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(For children starting Reception Class in September)

Please talk to your child frequently about starting at St Joseph's School between now and September. You can help them by practising with them the skills which will enable them to become more independent and able to enjoy the school experience.

· good manners and behaviour

· toilet training

· dressing

· use of cutlery

· communication skills

· how to concentrate

· respect for books and property

· how to recognise his/her own name

· how to take care of his/her own belongings

Initial Visits

Before the children begin school, they will be given the opportunity to become familiar with their surroundings, and meet other children and members of staff with whom they will be in contact most during their school day.

Parents are also invited to visit school for one evening during the term prior to the children starting school. During this visit parents will attend a formal induction session run by the Headteacher, and will have the opportunity to meet staff, view areas of the school where the children will spend most of their day and see materials which the children wiII be using in various Curriculum areas. A “Starting School” pack is distributed to parents at this meeting. This contains a variety of information and activities to help to make starting school easier for the children.

The children are admitted to the reception class in groups over a period of time. There are several advantages to this arrangement, in particular, the staff are able to give more time than is usual to the children in order to enable them to settle into school.

General Visiting Arrangements

Parents are very welcome to visit school, however it is more convenient for all concerned if an appointment is made beforehand especially if you need to speak to a member of staff.