Starting school is one of the biggest days of your child's life, but with the right preparation, their first day should also be a fun day.

Top tips:

• Reassure your child that they are not alone - there will be others starting school. With luck, preschool friends will be starting too
• Let your child wear his/her school uniform before the first day and make dressing and undressing easy with lots of velcro fastenings and elasticated waists
• Have fun packing sandwich boxes, and make sure your child can use a knife and fork
• Teachers understand newcomers' toilet worries, so encourage your child to ask for help when they needs it
• Sing lots of nursery rhymes and songs with your child so that they can enjoy joining in from the first day
• Start looking at clock skills; talk about what will be happening at school when a clock says a particular time
• Read books about going to school together

Topsy and Tim
The much-loved Topsy and Tim range is perfect for reassuring your child with all their first experiences.