A huge welcome to Reception from all of us at Livingstone Academy bournemouth!
As you approach September, we can only hope that you are as excited as we are! All staff are ready to welcome each child and support them in their transition to Livingstone Academy. Below you will find some next steps for you to consider…
Be positive
It’s natural to worry about how your child will get on at the primary school they have been offered, but remember to stay positive, optimistic and open to change…
“Be assured that our school is incredibly warm, friendly, and it is going to be a caring community full of fun and laughter. Every child is an individual and although we are in uncertain times, we will make every effort possible to ensure your child has a smooth transition into our school.” – Mrs Taylor
‘Accept the Place’
As we are oversubscribed, please make sure you accept your place at Livingstone Academy. Failure to do so before the deadline will result in your place being offered to another family.
OUr Starting school tips:
1. Build Independence
Building independence within your child is the best thing you can do at home before they start school. Of course, children will be in all sorts of stages of their development during the first months of Reception, so it’s important not to worry too much about how your child will compare, but remember to encourage healthy routines well before they start.
This ranges from a good sleep routine to using the toilet properly. It can also include communication skills, like listening and speaking…
2. Growth Mindset
At Livingstone, we believe the best thing to do is to teach children to love challenges, be intrigued by ‘Marvellous Mistakes’ and keep on trying in their learning. For children who find work easy, we make sure they encounter more difficult tasks. Our children will recognise that effort, persistence and resilience is what helps them to improve. There are two types of mindsets that children and adults can have – a ‘fixed’ mindset, and a ‘growth’ mindset:
| Fixed Mindset | Growth Mindset |
| I like my work to be easy | I learn from my mistakes |
| I don’t like to try a challenge | I love challenges |
| I give up easily | I never give up |
3. Keep the conversations flowing and talk to your children
Frequently, talking and listening to your child improves their social and emotional abilities, setting them up perfectly for participating and learning in the classroom, as well as making friends. They will also be more likely to approach you with any thoughts or feelings they have as a result of going to school, which is a great way to manage their mental health and something you will be thankful for in years to come.
Not only that, your child will pick up words and phrases used in conversation for their own vocabulary, improving their chances of a head start in literacy when it comes to the classroom – but be careful what you say around them!
4. Ease the Transition
There are things you can try while you are at home to do away with any pre-school jitters. Some parents use their child’s teacher’s name around the house as a way to make meeting them on the first day a little less intimidating.
We will be sending a booklet home with pictures and information over the summer. While it might not be possible to visit the school, we aim to give you as much information as possible on our website. You could even plot and plan your journey into school using online maps.
5. Get excited!
This is a very exciting time for your child – a big step in their life. It’s difficult to predict how they will react to the change, but remember: be positive. If you speak positively about starting school, no matter what your own experience was, that will give them the best chance of a happy start.
Of course, this is a very exciting time in your life too, and it will go very quickly! Enjoy it and think of everything you have to look forward to!