The weeks before a new school year are a particular kind of busy. There are uniforms to source, supplies to gather, routines to reset and, for many international school families in Poland, a set of logistical and emotional questions that do not always come with a clear answer.
This guide is designed to help you ensure a smooth September, whether your child is starting at an international school in Warsaw for the first time or returning for another year.
Uniform sizes sell out in August. Packing lists get left until the last weekend. The medication that needs to be handed in on the first day gets forgotten at the back of a drawer. The best way to avoid these stressful situations is by startingyour family's practical preparation as soon as you can.
Go through your school's supply list carefully and tick everything off at least two weeks before term begins. Label everything clearly – not with a sticker that will fall off by week two, but permanently. Check last year's uniform for fit. Children grow more than parents expect over a long summer. For secondary students, confirm whether a specific calculator, device, or planner is required and order it with enough time for delivery.
The single most useful thing a family can do in the two weeks before term is to start shifting bedtimes and morning routines back toward term-time patterns. Moving bedtime fifteen minutes earlier every few days is far less painful than trying to undo two months of summer sleep habits in a single night.
Reintroduce evening reading as part of the routine. For children at international schools in Warsaw who are managing more than one language, this has a dual purpose. It builds the habits that the school year needs and gently reactivates the school language before full immersion begins. Reducing screens in the evenings gradually over the two weeks before term makes the routine shift significantly easier.
The preparation of back-to-school logistics is visible and easy to track. Your child's emotional preparation is less visible, but equally important. For children starting at a new international school in Warsaw, whether they are arriving from another country or moving from a local school, the first days of term involve a level of cognitive and social effort that most parents underestimate.
Talk to your child about what to expect before term begins. Go through what the first day looks like, who will meet them, and where they need to go. Name any nerves without amplifying them. You can reassure your child by acknowledging their concerns while staying positive: “It is completely normal to feel a bit uncertain at first, but I know you'll find your feet.” Avoid drawn-out goodbyes on the first morning. Children settle faster once parents have left, and a goodbye that goes on too long can make the separation harder for everyone.
For families at international schools in Poland, language preparation in the final weeks of summer is one of the most valuable steps you can take. Children who arrive back at school with their school language warmed up, through reading, watching, or simply talking in it, find the first week significantly easier than those for whom September is the first English they have spoken in eight weeks.
This matters even more for multilingual families. Our guide to keeping your child's second language alive over the summer break covers the specific approaches that work for both Polish families and expat families in Warsaw, and for younger versus older learners.
Transport arrangements, after-school club registrations, lunch plans for the first week. The small details that feel minor in August become significant on the first Monday morning of term. Confirm your drop-off and pick-up arrangements before term begins. If your child is joining after-school activities, register early as popular clubs fill quickly. At TBS Warsaw, our LEAP programme offers a wide range of extracurricular activities from 3pm daily.
Update the school with any changes to emergency contacts, medical information, or dietary requirements before the first day. These updates take five minutes and greatly reduce stress if they are ever needed.
Pack your child's school bag together the evening before, not on the morning of the first day. Lay out the uniform. Set a reasonable alarm with a buffer built in. Keep the evening calm and low-key. A quiet night before the first day of term is invaluable to starting off on the right foot. Before your child goes to sleep, remind them of one specific thing they are looking forward to tomorrow.
The checklist does not end when term begins. The first week at an international school in Warsaw, whether your child is new or returning, takes more out of children than parents realise. The cognitive and social load of being back in a school environment is significant, and children who seem fine often need more rest than they let on.
Keep after-school activities light in the first week. Check in each evening with specific questions rather than open ones. “What made you laugh today?” gets a far better answer than “How was school?” If your child is struggling with something beyond first-week tiredness, contact the school's pastoral team early. Early contact makes a difference, and a good international school will always want to hear from a parent sooner rather than later.
At The British School Warsaw, the admissions team is available throughout the summer to answer questions, arrange campus visits, and help families prepare for a September start. Whether your child is joining us for the first time or returning for another year, we want the beginning of term to feel like a fresh start.
Get in touch with our admissions team to talk through your family's situation, book a campus tour, or find out more about what the first weeks at TBS Warsaw look like.
