Transition to Reception during a pandemic.

by Em | Jun 1, 2020 | Starting School

Starting School can be a scary time at the best of times let alone during a global pandemic! We understand that the whole process can seem overwhelming but it can also be really exciting even during the current situation. We’re here to take some of the guessing and stressing away and to give you some ideas about how schools might be planning to support and your child to get ready. Here I am just going to explain the possible processes for those whose children are starting school in September and give some information about what is likely to in the next few months before they start.

By now you should know which school your child has been allocated a place in a Reception class in a Primary School near to you. Hopefully this is a school you are really happy with and was one of your top choices. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case. If you haven’t been given the school of your choice or you are unhappy with the decision you will need to contact your Local Authority to find out about their appeals process for admissions.

Schools will have a list of children who are joining them in September and should now be sending out information about start dates and possible transition opportunities. Every school is different and so you will need to wait to find out what will be on offer to you and your child. Bear with schools, things are really manic right now trying to plan how to support children returning to school before the end of term. Of course you could always give them a call if you are impatient like me!

As I have mentioned all schools are different and what they offer to prepare both you and your child for school will differ massively. Below I have listed a few things that might be available this year to replace the ‘normal’ arrangements.

1. Dates and times for school in September.

Schools will tell you the first day of term and what time school starts and finished for your child. They will also tell you whether your child starts full time or on a staggered start. Full time means they go for the whole school day right from the get go. Some schools do a staggered start where children may go to school just for mornings in the first week, then for mornings and lunch in week two and build up to full time. As with everything in life people’s preferences for this will differ but staggered starts can be quite difficult for working families. If this will cause you a problem talk to your school as all children are entitled to start school in the September after their fourth birthday and therefore schools will have options for full time if you need it. Equally, if you want a staggered start for any reason and it is not the school policy just give them a call to talk things over.

What’s different?

These dates and times will be subject to change. Schools will probably let you know a plan A but rest assured they will have plans B,C,D,and maybe E ready for any problems with getting children into school. Schools are very good at planning for things to not always go to plan! There may be a more staggered start this year to enable smaller groups of children to be in the space – for distancing measures but also to have a more gentle start as many children are likely to have missed pre-school and nursery time.

2.Transition meetings

Normally schools will arrange and invite you to meetings before you child starts school. These are usually in July and are really useful.

What’s Different?

These meetings may be postponed until September or be delivered in a range of ways. Some schools are offering live broadcast sessions, others recorded videos, presentations or a long letter which may be available on their website or emailed to you.

During these ‘sessions’ or via this correspondence you will get the chance to ‘meet’ or see the teachers and normally the Headteacher too. You will find out really important stuff about uniform, lunches, what your child will learn, after school clubs and more. It is normally a great opportunity to meet the parents’ of all the other children in your child’s class who are all in the same position as you (nervous, petrified, excited, scared…..). The social aspect won’t be available this year so it’s a good idea to search on facebook etc for a parents page. Many schools will have a dedicated page for parents of September starters often set up by a lovely parent! These will be so valuable this year to make links with others, ask questions, find out about second hand uniform etc!

You are likely to be sent tonnes of paperwork from these sessions/ afterwards. You will probably receive this in the post this year. Some will need completing and returning so don’t be tempted to chuck it in the paperwork draw (or similar void like area in your house where paperwork is put and never found again!)

3. Transition sessions

Most schools offer transition or ‘settling’ sessions. These are opportunities for your child to spend some time in school to get to know their classroom, teacher/s and new friends. There are often a few sessions put on which you may be able to choose from. Some schools ask parents to stay but most expect you will leave your child there for the sessions.

What’s Different?

Many schools have postponed these sessions until further notice. Some schools are planning sessions in the first few weeks in September and others are offering ‘virtual’ sessions using platforms like zoom or Seesaw. The teachers may send videos about themselves, the classroom and school in an attempt to give your child an experience of the setting before they start. Hopefully your school will soon be explaining to you what they are offering this year.

If there is a visit, do make sure they have any information about medical needs etc before you leave your child.

4. Home and pre-school visits

Most years schools will offer visits to see your child in a setting where they are already comfortable. If they are in pre-school or nursery then teachers will come and see your child and chat to their key worker before they start school. This is a really useful way for them to gather important information about how your child is getting on, what they like and don’t like and if possible spend some time getting to know your child.

What’s different?

Schools will still have these conversations via phone or skype call, but it is very unlikely that they will visit in person this year. They will also gather information from the nursery or pre-school about your child’s abilities and progress. These are often called transition documents or records and are a bit like a little school report for their new teacher.

