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Participate, excel, take pride!

Enabling children to flourish and succeed

New Starters Information

Welcome to Snarestone Primary School!

On this page you will find lots of useful information that will support your child in making the best possible start at school.

School Readiness

Starting school can be a very exciting time but it can also be challenging for some children. We hope that you find these school readiness materials useful in order to help prepare your child for school.

For more information about being ready for school visit www.leicestershire.gov.uk/school-readiness 

Also, visit these great websites for new things you can try at home to help with your child's development:

Hungry Little Minds

Tiny Happy People

Talking about starting school

Getting your child ready for school is a journey you’ve been preparing for since their birth. We know starting school can be a very exciting time, but it can bring some challenges too. We hope this Leicestershire video, “Talking about starting school”, will help your family on this journey.

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Useful information

Here you will find information that you may find useful. We will add to this file list when there is something new to share!

Information for Parents

How to help your child at home

You can help your child to learn through the little things you do with them, for example:

  • everyday conversations
  • make-believe play
  • games with numbers or letters
  • reading together
  • involving them in the things you are doing, such as household chores, and talking with them about it

Find ideas for new things you can try at Hungry Little Minds   or Tiny Happy People  

You do not need to set separate time or plan complicated activities dedicated to learning. These activities can be incorporated into everyday life and play.

Keeping a routine

Children will feel more comfortable with a predictable routine, so try to make sure they:

  • get up and go to bed at the same time each day
  • have regular meal times
  • turn off any electronic devices, including the TV, at least an hour before bedtime

Keeping active

Young children should be active for at least 3 hours a day in total.

It is also good to get some fresh air every day. If you do not have a garden and are taking children outside to exercise, make sure you follow the rules on social distancing.
While inside, there are plenty of things you can do to keep children active, such as:

  • playing hide-and-seek
  • seeing who can do the most star jumps
  • making an obstacle course
  • playing music and having a dance-off

Starting school can be a very exciting time but it can also be challenging for some children. Small steps make a big difference and families can help to prepare their child for school.

  • Encourage children to talk about their feelings.
  • Practical skills like encouraging youngsters to get dressed on their own and using the toilet independently can also help prepare them for starting school.
  • The school your child is due to start may well be contacting you soon, they may have a digital tour so that you child can view their prospective school, or they may prepare a book for you to share with your child about becoming familiar with school routine and meeting the staff. If you have any concerns make sure you contact the school to talk these through before your child starts school.