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Goonhavern Pre-SchoolGoonhavern Primary School

Transition

Transition into Goonhavern Primary School

At Goonhavern Primary School we understand that starting school can be daunting for both children and parents. We offer a range of opportunities to ensure that the transition into school life is a smooth as possible:

  • We work with our feeder pre-schools to gather as much information as possible about your child before they start school.
  • We like to give parents a comprehensive form to fill in which gives us a good picture of your child’s preferences and abilities.
  • You and your child will be invited to stay and play together in the classroom during in the summer term before starting school. This is a good chance for your child to experience the classroom, play with their new class mates and meet the staff and the importantly see the toilets! You will also get a chance to meet other parents and the Class R Team.
  • We offer a chance for you and your child to join us for school lunch in the summer term before starting school and have a guided tour of the school from our school council. Some families find this useful for future discussions with their child around school lunch times.
  • All children are offered a home visit in September. Visiting a child in their own home before they start school can help to achieve a smooth transition for children, parents and staff. The home visit can make the first week seem far less scary, offering your child and teacher the common ground of a shared experience in their own home. It is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the school setting. We also recognise that as the parents and carers it is you who knows your child best and we welcome your insight into your child’s development and skills.
  • We stagger start times in September so that all children spend their first few days of school part time. We see this time as a real investment into the rest of the year. Having smaller groups in the classroom at one time help to give the children more adult attention, giving the staff a chance to really get to know your child and importantly your child the chance to get to know us and the routines of school life.
  • We offer part time places for children who might find a full day difficult initially. We are always happy discuss any individual needs your child might have at home visits or at any of our transition events, or individual appointments. School life is very different to pre-school and many children find keeping up with a full time timetable difficult in the first few weeks.

It is totally normal for a class of reception children to start school with a wide range of skills and abilities. There are some things you can be doing to help your child to be ready for school:

  • Help your child learn to go to the toilet independently and clean themselves afterwards, including washing hands.
  • Help your child learn to put their coat on and change their shoes to wellies ready to work outside. Teachers and teaching assistants will help with tricky buttons/ zips but the more your child can do for themselves the better.
  • Help your child to understand sharing and listening for a short time when asked to.
  • Share books, talk with your child, count together during everyday activities.
  • Ensure your child gets enough sleep. Tiredness is a real barrier to success within the classroom environment.
  • We do not expect children to start school knowing numbers and letters, however, if your child is keen you may wish to start writing their name with them (in lower case letters). 
  • Don’t worry! There are no problems or issues that cannot be resolved.

We are a very happy and open team at Goonhavern Primary School and would like to think that you could feel able to approach us with any concerns or queries. We feel very privileged to be entrusted with the care and education of your child and appreciate that for school life to be successful for your child it is essential that we work in partnership with parents and carers.