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

Nb our primary suggested just using their book bags and nothing else but I didn't want to put their water bottles in with books (and anyway, anything wider than the book would make the Velcro not stick anymore) so I sent a backpack in instead.

Our school goes from YR to Y6 and uniform is the same throughout. Sometimes you're asked to provide plimsoles to Y2 and trainers thereafter.

What others have said anyway... book bag (not rucksack), water bottle and a waterproof jacket. Do label! Children leave their stuff everywhere... once left somewhere, unnamed, you're unlikely to get it back very easily.

[quote DingDongThongs]@CoffeeWithCheese had that happen!

The things people will nick![/quote]
I was more annoyed about the fact they cut the bastard label out (I hate hate hate sewing the buggers in) than the fact they used the jumper for a year before chucking it back in lost property where it drifted its way back to us by very faded sharpie on the care label!

These days I have a Cricut machine so I save all my heat transfer vinyl offcuts and cut names out of them to iron into uniform.

For reception - first few days you'll just need a water bottle and good coat that you don't mind getting wrecked. From there they'll then start asking for things like wellies and PE stuff later on in the term. For the whole of the infants mine had to keep a pair of wellies in school for forest school etc. I used to just send the most knackered pair of old trainers in as PE trainers since DD2 could lose anything - I never send anything in I'm not prepared to be lost!

Assuming no SEND:

Toilet trained
Not arrive pushed in a buggy
Not bring drink in a bottle with a teat as they cant drink from anything else
Able to dress and undress, including shoes
Doesn't eat all food including baked beans with their fingers.

You could always drop a message to the school office email, usually administration staff work through the summer.

Handy to have basics at home for projects or homework they start having ie pencils/ ruler/ pritt-stick and similar if you haven’t got.

The best bit of advice I got when DD started school was from my wonderful manager, she said not to go wild on uniform/stationary and to go through my medicine cabinet and replace anything that's missing/out of date. DD got so many bugs in reception and I was grateful I had calpol/dioralyte/vapour rub/soft tissues ready for when it was needed. I do this every august now and it makes life much easier.

@awkwardd

The best bit of advice I got when DD started school was from my wonderful manager, she said not to go wild on uniform/stationary and to go through my medicine cabinet and replace anything that's missing/out of date. DD got so many bugs in reception and I was grateful I had calpol/dioralyte/vapour rub/soft tissues ready for when it was needed. I do this every august now and it makes life much easier.

I hadn't thought of this. Good idea, thanks. I'm dreading all the bugs coming home. He didn't attend nursery so I'm also not looking forward to him catching chicken pox whilst in school. And nits! so much for me to add to my list !

If your worried about chicken pox you could get him the vaccine before September, then that's one less bug. It's a bit pricey (£130 a few years ago) but probably pays for itself long term if you then don't have to take unpaid leave while their off school with it, not to mention them avoiding a miserable itchy couple of weeks.

We literally just needed a bookbag in reception....

Not allowed backpacks at our school, only need a water bottle from Y1 and lunch is free in R-Y2 if you're in England (can take packed lunch if you really want to) PE kit onl from Y1 at our school as well.

Probably best not to go off what people say on here as all schools are different. See if there's a school facebook group or any info on the school website :)

Our school doesn't provide splashsuits. PP you're lucky

Agree with Hecky schools are very different

I've had beautifully sewed in labels cut out. People are v naughty and usually in my experience those with enough money to not nick other's school kit! Grrr

Hope it goes well. Local schools here have never done teacher/parent and child meetings. We need a book bag - school website says how to order it, a water bottle and uniform. And wellies to keep in school with a waterproof but no idea of every school does that!

I had chicken pox mildly as a child. My siblings both had it severely as adults. The vaccine is well worth the expense, especially with siblings who may spend weeks having.