Before the current situation lots of schools would also offer home visits which are very unlikely to be offered this year. Teachers like to have an opportunity to meet you and your child in a setting where you are relaxed and give you chance to ask questions or share concerns 1 to 1. These may be done via a skype or Zoom call this year or may be postponed until September. It’s a great way for them to bond with your child so that when they start school the experience isn’t so daunting. If you teacher has seen your cat, your basketball net, had a 1:1 conversation with your child even if it is via Zoom etc, then you know she/he is actually a normal and very lovely person and day 1 of school just seems so much more exciting! With this in mind I really encourage you to book a home visit or call if you can.

5. Others

There might be lots of other events/ information that your school shares with you before September. Some set up buddy systems so your child has a friend in an older class when they start and some will give you booklets of ‘homework’ which your children can bring to school to share with their peers. Whatever is on offer try to get involved and find out as much as you can before the September mayhem begins!

Hopefully this has given you some useful information about what might be happening around this time for you and your child as you begin the journey into school life. The current situation can sometimes feel like everything has changed and while the methods of communication will be different, there will still be a huge amount which is the same. In our experience Reception teachers are wonderful humans, they have magical abilities to make children and parents feel welcomed and rest assured they will be doing all they can to make your child’s start to school the very best it can be no matter what.

Our Ready Teddy Go online classes and membership group is open - learn the skills needed for school together and access ongoing support from Emma! Click Here for find out more

I’ve applied for Primary School, but I don’t think we’re ready!

by Em | Feb 10, 2020 | Starting School

If you have a child born between 1st September 2015 – 31st August 2016 then you (hopefully) have applied for their Primary School place. In just 6 short months your precious little baby will be starting their Education journey. If the thought of this in some way terrifies you then you are certainly not alone. For me the fear is mostly because I’m realising how quickly time is flying by and how much my eldest daughter has grown. The leap into starting school for her is exciting but for me marks the end of an era and although I am confident she will love it, I will be needing the tissues and a hug after that first drop off. Part of me is definitely in denial about how close it is!

Despite partly dreading September, and pretending it’s still years away, I feel lucky that I know what school will be like for her. I have worked in and seen lots of Reception classes and I understand how the start of school works; what the routines will be, what the expectations are and what she needs to know. But, I understand that this is not true for most of the population who will be dropping off their little ones in September and I know this sparks very understandable anxiety and worry for many.

Anticipation of the unknown is always difficult to manage. I would love to reassure you that their first day will be fab but to really know, you will have to wait until your little one skips back out of school from their first session and tells you all about it (which actually never happens, they say they have done nothing, but that’s a whole other blog!!) Because I’m a serial organiser, we always have a ‘plan’ in our household and I truly believe that ‘forewarned is forearmed.’ So I have been thinking more about the expectations of school and whether my little one will really be ready for what is expected of her in September. I’ve also been thinking about what I need to do to get ready. There is so much focus on getting children ready for school that I think parents are often forgotten in the whole process. Parent’s emotions have a sneaky way of flowing over into children’s own feelings and behaviour. We need to feel confident and as positive as possible in order to support our children and to get started on the best foot.

I think developing confidence often comes when you know what they are going to encounter at school and what the expectations are. Here are the top two elements to think about in the moments that you’re not pretending they’re still tiny toddlers!

Developing Independence:

Think about independence and giving your child opportunities which are similar to school. At school they will be expected to find their way around including finding belongings, make choices about what to play with and be able to do this without an adult and also do things like put their coat on, go to the toilet and eat their lunch independently.

There is lots of time to practise these things and you can do it in a fun way and reward independence: have dressing races, make treasure hunts for items to find, have picnics

To work on playing independently try to set up play situations which they can find and start by themselves. You could set up a tea party with teddies, lay out part of a train track to be completed or put playdough rolled out with toy animal footprints in to explore.

If children start playing alone they are likely to be able to continue, you can dip in and out and praise them for great independence. Try not to feel guilty about letting them get on alone, fostering their independence and getting used to not always being with them is good for both of you and you might even get an uninterrupted coffee if you’re lucky!

Listening Skills

Think about how well you both can listen and I don’t just mean listen to music or stories. At school, your child will be expected to listen to these things but in a large group which can make concentrating more challenging. They will also be expected to listen to and follow instructions which involve more than one part for example ‘go to the toilet, wash your hands and line up by the door.’ This can be difficult for children and requires some practise for them to remember key parts. Many children will use other strategies when in school to help them, teaching them to ask an adult to repeat the instructions or following others’ lead can be really useful.

