Families Magazine Taster School Starters Planner

Taster Edition of the

SCHOOL STARTERS PLANNER 2022-23 CREATED BY

FOR FAMILIES MAGAZINE

THE SCHOOL STARTERS PLANNER Welcome! We are really excited to share with you, along with Families magazine, this taster of the school starters planner. We hope it helps you to feel prepared and confident about the start of school. We're not going to lie, there's a lot to think about and juggling the school admin could easily become a full time job! This part of the planner is designed to get you thinking ahead and feel more prepared in the run up to the start of school!

WHAT'S IN THE PLANNER?

It can feel overwhelming when you find out which school your child has been allocated to and there's lots of information to gather to feel prepared. This PDF version gives you the first 4 months of our full School Starters planner which covers the full first academic year. We have organised this really carefully to help you feel as ready as you'll ever be! Check out the layout: Month by Month We have laid the planner out to help you month by month. You can look ahead if you love to be organised or take it step by step.

Coming up pages: See what is likely to be happening that month and things to think about, there's uniform lists, spaces for questions and lots of prompts.

School contact details and logins pages: The Important Info section is a space to keep all of those handy links and details in one place.

Notes: Lots of spaces to add notes, questions and doodles!

Our full planner covers a full year all the way through to the end of the first year of school with added prompts to remember PE kits, reading books and things to sort each month, pages for timetables, school login information, useful websites and is packed with our top tips along the way. You can find out more about the full planner here: The School Starters Planner 2022-23

STARTING SCHOOL Starting school is a big step, for your little ones and you too. It can

bring a whole host of emotions from nerves to excitement, worry to relief or even sadness that they are growing up so fast. Although it

can be a scary step, it's also an amazing journey. Children learn an incredible amount in their first year at school. They will begin to

read and write, develop friendships, gain new maths knowledge, learn physical and emotional skills and so much more.

WHAT DO THEY NEED TO KNOW?

It might feel like children need to know lots to be ready for school but being ready can look different for each child. Teachers are a

wonderful bunch and they know that every child is unique and will start school with their own individual needs and strengths. You

don't need to worry about whether your child knows the alphabet

or can count to 20, school is where they will learn this and so much more. Being ready for school is more about children developing

independence, confidence and a sense of who they are as growing little people. There are, however, some little things that are really helpful for them to practise before they start: How to take their coat off and put it on.

How to follow a simple instruction e.g. find your coat.

How to go to the toilet by themselves.

How to wash their hands by themselves.

How to ask for help if they need it (what words/ gestures can they use?)

How to say goodbye to you or other caregivers at drop off (this can be tricky and it's very normal for children to need some help from teachers so try not to worry.)

How to feed themselves and have a drink by themselves.

Try making things fun by having races, getting toys to join in and giving lots of praise when your child has a go.

IMPORTANT STUFF! SCHOOL EMAIL:

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S . . . .C ....H . . . . .O . . . . .O . . . . .L .....N . . . . .U ....M . . . . . .B . . . .E . . .R . . . .:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

S . . . .C . . . . .H . . . .O . . . . .O . . . . .L . . . . . .W . . . . .E . . . .B . . . .S . . .I. . T . . . .E . . .:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T. . . .E. . .A . . . .C . . . . .H . . . .E . . . .R . . . .S . . . . .N . . . . .A . . . .M . . . . .E . . . ./ ...S . . . .:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

OTHER CONTACTS:

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EXTRAS: D . . . .R . . . .O . . . . .P . . . . . .O . . . . .F . . . .F . . . . .T . . . I. . .M . . . . .E . . . :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PICK UP TIME:

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THINGS TO TAKE AT DROP OFF:

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SNACKS NEEDED:

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WHAT'S COMING UP IN APRIL? April is an exciting month for school starters, on 19th April school places will be announced. Check your emails to hear which school you have been allocated. Hopefully you will be really happy but you can contact your local education authority if you have any concerns or would like to appeal a decision. You might feel like there is lots to do after you find out your school place but you still have lots of time. Schools are very busy in April and May so don't expect to hear from them straight away, it might take a few weeks.

We have spread out the things you need to think about and organise over the next few months so don't panic!

DATES

15th April - Good Friday 17th April - Easter Sunday 18th April - Easter Monday 19th April - Primary School allocations announced

THINGS TO CHECK:

After you know your school choice: Check the term dates by looking on the school website - pop them into the calendar pages (include non-pupil days as these will be days your child doesn't go to school) Make sure you know the start date!

