Reception Transition

As we approach the start of your child’s school journey, we are so excited to welcome you and your family to our TGS community! At TGS we believe in creating a culture where all children can thrive, given chances to succeed which will improve the choices for their future.

Starting school can evoke a range of emotions for children (and parents!), but we hope to ease this transition as we work in partnership to support your child. You know your child best and your valuable involvement in this journey will hugely impact their education and happiness.

Please encourage your child to feel confident as they approach their first day at TGS- we hope to make this transition as comfortable as possible for our young learners. If you foresee any difficulty in this step up to school, due to personal circumstances or additional needs, please do not hesitate to share with staff. 

 

What to expect in reception

 

How to help my child prepare

Meet the team primary

 

Please find some useful information below: 

Letter-Reception-September 2025

Reception-Transition-2025.pdf

Oxford Owl - Starting School Guide 

 

Yes - please make sure it can fit an A4 folder as this is how children will be receiving their phonics books. 

We have lots of toys so please make sure yours toys stay at home. 

Children receive a free hot lunch until Year 2. If you would like to bring a lunch but have your child try a hot lunch, just tell your teacher.

 

Please contact the office on 01293 538779, once arrived please sign your child in when you arrive.

 

Parents and carers should be aware that they do not have the right to take their child out of school during term time without prior permission. Any absence must be requested in advance and will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. Holidays taken during term time will not be approved.

If you need to request an absence which falls into exceptional circumstances, the application form can be found –

Leave of absence of exceptional circumstances 

The school has a dedicated medical room where trained first aiders are available to support students who feel unwell. If your child becomes unwell during the school day, they should inform their class teacher, who will refer them to the medical room. A first aider will then assess whether they need to be sent home. If this is necessary, we will contact you for someone to collect them.

We have several qualified first aiders based across the school to ensure students have access to support when needed.

If your child requires regular medication—such as antibiotics or insulin—these can be stored securely in the medical room. Students are responsible for administering their own medication but may do so in the privacy of the medical room. If your child uses an asthma inhaler or EpiPen, they must carry it with them at all times. We also request that a spare inhaler is provided for storage in the medical room.

It is essential that we have accurate and up-to-date medical information. Please inform the school of any changes to your child’s medical needs. 

As part of the school admissions process, parents and carers will be asked to provide their contact details. This information enables us to maintain effective communication with you.

The Gatwick School primarily uses email to communicate with parents and carers through a platform called Arbor, which allows for fast and environmentally friendly communication between school and home. We regularly send out parent letters and will contact you by phone when necessary.

In addition, we share a weekly whole-school newsletter and provide regular updates via our social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.

In the primary phase we also use a platform called Dojo, this is a free app which allows teachers to share photos,videos and messages to parents and carers.  

Please remember to inform the school if you have any changes to your contact details.

Start of the day/ Lesson 1 - 8:40 - 9:45

Lesson 2 - 9:45 -10:45

Break - 10:40 - 11:00

Lesson 3 - 11:00 -11:55

Lunch - 11:55 - 12:45

Lesson 4 - 12:45 -13:55

Break - 13:55 - 14:05

Lesson 5 - 14:05 - 15:10 (EYFS and KS1 dismissal) / 15:20 (KS2 dismissal) 

Clubs start - 15:10/15:20