When you give instructions at home try asking them to repeat back to you the things you have asked. Maybe they could count on their fingers and then check at the end if everything has been done. Bedtimes or the dreaded ‘trying to get out of the house’ routines are great for practising these skills and also sending us parents running to the wine rack!

If your child really finds several instructions difficult try using pictures of the routine, just draw a quick picture of each thing in a line. For example getting up, having breakfast, putting on clothes, brushing teeth. It acts like a map so they can follow what to do next. You could keep key ones to use each day for regular routines.

Your listening skills will be really important when they start school too. These are more about tuning in to your child’s emotions than always listening to their words. Starting school is a hugely overwhelming experience even though it’s an exciting one and often children can’t communicate their feelings with words. They will need you to be in tune to offer hugs, chill out time, physical activity to run off frustrations or a trailer load of after school snacks!

We are passionate about supporting parents and children with everything relating to school. School readiness is a cause of anxiety and worry for many families and so we are launching some brilliantly fun and cleverly planned classes to dispel the fears and give families a window into a Reception class. Developing Independence and listening skills are a key part of the sessions. ‘’Ready Teddy Go’ classes for parents and children in Exeter focus on getting ready for school and start in April. Check out the website or find us on instagram or facebook for more information.

Em x

Should I teach my child letters before they start school?

by Em | Jan 23, 2020 | Phonics, Starting School

One of the most common questions I get asked as a teacher/ Headteacher when talking about children being ready for school is ‘Do they need to know their letters?’ and many parents worry about their child not ‘knowing enough’ before starting their school journey.

I think you will be pleased to hear that I always answer ‘No!’ There is no requirement for children to start school with any specific knowledge of letters, or numbers or anything else actually. Schools are ready for children to start at all different levels of knowledge and they teach letters to all children even if they come in knowing some already. Phonics (the method for teaching children to read and write by linking sounds to letters) is taught in Reception classes usually daily. It’s a big part of their first learning at school and it’s normal for children to have very limited prior knowledge of letters.

So the short answer is no, your child doesn’t need to know their letters. However, many children are interested in letter shapes and are keen to learn. If this is the case then there’s no reason to hold your child back from finding out about letters but this blog is about some key information to think about before splurging on a load of letter shaped toys. And just to add here, if your child has no interest at all in letters please don’t worry, that’s very normal. Read on to find some ways you can really help them to be ready for school without a letter in sight.

Before children are really ready for letter recognition there is a huge amount of foundation building that parents and carers (including nurseries, childminders etc) can support with. These foundation skills are vital in getting children ready for their formal phonics teaching. I compare it to building a house, you wouldn’t just start with putting the bricks straight onto the mud, you need to dig out and lay some solid foundations. In order for children to be ready for their phonics learning in school, they need lots of playful experience with sounds which acts as these foundations.

We run workshops in Exeter explaining more about these key foundations and giving ideas for games and play at home. In this Blog post I’m going to give a brief explanation of three key areas which will really help to get children ready for phonics including some easy ideas to try at home. If you are interested to find out more check out our instagram and facebook pages for more ideas and info about workshops.

Listening skills are the first key piece in the phonics foundations jigsaw. This learning starts from the moment our precious little ones are born and we are always being told how important talking to our children, playing music and interacting with noises is for their development. Children need to be able to hear sounds and interpret them to later be able to hear words and unpick the individual sounds in them.

There are loads of fun things to do with listening;

play music
make animal noises
play listening games when you are out and about
use household items to make sounds – bash pots and pans, boxes etc
make funny noises with your voices or bodies – clap, stomp, gargle, yawn and see if your child can copy you, apparently Alexa can make animal noises if you ask her!

Rhyming is another piece of the foundation puzzle and an important aspect of early phonics learning. Children don’t need to be able to make up rhymes but to be able to recognise when words sound similar or the same sets them up well for reading and writing skills later on. There is a huge selection of children’s rhyming books out there. Some of our favourites include the ‘Oi Cat’ series by Kes Gray and Jim Field, ‘Rhyme Crime’ by Jon Burgerman and anything by Quentin Blake or Julia Donaldson. Getting audio versions is really lovely especially if you can have them on in the car. Pointing out rhyming words to your children will really help them to distinguish rhyming and non-rhyming words even if they can’t hear the rhyme yet.

