Starting primary school: preparing children

Getting familiar with a new primary school

In the months and weeks before starting primary school, it’s good for your child to get familiar with the school environment. This includes routines and rules as well as the classroom, playground, toilets, drinking fountains and so on.

Here are ideas:

If your child is at a preschool or an early childhood education centre with a school transition program, try to make sure your child is at preschool on the days the children visit ‘big school’.
If your child isn’t at preschool, visit the school yourselves or see whether the school runs its own transition program.
Explore the school grounds with your child on the weekends if you can.
Visit the school and meet your child’s teacher if you can. Let your child know that teachers are there to help.
Show your child where the after-school care service is, if you’re using it.
Go to school events with your child if you can, like a school assembly or concert.
Make sure your child knows where you’ll be picking them up.
Explain school rules about things like uniforms, hats, sunscreen, and classroom and playground behaviour. Also explain why these rules are important. For example, ‘If you want to go to the toilet, you need to ask. Otherwise the teacher won’t know where you are’.

Good-quality sleep helps your child feel more settled, happy and ready for school. Try to get your child into consistent sleep routines before school starts. This means regular sleep and wake times, even on the weekend.

Practical preparations for starting primary school

It’s a good idea to have uniforms, lunch boxes, bags and stationery ready, with your child’s name clearly marked on everything:

Get your child to try on the uniform and shoes before the first day of primary school, just to make sure everything fits. It’s a good idea to have your child wear new school shoes for a few days before school starts and practise doing up laces or buckles.
Make sure your child has a hat. Hats are compulsory in most schools for at least the first and last term each year and all year round in many schools.
Choose a school bag that’s comfortable for your child to carry. A backpack with adjustable straps is best.
Choose a lunch box and drink bottle that have easy-to-open lids. Your child can practise using them at preschool, or during a picnic lunch at home or in the park.
Make sure your child has enough healthy food for both recess and lunch, plus a bottle of water. This will give your child energy for the day. It’s good to check whether the school has a healthy eating policy and a ban on foods that cause allergies.
Find out whether your child needs any other items for school – for example, art smock, library bag, pencils, markers, crayons and so on.
If your child needs medicine at school, make sure you authorise teachers to administer it under strict guidelines.

Sometimes things can get in the way of children starting or going to school. Everyday literacy activities, numeracy activities and play activities are great ways to support your child’s learning and development at home.

Managing feelings about starting primary school

Starting primary school can be a big change for your child, and they might feel anxious as well as excited. Letting your child know that you think they’ll go well at school can help them feel positive.

Here are ideas for managing mixed feelings:

Try to organise playdates with other children before the first day of school. It can help if your child knows another child going to the same school before school starts.
Give your child plenty of love and support. Be excited and enthusiastic about your child starting school. This sends your child the positive message that school is exciting and that they’ll cope and have fun.
If the topic of school comes up during everyday activities with your child, use this as an opportunity to start a conversation. But follow your child’s lead – too much talk about school might make your child feel more anxious.
Let your child know how their daily routine will change – for example, what time they’ll have to get up in the morning, how they’ll get to and from school, and what they’ll have in their lunch box.
Read a children’s book about starting school with your child. Reading books about school can help you talk with your child about their feelings. You could try Starting school by Janet and Allen Ahlberg or Starting school by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker.
Talk with your child about school support programs. For example, there might be a buddy program where older children support younger children in their first year of school.
Try to send your child off to school with a happy, confident goodbye – and plan something nice for yourself too, like coffee with a friend. Even if you’re feeling sad or worried, it can help to keep these feelings from your child.

When your child starts school, it’s a big change in your family life. It’s natural to feel worried or sad. Sometimes it helps to talk with other parents about how you’re feeling. Other parents might also have helpful tips for preparing and starting school.

Starting primary school: the early weeks

Here are things you can do to help the first few weeks at primary school go smoothly.

School drop-offs and pick-ups

Try to drop off your child at school before the bell goes in the morning. When your child isn’t rushed in the morning, it’s easier for them to settle into the school day.
If your child is worried about being separated from you, look for ways to distract your child at school drop-off. For example, you could try meeting a friend at the gate or walking to school with another child and parent.
Try to pick up your child on time at a regular meeting spot. This can help your child feel secure. And if you’re early for pick-up, it gives you the chance to meet other parents and makes organising playdates easier.

At school

Try not to expect too much academic progress too soon. If your child is happy and seems to be enjoying school, that’s a real achievement. The rest will come later.
Remember that it’s common for children to play with many different children and to play on their own sometimes. It can take a while before they settle into a group of friends.
Organise a meeting with your child’s classroom teacher as soon as possible if your child doesn’t seem to be settling well, if your child tells you about teasing or bullying, or if there’s something else important that you need to discuss.

After school

Make after-school time a bit special, with a snack and time for you and your child to chat.
Be patient if your child tells you every detail about school or clams up completely. You could try saying something like, ‘Tell me one good thing about your day’, rather than asking a lot of questions.
Be flexible with snacks and meals. Your child will probably be very hungry after school. If you give your child a small, healthy snack straight after school, it’ll help to keep them going until dinner.
If your child is tired after school, let your child rest and play at home for a few weeks until they’re ready for playdates and after-school activities.
Check your child’s bag for school notes, forms and information. Many schools also have online noticeboards, an intranet, Facebook pages or apps with newsletters and information about events, excursions and other school activities.

Let your school know if your child needs special attention at any time – for example, if there have been problems at home or a death in the family, or your child has been sick. Likewise, if your child has just done well at an activity outside school, let the school know so they can recognise your child’s achievements.