Getting Ready

• Write your child’s name on all of the items they will be wearing and bringing to school, including their shoes, P.E. kit, coat, pencil case, etc.
• Make sure you have the school’s phone number.

The First Day of School

• Be positive about the first day;
• Encourage your child to dress themselves;
• Tie your child’s hair back;
• If necessary, apply sunscreen to your child; and

• Take photos.

The First Week

• The school will let you know when to pack items for activities, such as sport.
• Children are often very tired in the first weeks of school so your child will need lots of sleep.
• Give your child a healthy breakfast.
• Make sure your child always knows who will be picking them up.
• Check your child’s bag each night.
• Try to establish regular morning routines.
• Talk to the teacher about helping in the classroom.
• Chat to your child about their day at school.
• It is very important that your child still has time to relax, play outside and do things that they enjoy.

Settling In

All children are unique and the amount of time that a child takes to settle into the school can vary enormously. Therefore, children will be given time to settle in at their own pace, so as to make them feel welcome, safe and confident in their new environment.

The school strongly encourages parents/carers to place their children on a ‘taster session/ day’ or at least visit the premises with their children during the week before they are due to start. 

Children new to the school will be greeted in a warm and friendly manner by the headteacher. They will be introduced to all members of staff. Depending on the age and maturity of the child, the parent/carer will stay with the child while the child meets the headteacher as part of the induction process. Children will be informed about the school’s routines and the programme of activities.

Ground rules will be explained to the child and they will be encouraged to ask questions and raise any concerns. The child will be told about the fire evacuation procedure and the location of all fire exits, according to the provisions of the Fire Safety Policy.

If the children are staying for the taster day, they will be taken down to their class. It is important that the children stay by themselves to provide them with the opportunity to meet and mix with other children.

During this visit or on their first day, children will be introduced to the other children in the class. Your child will be allocated a ‘buddy’, who will introduce him or her to the other children and support them during their settling in period. 

All staff will supervise children new to the school to ensure that they are happy in their new surroundings. The appropriate level of such supervision will be judged according to the child’s age, maturity and previous experiences.

Staff will ask new children how they are feeling on a regular basis, as well as what activities they enjoy and if they are unhappy about anything. At the end of the first, second and third week, the class and headteacher will find time to talk to the child about how they are settling in.

If it seems that a child is taking a long time to settle in, this will be discussed with their parents/carers at the earliest opportunity. Likewise, if a parent/carer feels that there is a problem during the settling in period, they should raise this with the class teacher.

Teachers will always be available to discuss any concerns or other issues with parents/carers regarding their child and their attendance at the school. If parents/carers wish to meet with the teacher, they should make an appointment to come in for a chat or they can drop in and speak to the headteacher or deputy headteacher.

Parents will be given contact details of another parent at the school with whom they can contact if they need any details relating to school matters.