Some easy rhyming ideas for at home or on the go:

make up little rhyming phrases – let’s go to the park in the dark!
find objects/ toys which rhyme around the house and make a collection together (cat, hat, mat, rat etc, you can draw pictures if you don’t have all of the objects!)
sing nursery rhymes and childrens song’s as loads of these rhyme. See if you can change the words to make them funny while still rhyming. We often try new versions of ‘Twinkle twinkle’ and the current favourite is “twinkle twinkle little giraffe, how I wonder why you wear a scarf!!” There are much easier words to rhyme than giraffe, my tip is don’t choose giraffe!

Hearing Sounds in words is the third area I’m going to give a few tips on. Being able to hear individual sounds in words is key, it’s the most important skill children can grasp to help them be ready for learning letters. In order to read children need to link sounds to letters or groups of letters. Children who can hear the sounds in words and say individual sounds are really well prepared to start seeing how letters link to them. Making the sounds can be a challenge for adults, we often feel like we didn’t learn in this way and that it’s unnatural to us. We’re working on a page with sounds support and will link here when it’s done, watch this space. Until then there’s a little link to a helpful video under these ideas.

Ideas to practise at home:

focus on the first sounds in words and see if children can guess the word. Try “can you put on your sssssssss……..’ and see if you child guesses you mean socks.
Go on a treasure hunt around the house for items beginning with one sound eg ‘p’ you could find a pan, pen, pig some pasta etc.
Play I spy but use just sounds rather than letter names so say “I spy with my little eye something beginning with ‘ch’ for chair, ‘mmmmm’ for mummy or ‘ffffff’ for frog etc
Make up funny lists of words or names for people… magical, musical Mummy! Lovely, lively Lily!

Click Here for a letter sounds video

These are just a few ways to support early phonics learning and to give your child some strong foundations of sounds knowledge. If your child is really keen to learn letters or you feel like they are ready then there are lots of ways to do this too. We would always advise learning letter sounds first rather than letter names as this is how children will learn in school. If you do want to introduce letters here are a few ideas:

use letter shapes in play – cookie cutters, magnetic letters, stencils etc
recognising the letters in children’s name and others in your family
looking at letters, they’re everywhere – books, posters, newspapers, road signs etc
cutting and sticking letter shapes from magazines or papers – see if you can find lots of the same letter shape
messy play – drawing letter shapes in shaving foam, sand, mud etc

If you are able to get out to playgroups and local classes then these will offer great experiences for listening, communicating and getting ready for more formal phonics in school. We go to a great class specifically designed to support children with early phonics learning. It’s called ‘Sounds Right Phonics’ and they are nationwide, offering sessions for babies right up to aged four. The classes are loads of fun, they cover lots of the foundation skills, early letter recognition and even gross and fine motor development. If you are in Exeter/ Exmouth area check out Jess via the link below.

Click Here to find out more about Sounds Right in Exeter and Exmouth

Check out our instagram and facebook pages for more ideas and tips for early learning with your little ones and let us know if you have any comments or questions!

Visiting Schools – head vs heart!

by Em | Oct 10, 2019 | Starting School

So you’re getting organised and thinking about applying for your child’s Primary School place for September and you’re feeling smug about booking in some visits. Well done! But now what? If you’re worried about the impending ‘wander’ around a building full of small people with a professional teacher or Head teacher tour guide who is likely to say ‘have you got any questions?’ fear not, read on!

I’ve separated this post into two sections; Head and Heart. Actually ‘gut’ is probably more relevant than heart but it just doesn’t sound as friendly! This is because I feel that, as with lots of huge decisions we make in life when we’re pretending to be adults, there’s the practical aspects like ‘that’s not a sensible coat for the winter/ car with a baby in tow etc’ and then the deep seated feeling inside that tells you that somehow you must have it! So I’ve tried to sum up the key questions for both your head and heart which you might like to think about when visiting a school.

Let’s start with the ‘Head,’ the practical aspects that will affect your life for the next 7 years while your child attends Primary School.

Location – Do you want to be able to walk to the school? What is the journey like? If you are driving where can you park/ drop off? When you visit try the journey as you would do it in September. Lots of schools have limited parking options so if at all possible being able to walk or cycle will likely make your mornings much less stressful. You may want to consider schools which are near to family members or where you work. You will need to check if the school is likely to have space for children who live out of catchment area if you are considering one further away from your home.

