School Readiness: 5 Ways to Prepare Your Little One for Primary School Over Summer

The transition from nursery to school is a big milestone in a child’s life — and for parents too. It’s perfectly natural to feel a mix of excitement, pride, and even a little (or a lot of) worry.

Luckily, the summer holidays offer a golden opportunity to gently prepare your child for this new adventure, in ways that feel fun, relaxed, and rooted in play.

School readiness isn’t just about recognising letters or holding a pencil (though we have included a practical checklist below) — it’s about nurturing the confidence and independence that will help your child thrive in their new setting.

Here are 5 Ways to Prepare Your Little One for Primary School:

1. Build Independence with Everyday Routines

Children feel more secure and capable when they’re able to manage some basic tasks on their own — and many of these are part of their daily routine.

What to try:

• Practise putting on and taking off shoes and socks,

• Encourage your child to dress and undress themselves (especially zips, buttons and coats),

• Show them how to use the toilet confidently and wash their hands thoroughly,

• Use a lunchbox or snack box at home so they can practise opening containers or unwrapping food,

• Let them carry a small bag and take responsibility for a few of their own belongings.

These everyday tasks foster self-reliance, responsibility, and pride — all essential for a confident start to school life.

2. Focus on Social Skills Through Play

School involves lots of time spent with other children, and social skills like turn-taking, listening, and sharing play a big role in your child’s happiness and wellbeing.

What to try:

• Play simple board games or card games that involve turn-taking,

• Take part in group playdates or park visits to help practise playing cooperatively,

• Use role play to act out common social scenarios like joining in games, asking for help, or dealing with disagreements,

• Talk about feelings and model how to express them respectfully (e.g., “I feel upset when…”).

Social confidence helps children feel more settled and resilient, especially in busy classroom environments.

3. Read and Talk Together Every Day

One of the best ways to support your child’s language development and school readiness is by reading with them regularly — but it doesn’t stop at books.

What to try:

• Share a story each day, even if just for 5–10 minutes,

• Look at picture books together and talk about what’s happening in the illustrations,

• Ask open-ended questions like “What do you think happens next?” or “How do you think they feel?”,

• Encourage storytelling with toys and props — this builds narrative skills and nurtures their imagination.

The goal here is not to teach reading but to nurture a love of language, story and communication — all key for learning across the school curriculum.

4. Explore School Through Role Play

Young children make sense of the world through imaginative play. Pretending to “go to school” is a great way to explore any feelings, questions, or anxieties about the upcoming change.

What to try:

• Set up a simple pretend classroom at home with teddies, a register, or a snack area,

• Act out school routines like lining up, circle time, or story time,

• Take turns being the teacher and the pupil — let your child take the lead,

• Talk about what school might look like, who they’ll meet, and what they’ll be doing (you can even practice your new school run!).

Role play helps make the unknown feel more familiar and gives children a chance to rehearse and process this big life event.

5. Stay Positive and Talk About What to Expect

Children pick up on our emotions — so staying calm, confident and enthusiastic can help them feel the same way.

What to try:

• Talk about school in positive terms, highlighting the exciting parts like making new friends or learning new things,

• Share your own positive memories of school,

• If your child expresses worries, acknowledge them gently and offer reassurance,

• If you can, look at photos of the school online, walk past it together, or attend an open day or settling-in session.

Keeping communication open and reassuring helps children feel more prepared, secure and excited about what’s to come.

Summer School‑Readiness Checklist (info sourced from NHS)

Download to print the checklist here:

readiness checklist.pdf

Download PDF • 799KB

Final Thoughts

There’s no need for pressure, worksheets or formal learning — just lots of conversation, curiosity, and connection.

Summer is the perfect time to support school readiness in ways that feel natural, playful and joyful. By nurturing their independence, social skills and emotional confidence, you’re laying the foundations for a happy start to school life.

And remember — they don’t need to be ‘perfectly ready’. They just need to feel safe, supported, and excited to take that next step!

Further reading

Parent Guide to Transitions - click here to read the guide on our blog.

Preparing to start Primary School – building confidence - click here to read the guide on our blog.

Parent Guide: Is My Child Primary School Ready? - click here to read the guide on our blog.

Primary School Guide: preparing to start school - click here to read the guide on our blog.

Primary School Guide: Registering for a place - click here to read the guide on our blog.

Primary School Guide: finding the right school - click here to read the guide on our blog.