How to get your students ready for the new school year

It’s time to prepare your pupils for their next adventure: the new school year! It’s an exciting and daunting time, filled with both positive change and new challenges. Making sure your pupils are prepared can help make the adjustment period go as smoothly as possible. Here are six ways you can help get them ready for the new year.

Help pupils to plan ahead

Knowing what to expect can help your students prepare emotionally for the school year.

Ask a student who is a year or two older to talk to your class about how they found being the age your pupils are now. Older students can tell them about their favourite and most difficult parts of the year and give them more information about what to expect. Listening to an older pupil who has already experienced what they’re about to go through can help to remind your students that the upcoming changes are not scary, but exciting!

Similarly, let them know about any important things that are happening over the next year. These should include positive experiences like school trips or non-uniform days alongside bigger events like SATs to make the future feel more manageable.

Set goals

Creating goals can also be helpful. These will help your students and their trusted adults keep track of their progress and keep an eye on what’s coming up. They can even be displayed around your classroom as positive reminders and motivation. Your goals might include both in school and free-time plans and dreams. These can range from targets like learning seven times tables to larger plans like going to an outdoor centre. If your pupils are younger, it might be helpful to set shorter-term targets, as a year can seem like a lifetime. In this case, set goals for the week, month, or term instead.

Let out your emotions

In the rush of starting the new school year, it can be difficult to make space for emotions. Dedicating time for your pupils to work through their feelings will help their emotional literacy. Whether you use circle time to discuss how you’re finding being back at school or help them release their emotions through play and movement outside - every little helps.

You can read our blogs for ideas about ways to take classroom learning outdoors, or activities that will suit your pupils’ personalities. Reminding your students that feeling sad or anxious is normal and that they can tell you if they need help will also reassure them that they’re going to have a great year.

Explain why

After a summer away, it can be difficult for students to remember why things need to be done in a certain way. Make time for questions and to explain the school rules. You could even make a class charter (a list of rules agreed on by your students like be kind or put your hand up to talk) to help them take responsibility for their behaviour in the year ahead. Setting clear learning goals for lessons and days can also be a helpful way to encourage your students to engage with the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ of a lesson.

Talk to each other

Your students might not have seen each other over the summer. So, giving them the chance to catch each other up on all the exciting things they’ve been up to over the last six weeks is essential.

Ice-breakers and other teamwork activities are a staple of all good first weeks from school right the way through to adulthood for a reason. Not only will they get your students back into the learning mindset by adding the curriculum to fun games, they’ll help your class reform as a unit and get used to each other again.

Here are our suggestions for activities, whether your pupils are in Key Stage 1, 2 or 3.

Booking a trip to an outdoor centre can also encourage your pupils to bond. This can be particularly helpful during the transition from primary to secondary school.

Prioritise wellbeing

Going back to school is tiring for both you and your students. Give yourself and your pupils permission to have a rest. Remind your students and their trusted adults that sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and that by resting they’re looking after their wellbeing.