Starting School & Settling In

When children start Dundry CE Primary School in Reception we plan a programme of induction for parents and children to ensure that this special transition into primary school goes as smoothly as possible.

We have close links with local nurseries and child minders and always make sure we talk to your child’s key worker about their pre-school experiences. We plan a number of settling-in visits for children and their parents to attend in the summer term to help familiarise them with their new teacher and classroom setting. Children who attend Dundry pre-school and have a place at our school in September are also invited to visit their new classroom and to join our current Reception children for an additional afternoon accompanied by their pre-school leaders.

We run a staggered start in September. This helps our staff to get to know your children better in those early weeks. We find that through these settling sessions in the summer and a staggered start in the first few weeks, almost every child is confident, happy and ready to go full time by the third week of September.

When children transition to Dundry either part way through the school year or in a year group other than Reception, we always encourage them to visit first for a taster session. We then ensure your child has a buddy for their first week to help them feel safe, secure and settled as quickly as possible.