First day at 'big' school: essential practical tips

It's such a relief when you've finally accepted a school place for your child - but that sense of relief can give way to anxiety as the big first day approaches. Here's a checklist of 10 things you can do to minimise the stress and maximise the enjoyment for you and your child.

A few weeks before

Teach your child some basic pencil skills. He won't need to know how to write - and his teacher will probably prefer it if you don't try to show him in case your method is different from hers - but a bit of pencil control will be appreciated.

Start with a chunky, stubby pencil and show him how to hold it between his thumb and first two fingers. The barrel should lie along the fold between his thumb and index finger.

For maximum control, he should be gripping the pencil along the first third nearest the colouring tip. Once he's mastered the hold and can do a bit of scribbling, you can progress to normal-size pencils.

Have your child fitted for school shoes. If you buy them too soon she may grow out of them, but she'll also need a little time to wear them in and get used to putting them on and taking them off.

Let her wear them indoors for a couple of days after you buy them so that if the fit isn't right you still have time to change them and try again. Velcro fasteners are best for school starters as they're easy to put on, yet can be fastened securely.

Buy his school uniform. Again, he may grow if you jump in too soon, but if you leave it too late you may miss out on supermarket bargains and have to splash out extra cash.

And if you have to buy from a specialist outfitters, you risk items being out of stock if you leave it until the last minute. If you do have a choice, go for styles with as few fastenings as possible and buy a little on the large side.

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