Over the next few weeks, many primary schools will be holding open days and information events for families considering school reception places for September 2027.
Open events are a valuable opportunity to welcome prospective families, showcase your school, and share practical advice about how parents and carers can support their child's development before they start reception.
To support this, schools can access free Small Steps to Starting School information and resources on the FYI (Families and Young Person's Information) website. Sharing these materials with families early can help raise awareness of the skills,
confidence and independence that children develop during their nursery year, helping them make a positive start to school and settle more quickly into Reception.
Resources include a printable activity sheet for sharing with families, links to websites and advice pages, practical guidance around support from the family hubs, and more.
The resources are based on the 'Starting Reception' guidance that many of you will be familiar with. Bradford Council's Early Years service encourages all primary schools to make use of these materials to help share consistent messages with families and
support children across the Bradford district to be ready for their Reception journey.
Thank you for your continued support in helping give every child the best possible start to school.