Starting primary school is a huge milestone moment for both parents and children and probably a step into the unknown for you if your firstborn is starting school in September.
The thought of your 4-year-old going off to start their school journey will soon become a reality so this guide is full of tips and activities to help you best prepare your child for starting school in York and to help make the transition into school as smooth as possible. We’ve also got loads of great tips on school uniforms.
Or if you are about to apply for a school place in York, we have all the information you need, plus plenty of helpful links and resources.
Find out as much as you can about your child’s school so that you can answer any questions that they might have and discuss it with them before September. You can find the contact details for all the schools in York on the York Council website here.
They may want to know the simple things like the colour of the uniform. Have a look at our advice on school uniform here for guidance on how much to buy and where to get it from. They may want to know what exciting food they will eat at lunchtime and where they will play outside. Knowing their teacher’s name and maybe some of the children that they will be starting school with could help to allay some worries.
Schools will normally invite reception starters into school in the summer term to give them the opportunity to see their classroom and meet their teachers. Seeing where they will be spending their time and who they will be with may make your child less anxious and they can also meet some of the other children who will be starting in September.
Look for Facebook groups for children starting in September 2023 at your child’s new school that may pop up over the next couple of months where you can make contact with other parents and perhaps arrange some meet-ups.
Before your child is able to write and effectively use a pencil, building up their fine motor skills and strength in their hand is key. Ideas to develop their fine motor skills include:
When your child begins school they will learn to read through ‘Phonics’. Phonics is the process of breaking each word up into its individual sounds before blending those sounds back together to make the word. Activities to help develop your child’s early phonics can include:
Children enter school at different stages of development. Some might be able to write their name while others aren’t quite able to grasp a pencil and use it just yet. Some might be able to recognise numbers, others won’t. It really doesn’t matter. All teachers want is for your child to be happy coming to school and feel safe and confident in their new environment!
One of the biggest things to sort out when your child is starting primary school in York is the school uniform!
Your school will have specific guidance about the uniform that is acceptable for students, so make sure you know what options you have. This is often sent out in the new starters pack or may be available on the school website. Some schools offer quite a variety of colour choices making shopping much easier. If your school is quite specific about what to wear then it may be that only certain shops stock that option, so definitely worth checking before heading out to the shops!
Most primary schools allow the bulk of the uniform to be purchased without the logos (i.e. plain uniforms from supermarkets etc). This is much cheaper than buying the official uniform with logos from the school, but once again check what’s acceptable before you buy! Some people buy just one ”official” top with a logo on it from the school to wear for school photos and trips.
👖 For the bottom half:
👕 For the top half:
👞 For feet:
🧥 Extras
We’ve created a handy planner to help you go through your kid’s clothes and work out what needs replacing each year! Download it for free here.
This ultimately comes down to how often you want to be doing the washing and how good your child is at bringing home what they took to school (see the labelling section below!).
Here’s advice from some York Mumblers!
“5 polo shirts, 2 jumpers, 3 pairs of trousers, 5 pairs of socks.”
Mumbler MW
“3 skirts 4 polo shirts 4 tights 2 cardigans”
Mumbler HD
“5 polo shirts (coloured rather than white if that’s an option), 4 trousers, 4 shorts, 3 jumpers.”
Mumbler RN
“It will depend on how messy your child is. If they can eat their dinner without getting it down them, you can manage on 2 jumpers. If not, you’ll need 3 (one wearing, one drying, one in wash. Polo top for every day. Usually they come in packs of 3 so 2 packs are great.”
Mumbler HH
Of course you can mix and match from different shops, here’s the most popular school uniform suppliers:
“Marks and spencer or next for shirts and trousers/skirts. My son plays football every day and his trousers come up immaculate every wash. There’s no tears or holes. It pays off to spend a bit more.”
Mumbler JM
“M&S definitely, great quality you pay a bit more but it’s worth it”
Mumbler KP
“Got all our uniforms from Asda. Trousers still like new and the polo tops are still going strong and still white.”
Mumbler CW
“I like Sainsbury’s, it washes well and I always stock up when it’s 25% off!”
Mumbler JO
“I like Sainsbury’s uniform . They outgrow it before they can out wear it!”
Mumbler LB
“Tried boys school trousers from every shop over the years and I found Tesco to be fab.”
Mumbler PB
“Matalan often do some bargains for school uniforms”
Mumbler AR
“Definitely prefer the quality of these over the supermarket, and don’t mind paying a little bit more for it.”
Mumbler LC
“Just wanted to share that Aldi are doing school uniform. School skirts great quality, polo tops, blouses, tights and socks. Really good price.”
Mumbler LW
“Aldi are doing a great range of uniform at the moment”
Mumbler DP
“My son has Lidl t-shirts and they are still white after nearly a year.”
Mumbler SH
Again, check the school’s policy. It might be that they specify black shoes only or a certain style of school if not accepted.
