Preparing your child in advance for school will go a long way towards ensuring the very best start for your child.

Opportunities to visit the school with your child before they start are really helpful.

Familiarisation with the location, the building, the classrooms and key people will help your child feel secure and promote a smooth transition.

There will be opportunities for you to meet with your child’s teacher and support staff in advance of the start of the school year.

At North Bridge House we run parent and child sessions weekly in the spring and summer terms which have proved to be hugely successful.

Children have the opportunity to form relationships with key staff and their new classmates well ahead of time and parents get to know each other and arrange play dates.

I am a huge advocate for reading and believe that if parents can foster a love of reading from an early age it will open the doors to a wealth of learning.

In the lead up to September, read your child bedtime stories in which the characters are starting school.

There are many to choose from, Lauren Child’s ‘I am Too Absolutely Small for School’ or Pat Thomas’ Starting School: Do I Have to Go to School? Your local bookshop will be happy to advise you.

To support your child, my advice would be to really immerse yourself in the education they are receiving at your chosen setting.

Take advantage of parent-child mornings, holiday clubs and parent workshops where offered. Parent workshops establish a crucial link between school and home; teacher and parent. They create a channel through which both parents and teachers can share tips and exchange advice.

North Bridge House Nursery and Pre-Prep School is located on Fitzjohn’s Ave and Netherhall Gardens in Hampstead. Contact Sarah Nibloe on sarah.nibloe@northbridgehouse.com about available places.