Check the website for any information for new starters.

Write the school contact details in the Important Information section.

Write any key questions that you have on the next page.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE MAKING MEMORIES WE JUST KNEW WE WERE HAVING FUN. WINNIE THE POOH

QUESTIONS

You might not hear from the school straight away but we're sure you will have lots of questions. Here's space to write any questions you have, any worries or things you are excited about for the start of school. The school website will have lots of information which may answer your questions. You might want to know about dates, uniform, breakfast and after school club, additional support, transition, how classes are organised, the timings of the school day and more!

THINGS TO ASK:

ANSWERS

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APRIL MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

W 13

W 14

4

5

6

7

W 15

11

12

13

14

W 16

18

19

20

21

26

27

28

Primary School Places announced - check your emails!!

Easter Monday

W 17

25

2022 FRIDAY

SATURDAY

1

SUNDAY

2

3

TO DO ................................................... ................................................... ...................................................

8

9

10

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15

16

17 DOODLES

Good Friday

Easter Sunday

22

23

St George's Day

29

30

NOTES

24

WHAT'S COMING UP IN MAY? In May you might hear from your allocated school. They are likely to get in touch (possibly towards the end of the month) with information about transition arrangements. School usually have opportunities to meet children and families in a range of ways; in school, at pre-school/ nursery settings, via online sessions and sometimes at home. They are likely to offer one or more meetings to give you lots of information about the school including start dates and formats, uniform, the curriculum, important people such as their teacher and how the school will communicate with you.

DATES

2nd May - Bank Holiday

THINGS TO CHECK:

Check the website for any information for new starters, give the school a call if you have any specific questions.

You might be able to find information about uniform, school clubs etc from the website but this will all be sent to you so don't worry.

Wait to hear about how the school will be organising meetings and transition sessions.

Complete and send back any forms that school provide. There will be consent forms for things like taking photos and videos.

YOU’RE BRAVER THAN YOU BELIEVE, AND STRONGER THAN YOU SEEM, AND SMARTER THAN YOU THINK. A.A MILNE

IF YOU LIKE TO BE SUPER ORGANISED! If you like to be really organised here are a few things you could start to think about.

You don't need to buy lots of things in preparation for school, many can be borrowed or made but there might be some items you want to purchase. Here are a few things to think about.

A WAY TO COLLECT MEMORIES

NAMING ITEMS FOR SCHOOL

Starting school is a huge moment in your child's life and yours. If you like collecting memories think about how you might document the journey. Maybe a scrap book or online photo album. The Tale of Starting School by @Talesofmebooks is a beautiful keepsake book too where you can add pictures and notes of the journey of starting school.

One of the most important jobs before school starts is naming all the items. Get really ahead of the game and get a pen, stamp or name labels sorted in advance and miss the big rush in August!

There are lots to choose from and all will do the same job, be long lasting and washable.

BOOKS

PLANS

Books are a great talking point for children to start finding out about what school will be like. There are a wide range of brilliant stories and information books out there which will give your child an insight into school life. You can borrow them from your local library too.

It's a great time to make some plans together for activities that you would like to do before school starts. Ask your child what they would like to do over the next few months, make a list or draw some pictures to remind you. You could tick them off as you go like a bucket list!

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MAY MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

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W 18

2

3

4

5

W 19

9

10

11

12

W 20

16

17

18

19

W 21

23

24

25

26

30

31

May Day Bank Holiday

Red Nose Day

W 22

2022 FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1 TO DO ................................................... ...................................................

6

8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

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VE Day

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13

14

15

20

21

22

Eid al-Fitr

27

28

NOTES

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DOODLES

WHAT'S COMING UP IN JUNE? In June you should have heard from your school. They will hopefully have explained how transition will work and what opportunities you and your child/children have to meet the teachers and other staff. They are also likely to offer a meeting to tell you lots of information about the school including start dates and formats, uniform, the curriculum, important people such as their teacher and how the school will communicate with you. This might be virtual. Take, or have handy, a notepad and pen to jot down any key information. They will probably give you lots of forms to fill in and return too. If your child has any specific needs do ask for an extra meeting with the teacher. They will be happy to talk over anything specific that your child may need at school.

DATES

2nd June - Spring Bank Holiday (a Thursday) 3rd June -Extra Bank Holiday to mark the Queen's Jubilee (a Friday) 19th June - Father's Day THINGS TO CHECK:

Complete and send back any forms that school provide. There will be consent forms for things like taking photos and videos.

