Be School Ready 2025 | Page 25

Nap club
Wraparound care is not the same as an after-school club, which is for activities and hobbies. Your school might choose not to run any afterschool clubs for the first few months of your child’ s first term – reception children are usually too exhausted!
Your right to take time off work
Flexible working
All employees in the UK have a legal right to request flexible working. You can request to make changes to your contract from your very first day of employment. You can make two requests within a 12-month period and your employer will need to make a decision within two months. All of the details can be found via the Government ' s website: gov. uk / flexible-working / applyingfor-flexible-working
Did you know?
Our research shows 1 in 10( 10 %) parents in poverty choose not to apply for free school meals and 1 in 13( 8 %) that have applied for FSM don’ t take it up for their children. But even if your child doesn’ t have the free school meals, just by letting your school know, it is more likely your school will be able to access Pupil Premium. Pupil Premium provides extra support at the school, like more staff, learning resources and extracurricular activities. Scan the QR code for more information.
Did you know that if you’ re employed, you have a right to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with emergency situations that affect your little one? This is called‘ Time off for Dependants’ or‘ Emergency Family Leave’. You can also request unpaid parental leave for non-emergency situations. Speak to your employer to find out about the policies they have in place for parents. For more information about your rights as a parent, visit the Working Families website: workingfamilies. org. uk
The most important meal of the day
Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast can positively impact children ' s physical development, concentration, academic ability and behaviour. So, whether your child has it at home or at a breakfast club, make sure a yummy, filling meal is planned. Looking for tasty ways to fuel your little one? Go to page 18 to find out more about our webinar on healthy snacks and lunchboxes on a budget Free school meals
England: In state-funded schools, children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 get free lunches. In London, all children in state-funded primary schools get free school meals. Wales: All children in primary schools get free school meals. Northern Ireland: Children only get free school meals if they’ re eligible due to low family income or other benefits. Scotland: All children in primary 1 to 5, at schools run by their local council or funded by the Scottish Government, can get free school lunches during term time.

What’ s on the menu?

School lunch policies can vary quite a bit. Some schools provide free meals and don’ t allow lunchboxes, while others let children bring in food on the days they don’ t like what’ s on the menu. There are also schools that allow your child to pick what food they want on the day, some that ask parents to choose in advance, and others that have a set menu for everyone. Be sure to check before wrapping up sandwiches on the first day!
Find out if you’ re eligible for further support
England: gov. uk / browse / childcareparenting / financial-help-children
Wales: gov. wales / children-families
Northern Ireland: nidirect. gov. uk / information-and-services / expectingor-bringing-children / financialsupport-parents-and-children
Scotland: www. mygov. scot / browse / benefits / children-and-family
Photography: iStock. com / sturti
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