Starting nursery and reception at school is an important part of your child’s life. As parents/carers you play a key role in helping your child prepare for their transition.

Here are some important things that will help your child make a fantastic start to nursery and school – don’t worry if your child can’t do all these yet! Whilst we recognise that all children develop at different rates and have specific needs, across the Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust we have high aspirations for all children to be independent and confident learners.

  1. To use the toilet independently and flush it
  2. To be able to take shoes, coat, gloves and hat off independently, hang them up and put them back on again – Velcro is wonderful, laces and buttons are bad
  3. To recognise and look after his or her belongings
  4. To wash and dry hands
  5. To tidy up after an activity
  6. To use a tissue
  7. To share and co-operate with other children
  8. To make own needs known to an adult
  9. To eat using a spoon

Where can I go for advice and support?

If your child is not able to complete any of the above we can support you before starting nursery/school. Please talk to your child’ school teacher when you go to the new parents meetings offered in June and July, or contact the learning mentors direct:

Meadowfield Primary – 0113 3230010

Corpus ChristiPrimary– 01132483095

TemplenewsamHaltonPrimary– 0113 2930314

WhitkirkPrimary– 0113 2606203

Austhorpe Primary– 0113 2640450

Colton Primary – 0113 2647514

Temple Learning Academy – 0113 3970378

  • Or please speak to your Children’s Centre:

Meadowfield – 0113 3230031

Templenewsam & Colton – 0113 2250025

Having basic skills

  • Initially social skills are more important than the academic: 'please and thank-you', taking turns, sharing, playing together, sitting still, listening to others, putting a hand-up to speak or ask questions - all help build a solid foundation for learning.
  • Academically it is useful for children to: know basic colours, be able to recognise their own first name, and if possible basic dressing and pencil skills. Don't worry if your child doesn't tick all these boxes, they're all part of the early years programme.
  • Getting dressed and fastening buttons help. Get them used to hanging-up their own coat on a peg and tidying their toys away after playing; all will make for an easier time at school.Young children often find buttons and laces very difficult. Pull up trousers (with an elastic waistband) and Velcro fasteners on shoes and coats are much more manageable.

Establishing a routine

  • Try to establish a good routine for morning and evening and stick to it. Don't introduce too many variations too soon.
  • Early nights help. Consider bringing bath and bed-time forward. School days are exhausting and although your child may protest, they (and you)really will benefit from a good-night's sleep.
  • Ensure a calm and relaxing evening, avoid the temptation to give into requests for computer games and the like. Sharing a bedtime story and enjoying a warm drink together, remain our favourite ways to relax and unwind after a hectic day.

If your child has anxieties or worries they will usually come out at bedtime and are much more likely to be talked about over a story than during a DVD.

Do listen to, and reassure, your child. It's not uncommon for children who have been dry at night to start wetting the bed again; this is usually short-lived. Should it persist seek advice, bed-wetting can be a tell-tale sign of worries or woes.

Helping out

Don't be afraid to offer your services to the school: there are a variety of tried and trusted ways:

  • Classroom helper (if you have aparticular skill do let school know).
  • PTA a great way to meet with other parents and find-out what is happening in school.
  • Outings, consider being a regular helper for trips, plays and fairs.
  • Governor. If you're especially keen, think about becoming a school governor.

Most schools welcome parents with open-arms, but a few like to keep them at arms-length, at least initially until children have settled in.

When volunteering it's the norm to have to complete a DBS form(Disclosure and Barring Service – which checks for criminal convictions) and to wait for clearance, don't feel affronted, DBS is in place to protect all children, including yours.

Inclusion

All of our settings take pride in our inclusive practice. We treat all children as individuals and understand that some learners with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities may progress at a different rate or have different needs to their peers. Working alongside parents and carers we are confident we can meet these needs and achieve the best for all children.

Working together

We really look forward to making your child, and you, part of our school and Trust family.