Starting school
In Lincolnshire we believe that every child deserves to have the best possible start to school life.
To achieve this we are guided by the UNICEF model of School Readiness; Ready children, Ready schools, Ready families, ensuring that the first steps of a child’s journey through school are successful.
This journey begins before children start school and only ends when they feel a sense of belonging.
Preparation
- For guidance on your child’s learning and development from birth to five, visit www.eyalliance.org.uk.
- We run 47 children's centres in Lincolnshire, including 10 Family Hubs, which offer activities, free drop-in sessions, and helpful services. These are free to join for families with children from birth to age five. Any adult who is caring for a child can access services at the centre. Find out more about joining a Children's Centre.
- Children are strongly encouraged to attend early years provision (childminder/nursery/pre-school) and take up their Early Years Education Entitlement so that they can gain the learning and well-being benefits of early education. Find out more about support with childcare costs.
School readiness
Children start school in the September following their fourth birthday and enter a year group known as Reception. Find out more about applying for a school place.
Your child going to school for the first time is a big milestone for you and for them. You are bound to have lots of feelings and might be wondering if your child is ready for school.
Your child doesn’t need to be able to read or write before they start school. If they go to a pre-school or nursery, they might have been working on these pre skills already, but everyone in the class will be at different stages of learning, so don’t worry about how much they already know or don’t know.
It would really help your child to master self-care skills in preparation for school. These skills can include:
- feeding themselves
- going to the toilet
- washing their hands
- getting dressed and undressed by themselves
Here are some things you can do to help you and your child feel ready before they go to school for the first time - School readiness.
We understand that all children develop at their own pace, and that we’re all learning from birth. When it’s time to start school, some children will need more help than others.
There are key skills that schools expect children to be learning before their first day. Practising these will make your child’s journey to Reception as positive as possible.
There’s lots you can do at home to build your child’s confidence and independence, helping them feel emotionally and practically prepared to start school. Find out more about starting school.
Reading books
Reading books helps your preschoolers development in a number of ways. You’re getting your child familiar with sounds, words, language, print and, the value and joy of books. This builds your child’s early literacy skills, including the ability to focus, and helps your child go on to read successfully later in childhood. Visit the Lincolnshire Library Services.
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Using a potty
Using a potty is a new skill for your child to learn. It's best to take it slowly and go at your child's pace. Being patient with them will help them get it right, even if you sometimes feel frustrated.
You can find out more about how to potty train from the NHS. and ERIC, which is the national charity dedicated to improving children’s bowel and bladder health has further help.
Lincolnshire's Health Visiting Team can also help with this is you have any concerns.
Help and support
Team Around the Child (TAC) offers Early Help and support for children as soon as we have a worry about them. TAC is how different people and services work together to help children and their families at any point in their lives to prevent or reduce difficulties before they become too difficult Team.
Development concerns
If you are worried about your child’s learning or development, additional support can be found by speaking to a Family Hub/Children’s Centre navigator at your local Family Hub/Children’s Centre.
They will be able to connect you to the appropriate services. You can also seek support from your child’s Early Years setting.
A number of services may be able to help, including:
- LPCF (Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum) - they are specifically tasked with working alongside the Local Authority and Health to help ensure that the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor meet the needs of children with Disabilities and Special Educational Needs. LPCF Home
- Speech and language therapists - they work in partnership with you and your child, as well as any other professional involved in their care, to enable them to reach communication potential. Our goal is to work closely with your family and educational staff so you understand your child’s needs, empowering you to be able to support and enable you and your child to achieve their best.
- Council for Disabled Children - they want disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs to have full and happy childhoods, to fulfil their potential, and be active within the community. And we want parents of disabled children to be parents first - living ordinary lives.
- One step at a time approach - the Lincolnshire Health Team have put together some short clips for parents and carers to support children with toilet skills development.
- Toilet training children with additional needs - almost all children can learn to be clean and dry. Children with special needs including delayed development and physical disabilities may take a little longer and need more support.
- Toilet training troubleshooting tips - this video provides practical strategies and proven tips to help navigate common setbacks during toilet skills development.
- School readiness - helping your child feel ready for school is a team effort - everything you do at home, alongside the care and learning they receive in childcare and early years education play a big part.
