the system that allows you to book breakfast and after-school club which is bloody fantastic.
I already bought uniform at the school's second hand sale and need to get a few more bits (shoes, tights) and a book bag.
First day will just be breakfast as normal and walk down, try to find her nursery friends asap so they are together.

I should say, I was a teacher for many years and find the 'less is more' approach was the most successful! Children don't need us to make a big deal out of these things.

Dressing / undressing
writing name
speaking as clearly as possible, expressing their feelings
emotional regulation.

Yes of course they will, staff know your child is only young and will help as much as needed/they can, bearing in mind they will have a class full of children.
Staff really do know how precious your children are, and will help them - and you- settle in quickly and happily.

Do you actually think staff will leave the little four years olds to fend for themselves or is it just an irrational fear?

Im a reception teacher and of course we help them..it is literally our job. Not just to teach them to read and write to be independent and resilient, how to play together and share, how to solve conflict with children (because there will be some, they’re still babies) how to express and regulate their emotions, to follows rules and routines, to set boundaries. And most of all to love and care for these children in their very first year of school.

I can’t say every reception teacher is like this but if they’re not, they’re not doing their job.

Practise putting on uniform and shoes.
Practise sitting at a table and holding a pencil.
Keeping a holiday diary and practising cutting, sticking and concentrating.
Read a book about starting school, Topsy and Tim, for example.