At Potton Pre-School we aim to support every child in developing the skills, confidence, and independence they need to thrive as they transition into Reception. Our approach combines child-led exploration with structured learning experiences to ensure that all children are well-prepared for school life.

School Readiness & How Parents Can Help

At Potton Pre-School, we help children become confident, curious, independent learners ready for Reception. Through play, stories, songs and everyday experiences, we build early communication, social skills, independence and pre‑phonics understanding, so children can recognise letters and sounds, enjoy mark‑making, and begin to link sounds to letters. We also support early numeracy, physical skills and self‑care routines that make the transition to primary school smoother.

Our aim is by the time children move on to Reception, they are confident, independent learners who are curious about the world, socially competent, and ready to embrace the next stage of their learning journey.

Parents and carers play a vital role in this partnership. You can support your child by:

• Reading and chatting together daily to build vocabulary and listening skills.

• Practising mark‑making and early letter/sound awareness through fun activities like writing simple names or labels.

• Encouraging independence in dressing, feeding and tidying up.

• Playing games that involve taking turns, sharing and following simple instructions.

• Sharing stories and rhymes at home to strengthen pre‑phonics skills and a love of books.

Every small moment — from talking about your day to exploring new words in books — helps your child grow in confidence and curiosity and builds the foundation they need for a happy start to school.