Just as you will have established a working relationship with your child's previous carers, it will stand you in great stead if you take a little time and trouble to get off on the right foot with school staff

'Most teachers will do their utmost to make the transition from home to school enjoyable, and not as traumatic as some might imagine it to be,' says Annabel Chalmers, a primary school teacher from Hertfordshire. Similarly, you can ease the pressure on your child's teachers and carers by establishing great communication between yourself and the staff - and by going along with the everyday regulations of school life.

Focus on:

• Supporting your child with any homework or research he's asked to do
• Buying the correct items of uniform
• Ensuring your child's clothes and property are easily identifiable
• Adhering to school rules regarding hairstyles, jewellery and so on
• Settling any expenses (school trip money; school dinner payments) promptly
• Attending as many school events as possible
• Lending support when asked (manning a stall at the fete; helping in school with reading; contributing to Christmas fairs, cake sales and so on)

It can all seem a bit overwhelming at first, but most schools communicate clearly and efficiently with parents, so there's quite a lot of 'handholding' to guide you along!

Mums' wise words
'I scored extra brownie points for labelling my daughter's school shoes - something other mums hadn't thought of. They'd just expected that the shoes would all be different and easily identifiable, but it was amazing how many of us had bought the same style from the same shop!'
Eleanor Roberts, 32, from Cambridge, mum to four-year-old Sophie

'I asked in advance whether my son could swap between school dinners and packed lunches, just in case he didn't like school food. Lucky I did, because the school rule is that once the decision has been made, you have to stick with it for a half-term at a time. I plumped for packed lunches in the end, because I could provide things I knew Daniel would enjoy. Now he's seen the school dinners, he might give them a go next term.'
Margi Antoniou, 28, from Bourne End, Herts, mum to five-year-old Daniel

'I was really worried about getting to school in time for the 3.15pm pick-up, as I have to rely on trains from work, so I warned the school office staff on day one and assured them that I would have as many contingency arrangements in place as possible. Luckily I have only had to ask them to hang on to my little boy once in a school year, but I think they appreciated the efforts I had been to in order to avoid it happening.'
Angela Prescott, 31, from Derby, mum to four-year-old Liam

Ten top tips

1. Make yourself known to the headteacher early on, but keep the introductions short.
2. Take note of the best times to talk to your child's teacher: most prefer you to make an appointment or wait until after school rather than delaying registration or popping in unannounced.
3. Check your child's book bag daily for any correspondence: otherwise you could miss out on something important, like bringing in something specific for the next day's lessons. (One mum missed her child's Easter play because she hadn't looked in the bag for the previous week!)
4. Do act on (and give) feedback whenever appropriate. If, for example, either you or your child's teacher feel he or she is struggling in a particular area, work together to help put the situation right.
5. Listen to the school's advice on helping your child with reading or number work at home: the approach may be quite different from when you were at school, but to introduce your own methods will only confuse your child and scupper all the good work his or her teacher is doing.
6. Read with your child daily. His or her teacher will probably let you go at your child's pace rather than expecting a certain number of pages to be completed each night - but encourage your child to do as much as he or she can manage without making it into a dreaded chore for both of you!
7. Label all your child's clothing, shoes, PE kit and schoolbags: you can find companies who will supply stitch-in, iron-on or stick-on labels pre-printed with your child's name quite cheaply. Search the internet under 'pre-printed school labels'.
8. Let your child's teacher know of any special circumstances that might affect his attitude at school: a bereavement (even of a pet), for instance, may make him tearful or withdrawn, but he may not be able to articulate his feelings fully.
9. If you would like to be actively involved in school life, tell your teacher at the beginning of the school year and give her your contact details. Sometimes parents are required to accompany the children on school trips or to help with classroom reading or special projects, but you have to be quick to get in before all the other parents!
10. Enjoy your child's school: these early years are more about building relationships, giving and receiving feedback and working together to give your child a real enthusiasm for learning than anything else!