Make a list of school uniform that you need to buy on the next page (July is a good time to buy but you could get it now if you prefer) In the July section there is a list of how much uniform you may need.

Attend any school sessions - write any questions you still have on the next page (there are no silly questions, anything you need to know, do ask.)

Check if there is a new parents Facebook page or Whatsapp group as you may like to join to meet other new families.

RECIPE FOR ICED COFFEE 1. HAVE KIDS 2. MAKE COFFEE 3. FORGET YOU MADE COFFEE 4. DRINK IT COLD @TONI_HAMMER

UNIFORM:

PE KIT:

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QUESTIONS TO ASK SCHOOL ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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JUNE MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

W 22

THURSDAY

1

2

Spring Bank Holiday

W 23

6

7

8

9

W 24

13

14

15

16

W 25

20

21

22

23

28

29

30

Summer Solstice

W 26

27

2022 FRIDAY

SATURDAY

3

SUNDAY

4

5 TO DO ................................................... ...................................................

Extra Bank Holiday - Queen's Platinum Jubilee

10

11

12

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The Queen's birthday

17

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19 DOODLES

Father's Day

24

25

NOTES

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WHAT'S COMING UP IN JULY?

By July you should have a good amount of information from your school.

July is a great time to start getting organised ahead of time so that you can enjoy August without the panic of last minute shopping. On the next page is a list for uniform and extras, your school will provide their own version so do check this and add items where needed. The numbers are our suggestions but you may wish to buy more or less. You might also want to buy summer options now and wait to buy winter ones later in the year, or just size up and get it early. Parent Teacher Groups (PTAs) often have second hand uniform sales so look out for these if you are keen to use pre-loved items.

DATES

End of the academic year (towards the end of the month). If you have any questions that you need an immediate answer; please make sure you have asked this before school breaks for the summer holidays.

Emails will be checked periodically over the break but may not be responded to immediately.

THINGS TO CHECK:

Start to get uniform and extras purchased. We have suggested amounts and items on the next page. It's good to share out the sorting if you can with family members so there is space to write who will sort this and where the items might come from.

Choose a method of naming the items if you haven't already done this.

There are labels, stamps and pens available which all do a great job.

If you haven't started talking about school with your child, now is a good time to start. You could read stories, collect pictures of their school and talk about how they and you are feeling.

SOMEWHERE INSIDE ALL OF US IS THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD ROALD DAHL (MATILDA)

UNIFORM LIST ITEM

WHO/ WHERE

SORTED

Tops (5)

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Trousers/ shorts/ skirts/ dresses (3)

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Socks/Tights (5/6)

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Jumper/Cardigan (2/3)

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Shoes (1 pair)

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Coat (1)

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PE top (1)

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PE bottoms (1)

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Trainers (1 pair)

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EXTRAS ITEM

WHO/ WHERE

SORTED

Book bag (1)

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Water bottle (2)

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PE bag (1)

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Lunch box if needed (2)

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Way to label items

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JULY MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

W 26

W 27

4

5

6

7

W 28

11

12

13

14

W 29

18

19

20

21

W 30

25

26

27

28

2022 FRIDAY

SATURDAY

1

SUNDAY

2

TO DO ................................................... ................................................... ...................................................

8

9

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15

16 DOODLES

22

23

29

30

NOTES

Notes

FIND OUT MORE We hope you have loved this taster version of the School Starters Planner. Our full planner covers a full year all the way through to the end of the first year of school with added prompts to remember PE kits, reading books and things to sort each month, pages for timetables, school login information, useful websites and is packed with our top tips along the way. You can find out more and order the full planner here:

Get The School Starters Planner 2022-23

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Emma is a Mum to two girls and lives in Exeter with her husband and dog Bettie! She has worked with lots of schools, specialising in Early Years and supporting Reception teachers to welcome your children into school. She is a headteacher of a wonderful Primary School in Devon and she is passionate about helping families enjoy the school journey.

Vix is a Mum of two and lives in East Devon with her partner. She is an experienced teacher and has a background in psychology. She has taught Reception right up to tricky maths in Year 6! Vix most loves teaching Reception supporting little ones and their families to love school in their first year and beyond.

Emma and Vix met when they shared a class together. There was always lots of glitter and laughs in their classroom! Together they set up Every Day's a School Day to support children and families to feel confident and prepared for starting school and to love their first year.

You can find out more on their social media channels and in their community group: SCHOOL STARTERS HUB/@everydays.a.school.day