Is Your Child Ready For The New School Year?

Parents of pre-school children are being urged to make sure their child is ready for school.

That includes a child being able to:

• learn and play
• talk, listen carefully and follow instructions
• go to the toilet and wash their hands.

Parents and education professionals came up with 10 key skills or attributes that will help ensure a child is ready to learn. Ready for school in Derbyshire lists them all. It also has links and documents that parents should find interesting and helpful.

More than 1,800 people filled in the councils survey about what children need to know and be able to do before they start school. Over half of the respondents were parents, carers or family members. The rest were mainly made up of teachers, non-teaching school staff, childminders, nursery or pre-school workers.

The 10 keys are:

• I can settle happily without my parent/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.

Councillor Caitlin Bisknell, the DCC cabinet member for children and young people, said:

“If children are to get a flying start at school it makes sense to encourage them to learn some basic skills before they go, like putting on shoes, going to the toilet and listening to instructions − so that they can settle in and concentrate on learning. We all want children in Derbyshire to have the best possible start to their school career. Please visit our web page for advice on how to make sure your pre-school child is ready for school.”