Starting primary school - what are your top tips?

[Afiwo]

Hi guys,
My son starts reception this September and I wondered if anyone had an top tips/advice they could share. I’m thinking less the obvious stuff that is shared by the school or listed in the ‘starting school’ section of mumsnet and more the stuff you wish you had known, hadn’t thought of, or the little gems you’ve discovered since your child/ren started school. Send them my way!!
TIA!

Buying school shoes. A lot of places, like Clarks, allow you to book a fitting appointment so that you don't have to queue.

Second the water bottle tip - have more than one. My DS struggled to remember to bring his water bottle home or move it to after school club so we needed three on rotation.

Re: events at school, I've moved to a paper calendar as there are so many things to remember. Our school is very good at giving notice like Children in Need day, World Book Day etc. I know others that are given very last minute notice for dress up days or bring x into school, so you'll have to work out which your school is!

Label everything - I used a combination of sew in and stick on labels. Double label logo'ed items and expensive coats (hidden up the sleeve).

I’d say don’t get into the habit of anything that isn’t essential - mainly for fear of getting it wrong and it seeming like the end of the world! Eg: I’ve never taken a post school snack. Unless they are about to embark on a 5 mile hike (mine do a 5 min walk to car) then they can wait until they get home.
Same with morning snack. School provide fruit/veg. They can have that or go without in my book (so many others go to the faff of sending something in themselves).
Water bottles: you need lots if you have children like mine who lose them... have to say that camelbak have always leaked for me. The skip hop or Tyrell Katz have been good though. Oh, and for a very clumsy child buy a metal one, less likely to break!
Agree with photograph the invites and buy gifts in sales. By year 2 this is harder as you actually know them and know what they like!
Get involved! Be prepared to volunteer, for PTA events etc, it is appreciated and things couldn’t go ahead without this.

We found a get ready chart with pictures of him doing all the steps of our morning routine was useful.

@UnaOfStormhold brilliant idea!!!! If there's a photo of his teacher online that could be added too with their name so its familiar xx

I love this idea @UnaOfStormhold! My son would love to have ownership of his routine. I've already found one to download. Great tip!

Thanks everyone else too, these tips are invaluable, I already feel so much more prepared, just in having a sense of what to expect!

We don't do alarms to get going - our routine is precision timed via the Cbeebies schedule - shoes on at the start of Go Jetters, coats on when they do souvenir selfie - out of the door the second Octonauts starts. I also do no TV or iPads (yep I let mine play on devices which is a whole other thread) until they're ready - if you let them do a bit of telly and then start trying to get them dressed it tends to lead to procrastination and "in a minute" in our house - TV as a leverage is a great motivator in getting clothing on!

Get a good nit comb and your nit-weapon of choice in ready - they WILL come home with the bastard things and it's not a reflection of your parenting - just a reflection that they're either hugging each other, trying to pick each other up, or play-brawling and bashing heads constantly so primary schools are like a nit and worm party (sorry!). It's easier having some treatment options in the house ready than an emergency run to the shop when they come home with visitors.

Any time you see gloves reduced and cheap - buy them ALL - they lose them like mad in school.

Try your hardest to avoid any "opportunities" for them to learn the recorder. The bastard recorder teacher taught my eldest to play fucking Baby Shark on it - if that song isn't bad enough... it, mangled on a recorder played by an overly enthusiastic 6 1/2 year old is HELL!

Yes, we have a routine of slather on conditioner and use a nitty gritty comb every friday evening - so far we've managed to avoid the various outbreaks.

just repeating whats above but check for nits every week, that way there wont be masses and masses when you do catch them