Helping Your Child Transition from Nursery into Big School

When the time comes for your child to move up to a big school from nursery, they are probably feeling a mixture of emotions. It can be both exciting and daunting, as there will be lots of new experiences coming their way. 

To make the transition a little easier, I have teamed up with a nursery school in London to share some advice on what parents can do to support their little ones.

 

Talk About School in a Positive Light

 

To help your child feel less nervous and more excited about their new school, try and use positive terminology when talking about it. Talk about how exciting it will be to make new friends and explore new hobbies. Avoid saying things like “I hated school when I was your age” because that will fill them with anxiety. 

 

Take Your Child to Visit the School

 

If possible, try and take your child to the school a few times before their first day so that they can become more familiar with it. You don’t necessarily have to go inside because even simply getting them used to the journey to and from will help ease some of their nerves.

 

Encourage Your Child to Be Independent

 

When your child starts big school, they will be expected to know the basics of looking after themselves, like dressing and undressing for PE, using the toilet, or managing cutlery when eating. With this in mind, encourage your child to attempt these things at home without your help until they become more proficient and therefore more confident. 

 

Buy the Uniform Together

 

Get your child involved in buying their new uniform and other school supplies and try and make it an exciting, fun experience for them. Once you have bought the uniform and shoes, encourage them to practice putting it on and taking it off before the start of term so that they are ready for their first day.

Top Tips for Preparing Your Child for the School Bus

 

Catching the bus to and from school is a big step for children and it can often fill them with a sense of anxiety. With that said, it’s a good idea for parents to try and prepare their child as much as they can if they are going to be riding the bus going forward. This should help them feel less nervous when the time comes. So, how can parents help prepare their child for the school bus? Here are some tips from a senior school in Surrey.

 

Practice the Route

 

Before your child has to start catching the bus on their own, you should practice the route with them a few times first. This will help familiarise them with the journey so they are confident about when they should get on and off. It will also help them feel more comfortable with getting the bus as they’ll know what to expect. 

 

Talk About It

 

Don’t avoid the subject of the school bus. Try and ease your child’s nerves by talking about it and using enthusiastic, positive language to describe the experience. Give them the opportunity to ask any questions they may have so that you can put their fears to bed.

 

Find a Travel Buddy

 

Talk to the school and see if they can inform you of any other children in the local area who might be catching the same bus. That way, your child will have a familiar face whom they can travel with, even if they don’t necessarily sit together. 

 

Prepare for the Worst

 

Chat with your child about what they should do if things go wrong like if they lose their bus pass or money, miss the bus or if it doesn’t turn up. Your child needs to have a plan in place for these scenarios so that they don’t end up panicking.

Top Tips for Choosing a School for Your Child

 All parents will have to go through the process of choosing a school for their child, at least once. 

It can be a stressful experience because there are so many different things to think about; 

• What are the facilities like?  
• Did the school receive a good result in their previous inspection report?
•  Is the location convenient? 
• Where do they rank in the league tables? 

The list goes on. 

To help relieve some of this stress and offer you some guidance, I have teamed up with a prep school in Somerset. 

 

Start by discussing your priorities with the rest of the family, including your child, and then preparing a checklist. 

• Does the school need to be within walking distance of your home, or on route to your work? 
• Is your child keen on sport and therefore in need of decent sporting facilities? 

Once you have a list of your main requirements, you can start doing some research online and ruling out any schools that aren’t suitable. 

There will be photos of the facilities on the websites, along with things like previous exam results and Ofsted reports.

 

Once you have established a few favourites, you can start to visit the schools. There is no better way to determine whether or not it is right for your child than to have a look around and ask lots of questions. 

• Consider whether or not the current students seem happy and well adjusted. 
• Are they welcoming? 
• Think about whether or not the school feels safe and clean and ask the staff about their pastoral care. 

 

Your instincts will play a huge role in the decision, as you know your child better than anyone else. 

Do you think they are likely to fit in? 

Take them along to the open days and see how they respond to the environment and the people. 

You also shouldn’t be afraid to chat with your family and friends for some advice if you feel out of your depth. 

Hopefully, this helps a little when it comes to your time choosing a school for your little one.

**Collaborated post

Worrying About Your Child's Development Now They're At School?

Lots of parents have gone through the ‘trauma’ of taking their babies to school for the first time. When you walk away from the school gate having just handed them over to the teacher, it’s difficult to tell which one of you was more teary, but before you left, you were observing. 

All mums discreetly check out the other kids while they’re waiting in line. 

They’re comparing what the other children can do, how well they speak, and how well behaved they are. 

How did your child compare to them?

Ultimately, we’re all worried that our kids aren’t where they should be by this age. It’s natural for any parent to fear that their child might not cope. 

The truth is that school is a steep learning curve. That doesn’t mean your child won’t make the climb and come out every bit as capable as the next child. 

On the contrary, it could be just the challenge they need to succeed.

Picture credit

Soon all of the children will be reading and writing and bringing home words to spell. They’ll be physically more adventurous, and socially more outgoing. 

Your child will change so much over the coming months! That won’t stop you worrying though. You’ll still wonder if they’re making enough progress - it’s natural! You should definitely speak to your child’s teacher if you are concerned. 

Of course, they are on the ball and will be chatting with you if there are any problems.

So what can you do to give your child an edge with their learning? There are plenty of great educational tools you can use at home like Reading Eggs and maths apps for kids. 

There are dozens of great books aimed at young school age children too. Practice a little each day. Physically, your child is being challenged in PE. You can help too, by playing football, catch, and jumping around. 

But what if you’re still worried?

One of the biggest worries people have when children start school is their speech. Poor speech means your child won’t be understood by the teacher. 

And it may mean they are socially excluded by the other kids if they can’t contribute to conversations. Fortunately, there is speech therapy for children that can be accessed at any age. If you’re worried, ask the teacher. You might also want to speak to your school nurse or GP too.

*Collaborative post*