Class organisation and sizes – On average how many children do you have in each year and class? Some schools will have a year group per class and others may have more than this. Larger schools may be 2 or 3 form entry. This means they take 2 or 3 classes each year. Legally class sizes for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 should not be more than 30 children but in years 3-6 they can be larger. Some schools will also have mixed age classes. This is where children from two or more year groups are in the same class. This can work really well so don’t be put off by it. Do ask about how the lessons work though and whether children are separated into their year groups for certain subjects.

Timings – Do you need ‘wrap around care? This is childcare before or after school hours. Many Primaries offer breakfast and after school club options and if you work or have other commitments during your days, ask about this when you visit. Do children in Reception start full time or is there a staggered start? This is something you may need to consider if you work as you may need to book time off in September if the children do half days or similar for the first few weeks. If you have older or younger siblings think about where they will be going and what times you might need to drop them off and pick them up. If you are looking at Infant schools then there will be a time when they need collecting from different schools. Most Infant and Junior schools work together to plan slightly different times to each other so you don’t have to dash about.

Transition into school – If your child is in nursery or pre-school, ask which settings children come to the school from as it’s nice to know whether friends might be going to the same school. Does the school offer transition sessions before children start? Are there meetings for parents to attend and do teachers visit children in their nursery or at home before they start? If there is a pre-school on site you may want to think about your child spending some sessions there before September to build some friendships.

Food – What is on offer? Children in England can have free school lunches in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 which is amazing for not needing to do packed lunches every day. Ask to see a menu if you are interested in the options.

Curriculum – This is a bit head and a bit heart actually as there may be parts of the curriculum that are really valuable to you as a family! Ask yourself, is there anything that for you is really key? If sport and being outdoors is important ask about how much time is spent doing sports and in which year groups. Ask about swimming, alternative sports, access to facilities, forest school and general use of outdoors for learning. If you are a techie family (or maybe you are really against too much tech time) then ask about how much time is dedicated to Computing, coding and ICT. Ask about the facilities and how much time children use technology for throughout the week. Schools are really focusing on their curriculum offers more than ever at the moment so it’s a good discussion to have if you can pinpoint subjects which you really want your child to love.

OFSTED – I’ve put this one last because these reports can be helpful or misleading depending on the date of review and any changes that have happened since. I’m not going to say too much about OFSTED reports other than; have a read if you are interested (you will find the latest one on the school’s website) but don’t let it rule your judgement. Go and see the school even if you are unsure about what the report says, you are likely to be pleasantly surprised.

The heart side of things is very much about how a setting feels. Here I’m going to ask lots of questions and really it’s about finding somewhere that you feel happy and comfortable sending your child. This will be so different for everyone. I know lots of Mums locally with children who are in nursery but only two of us use the same setting. It’s such a personal choice which will differ from person to person and child to child. Ultimately this is likely to be the part that makes up your mind and you may know instantly which school just feels ‘right’ for you and your child. It’s also the main reason we suggest you go and see at least 3 schools because you can only gauge so much from a website or OFSTED report!

Before you visited what was the communication like? Were the admin team happy and helpful? Did you get given all of the information you needed and did you feel welcome to come and see the school? Have a look at the website and see how much information you can find. School newsletters are interesting as they give you an insight into the weekly and monthly goings on and also the vibe!

When you arrive what is the welcome like? Many schools now have oppressive looking railings and fences around their grounds for safeguarding reasons but once inside is it clear how you get into the building and what are your first impressions? Is there someone in the office to help you? You will be asked to sign in and possibly read some safeguarding information which will be about who to report to if you are concerned about a child while you are visiting the school. Some schools also ask you to turn your phone off.

Who shows you around? This might be the Headteacher, another member of the Leadership team such as a Deputy or Assistant Head, a class teacher or sometimes children lead tours. Do the staff seem happy and friendly as you move around the school? Not all staff will be able to greet you as they may be busy supporting children but you will get feel for the atmosphere of the school. Ask those showing you around what the strengths of the school are and maybe what they are working on improving at the moment. Try asking ‘what do you like best about working here?

How are the children behaving when you walk around? And here I don’t just mean being polite. Are they busy, happy, focused, engaged? Can you imagine your child here? If it’s appropriate you could ask some children about the school. Try ‘What’s your favourite thing about school’ or ‘Can you tell me what you like best here?’

