Starting Reception

Starting school is a big step, for children and their parents, and there may well be nerves on both sides. There are ways you can help your child make a relaxed and confident start. Our Reception teacher, Mrs Towers, has some tips to help you prepare for the big day.

  • Practice getting dressed, including taking jumpers, coats and shoes on and off.
  • Practice using a knife and fork every day and give lots of encouragement for good table manners.
  • Ensure they know how to use a toilet and can attend to their toileting needs independently.
  • Have regular conversations about school, ask what excites them about starting or do they have any worries?
  • Practice some basics like counting, recognising and writing numbers and identifying basic 2D shapes.
  • Read lots and practice writing and recognising their name and the alphabet.
  • Have conversations about every day things, like the weather, what they see and hear when out and about or what they have watched on TV or read in a book.

At Cricklade Manor Prep we help to prepare nursery children for the transition in a number of ways. As the Reception teacher, I pop in to see the children so they are familiar with me by the time they make the move up. We have informal chats and I spend time playing with them, we talk about what Reception will be like and all the things they have to look forward to like music lessons and assemblies. We also hold a more formal transition afternoon where the children spend time in the classroom and familiarise themselves with the space and me as their teacher.

The first week of reception is very much about giving the children time to settle into the new routines with myself and the Teaching Assistant. We have a tour of the school and the grounds and they learn which School House they will be part of. There is lots of opportunity for independent learning, along with circle time and sharing games. The aim is to make it as fun and engaging as possible for the children.

We look forward to welcoming our new Reception class in September!

You can learn more about Mrs Towers in her ‘meet the teacher’ interview.