The transition from nursery to primary school is a big step and at Lauriston Nursery making sure that your child is ready for a school environment is very important to us. Ahead of the transition to P1, we begin preparation to make sure our pre-school children have a good routine and the confidence to thrive in a learning environment. Our highly experienced team has designed the pre-school room layout to encourage independence and self-choice in everyday activities.
This year has come with its own challenges, starting primary school can be nerve-wracking enough for children and parents alike without missing out on Primary 1 transition days. While of course, they can be helpful for your children to meet their new classmates and be introduced to their surroundings, they will no doubt thrive even though they have not been possible this year.
Children are so resilient and will probably be more excited than they are nervous about starting school, they will most probably have forgotten that they were meant to attend a transition day at all. It can often be parents who worry the most and those anxieties can transfer down to little ones too, so be sure to try and keep upbeat and calm around them and talk about the positives rather than the negatives – focus on talking about all about the things they will be doing going forward and not the things they have missed out on. Throughout the summer, talk positively about starting school and how exciting it will be. It’s a fine line between talking positively and overwhelming them so try to tread carefully!
We have found that as our pre-school children progress to their primary school environment many of them will have friends from Lauriston moving on at the same time. It may give you (and your children) confidence with the transition to primary school if you arrange to meet up with other parents whose children are starting at the same school. A quick post in a local Facebook group and, thanks to the power of social media, you will definitely find other parents in the same situation. You could meet up at the park so that your children can become friends before school starts which will put your mind at ease, calm any of your child’s nerves and fuel their excitement about school too.
Primary school is a huge step for your child in terms of their independence. At Lauriston Nursery our children are fortunate enough to develop plenty of skills that aid their independence, but a new setting may make them feel slightly nervous for the first few weeks. Encourage your child to be confident and reassure them about any potential new challenges that they may not feel ready for.
As part of their new routine, there are new things to think about like lunchtime. If your child will be having packed lunches you could practise with their brand-new lunchbox, or if they will be having school dinners you will be able to find the menu online and maybe try some of the meals with your child. Maybe they haven’t carried a tray before so maybe they could serve their own lunch on a tray and carry it to the table by themselves – maybe start with sandwiches in case they end up on the floor and progress to a roast dinner with gravy!
It’s also worth noting that most schools have a buddy system, where P7’s act as buddies to P1 and are there to help with at break times and lunchtimes, so don’t stress if they struggle to carry their tray – help will be on hand.
New uniform is a big one to think about too. The children are often very excited about their new clothes, so it won’t be too difficult to practise getting them dressed – don’t forget about their PE kit too as they will be getting changed into that on their own. You could have a fun game of who can get changed out of their school/work uniform first and into their sporty PE/gym gear first – mummy/daddy or child! It’s worth looking at your schools Handbook as it will give an idea of all the items required (and not required).
Particularly at the moment hygiene in school will be at the top of the priority list for obvious reasons, and children have already become accustomed to the hand washing, and are excellent at it, but it is worth a reminder anyway to wash hands frequently, before and after eating and visits to the bathroom. Hand sanitiser will also be in frequent use at primary.
Last but not least, be reassured that any of the nerves that your child or you are experiencing are totally normal. Starting primary school is a big step in your child’s development but we know that all of our Lauriston Nursery children have the best parents and carers they could wish for who will support them all the way. They are more than ready to take this next step to primary school and we’re sure they will all be superstars!
We cannot wait to see our beautiful Lauriston children standing in their smart school uniforms for the classic front door photo on their first day!