If you have your child with you on the tour looking at the way staff and children interact will be really useful. Do people talk to your child? Do they ask questions and are they friendly? After the visit what does your child say about it? Be careful about asking them too much, it’s possibly quite an overwhelming experience for them. Try telling them what you liked best or found interesting first and they are likely to respond with their own ideas.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of thinking points and I’m sure you will have other things which you question yourself. Hopefully you will enjoy visiting some local schools and will find making a decision relatively easy. Try not to get too stressed about the decision. While it feels like a huge deal and of course it is an important decision to think over and take seriously, ultimately there is time to make changes if you needed to. If for any reason it’s not working out once your child starts there is always the option to move. Remember that it’s best to put three choices down on your application. Good luck – I always believe you should trust your gut. If you get a good feeling about the school then lucky you, you may have found the place where the magic of learning is going to come alive for your child!

As always, any questions at all just contact us here or on our facebook or instagram pages.

Click Here for handy Exeter School Visit information

Applying for a school place!

by Em | Jul 23, 2019 | Starting School

It seems like only yesterday they were tiny babies in our arms and now somehow, in what feels like a parallel universe where everything runs at super speed, we’re expected to apply for them to start school. SCHOOL…..Holy Moly where did that time go?! I’m totally with you on this one, my little girl is three and I’m joining in the school admissions process this year for a September 2020 start. In expectation of this huge event for so many families I thought I would write a blog with key information and ideas about how to make the most of the process. I live in Exeter so I have included the information about school admissions in Devon alongside the general info. If you live outside Devon please look to your local County Council website for help. Or contact us if you are stuck, we can help to find the info.

Key info:

If you child was born between 1st September 2015 and 31st August 2016 you will need to apply for a school place for them to start in September 2020.
In Devon you can start applying from 15th November and the last date for applications is 15th January.
The law is that children must be in school full time from the term after they turn 5 years old. Reception classes take children in the September after their 4th birthday.
Schools offer different starting options (more on this below)
Apply for three schools – it’s not a great idea to put all of your eggs in one basket even if you only want one specific school. If you only apply for one and don’t get a space you could end up being allocated somewhere the other side of town because you haven’t given any other preferences!

There is lots to think about and it can feel overwhelming so I’m just going to give you a top 5 things which you can do in order. There’s a whole year ahead to prepare and lots can change so just take each step one at a time.

1. Find out which schools you are in catchment for and which ones you are interested in applying for. Schools work on having catchment zones which show which school children are designated to attend depending on where you live. Your catchment area will determine which schools you are more likely to get a place in. Some schools take children from out of catchment area so don’t panic if you want a school and you live a little too far away, just be aware that you won’t be top of the list to get in. Have a look on the County County Council website which shows the designated areas. You might find you have more than one school which you are in catchment for.

Make a list of the nearest schools to you and any others that might work, for example near where you work or close to a family member.

Click Here for Devon County Council Catchment map

The map shows the catchment areas if you click on a school name. It’s a bit glitchy and not the clearest but it does the job! I’ve found the best way to see your local schools is to use the ‘address search’ tab at the top left hand corner. Pop your postcode in and it will show you the school or schools which you fall into catchment for.

You can apply for schools out of your catchment area but admissions will take children from the catchment first so you won’t be first in line. You may have other reasons for applying such as siblings already at the school and you can list this on your application.

2. Do some research. Spend a little bit of time looking at the school’s website, you should be able to gather lots of information here and get a feel for the school. Try looking at things like the newsletter if they have one – this will show you the sort of events, trips and experiences that happen for the children. Also look for lunch menu’s (food is always top of my agenda!) after school clubs, expecially if you need wrap around care such as breakfast club. There will be some information about how many children go to the school and how the classes are organised. Many schools have mixed age classes where children in year 3 and 4 are together for example.

Talking to friends or neighbours who have children in local schools can be helpful. Be warned though, please do this with an open mind. Everyone’s opinions are different and we all like and value different things. You might find Vera next door hated the local school 13 years ago for her little cherub but things are likely to have changed significantly since then!

Click Here for Devon Schools information including links to websites

Click Here for the Good Schools Guide Website with similar school information (this website shows schools nationally rather than just Devon)

3. Visit some schools! This one is so important. It’s easy to listen to the gossip and make your mind up about a place without even seeing it. Your child is going to be in this setting for the next seven years so it’s a really good idea to get in there yourself and take a look. Lots of schools put on Open events during October and November where you can go and have a little tour, ask questions and get a feel for the setting. Some will offer 1:1 visits or other ways to see the school. Have a look at the websites and give the school a call to find out how you can visit.

