Preparing for September: Simple ways primary teachers can get ahead before the summer holidays

The six-week holidays are something every teacher looks forward to. After a busy academic year, time to rest, reset and properly switch off is essential.

But then August arrives. You see the first “back to school” advert, someone mentions September, and suddenly the panic begins.

You remember the classroom jobs you planned to finish, the first-week activities you still need to organise, the routines you wanted to rethink and the resources you meant to sort before the end of term. Before you know it, the final week of the holidays starts to feel less like a break and more like a rush of planning, laminating, printing and worrying.

Preparing for September does not mean working through your summer holiday. It means making a few small, intentional decisions before the end of term so that your future self feels calmer, clearer and more in control.

This is also closely linked to workload and wellbeing. The Department for Education has a useful workload reduction toolkit designed to help schools reduce unnecessary workload and support staff wellbeing.

Here are some practical ways primary teachers and teaching assistants can get September ready without overloading themselves before the break.

What does preparing for September actually mean?

Preparing for September is not about planning the whole autumn term in June or creating the perfect classroom before the holidays begin.

It starts with one simple question:

What always stresses me out in late August or during the first week back?

For many primary teachers, September can feel overwhelming because there are so many decisions to make at once. You may have a new class, a new year group, a new classroom, a new curriculum area or even a new role in school.

At the same time, pupils are settling into new routines, building relationships and learning what is expected of them. It is a lot for everyone.

By making some of the smaller decisions before the holidays, you can reduce that early September pressure and start the year feeling more prepared.

Decide the small classroom routines now

September stress often comes from the number of small decisions that have not yet been made.

Before the end of term, think about the routines and expectations that usually slow you down in week one. For example:

• How will you get the class’s attention?

• What does “ready to learn” look like in your room?

• What should pupils do when they finish a task early?

• How will pupils line up, move around the classroom or transition between activities?

• What reward system will you use?

• Will you use table points, stickers, a whole-class reward jar, ClassDojo or another system?

These decisions might seem small, but they make a big difference. When routines are clear from day one, pupils know what to expect and you are not trying to create systems in the moment while also getting to know a new class.

The Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance on improving behaviour in schools highlights the importance of consistent routines, clear expectations and proactive classroom management. This is why making these decisions before September can be so valuable.

Keep things simple. Use what has worked well before, leave behind what did not, and choose routines that feel realistic and manageable.

Plan the first week back, not the whole term

One of the best ways to make September feel calmer is to plan the first week back before the summer holidays begin.

This does not mean planning every lesson for the half-term. It simply means reducing the number of things you need to think about during the final days of the holidays.

The first week in a primary classroom is about relationships, routines and reassurance. Pupils need time to settle in, understand expectations and feel safe in their new environment.

Useful first-week activities might include:

• All About Me tasks

• Classroom routine practice

• Partner talk expectations

• Simple baseline activities

• Team-building tasks

• Reading, writing or maths activities that help you get to know pupils’ starting points

• Class discussions about what helps everyone learn well

Try not to put pressure on yourself to race through curriculum content immediately. A calm, purposeful first week can make the rest of the term easier.

If you are looking for resources to support pupil wellbeing and emotional transition, Anna Freud’s Mentally Healthy Schools resources are a helpful starting point for schools and staff.

If you are staying in the same year group, reuse and adapt resources from last year. If you are moving year group, speak to the previous teacher and use existing planning as a starting point. You do not need to begin from scratch.

Organise the things that slow you down

September is not the ideal time to sort the drawer that never shuts, the cupboard full of mystery resources or the box of half-used glue sticks and dried-up whiteboard pens.

Before the holidays, choose one small area to organise. It could be:

• A drawer

• A cupboard

• Your teacher desk

• A resource box

• Reading books

• Stationery

• Labels and folders

• A planning folder or shared drive

You do not need a full classroom makeover. Even ten minutes spent sorting one area can save time later.

If you are moving classroom or year group, organisation may take longer. Where possible, speak with the teacher currently in the room and agree what can be sorted before the end of term. Focus on what will genuinely make September easier, not what simply looks good.

Get key dates into your diary

Another helpful step when preparing for September is to look ahead at the school calendar.

Add important dates to your diary or planner as soon as you can. This might include:

• INSET days

• Parents’ evenings

• Assessment weeks

• Trips

• Assemblies

• Curriculum events

• Staff meetings

• Deadlines

Having key dates in one place helps you see what is coming up and reduces the feeling of being caught off guard. If your long-term or medium-term plans are available, skim through them before the holidays so you have a broad sense of the year ahead.

You do not need to plan everything in detail. The aim is simply to feel aware and prepared.

Protect your energy before the holidays

Preparing for September should not mean staying late every night in June or July. The goal is to protect your energy, not drain it.

Choose one small focus each week. For example:

• One week for classroom routines

• One week for first-week planning

• One week for organising resources

• One week for checking key dates

• One week for preparing simple support materials

As the year winds down, your current class may also be able to help with age-appropriate classroom jobs. This can build independence, responsibility and pride in their learning environment.

The Department for Education also provides a wider collection of resources on reducing school workload, which may be useful for school leaders and staff thinking about sustainable ways to manage workload across the year.

The important thing is to keep preparation manageable. Small actions now can prevent a bigger rush later.

What can wait until September?

Not everything needs to be done before the holidays.

Some jobs can wait, especially if they are more about appearance than impact. Displays, laminating, matching stationery and classroom decoration can easily become time-consuming.

A perfect classroom display is not essential for a successful September. What matters is that your classroom is tidy, accessible and supports learning.

Working walls can be especially useful in primary classrooms because they grow with the learning. Instead of trying to complete every display before pupils arrive, you can build them together as topics develop.

September success does not come from laminated perfection. It comes from calm routines, clear expectations, positive relationships and realistic preparation.

A Calmer start to the school year

Preparing for September is not about being perfectly organised. It is about protecting your future self and making sure your summer holiday still feels like a holiday.

• A little intentional thinking before the end of term can lead to:

• A calmer first week

• Clearer expectations

• Better behaviour routines