Starting Reception

We want every child in East Sussex to feel confident and ready when they start school. To help with this, all schools and early years settings are using the story When a Dragon Goes to School. The story helps children learn key skills they need for school. We are using one shared book to:

There is no national definition of ‘school readiness’. As a local authority, we use the definition from Starting Reception and actively promote it.

Visit a Family Hub

You can also visit your local Family Hub for support. Borrow bags are available which include:

  • the book
  • a cuddly toy
  • activity resources to use at home

Activities to help your child

Explore a range of fun activities to develop school readiness skills:

Poster about starting Reception. Explains how parents can help children get ready for school. Including support for SEND, activities from Family Hubs, and using When a Dragon Goes to School.
Starting Reception poster