For parents starting Reception
Your starting-school checklist.
Habits that help your child settle into Reception. Work through it over the summer with your child, tick off as you go, and bring it on the first day in September.
Starting school checklist
Please bring this checklist on your child's first day in September. Tick off as you go.
For Reception
Swiss Gardens Primary School
Independence
- Can sustain attention on an activity for 5 minutes.
- Has a dominant hand.
- Can make marks with pens, pencils or crayons.
- Recognises own belongings.
- Recognises own name — both spoken and written down.
Self care
- Wipes their nose with a tissue independently.
- Learning to cough and sneeze into a tissue or elbow.
- Asks for help when they don't feel well.
Getting dressed and undressed
- Puts on and takes off uniform independently.
- Attempts zips independently.
- Puts shoes on.
- Puts own coat on.
- Understands some parts of the body are private.
- Has a go at changing by themselves after an accident.
Mealtimes
- Likes to eat a variety of food.
- Sits down for mealtimes and uses cutlery to feed themselves.
- Opens packaging, Tupperware and wrappers by themselves.
Sleep
- Has a regular bedtime routine.
Toileting
- Uses the toilet alone, wipes clean and flushes the toilet.
- Washes hands with soap and dries hands on their own after using the toilet.
- Tells an adult if they have had an accident.
Social skills
- Enjoys interacting with other children and adults.
- Shares and takes turns.
- Enjoys new experiences.
- Follows instructions and rules at home and at nursery or with their childminder.
- Happily finishes an activity they've been doing.
- Accepts changes to routine — if upset, knows how to ask for help.
- Expresses feelings using words such as angry, sad, happy, frustrated.
- Can make themselves understood by friends and adults.
Health
- Has no health concerns.
- Has no hearing or eyesight concerns.
- Brushes their own teeth.
- Enjoys being active.
Not every box needs ticking. Children develop at different speeds, and we're here to help with whatever your child is still working on. If you have any questions or concerns, the Reception team is happy to talk things through — office@sgprimary.co.uk or 01273 453176.
Questions about Reception?
The best way to feel Swiss Gardens is to be here. Contact the school office to arrange a visit at a time that suits you.