What should DD be able to do when she starts school in September?

[Coveredinweetabix]

Its dawned on me that my DD is starting school this year. She's my first DC so I have no idea what is expected of them when they turn up. She is at nursery three days a week and I know that in the summer term they spend a lot of time on school readiness but I thought it would be helpful to know what the essentials are now so I can practice certain things with her if I think she's miles off achieving it by herself.
The things I can think of are:

• going to the toilet, wiping etc by herself. All fine. However, do they have to wait until break times in reception or can then go whenever they need?
• recognising her name. She can recognise both her full first name and the abbreviation. I'm not sure she can recognise her surname. She can write the abbreviation without help and most of the longer version but I don't think she's ever attempted to write her surname
• getting dressed/undressed - she's suddenly realised how to do buttons so I think we're fine on that. She's pretty good at hanging her up coat etc
• looking for things - an area we need to work on as otherwise I'll be foreever going in to look for her cardigan or something
• reading/writing/maths - a couple of my friends seem to have child geniuses who can already read (in one case) or read, write and do basic arithmetic (another case). I think DD can recognise the numbers 1 - 12, knows the phonic sound for most letters but not their name, can write simple numbers and letters without much help (for example, 1, L, T, F) but wouldn't know where to start with something like a 2 or K.

So which of the above do I need to work on with her and which things have I not even thought of? If you have any creative ways of teaching any of the essential skills to her, please also tell me that!

Thanks

We expect them to be able to use the bathroom on their own (special needs aside), put their shoes and socks on (use sneakers with velcro fasteners instead of laces if necessary), should be able to open whatever food it provided in their lunchbox (we don't have time to peel, cut, etc for 30 children). They should also be able to identify their school bag/lunch box so they know where to put things. We also ask that they learn how to put sunscreen on (we're in Australia and all classrooms have a big pump bottle of sunscreen by the door which is used before they leave). We supervise, but again, we can't put sunscreen on 30 children before they go out. Oh, and they need to know how to wear a hat. Don't use the excuse that they don't like hats, they will not be allowed outdoors without one under any circumstances.

We don't expect them to be able to read and write, but being familiar with using pencils/crayons really helps, as does knowing how to use safety scissors and a glue stick.

This is really useful so thanks for this thread OP. There are definitely a few things I need to work with DD on, but she seems to be ok on quite a lot which is reassuring (helps that she is November-born I guess).

As for assertiveness and asking for things, could you get her to maybe order her own food in a restaurant, ask the server for the bill - that sort of thing? We have always encouraged DD to do that where possible and it seems to be really paying off just recently. She is getting way more confident at doing it just in the last couple of months.

It is also worth asking the nursery what they think you need to work on - if our DD is anything to go by, some children are capable of far more away from home than they are when you are there to do it for them.