School life

Starting school can be a very exciting time in your child’s life, but it can be a worrying time too.

Even if this is not your first child to go to school, you or your child may feel nervous about this next stage in their life and you may worry that they wont be able to cope.

Although you may have concerns, remember most children love school and find lots of new friends there. If you're worried, you can read advice about starting school from Family Lives.

If you do have any concerns about the school, give them a call or arrange to go in before the start date, to discuss and clear up any worries.

Be prepared

Here are a few simple ways to help with the transition to school life:

Be toilet ready. try to ensure your child is able to use the toilet unaided. Teach them how to wipe themselves and always show them good hand hygiene.

Practice how to undress for PE or any lesson that may need a change of clothes. Can they take their own coat on and off for break times and lunch? Teach your child how to take off and put on shoes.

Label all their belongings. Your child will almost definitely misplace or inadvertently swap their belongings, so make sure their name is on everything so they can find them again.

Talk with them as often as possible and listen to their answers, without interrupting. This gets them used to listening to the teacher in a classroom setting.

Try to discuss going to school in advance, in a positive way, which helps your child feel excited about going. Never let your child see you are apprehensive or let them see any negative feelings you may have.

Have your day organised. Decide, in advance, how your child will get to school and who will take them. Don’t be late on their first day as this can cause anxiety. It may be worth doing a practice run to get some idea of the time and distance involved.

Dealing with problems

If you do find your child has any problems at school, then it is best to deal with them as soon as you find out.

Talk to the class Teacher or Head, rather than discussing the issues with other mums. All schools have policies and procedures in place to help.

Bullying

For concerns about bullying, see your schools website on their bullying policy and always talk to someone.

Never ignore bullying, no matter how small it may seem. No child should feel bullied at any stage of school life and there are many places to go for help and advice: