Top tips for the first day at school

"Learning is hard work and children need plenty of sleep", Denise Torrey says. Photo / Thinkstock

Settling into a routine as soon as possible is one of the best ways to give your child a good start to school, a leading principal says.

More than 10,000 5-year-olds will have their first day in the classroom this week - with a total of 750,000 students expected to fill school rolls by the end of the year.

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Auckland pupils will make up a third of that total.

Principals' Federation president Denise Torrey listed getting the kids to bed and getting up on time as one of the best ways to help them begin school life.

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"Learning is hard work and children need plenty of sleep," she said.

"The routine also helps reduce anxiety as families are not as rushed as everyone is in the routine. Some children take a lot of time to settle into their day if things have been chaotic in the morning before they come to school."

Ms Torrey said children could feel anxious about how they get to school. She advised practising the route to and from school, and ensuring children understood who was picking them up and from where.

Ministry of Education head of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey advised parents to provide a quiet space for homework and to make time to listen to their children's school-related concerns.

"For older students heading into NCEA, the start of the year is a great time to sit down with them and set some goals for the year ahead. Check in monthly on how progress is going."