Any questions not answered here? Please email EYFS@saintcuthberts.wigan.sch.uk

FAQs

We know that this is an important time for your child and you as their parents and carers and ordinarily, you'd have questions you'd want to ask. Under the current circumstances, we know you may have more, so we've done our best to answer some questions you may have, or others have had in the past. If we've missed anything, feel free to get in touch using the form below. Every question is important and we will get back to you.

What date will my child be starting school?

Children will start Reception on Tuesday 7th September 2021. Times to be confirmed.

Can my child visit the Reception class before September?

As with the rest of the country, schools face great uncertainty at the moment and unfortunately, as much as we'd love it, it is looking unlikely that we could welcome you and your child to visit before September. We are, however, putting things in to place over the next few weeks and months so that you can stay in touch and get to know the staff and become familiar with the setting. Please keep visiting our website and we'll update it as frequently as possible with information.

How are you going to find out information about my child before they start?

We will do everything we can to liaise with yourselves and your child’s Pre-School Provider so that they can share information about your child before they start. We ask that you provide us with your telephone number so that we can call you to talk before September. We are already in the process of liaising with Pre-School Providers so that we have all the information we need about their achievements, likes, dislikes and next steps.

What can I do at home to prepare my child for school?

Our biggest priorities at the moment are keeping your child happy and healthy. We will be putting "learning" challenges on the website in the next few weeks.  There'll also be videos uploaded in due course which will show the room and some of the staff. Sharing these videos will hopefully make the room and staff a little more familiar to your child.

In the meantime, it'd really help us if you could use this time to toilet train your child if they aren't already, and (if they still have one) work towards reducing the time they spend with a dummy, hopefully not needing one at all soon. If you need any support with this, please let us know as these are issues we are well used to supporting in school. Spend lots of quality time together reading books and talking to them about starting school. As always if you or they have any concerns, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Who will be my child's teacher?

We will aim to let you know who your child's class teacher will be as soon as possible.

Will there be a staggered intake into school, or do all children start at the same time?

For the past few years, we have found it worked really well to have all children start, full time, from day one. We found that this helped in many ways; to quickly settle children into the daily routine of Reception, to quickly begin to form friendships, for teachers to get to know their classes quickly and, for working parents and carers, there wasn't a need to take leave due to accommodate half days/weeks in school for your child.

However, the current COVID situation means that we remain unsure of what September will look like and we want to be absolutely certain that we are keeping your child’s safety at the forefront of any decisions we make. We will therefore let you know as soon as possible how we will manage your child’s transition into school.

My child is a “fussy” eater, should I send a packed lunch?

We understand this can be frustrating but please be reassured you’re not the only one in this position. We are used to working alongside parents and carers to encourage very young children to eat a healthy range of foods. We are happy to encourage your child to try school dinners as sometimes we find that sitting with their friends and seeing them make new food choices encourages them to try new things. We will support you in any decision you make. We can also signpost you to different services to help. N.B. If you are concerned about your child’s health as a result of their eating habits, please contact your G.P. or Health Visitor.

What if I can’t be there to collect at home time?

We operate a strict safety policy for the collection of children. You MUST let us know, in advance, if the person who normally collects your child from school cannot attend. We will ask for the name of the person who will collect. We will not allow your child to leave the premises without parental permission. This includes sending them with close friends or family members if you haven’t given us permission. For extra safety, you will also be asked to provide a password for your child, which should be shared only with the person who is to collect.

What if my child is upset in the morning?

As with all young children, it is highly likely they might be upset coming to school for the first few days and weeks. This is because the new room and routines can be a worry for them until they’re used to it. Please be reassured that we are there to help. You are welcome to come to school for 08.50am each morning to allow time to settle them before leaving them with the staff, who will continue to look after them. We will always give you a call to let you know how they are.

 My child has a long-term illness which requires medicine or additional care, how will you help with this?

We ask that you contact us as soon as possible to let us know of any medical needs your child has. We will then work with you and any health professionals involved in your child’s care, to ensure we have a Care Plan in place as soon as possible.