Starting reception 2023

[PreppingForSchool]

Hi,

I thought it might be nice to have a thread for people whose children start reception in 2023 and to see whether anyone has any advice on how to prepare for it.

It's my first child starting school this year and Im wondering whether there are any skills I still need to teach him for example. He still struggles with zipping up his coat and wiping independently but we are practising that.

How much uniform do you need? Do they still take spare clothes in case of accidents? I am not super organised with washing so may need a set for every day.

DD started reception Sept 22. We were told that it would be helpful if they could learn how to hang up a coat, do up a zip etc. They also said they prefer the riptape style school shoes as they don't have time to tie / buckle 30 pairs of shoes.

I bought enough uniform for a clean change every day - they get very messy in reception. Depends on the school, however, but check if they wear their PE kit to school. My daughter has PE on a Thursday and Friday and wears her PE kit for these two days. Had I known this, I probably wouldn't have bought as much uniform!

I've got one in year 1 and my second starts this year.

They change so much during this last year before school. It's amazing.

Work on independent dressing and toileting for sure.

I wouldn't worry about academic stuff as the school will have their own approach to this and will be starting from an assumption that they've done nothing.

Uniform, we have 2 jumpers, 5 shirts, 3 trousers, 5 pairs of socks, 1 PE uniform, 1 tie, 1 backpack.

I'll only be getting my daughter her own tie, backpack, PE trousers and maybe a couple of dresses if that's what she wants.

Thank you, that's really useful! We will persevere with putting on and zipping up his coat. He is trying and wants to do that's the first hurdle. Good shout about velcro shoes too, I'll remember that.

School uniform - they don't go in in kit so I think I'll get a set for every day and then maybe one spare. Goodness that's a lot! But better than washing on Wednesday night or something.

That's why I have 5 shirts etc. jumpers I can get away with the same jumper most of the week so just have a spare really. They're dark navy so hide a multitude of stains lol.

Sorry @Twizbe , cross posted there.

That sounds good, thank you. I'm definitely not worried about academic stuff, I was thinking more life skills. We still have a long time to go and you're right, they will change a lot. I just want to encourage those life skills as much as possible.

The thing that surprised me most about the transition to school was that it was more than just the first day.

I'd focused so much on that first day that I'd kinda forgotten that they have to go every day. Not sure if that makes sense.

It does actually. It's a bit of a drag isn't it? 😂

I have one ds who started reception sept 22 and I have one starting this sept 23. So things I did last year for ds1 I've got to do this year for ds2. Toileting is probably the big one. Also, recognising their name written down so they can find their own peg, tray, bag etc. Knowing how to ask for help. Putting own coat on and being able to zip it up possibly but the staff in reception are 100% used to helping little ones do these things! I teach key stage 1 and I still help the children to zip coats all the time so I wouldn't worry about that too much.
As far as uniform goes, we have 5 polo shirts (1 logo one plus 4 non logo ones), 4 pairs of trousers and 4 jumpers (2 logo and 2 non logo). All the non logo stuff came in packs of 2 so that's why we have 4 of things rather than 6. Some things do get 2 wears but they do often come home grubby! We have once even got 5 wears (a whole week!) out of one jumper. Only happened the once though!

Oh and no, at our school, plus the school I work in, DC don't need a change of clothes. It's rare they need them and school have spares. My ds has come home in spares once when he vomited all over his uniform so they put him in their spares. That's the only time he's needed them.

My DS started in September (DD is in Yr3) - he has about 8 jumpers (he goes through one a day pretty much), 4 long sleeved & 4 short sleeved polos (long sleeved are great for winter especially if the school are still keeping doors/windows open); 8 pairs of trousers, lots of grey socks. Oh & shorts for the summer. They have to change into PE kit - it's viewed as part of their learning to be able dress/undress atm. My reasoning is he has a full weeks worth plus extra in case I can't do a specific wash within the week.
Definitely get Velcro shoes & trainers or daps/plimsolls. Learning how to put coat, hat & gloves on. If he can dress himself too.
Recognising his name is a good shout, but our school also have photos above their pegs too.
Toileting is probably the big one - we only managed to crack it last spring, so only s few months before he started - he had absolutely no interest! All good now though.
You might need a school logo'd book bag but shouldn't need any stationary. Will probably need a PE bag.

