Getting Ready For School

The time has nearly come where our Swans will be flying the 22 Street Lane nest to join their ‘Big Schools’. At 22 Street Lane Nursery, we want our children to leave us ready to start school as children that are happy, inquisitive and confident learners!

To support our children in the transition from nursery to big school we have made links with the schools that our children will be attending, met the teachers and shared valuable information about each individual child.

Some of the children have been visited by their teachers over the last few weeks, giving them the opportunity to begin to form a strong bond with their new teacher in a familiar environment.

At circle time, we have discussed our feelings around our transition to big school, where children have had the opportunity to ask questions and talk about this big step.

Additionally, we have created a school role play area in the Swans room where the children have been exploring their independent skills by practicing dressing in a uniform as well as discovering opportunities in our fine motor developing finger gym, mark making, creative and number play. This area also includes our new ‘Going to School’ board where the children have been recreating their new school logo, sharing pictures of themselves in their school uniform and finding pictures of their classrooms and teachers.

Supporting Transitions at Home

• Help your child to develop the skills they need to be independent, such as getting used to playing with other children, dressing themselves and looking after their possessions.
• Get storybooks from the library about starting school and read them to your child. In the week before they start school, get your child used to the times they will need to get up in the mornings and go to bed.
• Decide early who is taking your child to school on their first day so they can know as soon as possible what will happen on the morning.
• Share your memories of your first day or funny and light stories about your time at school so they start to get a light-hearted sense of what to expect.
• Plan a treat for the end of the school day; it’s likely they will be tired so a simple trip to the local park or their favorite dinner would be more than enough.

Emotional Support

• Talk positively to your child about starting school, as well as listening to and acknowledging any anxious feelings or fears they may have.
• Help your child to build their confidence. For example, make sure they know that it is ok to ask to go to the toilet at school.
• If you are feeling worried, make sure you have someone to talk to so that your children don’t pick up on any negative feelings – and remind yourself that it is perfectly normal to have a bit of the jitters yourself.
• Encourage them to be thoughtful about other children’s feelings and remember to take turns and share.
• If you sense your child will feel clingy and not want to leave you in fear they will miss out, let them know what you have planned for the day – the duller the better!