Watkinsons – 53 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LS
Yorks independent shoe retailer since 1904. They have a wide range of school shoes (including some in the sale) and have a brilliant foot measuring service. They have appointments so don’t rush you at all. They have a rocking horse that the kids love going on too!
Mumbler EP
Footloose Shoes – 47 Market Place, Pocklington, York, YO42 2AP
“I’d definitely recommend calling footloose in Pocklington, they specialise in children’s shoes. I don’t trust anyone else with my children’s shoe fittings (extremes of very small an narrow to very very wide ) they’re passionate about getting the right fit and if they don’t they won’t make do.”
Mumbler VS
“Footloose is the only place we can go there are fab in there, best shoes shop ever.”
Mumbler JM
“Always had Clarks for my lb and have always lasted him a full school year and would still be ok if not outgrown”
Mumbler JJ
“M&S shoes are amazing!”
Mumbler EM
“Geox shoe – they are pretty much indestructible; we get them every year now. We go for the ones with rubber around the toes, but they still look smart and they’re fairly weatherproof.”
Mumbler EM
Direct from the school: The official school uniform with logos is usually available via an order form through the school. Uniform shop: Emblazon (Micklegate), Get Branded Workwear & Schoolwear (Green Lane), Schoolshop (Elvington).
Second-hand uniform: It’s worth asking at the school if they stock this, or the PTA may do a sale. Mumblers often list school uniform items for sale too on a weekend on the York Mumbler chat group.
This is a MUST DO task! Avoid regular trips to lost property to rummage through the clothes mountain! Plus it’s much easier when the teaching staff can see the label and pop it back on the child’s peg or in their bag for them.
There are plenty of options:
“Stikins from Amazon…they are amazing”
Mumbler DR
“Boyes iron on ones are amazing lasted 3 years so far. So easy and cheap 59 for £2.”
Mumbler NP
“Sharpie easy and quick to do uniforms and it does not wash off”
Mumbler AS
“My nametags, they have a FB page. Don’t fade or come off and are lovely”
Mumbler JS
“Stikins are fab stay stuck wash after wash and stick to anything from fabric to plastic – absolutely everything in between.”
Mumbler AS
“Stikins. Fab and so easy /no ironing etc”
Mumbler KC
“Black biro! Lasts well. Cheap. Simple. No messing”
Mumbler EI
“Stamptastic! Stamp your labels in no time at all! I’ve used pens, stick/iron on and fabric and so far the stamp was the easiest by a mile. Apparently it lasts the year too”
Mumbler MM
“So, I may be a bit late to the party on this one, but thought I’d share in case anyone else didn’t know about these playsuits. Sooooooooo much more practical than school dresses and no need to wear cycling shirts under them anymore. My daughter loves them (and it appears I’ve wasted money on her school dresses as I suspect she’ll just be wearing these now!)”
Mumbler KK
“Jersey polo tops are the most comfy and far less rough. Pinafores protect the white under and don’t show the marks as much.”
Mumbler GH
“Always trousers on PE days because they can’t wear tights for PE so have to take them off, so trousers are easier.”
Mumbler RM
“Pinafores keep tops clean and look smarter than skirts (tshirts always hanging out).”
Mumbler HH
You’ll need all the tips you can get to keep those white polo shirts and socks white! 😂
“I bleach my boys whites. Hot water in my mop bucket and a good slug of household bleach.”
Mumbler JM
“Soak in sink in small amount of bleach or vanish then hang on line in sun to dry before a normal wash.”
Mumbler DF
“I use Ariel bio liquid and a scoop of vanish gold for whites on a normal wash and they come out good as new. My mother in law gave me that tip!”
Mumbler CS
“We bought white socks for our daughter in Reception. All absolutely filthy, binned and navy socks it is from September!”
Mumbler LH
“Time flies by when children start school, half terms come and go, so enjoy a fantastic few months together before September comes. I have spent many years as a teacher reassuring parents their children will be absolutely fine as they come through the school gates on their first day of school. Last year when my own children started school I saw it from a parent’s point of view and admit I did shed a little tear as they happily skipped off into the classroom!
Starting school is such a big event for the whole family – hopefully, some of these tips will help you send off a happy and confident child on to the next chapter of their life.
Don’t forget to take the compulsory ‘back to school’ photo by the front door on their first day!”
Ellen
Most children start primary school in the September of the school year they turn five.
You will need to complete an application on the York Council schools portal.
You will also need to do this if your child is moving schools either at the start of a new school year or during the school year. For example, if you are moving house or requesting to change schools within York.
Generally, applications open in September a year before your child is due to start and need to be made by mid-January of the year your child is due to start school (the following September).
You can request for your child to start primary school later, depending on your child’s date of birth. See more information on York Council website here.
There are 63 primary schools in York. Find the full list on the York Council website.
See York primary school catchment areas on the York Council website.
Compare the performance of York primary schools on Gov.uk here.
Primary school admissions information on York Council website.
Guide for parents on York Council website.
We hope you found our Guide to starting primary school in York useful.
Please share it with a friend if you did! 💜