And please put names in everything!

Do people buy summer and winter uniform before Reception or just get summer one first?
After school time: is it necessary to have a nanny or Reception child will be ok in afterschool clubs?
We both work till 5pm and every day at least one of us work from home. Not sure how a nanny will keep DS away from working parent.

Following with interest!

I just got winter uniform for DS. They grow fast and I wasn't sure about whether he'd still fit the shorts by the summer.

Reception can go to after school club at our school.

Label everything.

Have a look for the stick-in name labels that you can add a picture to next to their name. That way they know to look for the symbol even if they don't recognise their name - just try to pick something more unusual than, for example, a football (which half the boys will have!)

Agree with advice with labelling everything! I sewed in name tapes as they don’t come off in the wash.

Try and keep schedule and after school/weekend activities low-key. DD was SO tired after starting school

My tip (mainly for girls)... dont be tempted by the white socks with a different trim on each pair. Get plain ones. And grey or black if allowed rather than white... the soles turn black in no time on white ones!

If they change for pe at school practice getting their clothes the right way round.

My favourite tip for reception (if yours is not a "go in your PE kit" school) is to practice taking off uniform (as if to change into PE kit) and then putting it on again.

I smugly thought my children were quite capable of dressing themselves, but of course I always gave them uniform in a nice folded, everything the right way round sort of way, not screwed up and inside out as it will be once they change out of it and stuff it into their PE bag. And turning clothes right way out turns out to be an advanced skill :)

On a similar note, if you have multiple children, try to buy socks that are slightly different for each child. Life is much too short to be peering at socks and trying to work out what size they are.

If your school uses bookbags and everyone has one that looks the same attach a keyring with distinctive object on to your child's so they can pick it out more easily from a pile.

What a great thread! I'll be following with interest.

@APurpleSquirrel thanks for the reassurance with toileting. Our little one still no where near mastering number 2s!

Non academic things to work on

• Using a toilet themselves, including wiping, flushing, washing hands with soap with sleeves pulled up & then drying.
• Using a tissue
• Being able to ask a grown up for help - if they can't do something or are unwell or sad.
• Able to take school uniform off (ideally so it's not all inside out) and pe kit on and then uniform back on. Also in a neat pile, so socks in shoes so they don't get lost, not just thrown all over the floor.
• Able to put shoes on the right feet
• Coat on and zipped up
• Can recongise their own name - everything will be labelled, clothes, book bag, drawer, water bottle so they need to know if there is another child with a similar name like 'Henry' & 'Harry' they need to be able to tell the difference.
• Can use a knife and fork if eating school meals or open their lunch box and containers if packed lunch.
• Can take wait and turns when playing simple games (there is a lot of waiting at school in a class of 30!)
• Can sit and listen to a story
• If they upset someone they know how to help 'make it better' i.e give them a hug, say sorry, give the toy back, ask a grown up for help. Likewise if someone upsets them they know to ask for help.

Names on EVERYTHING. One good tip I had was to get two sets of those stick on name labels, each in a different colour. Then you can put say a red name label just in the right shoe/plimsoll and a lemon coloured label in the left shoe/plimsoll. Same with gloves. Helps ensure they are consistently on the right foot or hand!

How to recognise own name, including last name in case there is more than one with their name on the class.

Practice the school run so they know what to expect - it's the whole routine that will be new, not just the actual going to school.

With uniform I bought summer and winter stuff for September, worn summer stuff til mid October so not loads of use but it can be warm in September and it's still fit come the summer following.

I have 3 lots of uniform, but do the kids washing religiously on Wednesdays and Saturdays so always enough clean. If you don't do laundry during week definitely get one per day as reception is messy!