Simple Steps for Starting School

Starting school is a big leap. For children, yes. But if we’re honest? For parents too. There’s excitement, pride… and that flutter of nerves that sneaks in when the house goes quiet. That’s why we’ve put together some simple steps and tips for starting school.

At OzChild, through our Access to Early Learning (AEL) and Stepping Stones to School (SS2S) programs, we see this moment every year. We see the brave faces. The wobbly goodbyes. The proud “I did it!” smiles at pick-up time.

And here’s what we know: children don’t need to start school perfectly. They just need to start feeling prepared, supported and safe.

In our early childhood programs, we work alongside families to build small, steady skills that make a big difference. Confidence grows in everyday moments, like zipping up a jumper, opening a lunch box, waiting for a turn to speak. These little acts of independence are like tiny bricks, quietly building a strong foundation.

And for parents? Preparation builds calm. When you know what to expect and feel connected to the school community, those first few weeks feel less like a cliff edge and more like a gentle step forward.

If you’re feeling nervous about the new school year, that doesn’t mean you’re not ready. It means you care deeply. And that’s already a powerful starting point.

Our Educators’ Top Tips for a Smooth Start

When it comes to starting school, simple steps make a world of difference. Here are the practical, parent-approved tips from our OzChild facilitators and educators:

• • Routine, routine, routine: Our number one tip is, you guessed it, setting (and sticking to) routines. Our AEL team and SS2S facilitators agree, establishing consistent, predictable routines is essential.  Bedtime, dinner time and morning routines ensure children feel secure and steady. And don’t forget about creating a goodbye routine for drop-offs, this will make saying goodbye a whole lot easier!

• • Label everything: Hats, jumpers, drink bottles and bags, all items that can easily be misplaced in the school yard, and can be expensive to replace. Labelling items ensures they can find their way home a little easier.

• • Prep the night before: Another routine activity that can help relieve the stress at the start of the day is setting time aside the night before to lay out uniforms, pack school bags, organise lunches and make sure everyone knows what time they need to be ready to walk out the door (allow extra travel time in the first few weeks — school traffic is real!).

• • Build everyday confidence: Encourage your child to dress themselves, open and close their lunchbox, choose their own snacks and fill their drink bottle. Putting their shoes on and packing up after themselves are important independence builders too. Small skills build big confidence.

• • Practice social skills: Helping children build their social skills will make it easier for them to connect with teachers, and classmates – and can give them the confidence to make new friends. Encourage sharing and taking turns, teach children to listen, wait and express their ideas, and make sure they know they can ask for help whenever they need it. Practicing these skills at home will ensure they feel ready to practice at school.

Naomi and Jo from our Access to Early Learning team encourage parents to use books to build pro-social skills and support positive conversations, also adding the importance of acknowledging and talking about all the feelings a child might be experiencing when starting school, like “whether they are excited, nervous or anxious, let your child know that whatever they are feeling is ok, talking about these feelings together builds the same skill we hope they’ll use in the classroom and the playground: recognising what’s happening inside, finding the words for it, and knowing they’re not alone.”

When we asked Hayley and Melissa from our Stepping Stones to School team what other advice they had for parents, they both agreed that connecting to your school community was really important for parents, and kids too, “when families are informed they are empowered and their confidence in advocating for their children grows. Make sure you utilise any communication apps, read newsletters and have access to all the correct information,” says Hayley.