It’s nearly over! In July, the six week holiday stretched out before us and for many reasons, it may have felt like it would never end. We then began hurtling through August and September has come into sight! Whether you’re looking forward to returning to routine, or don’t want the break to end, Rachel from Wilbur and Flops shares a few tips towards a successful start to the new school year.
Dates in the Diary
A new school year often brings new routines, with clubs and activities changing times as well as any differences in the school day that come with being in a new year or even new school. Last year, we had five new schools in our house (three for me and one each for the children) and this took some getting used to!
Start with your return dates – do you all go back to school and work on the same day? You could, like me, have a gap where you’ll need an extra day of childcare so get ahead with this, if you haven’t already. Don’t forget to zoom ahead to half term and plot the last day of term in your diary, too! Some schools finish early at the end of a full term but it’s unusual that this would be the case in October for the half term. Also check the school calendar on their website (I always forget to do this!) then you don’t have any surprises like a service or event to attend mid-afternoon on your working day.
Plan in your wrap-around care and which days you might need to do something different from the norm. Plot the clubs and activities in your diary, too. Having a visual plan of the first few weeks helps us so we can all see who is where, who needs to be collected when, and who is making dinner or walking the dog!
Your child’s school may have let you know about PE days and swimming days, or this information could be sent out early in the new term. Plot these on the calendar, too, especially if your child needs to go in their PE kits on those days.
If your child uses school transport, check this is booked and the times you need to be ready for. Have a trial run if you need to check how long it takes to get ready!
Uniform
Depending on where your children go to school, you may need to purchase uniform from a specific supplier. You might wait until your next credit card statement has landed so you get a bit longer to pay by hitting the start of the next bill, but don’t leave it too late in case supplies are running low and you have to pop back in the busy term time to collect back orders.
There’s no school uniform shop in Thirsk anymore (remember back to the Rex Thompson days?!) but there are other local options around the county, and there may be a direct link to a preferred supplier on your school’s website:
For non-branded items, there are a few offers at the moment:
Marks and Spencer: 20% off and price locked since 2021.
I can definitely recommend the school trousers from M & S. Last year, our long-legged 12 year old managed with two pairs of trousers all year as they have a secret hem you can let down when they get too short.
Clarks Shoes: buy any school shoes, get £10 off sports.
Asda: for good value, stain-release polo shirts and scuff-resistant shoes!
Tesco: we may have just missed the 25% Clubcard discount but uniform products are guaranteed for one year so this might be useful in the long-run.
Sainsbury’s: there’s a helpful 2022 price lock on all uniform at Sainsbury’s and you can click and collect for anything they don’t have in stock.
Morrisons: there’s a points offer at the moment, and there are ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone’ prices on many uniform items at Morrisons.
Next: there’s a full range of uniform with adjustable waists and half sizes in shoes, available for delivery with some items in stock in stores.
Lunches
At present, children in reception, year one and year two can have free school lunches in state primary schools. Be sure to take advantage of this if your child will eat the food on the menu. Most schools publish the menu on their website and so have a look together and decide which days will work for you.
Some families may be eligible for free school meals for older pupils, too: check with your child’s school, especially if your circumstances have recently changed. Not only will your child receive free school meals, but there are other benefits that can support their learning, too.
If your child prefers to take a packed lunch, there are lots of ways to save and get ahead with lunches. Making the lunches is definitely a chore in our house and there’s no time on my school mornings for making them so they’re a night before task. Schools like children to take a balanced lunch and there are a few items that are usually out of bounds such as nuts or products containing nuts, fizzy drinks, and chocolate, as well as guidance around cutting grapes and tomatoes in half to reduce the risk of choking. A grape is the perfect size to block a child’s airway.
To save on sweet snacks, you could buy little tubs and a packet of biscuits, and pop a couple in each tub so your children can grab one for their lunchbox each day. Names can be written directly on bananas (try it – it feels great!) and there are banana-shaped containers available from places like Flying Tiger and Lakeland to keep them from being squashed.
The First Day!
Uniform set out, bags packed, kettle full and tea bag in the cup already! Be as prepared as you can the night before so that the morning will run as smoothly as possible. There will, of course, be the compulsory ‘photo on the doorstep’ to do on the first day, too. Remember that if you are sharing photos on social media, block out the school logos for safety before posting.
It’s the first day of school, 9.15am: if you’re lucky enough to return home after dropping off your children for their first day of a new school year, close the door behind you, pause, listen to the silence, and enjoy the peace and quiet – you got there!!!
