For many parents, back to school time is a welcome relief from a long summer of trying to keep the children entertained. But while it might be greeted with open arms by mum and dad, they still need to prepare for the return to school - and that’s not just planning the obvious things.

Of course kids need new uniforms, pencil cases and all the visible trappings of school life. But the really prepared parent will also consider the less obvious aspects of the return, including resuming a more disciplined routine, ensuring children get enough sleep, and even looking at the need to bolster self-confidence ahead of a potentially stressful new term.

Organised parents might try making a checklist of all the things their child will need for school, and perhaps turn buying these items into a fun outing. Being prepared for what’s ahead will make it less daunting for your child.

The night before school starts, help your child to lay out his/her clothes and help pack their bag. Make sure returning to school has been discussed, and any concerns aired - particularly for new starters.

British teacher Francis Gilbert says parents should try to get their kids back in the ‘learning zone’. He recommends playing games such as cards, chess, and Scrabble, and even football, which is a great sport for kids to play before they go back to school. “If you do those sort of things the week before school starts, it gets them concentrating. Physical activity also helps concentration, so the fitter your child is, the more likely they’re going to be able to concentrate in other areas.”

Social skills that come with games such as football and netball will also help children’s confidence going back to school.

Gilbert says he doesn’t agree with parents employing a tutor and prepping kids for school’s academic work, stressing: “Holidays should be about doing the wider things such as going to the seaside and having a picnic. 

“There’s a lot of evidence which suggests those things help a child do well at school.”

Shared meals, earlier bedtimes, and limited TV or video games are all important in the run-up to going back to school, he says.

“There’s evidence that kids lose their focus during the holidays. I think it’s important for parents to have a plan of what they’ll do with their child each day in the summer holidays - a clear routine.”

A positive self-image can also help a child’s transition back to school life, and criticising them a lot can be counter-productive.

“They should have realistic goals in their mind of what they’re going to achieve,” Gilbert says.

“Being positive is the key to everything. If you feel you’ve been nagging your child a lot over the summer holidays, maybe set aside a week before term starts where you say positive things about what they do.”

Praising effort helps too - this means making positive comments about the things your child does right.

“That will mean they’ll go to school in a really positive frame of mind - that’s the overwhelming thing that teachers really appreciate, because it makes such a difference with children. They have a can-do attitude.”

Of course, it’s not just kids who are going back to school - teachers are too.

While their thoughts on returning to school will obviously vary, and be linked to the age group they teach, English teacher Gilbert admits: “For me, the scariest thing is facing all the results. Even if you’ve got a load of good results, inevitably there’s some bad ones that have to be faced. That can be difficult, particularly if you have to see those children again.”

He says having new classes isn’t a problem, as they’re a “blank sheet” to work on. “But if I’ve had a difficult class and I’ve got to take them again, that can be a bit of a strain.”

He adds: “There’s a lot of preparation to do, and it’s a big shock after the summer holidays. I always feel those first two weeks are like you’re drowning a bit because you’re not used to it - it’s such a different pace to the holidays. I suppose it’s the same for the children.”