Top tips for starting school in September?

[suddenlycupishalffull]

DD1 will be one of the youngest in her year - she'll have just turned 4 when she starts Reception in September. She already goes to the Nursery attached to the school a few days a week, but it's still a big deal for both of us (sob!). I'm completely green when it comes to school (I've only just heard of phonics...) so what would your top tips be for a complete newbie in September? Does she need a penci case? A big bag? How do I help her cope with the inevitable tiredness? Do they get homework? Do they get free school meals? Those who have gone through this before, if you wished you knew one thing before the start of that first year, what would it be?

We were told that children (those with additional needs excepted of course) do need to be able to wipe their own bottoms, be fairly independent going to the toilet but that staff will absolutely help if the child gets themselves into a pickle or has an accident. DD is January-born and she still has the occasional wiping fail.

We had an individual meeting with the teacher and Early Years specialist before school started to talk about DD, exchange information etc. Any concerns or points to note could be raised there - I imagine you'll have similar meetings arranged.

You didn't say "routine bottom wiping" in your first post, chicken! You said Toileting is the big one as they won't get help with that..

It would be a waste of resources to do routine bottom wiping as so many children are able to manage themselves. Having said that, our reception classes have more than two members of staff and we also have a welfare officer who works in the school office. Maybe it depends in the school and you've just come across schools that don't help children with toileting when they need it.

Oh, and for choosing lunch - we have a 3 week rolling menu and DD chooses in the morning what she'll have. There's probably still a bit of choice once in the dining room (which veg, potatoes etc) but the main bit of meal is decided first thing.

If there's a similar set-up at your school, that might make choosing lunch a bit less overwhelming?

We have four midday supervisors in the hall at lunchtime and reception children come in ten minutes before the other children so extra help is on hand for those who need food cutting up or help to open packaging in packed lunches.

Maybe. If a child has an additional need around toileting or has continence issues then they would have an intimate care plan agreed with parents and a strategy for moving towards independence. But the expectation is certainly that children at school age go into a cubicle alone, wipe their bottoms, wash their hands etc independently.

I agree, chickenpox, though for the children I mentioned in my post, we just call it a care plan, rather than intimate care plan, as this covers all aspects of the child's care, not just where it is of an intimate nature.

And the expectations of the children and their development of life skills are the same in our school (and the others I've worked in), but no expectation of routine bottom-wiping!

What a fantastic tip about getting their coats on, thank you :) DD is quite confident but in a class of 30 I can imagine she wouldn't push herself to the front, so putting her hand up and encouraging her to speak to her teacher if something is wrong is a good tip, I think she'll need reminding of that. I'm a bit shocked teachers wouldn't help if little ones have accidents...I understand there are staffing issues so they can't be on toilet duty but surely a little compassion goes a long way when it comes to a 4 or 5 year old having an accident?! So how much 'work' at home would people suggest we should be doing? I have friends who do phonics flash cards etc now at nursery stage but I'm more of the let them play school of thought...will they be expected to do academic work at home at this age?

Sorry cross-posting, just seen posts about helping with accidents :)

Unless your DD is particularly interested in the academic side then I wouldn't worry about that at all. Teachers will be able to crack on with that if DD and the other children are, for the most part, prepared for this new environment.

I'd concentrate more on self-care and increasing confidence to be ready to go - read lots together, books about starting school, talking positively about what will happen at school, reassure her - till she's desperate to start!

Make a game out of sitting quietly on the carpet while you read a story, or do a pretend register with teddies. I think a gradual drip-feed from this point till September made DD feel happier about starting as there was less fear of the unknown.

My DD started in Sept.

If you haven't got a summer dress, buy one now. They were sold out in Sept and we had a very warm Sept/Oct so most girls were wearing them.

Earlier bedtimes for sure. DD goes up at 7.15. School is def more tiring.

DD still has wet accidents and did get help from TAs (2 x TA in Reception plus nursery nurse plus 1-1 for boy with additional needs so lots of adults for support)

