Whether starting ‘big’ school for the first time, joining a new school, or swapping form classes, now that your son or daughter has navigated the first week or so of term, you will be anxious to know that they have settled in. Whilst some children take it all in their stride, are happy going into school each morning and make friends seemingly effortlessly, others will take a bit longer to adjust and this is all very normal.
Here we have a few tips from the Head of Redcliffe Gardens School, Mrs Sarah Glencross, on how you can support your child if they are still finding things tricky when starting a new school year:
- Most children feel anxious about going back to school after the long summer break when they’ve grown used to being around their close family and friends 24/7. It’s obviously magnified if they are starting a new school – and particularly if they have just moved house too – but be reassured that they won’t be the only ones feeling this way.
- It’s often only the second or third week of term that the school day starts to settle into a routine and until then there will be many new things and ‘firsts’ every day for your child to navigate, so don’t expect too much too soon.
- Encourage your child to talk about how they are feeling and let them know that it is very normal to feel anxious in a new situation.
- School drop-off is often the most stressful part of the day for the child and the parent. Try to have everything packed and ready the night before so there’s no unnecessary stress in the morning; leave plenty of time for the journey to school so that you’re not running late; and try to make the ‘goodbyes’ as quick and as you can.
- Try to avoid being sad or tearful or showing any worry yourself when you drop off your child; they will pick up on this straight away and your feelings will be projected onto them and will undermine their confidence.
- Please be reassured that in our experience, as soon as parents disappear the tears are quickly wiped away and children are soon distracted by all of the exciting things happening in school.
- School pick-up can be another pinch point. Have a snack handy as children are often hungry mid/late afternoon and it’s been a few hours since lunchtime. Try to avoid grilling them on their day but let the conversation flow naturally.
- Encourage them to join an afterschool club or local activity that other children from their class go to. If it’s an activity they enjoy, chances are they’ll soon be interacting and having fun and developing friendships.
- Organise some playdates with different children from their class. Outdoors at a local park or playground often works well in the first instance. Don’t worry if your child doesn’t gel with everyone; ask them who they’d like to have a playdate with.
- Make sure that your child is sleeping and eating well and has a good breakfast so that they are rested and have plenty of energy for the day ahead.
- It’s important to read all of the correspondence coming home from school particularly to ensure that your child has all the right kit: the right uniform, school bag and equipment; the right clothes for Mufti Day or World Book Day, for instance; the right PE kit. If they are missing something it could add to their feelings of awkwardness or of being different to everyone else.
- If things don’t settle down arrange a meeting with your child’s teacher and ask if they have any suggestions. They might have some ideas you haven’t thought of, or they may be able to reassure you: many children are fine once they are in the classroom, out of the sight of parents.
At Redcliffe Gardens School we really are very well practised at helping children settle in, whether they are joining our nursery or reception or are moving to us from another school in an older year group. It’s a huge advantage that we are a small school that very much has a family feel; everybody knows everyone, and every teacher will be looking out for your child to help them quickly feel at home. This also helps with their schoolwork as teachers are quickly able to identify any areas new joiners need extra support with and to get them back on track as quickly as possible. New children will be paired up with a member of their class, a buddy, who’s responsible for looking after them, playing with them and showing them around, and our teachers are used to making sure everyone is included in playground games.
Activities away from the school desk are also fantastic for helping children settle in and at Redcliffe we have fabulous Art facilities, thriving music, drama and sport, and lots of opportunities for your child to get involved in lunchtime and after-school clubs. Our mantra is that this is a school where every child has a chance to shine and to run their own best race.
To find out more about joining Redcliffe Gardens School, please book a personal tour on our website at www.redcliffegardens.com or contact:
The Registrar
Redcliffe Gardens School
47 Redcliffe Gardens
London SW10 9JH
T: 020 7352 9247
You can also read other related articles by Redcliffe Gardens School here.
