Woodthorpe Church of England Primary SchoolNew Starters
We are looking forward to welcoming you and your child into the Woodthorpe C of E Primary family. We understand that starting school is an exciting time for both children and parents, but can be a little daunting too! We have put together some useful information and tips to help support you and your child with starting school, and to help make the transition fun and as smooth as possible. We hope you find the information useful.
Ready for School.
It is important that children have a strong foundation to help them develop the skills to be life long learners, who are resilient and can manage and navigate the world around them. There are three important areas that children need to develop to support future learning. These include Personal, Emotional and Social development (developing an understanding of their own needs and the needs of the people around them), Communication and Language (being able to communicate their needs and develop their ability to express themselves and talk about their experiences), and Physical Development (their ability to navigate their environment safely and begin to use their hands to explore the world and become independent).
10 keys to unlocking school readiness
The 10 keys have been identified by Derbyshire parents, carers and professionals. These will help everyone understand what children developing typically for their age should be able to do by the time they start in reception class.
The 10 keys for unlocking school readiness are:
- I can settle happily without my parent or carer
- I can tell friends and grown-ups what I need
- I can take turns and share when I am playing
- I can go to the toilet on my own and wash my hands
- I can put on my own coat and shoes and feed myself
- I can tell a grown up if I am happy, sad or cross
- I know that what I do and say can make others happy or unhappy
- I am curious and want to learn and play
- I can stop what I am doing, listen and follow simple instructions
- I enjoy sharing books with grown-ups
Support and guidance with all aspects of school readiness can be found by following the link below.
Ready for school in Derbyshire - Derbyshire County Council
Early Phonics
As soon as your child starts at Woodthorpe C of E Primary School they will begin their phonics journey with us. Phonics is how we teach early reading and you will get further information about this in the autumn term. Your child may already complete some phonics activities at nursery or pre–school and the following information and activities have been developed to help build on that and create a firm foundation for phonics. By completing these activities little and often you can really support your child with their early phonics and give them a good foundation for learning to read.
Early Phonics Activities
A helpful guide to how your child is learning and developing in the first 5 years can be found on the Foundation Years website. The guide is titled 'What to expect, when? Guidance to your child's learning and development in the early years foundation stage'.
If you have any questions about school readiness or need any support with your child's development and learning please don't hesitate to contact Miss May.
cmay@woodthorpe.derbyshire.sch.uk