Getting ready for primary school... have I missed anything??

[MumNeedsTea]

DS1 will be starting reception in Sept and I am trying to get my head around everything that needs to be sorted before then.

We have bought the uniforms.. it's all washed and ready to go. Childcare is all sorted for all 5 days.

I still need to sort out

1. backpack and water bottle
2. label all clothes
3. buy some school shoes
4. get DS to practice changing from school uniform to PE uniform (he knows to dress himself so this shouldn't be an issue)

We will be going with school meals to begin with, so I don't have to think of packed lunches for now.

Is there anything else I am missing?? Seems like there's something else I haven't thought of

Thanks :)

DD has to have a school branded book bag (it's the only thing we do have at the moment - no uniform). But you'd know by now if that was needed!

Did school ask for the water bottle? People on here all seem to have one but our school hasn't mentioned it.

The school has a book bag with a logo, but it's not compulsory to get that one. DS wants a justice league one! :)
Hmm... now that you mention it, the school didn't ask for a bottle... I just assumed he would need one. He is constantly thirsty.

I just thought of something else.... make sure DS knows how to wipe his arse properly! It can be a hit and miss sometimes

Our school has asked for a water bottle. I don't see the harm in having one anyway.

They've also asked for a pencil case with a couple pencils and a small notebook.

Some other things to think about:

We've got a couple small ice packs for packed lunches. (If you move on to packed lunches!)

P.E shoes? Plimsolls or trainers?

Extra socks for PE

Coats, light and waterproof as well as winter ones?

Wallet or purse to hold any money, tuck or for dinner money.

I'm probably overthinking it!

Practice / time your school run if relevant?
Think about what your morning routine will be to get you ready in time.
Give your DS some tips about the social aspect of starting school, e.g. asking a grown up to help him if he wants to join in a game but doesn't know how
Possibly have one or two meet ups with new classmates before he starts

Have you claimed for the universal school meals on council site (if applicable)

We prefer the younger children to have a book bag rather than a back pack as back packs take up so much space in cramped cloakrooms and we don't allow drinks bottles unless it's part of the child's packed lunch (lots of sharing of bottles led to a nasty outbreak of impetigo ) but I'm sure the school would have mentioned it if this was the case

At my ds's school, children need to use book bags in KS1.
My ds started using backpacks from YR3, and all his books, letters, everything started to get squashed and mushed.
So for practical reason, I agree with mrz, it takes up so much space at school, and everything comes home crumpled up, which never happened while he was using school book bag.

Actually, I remember very few kids using backpacks in ks1. So I think it wasn't compulsory, just recommended by the school. But 99 % of children had school or other book bags in my ds's school.

A sunhat, in the event of their being a late heatwave (optimistic!) children aren't allowed out without hats at my dcs school.

Have you signed up for free school milk, however the school does it?

Spare clothes/underwear in the school bag. You would be amazed at the number of children who have been toilet-trained for years but just 'forget' when playing outside, even if it's only once in a year.

Make sure they have a raincoat/welly boots. Check the weather each day.

Mentally prepare now for things to get lost/dirty and try not to get precious over it.

Label EVERYTHING!

Don't get shoes with laces unless they can tie them by themselves.

We don't have water bottles in reception, just a stack of plastic cups next to a sink with a drinking water tap, they help themselves whenever they need a drink.

We're only just needing a backpack going into year 2. The bookbag often only contained my son's jumper and a reading book so a big bag was unnecessary.

I have got ds2 a pair of shorts as well as trousers because ds1 always started off the term in them.

I don't think there's much else to remember really. A raincoat for showers, spare set of lower half clothes if the school want that.

Wellies?
Forest school stuff ready in a bag?

Another who says bookbags are better than backpacks. Coatpegs often only fit costs (and hats/scarves) sometimes also pe kits so bags often have to go into drawers and anything other than a book bag rarely fit. Could you get a book bag and decorate with his favourite character stickers/patches instead?

I always say this on "getting ready for Reception threads" but when you say "he knows how to dress himself" is this with random of the clothes inside out and his polo shirt half caught up in his jumper? Because, I too thought my child could dress himself and hadn't thought that this was always with the clothes he was changing into nicely laid out, and not in the scrumpled mess they are likely to be in, once he's taken them off!

I'd really check that the school are happy with a rucsac. Many classrooms are set up with racks/drawers for bookbag storage and rucsac don't fit. School branded bookbags may not be compulsory, but book bags might be.

Can he recognise his name, put on his coat and do up his shoes? I wouldn't overthink too much else. It's a massive milestone for you, but millions of children start school every September and it's pretty straight forward.

Get a Sharpie and lots of name stickers. You'll be amazed st what you have to name at short notice.

Lastly - the best top tip ever given to me by the mother of an older child when mine started school - save (from old clothes, hand me downs, charity shops etc), plain coloured leggings, plain t shirts, shirts, waistcoats, hand knitted jumpers, flat caos and other hats. With a collection of these, you can usually put together whatever kind of fancy dress outfit is required - often at short notice - for whatever educational event. WWII day, pirate day, Victorian day, drama club production of Alice in Wonderland, come as your hero day etc

YES to Bike.
Start collecting ideas for dress up days, and you don't get panic at short notice.
Also start collecting all the art materials, for weekend art projects. Don't forget to save your shoe boxes!

Label everything! Including socks!!

And meet up with new classmates a few times if possible. Helps if they know a few faces.

Practice putting their coats on and doing them up is one our school asks for.

Get a fun keyring for the book bag, it makes it so much easier to spot their own bag if it's on the handle in a pile of 30

Agree with some others take a sharpie or laundry marker and write name in the neck or hem of jumpers polos etc it's the best deterrent as labels are easily cut off or pulled out!

Don't spend a fortune on PE pumps. My dc never wore them, despite school insisting they have them. DS now needs outdoor trainers (going into Y4); DD's expensive Start Rite pumps have barely been out of their bag.

A run of 3 or 4 woven mane tapes make great hanging hooks for swimming towels, PE bags etc.