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PlunketLine
0800 933 922
Appointments and enquiries Appointments
0800 184 803
Find Plunket near me Find us（https://www.plunket.org.nz/plunket-near-me）
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Preparing for school or kura
Child development（https://www.plunket.org.nz/child-development/）
Preparing for school or kura
Starting school can be an exciting milestone for tamariki (children). Here's how to help them prepare for this big step.
What you need to know
In Aotearoa New Zealand, children can start school when they turn five years old. They must be attending school by the time they turn six.
You can help your child prepare for school by:
enrolling them in early childhood education
booking the B4 School Check as soon as they turn four
encouraging them to practice the independence skills they'll need at school
helping them learn to express their emotions.
You can choose the schooling option that feels right for your child and your whānau.
School visits can help you and your child feel ready to start school.
How can ECE or preschool help prepare for school?
Attending early childhood education (or ECE) is a great way to help tamariki and their whānau prepare for starting school. Examples include preschools, daycares, kindergartens and kōhanga reo.
Benefits of attending ECE include:
helping children develop their social skills through interaction with their peers. This might include learning to play, share, take turns, cope with conflict and express themselves.
teaching children to be comfortable in a structured environment: waiting, sitting on the mat, and having set meal or break times.
getting everyone in the household used to a routine:
establishing bedtimes so make sure tamariki get enough sleep
practising morning routines including getting dressed and eating breakfast in time to leave the house.
As children get closer to school age, they may start attending ECE more often or for longer days. While the experience will still be mostly informal and play-based, it may include more formal instruction, like learning to recognise letters and numbers.
Many ECE providers also help preschoolers prepare for the transition to school with activities like:
visiting the local school or kura
practising eating from lunchboxes.
You might like to talk to your ECE provider about what they offer.
Find out more about choosing an ECE provider.（https://www.plunket.org.nz/being-a-parent/family-and-whanau/support-and-help-for-families/choosing-early-childhood-education/）
Booking the B4 School Check and other appointments
We recommend booking your child in for their free B4 School Check（https://www.plunket.org.nz/plunket-and-you/services-we-offer/b4-school-check/） as soon as they turn four years old. The B4 School Check is the last scheduled Well Child Tamariki Ora appointment. It helps you make sure your child is ready to learn well at school.
At the B4 School check your nurse will assess your child's language, growth, development and behaviour. There is also a hearing and eye sight check.
If your child could benefit from extra support to help improve their speech or language skills, development, behaviour, vision or hearing, we can give you information and connect you with support services before your child starts school.
Find out more about the B4 School Check（https://www.plunket.org.nz/plunket-and-you/services-we-offer/b4-school-check/）
Find out more about speech and language development from 3-5 years（https://www.plunket.org.nz/child-development/communication/communication-3-5-years/）
Other checks and appointments
Tamariki get free dental care from birth until they are 18 years old. Now is a good time to check if your child is due for their next free dental checkup. Call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583) to find and book a dental check in your area.
Find out more about looking after your preschooler's teeth.（https://www.plunket.org.nz/child-development/teeth/teeth-3-5-years/）
At four years old, tamariki are also due for a booster dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio vaccination. This is a good time to make sure they are up to date with their other scheduled immunisations（https://www.plunket.org.nz/caring-for-your-child/immunisation/diseases-we-immunise-against/）.
What skills will help my child when starting school?
Independence skills
You can help your child be school-ready by encouraging them to be independent. This includes practising skills that will help them throughout the school day, like:
being able to ask for what they need, like asking for a drink if they are thirsty or saying that they are too hot or cold
opening and closing their school bag, lunchbox and drink bottle by themselves
knowing when to eat different foods in their lunchbox and being able to open packets or containers
dressing themselves – taking their shoes or jumper off, and putting them back on
going to the toilet by themselves.
You can practise these skills and activities with your child at home, so they feel confident by the time they start school.
Learning and communication skills