Visit more than one school. As I said in the key info, you really need to apply for more than one school so it makes sense to visit more than one. Even if you have your heart set on one place, it’s great to get a comparison and to find out what else if on offer. I aliken it to buying a house, it would be rare (although I know it does happen) to but the first house you see and not even look at anything else. You won’t lose anything by visiting more than one school and if nothing else, it’s a fab opportunity to be nosey!

We will post more info about school visits including Exeter dates and what to look for etc nearer the time. Also, we are hoping to do some school visit videos in the Autumn, look out on instagram for more!

4. Fill in your application. You can do this in Devon online from 15th November, click the link below. Remember to apply for more than one school! The allocations will be released on 16th April 2020. You will receive an email with your allocated school.

Click Here for Devon County Council Application form

5. Enjoy the time before school starts! There is lots of information about ‘school readiness’ out there and of course there are loads of things you can do to help your child, and yourself, to get ready for the big day. Essentially though school is the start of a very very long formal education journey for your child and your family so once you have made this big decision and completed the form just try to enjoy the rest of the year. Whether you work full time and your child is in pre-school or you are a stay at home parent savour the time you have with your child before they start school in whichever way makes you happy!

What if…. notes for if some of the above doesn’t fit!

What if my child has additional needs? If your child has additional needs make sure you speak to the schools that you are interested in and talk over what they can offer. You might be able to do this during an organised tour or book an appointment to go in and see the class teachers or possibly the SENDco (Special Educational Needs and Disability co-ordinator) The 0-25 team can also be really useful (google; Devon 0-25 team)
What if my child is summer born? This may make no difference at all as lots of just 4 years olds are really ready for school and cope brilliantly well despite being almost a year younger than some of their classmates. If it is something that worries you though speak to the schools you are interested in. Some will offer part time or staggared starts, some will be happy to take a deferred entry where they start the following year. Be warned that some schools will want your child to start in year 1 rather than Reception if you defer so this is really important to check. Deferred entries need to be applied for through the County Council and agreed with the school.
What if I just don’t feel my child is ready? If, for whatever reason, you are worried about how your child will cope with starting school talk to the staff at the schools you are interested in. Even if your child is not a summer born schools may offer part time starts or be happy to delay them starting until the term after they are five, so possibly a January or April start. Again you would need to apply for a deferred entry to start at another time than September. There are pro’s and con’s to all of the options so look into it from all angles.
What if we are moving house? If you are planning to move before your child starts school, look for schools near to your new home. Call admissions when you apply as you may need the address of your new home to be included on the form and some proof of the move.
What if I want to home educate my child? If you are thinking about educating your child at home you will need to contact your County Council. Devon uses Babcock LDP’s Elective Home Education Service which has information about how to go about Home Educating and will assign you an Elective Home Education Advisor if you choose this route.

Hopefully this is a useful overview of how to start the process of applying for a school place. As always contact us if you have any questions.

Getting Ready For School – HELP!

by Em | Jun 4, 2019 | Starting School

OK, so if you’re reading this blog I’m guessing you have a child who will be starting their education journey soon, maybe even this year. If I could see you in person I would ask how you are doing. As a teacher and mother I know from both sides of the school gate that starting school can be a scary prospect for parents/ carers and children alike. BUT, it can also be amazing and hopefully we can offer a few tips and reassurance to get you feeling positive about the experience.

In the previous post we explained what happens during Spring/ Summer time for children starting school in September and what to expect from the school you have been allocated. Click the button to go to this blog if you’re looking for this sort of info, or keep reading for more about ‘school readiness!’

Starting School - what happens before my child starts - Blog

School Readiness is a term which means ‘getting children ready for school’ but the trouble with this phrase is that it can mean different things to different people. Children are delightfully unique and so being ready for school will look different for each child! There are some key things that will set your child off to a great start and I will share these below in Five Top Tips, but first some words of reassurance/ wisdom:

1. Reception teachers and teaching assistants are amazing, well in my experience this has always been true! I know that the thought of leaving the most precious person (or one of the most precious if you are lucky enough to have more than one child!) in the world takes trust and you won’t have that yet. However, please trust me when I say that Reception teachers do understand this and that their first concern is the safety and welfare of your child. They will do everything in their power to make sure your little one is happy. Be sure to communcate your childs needs with them at any meetings, transtition visits and at drop off or pick up. I’m sure you will soon build that trust.

2. School is a journey towards independence. Most of our Top Tips are about children being able to do things by themselves or without too much help. There will be lots of adults and help available at school but children who can be independent will find more success and more enjoyment! Start stepping back and allowing your child to struggle a bit, with things like putting their shoes on and opening the yoghurt pot. Children are persistent little creatures and given the opportunity many will develop independent skills quickly.

