This is a public service announcement for parents of 2016 Reception starters

[kippersyllabub]

1. Whatever "settling in" arrangements your school tells you they have, you, the parent are entitled to send your child to school full time from the very start of the Autumn term, or part time until they reach compulsory school age. This is up to you. It is not up to the school. If you need to quote legislation at the headteacher, it's the school admissions code (this is secondary legislation) and this has been clarified in the 2015 report of the Office of the Schools' adjudicator.

1. It really helps if they can take themselves to the loo, get changed for PE and put their coat on. Counting, reading and writing early don't make a huge difference compared to the above.

1. label everything

Have I forgotten anything?

• Set-up a Facebook group for your year group mums (and dads). Set it to Secret, so that everything is kept confidential. This has been SO useful for things from homework struggles, lost school kit, missing school letters to party invites etc. You can also use the event feature within Facebook to keep track of school outings, assemblies and dress-up days.

• Don't bother signing them up for after school clubs for at least the first term. I would wait until after Easter - they get SO tired!

I have 3 kids, the oldest has special needs and will be 14 in August, the middle one is a picky eater and will be 7 in August and the little one is 5 in October. The most helpful tips I have picked up are about packed lunches.

Mine were used to me packing lunches for days out trips to the park etc so we already had a good idea of what they could open alone and what they struggled with, but if your child isn't maybe a few days with a packed lunch for the park or even on the living room carpet might help.
Just because it's a tub with a cartoon character on it and it's simple for you to open don't assume your little one will be able to, took me a couple of weeks to work out why the stupid minion pot kept coming home full. Also applies to water bottles with the addition don't assume they can close them.
Putting an extra sandwich bag in is useful for rubbish since they are usually not allowed to throw anything away, I also used to add a paper napkin with his favourite character on one because it made him smile and two because he was one of those who was bothered by being messy/sticky.
Yogurt is a pain, it gets everywhere and they never finish it at school they also lose the spoons constantly. Grapes are another pain because they are quite often not allowed unless they are cut up, so we had staff cutting them up and him melting down, or staff taking them away because they weren't cut up, they caused me a whole term of hassle before he decided he had gone off grapes and would eat bananas instead. Even if they happily peel the satsumas at home they probably won't bother at school this maybe applies to bananas too depending on the child.
Check your child's lunchbox, bookbag, backpack and any other bag they take to school every day, don't assume they have only put snacks in their lunch bag, trust me on this you don't want to come across the baggie that used to contain cucumber but now smells like a decomposing body.
You will lose water bottles and probably lunch bags at least once, and at least a few plastic containers will never be seen again, I'll be honest and say we have never found anything better than sports cap plastic water bottles refilled every day. I don't care if they lose them so they always seem to come home and they get replaced every few weeks or when they start to smell.

Oh and as for other tips, take home as little paperwork as possible, if you have a calendar you use on your phone stop and add the date from letters on to it before you leave the playground.
If you have a permission slip for something that doesn't require money ask the teacher for a pen or swipe one from your child's bag and sign it right then and hand it back. Personally, I use an app on my phone to scan the letters in or take a photo of them so I have a copy and can add the details to my calendar properly when I get home.
If you need to pay for something sort out the money as soon as you get home, put it into an envelope and seal it up write your child's name, class and reason for the money on the outside and put it straight into their bag.
Add a reminder to your calendar for the day before an event, if you have a lot of notice or you need to do something like make a costume add one for the week before too.
Don't forget to update the school if you or any of your child's in case of emergency contacts change their mobile phone number.

As a TA(I've put both DC's through Reception already) to a Reception Class here are my favourite things I would like parents to do:

1. Label everything - twice if possible. Nothing that will fall out - Biro is fine or a large black marker on the pockets or anywhere.

1. Get them use to changing and/or putting the clothes in a pile together. We give a mat to change on in school but not all do.

1. Show them how to hang up a coat and also how to put it on. We can help with doing them up but if they can try to learn that would be fab.

1. If you're sending in a packed lunch. Nothing too tricky to open or with anything new in. Test them with it before they start school. They all try it on at some point saying they don't like what you've packed for them (no matter how much they asked for it at home)

1. Go through their PE kit with them and show them what it's like on and off.

1. Show them how to put a straw in a milk carton or any carton. Also how to drink out of a sensible bottle not a baby one.

1. Get them to practice putting shoes on and off themselves. If they can't do it we can't do 30 pairs of shoes after PE and still let them spend time playing/learning.

1. Spare clothes - whether your child has accidents or not. Please for the love of anybody label and send in a full change to sit on your childs peg. If your child is prone to accidents or you think they're bigger/smaller than the average reception child. Buy a pack of pants and send it in. Believe me when you've got a child who needs 6-7 size pants and all you have are 4-5 (reception age) no amount of forcing fits them in it.

1. If you have a spare pack of wet wipes, tissues, soap etc please donate it to the class.

10. Above all. We know your child is precious and amazing. Also we know that they are special to you, they are special to us as well. We will attempt to nuture them and help them grow but we are not super human. We will do as much as possible but all help is gratefully received. We will wipe tears and help them interact with the other children. Some they will get on with, some they will not, sometimes they will hate school and sometimes they will love it. If you come to speak to us please remember to be polite we are there to help as much as possible and this first school year is soooo important for the children to learn without realising how to learn and enjoy school.

Oh and above all smile and be positive. In our school we have learning behaviours and all the children learn that it is good to try, if you make mistakes it's a chance to learn. They dig deep and use Grit in everything they do. If they can't do it, really it's they can't do it YET.

Sorry it's long.

Oh yes clubs - no to the first term and possibly the second term. All of ours who signed up slept through every club.

