Preparing for the First Day of Primary School

If your child is almost ready to start primary school, you may feel slightly anxious about preparing yourself and your child for the task ahead. To help you out, we've put together some guidelines of what you and your child can do before the first day of school.

Preparation for You

• Find out about school uniforms. Some schools have sales on uniforms during their open days.
• Book a pre-school booster dose of DTP-Polio and MMR (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio, along with a separate injection for measles, mumps and rubella). For more information, speak to your child's GP.
• If you want to play an active role in supporting your child's school, ask for details about the Parent Teachers Association or School Governing Body.
• Find out the school holiday dates so you can plan ahead.
• See what your child will be learning over the coming years by taking a look at subjects at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

Preparation for Your Child

Your child's first day at primary school is a huge step for them. Some may be excited about starting school, whereas others may be more anxious. There are many practical ways that you help to prepare them.

Talk About School

Your child may be nervous about what to expect on the first day at school. Talk them through these fears - but don't dismiss them - things that seem silly to an adult can seem terrifying to a five year old. You may want to talk about the following:

• explain where they'll be going, what they'll be doing, and for how long
• emphasise the many things they may enjoy doing
• ask them what they think the school may be like - this will give you the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings they might have
• answer questions and resolve any fears they might have about the school

Introduce them to Learning

Give them a taste of what school is going to be like by getting them involved in learning activities; this will make the experience less stressful for them when the time comes to start school itself. For example:

• play games that involve taking turns
• involve them in activities that require them to sit down for short periods of time, such as painting and drawing
• read books together about starting school
• develop their social skills by getting them to play with children of a similar age
• use your child's favourite toys to role-play going to school

Get them Involved

In the few weeks before school starts, make sure that your child feels fully involved in the run up to their first day of school:

• visit the school with your child so they become familiar with the building and the local area
• ask your child to help choose the things they need for school, such as school bags or uniforms
• establish a school-day routine and discuss what might be happening at school at different times of the day