Here’s a quick and handy list of what you’ll need, ready for students returning to school in September. Remember, you’re not alone – supporting your family’s well-being remains a top priority for us.
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Previous school work
If your child still has work remaining, from before schools were closed or received during lockdown, it’s a very good idea to collate it and cast your eye over it once more. A quick glance through will remind you what your child was working on and will allow you to chat with them about how they’re feeling about those topics.
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Things to return
It probably seems like ages ago now (because it was!) but you may still have reading books and other items that school may have sent home prior to lockdown. If you’re able to return those in the first few days, your school will be most grateful.
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New notebook and stationery
By new, I mean new to your child – it doesn’t need to be anything swanky. The charity shops are bursting with everyone’s clear outs at the moment, so try to shop sustainably if you can.
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Double check the uniform policy
Some schools have slightly relaxed their uniform policy so it’s worth just double checking the school website/ newsletter to see exactly what their requirements are.
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Gradual return to the school routine
It’s more important than ever to gradually reintroduce the school routine towards the end of the summer holiday. Getting back into a normal bed time routine and reminding them of what school life is like, will reduce the shock to the system during that first week of September.
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Read books!
One of the best ways to get children ready for school again is to read a lot with them and to them, and to listen to them reading aloud. Don’t worry about following a course, let them read what they love.
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Creative challenges
These don’t need to be anything strenuous, but finding a few fun creative challenges, whether they be maths puzzles or story telling, will help get children geared up for the return to school.
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Remind children of the changes
It’s important to remind children that things won’t be quite the same as normal when they return to school. For most, there will be a change to the timetable and everyone will have to familiarise themselves with new social distancing measures. Schools will try to make changes as smoothly as possible but you should aim to chat through the new routines with your child allowing them ask any questions they may have.
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Daily check in
A check in when they return from school each day allows your child to share any concerns they have – as soon as they have them. Of course, not all children will want to chat about their emotions but even getting them to rate their school day from 1-10 can help you gauge how they’re feeling about everything.
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Star chart
The long lay-off means children are going to need more encouragement and positive reinforcement than ever when it comes to returning to school. Some will be anxious to start and some will go through a high at the beginning, thrilled to see their friends again. For most, there will be inevitable challenges so rewarding their efforts, such as star charts for younger children, can help instill some positivity.