IT SEEMS a little early to be thinking about the start of the new academic year while state school pupils have yet to break up, but the leading membership body for Parent Teacher Associations is encouraging parents of new pupils to prepare early.

PTA UK says starting school is a huge milestone for both children and parents and it is launching a Be School Ready campaign with a magazine that aims to help children, mums and dads get off to a great start in September.

The Be School Ready magazine will be given to new parents nationwide by their school PTAs so that mums, dads and kids can get off to the best possible start and enjoy school life to the full.

It will be available to more than 100,000 parents and will include a wealth of tips from parents and includes tips from Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain about dealing with the hunger gap between school pick-up and dinner.

PTA UK is celebrating its 60th year and its campaign aims to encourage parents to have a voice in their children’s education.

The charity says getting involved in a PTA is a fantastic opportunity to feel part of the school community and is particularly valuable for parents who have children starting school for the first time giving parents some much needed support and showing them that their involvement in their child's education need not end at the school gates.

Worcester’s Kerry Ward, who has been a PTA member at both Red Hill and Cherry Orchard Primary Schools and has three children, said starting school for the first time can be daunting for both the children and parents.

“No matter how many times you do it, it is daunting. The routine changes for the child and the parents, they are meeting new people and getting out of the house with everything you need each day requires a lot of organisation.

“Also schools expect quite a lot from parents. The schools have dress down days and ask for things from home like family photos for things they are doing. Even before the children start school they bring home a book from their new teacher to fill in over the summer holidays. It is completely different from nursery.”

Kerry said she would recommend every parent to join the school PTA because they then become an integral part of the school and they can offer as much or little time as they want.

“I always got a lot out of it and I would recommend giving it a go to every parent. We have always had a good mix of dads as well as mums but you do not have to come to all the meetings and you get to know parents with children in all the years, not just your child’s year.”

She added that it might not be the right thing for every parent but if they don’t get involved with the PTA but come along and support events in other ways that is just as important.

The Be School Ready magazine can be accessed by PTA UK’s website by visiting http://www.pta.org.uk/Parents/Be-School-Ready