Good morning! Speaking as both a parent of a similarly young DD1 who started Reception last year, and a primary school teacher I hope I can help a little. (I started tapping away on this at 7am ish (?) but have been distracted a few times so apologies if points have already been made.)
The fact that she is already attending the on site nursery is great. She will have a ready made group of friends and be familiar with the premises and the journey there.
It really isn't a given that summer born children struggle at school so don't worry too much about that. She has benefited from nursery education which is a big factor in ensuring school readiness.
As a parent, I would encourage you to go to any information events, open days, welcome evenings etc that the school might be arranging. Gather any information, paperwork, forms etc in a folder and take time to read it. DD1's school possibly did a bit of an events / information overkill (my school doesn't do anywhere near as much to inform and welcome new parents; big eye opener, spoken to SLT) and we felt a bit overwhelmed by July, but also felt like we knew absolutely everything we could reasonably have needed to know.
Do you know any of the parents whose children are already at school? I didn't but an informal chat with someone who had an older sibling already at the school at one of the aforementioned events revealed handy hints I would otherwise never have thought
to consider. Such as:
One part of the PE uniform (outdoor trainers and tracksuit ) is not used until the summer term, so although it is listed as a PE bag requirements, it would most likely be outgrown if we'd bought it ready for September.
Label everything your DD will wear.
Buy school shoes which will feel comfortable when your child is sitting with crossed legs.
Assume your DD will get really messy every day (there should still be lots of learning through play and hands on, messy experiences in the Foundation Stage), and make sure you have enough changes of uniform for a fresh change every day, otherwise you end up doing loads of extra laundry.
Your DD shouldn't need anything like personal stationery, just imagine what a nightmare it would be to try to keep tabs on it!
I have found that DD settles much better on the days when we arrive with plenty of time to spare. Then she can play in the playground with her friends for a bit before the bell goes and is quite happy to just file in to the classroom when the door opens. If we're cutting it fine she's sometimes a bit clingy about going in.
Always read the newsletter! I missed a few and DD has found it unfathomable and quite disconcerting that I've had no idea what she was on about.
Related to the above; I think adults in school often forget just how young the very youngest are. When DD's class started going to whole school assemblies in term 2, she would often be really confused by some of the messages she'd heard there; delivered to the whole school using language aimed at older children and an assumption that everyone "knows how it goes". She'd say "I really was concentrating but I missed a bit / didn't understand /my socks were uncomfortable..." It's a long time to sit still and try to take everything in for the youngest. I found it helpful if I'd read newsletters and mail-outs so I could clarify stuff like what a sponsored walk actually is, that you don't HAVE to spend your book token in the shop suggested by such and such etc.
Bring a snack at the end of the day.
They get really tired.
All Reception pupils are eligible for free school meals. Personally I think they're great and DD eats like a horse.
There is likely to be some homework but it should be easy-peasy and just about creating an expectation and a routine. You will almost certainly be asked to read with your DD every day. It's a good idea to do the homework and reading, but avoid any battles that may arise around it by laying off if she's too tired, and picking up another day instead.
That might be it for me
Good luck!
Oh, check out some online video clips of teachers teaching this year group. You should be able to find clips of phonics sessions (try googling Read Write Inc, Letters and Sounds, Jolly Phonics, or maybe just "phonics in Reception " for a sense of what your DD might come across. Same with maths.

My son is also august born and I have spent the last year getting him prepared, I do not want him to be behind or not be confident because he is the youngest, I have done the following:

Gets himself dresses puts own shoes on.
Wipes bottom... Doesn't do a great job tho!
Have taught him all if his letters and he has just started to blend them and now nursery have given him reading books.
Got him to hold pencil correctly and write name.
Simple maths questions whilst in car a few mins her and there.

I've done far more with him than my eldest who was December born because I was so anxious about him being the youngest, but I know for a fact that I did not need to do all if that.

for girls, I found my DD grey dresses with a faux polo top built in. Think they were M&S. Meant it was just one thing to put on, and easy to see which way round.

The thing with teaching reading and writing before children start school is that often they have to relearn it once they start school as it is taught differently. That's not to say you should hold off if you/your child really wants to but it's certainly not something to stress about. It's often easier for children to start with no phonics etc and learn it as a new and exciting thing at school.

Yes, Chicken, I should have been clearer there, don't watch video clips in order to emulate the teaching with your DD, it was more in case you yourself feel unsure about the kind of learning experiences she will encounter. Sorry, and thank you for pointing it out.

My post wasn't aimed at you peaceful.

Dd is August born and can certainly take herself to the loo, however wiping after a poo is not well done at all. Does anyone have any tips for this? It's my main worry as she seems to hold those in until she comes home at 12 from pre-school...

I need to work on putting tights on for my dd, she has only just learnt socks but tights are much more difficult.

She has a summer birthday and I'm going to send her to school part time initially. Since last December the admissions code changed and parents have the right to send their child part time until the term after they turn 5, although schools are unlikely to tell you this.

Several of August born in both my dds classes. Teachers are well used to a spectrum of ages it's not a problem.
The issue with attending part time is they do miss a lot of fun stuff! And it can be harder to join in, build relationships etc when only there some of the time. "Now children yesterday afternoon we were talking about xxxx' child is baffled as they weren't there. It can make it worse rather than better. Everyone else joined in learning the new song, or playing with the water or making sand pictures and they didn't. It doesn't help a child to settle in!

Plus everyone is part time for the first few weeks.

What do you mean Heels everyone is part time for the first few weeks?

Reception children have a staggered and part-time start in my school, too.

Experience has shown that starting all the children full-time and together, regardless of need or age, doesn't work nearly as well.

Some parents find it hard if they are used to having their DC in full-time nursery but it's only usually for a couple of weeks and it is for the benefit of the children.

You should get a letter with your information pack about when your DD will be starting, OP.

Many schools do a gradual introduction for children, with them going part time e.g. mornings only for a few days or a week. Some schools do that for quite a long time - half a term or more. Some schools barely do that at all and have all children starting full time very quickly. It varies from school to school.

Heels - for some children, going part time might hinder them settling in. For other children, full time school is really really tiring and hard for them to cope with, and they would be much better off starting part time until they are emotionally ready. There are an awful lot of children who struggle emotionally with starting school and the parents just assume or a told "this is the way it has to be, deal with it". But actually, that's not necessarily the case.

Suddenlycupishalffull
They start part time in reception. At our school it was for three weeks but in other schools right up to half term. Is something of a challenge for working parents. I haven't heard of any school whee it is less than three weeks but of course there may be some.

It's good if they can recognise their name and surname.

But don't worry too much if there is stuff she really can't do. One of my DCs is dyspraxic and could not do up his coat, turn socks inside out etc. After PE day you will see half the cute little reception starters with jumpers back to front, socks inside out, etc. It doesn't actually matter. And they are just learning.