Start School 2012 registrations open

Starting school is one of the biggest days of your child's life, but with the right preparation, their first day should also be a fun day.

Top tips:

Reassure your child that they are not alone - there will be others starting school. With luck, preschool friends will be starting too
Let your child wear his/her school uniform before the first day and make dressing and undressing easy with lots of velcro fastenings and elasticated waists
Have fun packing sandwich boxes, and make sure your child can use a knife and fork
Teachers understand newcomers' toilet worries, so encourage your child to ask for help when they needs it
Sing lots of nursery rhymes and songs with your child so that they can enjoy joining in from the first day
Start looking at clock skills; talk about what will be happening at school when a clock says a particular time
Read books about going to school together