Archive Website of the UK government

Please note that this website has a UK government accesskeys system.

Public services all in one place

Main menu

Wednesday, 3 October 2023

Page menu

Browse by subject

Browse by people

Parents

After the first weeks at primary school

You can help support your child in their first weeks in primary school by establishing routines at home, showing that you value their progress, and encouraging them to take pride in their work.

After the first day

If your child has been to a nursery or reception class, they may have had some preparation for primary school and so their transition may be smooth. However, they might still find their initial weeks a period of change and stress.

Your child may be more tired than usual and need time to relax. You may find that rather than becoming more 'grown up', they may regress or become more difficult or defiant, in response to the stress of a new routine.

Your child may also have concerns about making friends or be more withdrawn than usual.

What you can do

In order to provide support or help your child through what can sometimes be a difficult first phase, it may help to:

set aside time with your child to talk about school and take an interest in what they have been doing
listen carefully to any worries your child might have
find out as much as possible about your child's school and what happens there during the day
try to keep a regular routine at home to keep stress to a minimum
make sure your child knows what is happening on a day-to-day basis and is informed in advance about any changes to their routine
encourage your child to build friendships with children in their class
keep positive as some problems may be resolved as your child adapts to a new way of life

If you cannot sort out problems your child has by talking to them, you may find it useful to talk to your child's teacher about your concerns.