What Age Do Children Start School?

It’s exciting and nerve-wracking, sending your little one to school. At Lichfield Cathedral School, our Nursery welcomes children as young as two and a half years of age, and children enter Reception at the start of the academic year in which they reach five years of age. Attending the Nursery helps prepare little ones for the transition to Reception. However, if you are keeping your child home for those early years, there is no reason he or she shouldn’t be just as prepared, as long as you are proactive.

How to Prepare for Reception Class

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to prepare your child for school is to encourage a positive attitude toward learning. Encourage your child’s natural curiosity, and show your own enthusiasm for education. Celebrate milestones and achievements, and cultivate an atmosphere of creativity and learning in your home. Cheer your child on as he or she pursues interests, and offer encouragement for efforts and achievement. Don’t just praise intelligence or natural talents, but commend your child for hard work and perseverance. There is evidence to indicate that children who receive encouragement are more self-confident, have more positive peer relationships, and more easily develop problem-solving skills. What’s more, giving your child positive reinforcement and encouragement strengthens the bond between you.

Creating a Learning Environment at Home

Children learn through play, so there is no need to stock up on flashcards and worksheets to encourage learning. Instead, make sure your child has age-appropriate educational activities to stimulate creativity and curiosity. Puzzles, building blocks, educational games, and science activities are all good choices, and exploring nature can be inspirational. Something as simple as taking a walk outside can provide an opportunity to answer your child’s questions, which is a bonding experience that also promotes learning. Read to your little one continually, taking trips to the library and letting your child choose the books. Read at bedtime, create a cosy nook for reading, and encourage books instead of screens. Reading improves vocabulary and comprehension and boosts critical thinking skills and, by reading for pleasure yourself, you are modelling behaviour to your child that reading is a valuable and worthwhile activity. Limit screen time, offering books, crafts and colouring instead of passively watching a screen. Screen time can be detrimental to sleep and delays language development, so now is the time to reduce your child’s dependence on it. In addition to providing educational opportunities, teach age-appropriate tasks that foster independence. Resist the urge to help too much with things like toileting, dressing, and eating with utensils, and encourage your child to try new foods. Children take pride in learning new skills, and helping to promote simple skills before school will result in a higher confidence level once school begins.

Getting into the Right Routine

You probably already have some sort of a routine established for your child. As the time approaches to prepare for Reception, work on developing habits that will facilitate the transition from home to school.

• Create a healthy lifestyle. If you are already making sure your child gets plenty of sleep, eats nutritious food and engages in physically active play, you are on the right track. This kind of healthy lifestyle creates a foundation of physical health and mental well-being, and this strong base sets your child up for success in school.
• Begin working on a school schedule. Well in advance of attending school, begin adjusting your child’s wake time, meal times and bedtime. Establishing a fixed schedule and promoting consistent routines will help your child feel confident, secure and organised, which is good preparation for Reception.
• Allow rest times during the day. Especially in the beginning of the new schedule, your little one is likely to be sleepy during the day. Allow them to nap when time permits, or just to have quiet time to rest.
• Expect spontaneity. Life with a young child is never quite what you expect, and adapting to a new schedule can be challenging at first. Be flexible, allowing for some variety as you both adjust to the new routine. Be patient, especially if your child is finding it a bit difficult to adapt.

Promoting Social Skills

There are bountiful opportunities to help your child develop social skills. Arrange playdates, attend library story time, and encourage cooperation and sharing with others. Lichfield Cathedral School offers free weekly sessions for under 5s and their parent/guardian, including Toddler Rhyme Time, a musical sing-along, on Tuesday mornings and outdoor adventure at Forest Tots on Friday mornings. These informal sessions provide plenty of opportunity to make friends and learn about taking turns, being patient and enjoying the company of others, while increasing familiarity with the journey to school, the buildings and the people who teach and work there. Spending time with siblings, cousins, and peers can also help your child learn to socialise with other children, and you can also encourage your child to communicate well with both children and adults. Sports clubs and other opportunities to learn to work with others can also help prepare a child for school and, indeed, life beyond school.

Begin Your Child’s Education at Lichfield Cathedral School

From Nursery to Sixth FormLichfield Cathedral School embraces an educational philosophy grounded in the knowledge that each pupil is unique, with different talents and distinct qualities. Our Reception classes are intentionally small, with a challenging curriculum and teachers who are passionate about inspiring a love of learning and driving creativity and curiosity in their young pupils. Here, little children learn to be independent, self-confident, adventurous and resilient, in a nurturing environment with a child-centred approach to education. Children in Nursery enjoy educational visits beyond the classroom that introduce them to the wonders of nature, the joy of joining a library, visiting a Cathedral and much more. As an all-through school, your child will avoid the need for SATs, 11 Plus tuition and entry exams for secondary school, while still achieving outstanding academic results.

We are committed to instilling a love of learning, and a strong ethical foundation, in an inclusive community founded on Christian ideals of faith, learning, leadership, and service. Every child matters to us, and our pupils are nurtured and guided, encouraged to choose their own pathways and perform to the best of their ability, not only in the classroom but in every aspect of life. Our pupils develop personal skills like self-confidence, responsibility, and self-discipline, as well as excellent reasoning skills. We provide them with a strong academic foundation that allows them to excel academically, co-curricular activities to help them discover their talents and gifts, and a supportive atmosphere where they learn to be good citizens and compassionate people. To learn more about our vision, or to discuss enrolling your child at Lichfield Cathedral School, contact us through our website or email admissions@lichfieldcathedralschool.com.