3. You don’t need to compare. This is difficult, we know it is. Ever since your beautiful little one came into this world there has been comparison; How much does he weigh? Can she sit up? Does he sleep through? How old was she when she first walked? and so on! School is all of these baby and toddler milestones and more. Brace yourself and just try to remember that your child is unique. School is designed for this and there are lots of ways that teachers will either help your child with the things they find hard or challenge them to do more if they are capable.

With that in mind here are our TOP 5 things to help your child start school sucessfully:

This one sounds a bit ‘academic’ but honestly it’s the only reading or writing that they need. If they can do more then great but children don’t need to know the alphabet, letters or other words before they start school. The name things just really helps them to be more independent as I mentioned above.

Help, my child can’t:

Don’t panic – it’s not a set requirement for starting school. They will still be allowed through the door if they can’t recognise and write their name! There might be a reason they find this hard such as not being able to hold a pencil or having a long name which can be tricky (shorter nicknames or initials are good to start with for long names.) Teachers will do lots to help your child learn this skill and if they can’t do it yet, the adults will help to name their work, find coat pegs etc.

I’d like to practise at home:

Write their name with different pens/ paints etc, get them to trace over the letters. Write in chalk and get them to ‘rub out’ with a wet paint brush.
Write their name in different places, label drawings, see if they can spot their name if you write yours and maybe some others too.
use magnetic letters, cards or anything with letters on – help your child to order the letters or even just choose which comes first.

Click Here to buy cute wooden letters on Amazon

Help, my child can’t:

Don’t panic! There will be lots of staff at school who can do this with your child. As I said at the start try letting your child struggle a bit with some of the important parts of getting dressed. Some children just like this to be done for them.

I’d like to practise at home:

Give plenty of time — start the getting ready process at least 30 minutes earlier than normal!
Give lots of praise for the bits you want them to do alone (you could have a sticker or smiley face chart)
Leave them to it – don’t punish yourself by sitting and watching. Say “I’ll just go and brush my teeth while you put your socks on and then I’ll be back” or similar. You could even make it a race!
Play with dolls/ teddies etc and talk about parts of the body, clothes and getting dressed.

Help, my child can’t:

Don’t panic (can you sense a theme here?!) Again this is something that teachers are used to. Children will be helped to wait for a turn with toys, resources, toilets etc. School might have systems such only 10 children outside at one time and they will rotate children around so everyone gets a go throughout the day/ week. These sort of things give structure to turn taking and will help your child to learn.

I’d like to practise at home:

Play games which invole turn taking, use teddies/ friends/ pets to add more players so children have to wait a bit longer!
Practise taking turns when you are out and about; at the park or dreaded soft play! Even waiting to wash their hands second or not be the first to get a snack etc will help.

Help, my child cant:

Don’t panic! This is one you will need to tell the teacher about if you don’t think your child will speak out when they need something. They will be able to prompt your child for example asking if they need the toilet or giving options for which activities to choose.

I’d like to practise at home:

Try encouraging your child to ask friends and family members for help instead of you.
Ask your child to be clear, if you know what they want but someone else might not, re-phrase it for them. If they say ‘wee wee’ for example try to encourage ‘I need to go for a wee’ or ‘I need the toilet’
Play with toys that might need something – doctors is a great one. Role play what is wrong with the teddy/ doll etc and model how it can tell someone – “I’m feeling poorly, my head hurts, I fell over.”

Help, my child can’t:

This is the last one, still don’t panic! Following instructions can be tricky and teachers will help to guide children to do as they have been asked. Lots of children will follow their friends so they would be happy to line up if they saw everyone else doing it. Again, speak to your child’s teacher if you think this is something your child will find really hard as they will have ways to help.

I’d like to practise at home:

Play instructional games like ‘Simon says’ give directions in play such as parking cars, getting teddies dressed etc.
Give short instructions at home such as ‘find a plate,’ ‘put on your shoes’ and praise children for good listening and following the instructions.

That’s it, easy peasy! Hopefully those top 5 aren’t too scary and I’m sure you got the gist of ‘don’t panic’ throughout! Honestly, children are all so different and with lots of encouragment they will really enjoy school, even if they can’t do any of these things! Enjoy the time before they start and stock up on tissues for day number 1!

Check out our instagram and facebook pages for more ideas about what to do at home!

Another blog coming soon (well probably August) about coping with the first term of school.

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