Reception Class Welcome Video

---

Between now and September the key area you can support your child with is developing their independence.  The "10 keys for unlocking school readiness" is a document (see link below) which lists guidance for the types of things you can do with your child.  In school your child will be encouraged to be personally independent.  Your child will ideally be happy going to the toilet by themselves.  Do they know how to look after themselves, can they ask to go to the toilet when they need to?  Children will need to dress and undress themselves for playing and PE.  Can they put on/take off and fasten/unfasten their coat and shoes?  Practice buttons/zips/velcro and perhaps have a game; set time challenges to increase the speed they can do these actions once they are confident.  When buying school uniform and PE kit ensure your child's name is on their belongings and perhaps a sticker or mark to help them recognise their things.  Children are often not aware that new items actually belong to them.

Children will have to feed themselves at lunchtime.  Help them to practice cutting up food and use a knife and fork properly.  Children have an allocated time to eat their lunch, about 30 minutes, there is support from lunchtime staff however we like the children to have time for outside play after they have had their lunch.  If your child is bringing a packed lunch consider the amount they will be able to eat in the time they have for lunch.   

 Some children are used to having an afternoon nap....now is the time to wean them off this habit.  

Help your child develop skills to assist their learning at school.  Have fun with songs and nursery rhymes.  Research shows that reception children who can recite up to 12 songs or nursery rhymes perform better academically by age 11.  

Finally...it is not an expectation that your children will be able to do everything on the list for day 1 in September, we will continue to work on these things all of the time and will aim for children to be mastering the skills by Christmas if not earlier.  Your support in these areas is crucial to your child settling well into school life and we thank you for your help with this.