Getting Ready for School
Starting school for the first time is an important milestone in your child’s life and how you support them can make a real difference to how well they settle into school. We have developed a leaflet which explains some useful things that you can help your child to practise to get ready for school. There are also some links to other websites on this page which give more information, hints and suggestions.
This is a leaflet for families which gives some practical tips on things that can help to prepare a child to be ready to start school:
Is Your Child Ready for School? - A Guide for Families
If you have any queries or concerns about your pre-school child, please contact your Health Visitor or speak to your child’s preschool, nursery or other settings. Contact details for Health Visitors can be found here https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/our-teams-and-services/health-visiting/
Other Useful Information
Bookstart is a national scheme for pre-school children. It aims to help families discover the fun and excitement of sharing books together.
Libraries' Bookstart page
Chat, Play, Read: Department for Education campaign
Video starring journalist, Natasha Kaplinsky and media psychologist Emma Kenny. A useful tool which guides parents on how they can Chat, Play and Read with their child. The film shows that interacting with their children can be a fun and happy time for both parent and child.
Small Talk website, featuring videos, advice and information to help parents make chatting, playing and reading activities part of their daily routine with children
https://small-talk.org.uk/
Gloucestershire Healthy Living and Learning
Gloucestershire Healthy Living and Learning (GHLL) work with schools and colleges to support children and young people to make positive choices to improve their physical, emotional and mental well-being.
Find out more via their website www.ghll.org.uk which includes advice for parents and carers www.ghll.org.uk/family/ and links to Partnership organisations www.ghll.org.uk/partnership-projects/.
Hungry Little Minds
Simple, fun activities for kids aged 0-5
https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/
Words for Life is the National Literacy Trust’s website for parents
http://www.wordsforlife.org.uk/
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service or SENDIASS provides free impartial, confidential and accurate information, advice and support about education, health and social care for children, young people and their parents on matters relating to special educational needs and disability.
https://www.kids.org.uk/sendiass
PACEY
A toolkit which offers support before school, during the first few days and throughout the school year
https://www.pacey.org.uk/parents/toolkit/
Home-Start Big Hopes Big Future
Home-Start
A range of resources for Pre-School children including:
- Simple games you can try together at home
Free and easy games to play at home with children - Writing activities to do with children
Making books is a very effective way of encouraging children to want to read and write.
BookTrust
100 Best Children’s Books
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/our-recommendations/100-best-books/
Change 4 life
Fun ideas to keep your kids stay healthy
https://www.nhs.uk/change4life
Action on ACESs
Information and resources about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACEs are traumatic events that affect children while growing up, such as suffering child maltreatment or living in a household affected by domestic violence, substance misuse or mental illness.
https://www.actionaces.org/
A short video about one person’s story of how ACEs affected his life
Tiny Happy People
The BBC initiative Tiny Happy People has lots of activities, information, tips and advice on ways to develop your child’s communication skills.