What does a reception child need ?

[Jakethekid]

My son starts school in September. He's the first born so I have never done this before. He was given a school which we attended a meeting for however he was then given a place at the school we had nominated higher on the application list. This school aren't doing child and parents meeting the teacher meetings until the week before he starts and that's for a 'garden visit' ( I don't really know what that will be) so I am at a complete loss as to what he will need for school and I can't leave it until then to buy stuff because everyone will be buying last minute too.

Does a reception child have a back pack and a book bag or just one or the other ? Do they take bottles of water ?

What do you / will you send your reception age child in with?
Is there anything else I should know or prepare myself for? Help I am a planner because I am a worrier, incase that's not already obvious

Is there any information on the schools website?

Our school has a no back pack rule for the younger ones, they just have a book bag and water bottle

Water bottle, packed lunch if they aren’t have school dinners and book bag.

TBH if they turn up with nothing it’ll still be ok!

Has your school got a parents FB page? If so try asking on there if there is anything they normally need outside of the above.

Just a bookbag, maybe a water bottle, uniform. Do you know anyone with children at same school?

The school my kids go to had a school logoed book bag and pe bag. Brought in own water bottles from home. Our school also has legoed pe t shirt and track suit. Checked the schools website or better ring school and ask.

Same as above at ours you only need book bag and water bottle - both of which you can buy from the school - our school would not expect you to have anything for settling in days other than uniform.

Generally a book bag and water bottle. Uniform too.
Mine had a backpack for a change of clothes and because we have a 20-30min walk home.
Stationary is not needed.
Have a look on the school website or email the school if you are unsure.
A garden visit is just the teacher and possibly the TA come and visit your child for 10/15mins to see them at home and get an idea of what your child is like. I think it might also be a bit of a check to see if your kid is living in a crack den or some such too. They will not be judging you on the tidyness of the house unless it is clearly unsafe/neglectful. However do get out all your wooden/montessori toys and books which your child never plays with and hide the nerf guns.

A positive mindset
Bag for books etc
Bottle of water and lunch box or money
Ask other parents, check the school website. call or email to find out more.

I'd try contacting the school and asking what the uniform list is. They should have already given that out but if you got a late place perhaps that's why there is a delay in the information getting to you.

Reception kids typically need a book bag - one with a logo which you should be able to find on the school website. They need a water bottle and then that's it. Sun hats for a sunny day and sun screen to be applied at home before school. You'll need a lunch bag if they're having a packed lunch but otherwise school dinners are free for that age.

The garden visit (normally just a home visit in pre covid times) is about 20-30 minutes where the class teacher and teaching assistant visit the parents and meet the child before they officially start. They usually go through how the first few days/weeks are going to work and this is your chance to raise any concerns or worries (physical, emotional, academic) you may have with the class teacher.

I would also recommend checking if your school has a local Facebook page and you might find there are private groups set up for each new year which you can join.

Look on the school website. DD1 has finished reception and they were allowed a drawing string or book bag but no backpack. Water bottle, snack box, uniform including swimming stuff again for next year (cancelled this year for covid), PE uniform, forest school stuff (to be left at school).

I'd imagine everyone is in the same boat. We got a list but if haven't that's tricky.
Water bottle for sure.
I would get a backpack incase (if not needed you could use at swimming or day trips or when she's older)

After the first few weeks they might ask for wellies or a spare set of uniform in a carrier bag but to begin with the school will want to keep things simple I’d imagine.

Our state school supplies pe kit and book bags (free). So mine just wanted water bottles.

Some reception classes will ask for a bag to be left on their peg all term with wellies, sun cream, a hat etc but that just goes in at the start of the year and comes home at the end.

Bottle of water, snack, book bag, p.e kit in a drawstring bag. Lunch box if on packed lunch

Book bags, water bottle. NAME IN THEIR UNIFORM. Yes I am shouting. You would be amazed at the number of children who don’t have names in their uniform and a school logo jumper looks exactly the same as another school logo jumper. They generally have a space to write the name.

Don’t forget that a reception age child, (and I speak only for England here, not sure about the rest of the U.K.) will be entitled to a free school meal and fruit at break time. Lunch will be about 12 so no real need for any extra snack.

Again another saying look on the school web site for the parent section, or the prospectus, or the uniform requirements.

A water bottle
Book bag - this might be part of the uniform
A PE bag - drawstring

The rest will be uniform.

All kids in reception get free school meals - but if you want your child to take a packed lunch and the school allow it - then a lunch bag.

Name labels - I prefer the stick in ones. Yes they stick on everything - jumpers, t-shits, shoes, water bottles, lunch boxes etc

The one I wish I'd got before my kids started school was some stickers with the Dr's name and phone number on. The number of forms I have written these details on over the years is massive. And every time I have to look it up!!

Have a look on the website

I did get a couple bits handed to me when I filled out the application form. There was a uniform list but it doesn't specify which bits they need in reception in comparison to say year 2 or 3. I don't know anyone with children near me and he didnt go to nursery so good shout about looking for a Facebook page. Their own website seems very limited with information which is why I'm a bit confused.

It says the garden visit is a 10 minute thing at the school but I think it's all the parents at the same time as it says to line up outside. The other school he got was a bit more modern and the information was easily accessible. This one seems little bit more traditional. From the information above I wonder if anyone on here has a child attending the same school.

My child doesn't seem nervous at all so that's great. It's just me!

I also already bought some bits for the first school that I'm hoping I can return/ exchange. If they won't I will try give it to the first school and see if they could pass it on to a family that may benefit from it

Mine has just finished reception and the only thing he needed to bring was fruit for a morning snack. The school provided book bags and water bottles, and he had a hot lunch there.

I’d try having a look on the school website, and contacting the school if you can’t find anything useful on that.

DC3 is starting Reception in September, we were invited to a transition meeting on Teams, and the presentation given in the meeting - which included details of what children need for school - has been put on the school website. So worth checking in case your school has also put this sort of information on their website.

In terms of what we’ve been told to bring, it’s basically just a water bottle. Plus a pack lunch if you’re not doing school dinners. Stationary is provided.
And the teacher asked that all uniform is labelled.
Normally they’d have book bags, but at the minute this is being discouraged because of Covid. They’re also going into school wearing PE kit on PE days (again, because of Covid) so no PE bags needed at the moment.

Name labels! Whatever you send with him, label it. Clothes, shoes, jacket, water bottle and the bag you send it in... label everything but the child. Sticky ones are best.

I bought some name labels to sew into all his clothes. I'm way ahead on that ! I have read on here so many times people telling to label everything so I had a good research to find out which is the best option. It will just take me bloody ages to see it all in now !

Go with a book bag as some schools don't have space for rucksacks. Named water bottle. School uniform policy will be on their website with links to their preferred suppliers. You'll have to register online for milk - they get it free until the age of 5. Check with the school - our one is Cool Milk. The school will send you a link to register for parent pay if they use it - you can select lunches (they're free for all children in reception and KS1) and wrap around care.

Get some sticky name labels too as you'll need these for water bottles, shoes, bag, lunch box etc.
If you've been given a uniform list then they'll need everything on it apart from football boots.

I'd just get uniform to start with, then pick up any other bits when they tell you. Ds also startsin September and this is what we've been asked for, though that doesn't mean you'll need the same;

Uniform- logo jumper, polo, trousers/ skirt, black shoes.
PE kit - Black joggers, t-shirt, trainers.
Forest school kit - puddlesuit & wellies.
Other - water bottle, logo book bag, bag of spare cloths (including plimsoll).