Hot lunches - practice finding knife, fork and spoon, carrying tray and using a knife and fork.

Over label cheap drinks bottle etc. They will go missing, they might be found that week, next month or next year. Check lost property once a month.

Oh and there will be numerous emails, texts, letters etc.

ReadyPlayerOne, black out 2nd childs initial and put 3rd one above the surname?

  C

Surname

Sorry if this has been said... I'm half asleep and may have skipped to the end.

The thing I wish I'd done (DS1 is in reception now) is found out what reward/sanction system they use at school, and started it at home before he started school. Our school use a colours system, red/green/silver/gold etc and their names are moved up and down for good/bad behaviour. DS took a while to settle in, was on red all the time and very upset by it. We got out the craft box one day, made the same chart for home and I got him to explain all the rules to me. Then we put him and his little brother on it and use it in the same way they do at school so it was all consistent for him. He seemed to get the hang of it then, and has steadily improved and been green or better since then almost every day, and easier to manage at home too. And I have a lot of hope that when DS2 starts the same school, he will know the system already.

If they are going to have school dinners, make sure they can ask for things they want clearly, a child crying because they don't like what they have been given can set the others off. Also, being able to use a knife and fork is very helpful.

With packed lunches, try and put things in they can open themselves. That they know how to handle things is good too, a Frube squeezed too hard can go a very long way,as can a juice carton.

Yes to velcro shoes, laces are a nightmare when there are more than 2 children that need help with them. If they are wearing coats with zips, practice doing them up themselves too, again doing up 20 zips takes most of lunchtime.

Pertinent to the weather recently, please make sure they know to wear a hat if it is sunny, and they know how to put their own suncream on if needed, I know of one little boy that took so long to put it on it was time to go in again.

If they tell you that xxxx isn't their friend anymore, is nasty, has hurt them, please check with the teacher before confronting another parent. A fall out at playtime is often resolved before home time, but they don't always remember to tell you that bit.

This is a great thread. Our school normally start reception on half days but it's a ball ache with childcare considering the 7 week holiday before they start (older child)

Can I refuse the half day?

Any school letter that needs action (class assembly to watch, packed lunch for trip), stick on the fridge.

Any other letter, bin. You will never look at the curriculum newsletter about the rainforest topic or the uniform policy again, promise.

umizoomi If you're in England yes you can.
Our allocated school has:
2 days half day (we may just do nursery those days).
1 week till 1.30 (ok from our POV as DS will get the idea of lunch then pickup later, but I struggle to see that a teacher and a TA can visit 30 homes in 5 afternoons)
Then normal full time.

Presumably if parents let schools know now that they intend to enforce their child's right to go full time from the start, the school can prepare for that.
Dcs' school goes full time from the start anyway, just a few extra kids each day over 2 weeks.

The teachers do do home visits starting week after next - not much point doing them after the children have started school!

If you're going to have a walk to school, start building up their stamina with lots of walking over the holidays so you don't have to deal with tired child who is too tired to walk home. Or practice scooting.

Do NOT try to find out anybody else's book band or brag (stealthily or otherwise) about your dc's book band. Don't worry if dc reads Biff Chip and Kipper when some kids start on Rohald Dahl. It is exactly like the early or late potty training brag or worry.

There are some marvellous readers in reception. Nobody remembers them when they are 8. Who you will remember is the one whose parents basked in the Harry Potter reading age 5. You will wonder when they became so average (they all even out somewhat). Unfortunately (unlike potty training) the wonder child remembers, too. They know they used to be miles ahead and then everyone caught up.

It's a combined reception/y1 class anyway. There are not going to be about 14 reception kids. When DS1 went, the split the 30 so half did the morning and lunch and the other half did lunch and afternoon. That I understand. This time, not so much

Love this thread, but have one more important thing to add. Please read with your child everyday. Even if just for 5 minutes before bed, or even make it part of bedtime routine. I work in a school, and have worked with reception, year one, two and three. The difference in progress between the children who do read at home for a couple of minutes each day, and the ones who dont is MASSIVE. So if I was to have to choose between all the points made in this thread that would benefit your child the most, it would be this, read with your child.

To get information out of mine, I ask for 'one exciting thing that happened today' normally gets the ball rolling...

And they always remember what they had for lunch evidence often down uniform

Don't underestimate how exhausting it is for them. I compare it to starting at a new work place. You have to learn all the unspoken rules as well is the obvious ones, learn a load of new names/faces, where everything is kept etc... Shattering for an adult let alone a child. Take a snack to pick up and if possible/practical cut them some slack behaviour wise between pick up and bed!

I ask who they played with. That usually fed some kind of who was nice and who was mean info and if I'm lucky a bit about what they were doing too.

Mine had trouble remembering much to start with but he always knew what he'd had for pudding. Now he's quite good at telling me about his day from beginning by to end with prompts like what did he do first? Who did he play with at break? did he eat a snack?

The teachers do do home visits starting week after next

That makes more sense. I am considering full time from the start OR waiting till they are all full time and the other children can show DS the ropes but was told "don't put them in full time from the start, think of the home visits."

But from our DS' perspective, anything after lunch is more or less the same, he can't tell the time. So lunch and then a 1.30 finish will be fine and just a bit less tiring than lunch and a 3.15 finish, it will just be "lunch, activity, home time" same as a normal school day.

We just got a letter outlining all the pre-starting activities at our allocated school but helpfully, with no dates watsoever , not even a time frame. They will be visiting nursery fairly soon too.

Or even "whatsoever". So confused I can't spell.

Remember that all children are different and not all of these things will apply to yours. Remember this when comparing work pinned up on the walls, remember this when listening to other parents. Remember it at all times throughout your child's school career.