A PROJECT has been set up to help children settle into nursery school.

Whitecliffe Primary School, in Carlin How, near Saltburn, and Park Lane Infant and Belmont Primary schools, in Guisborough, are taking part in the Gatsby Early Years Enhancement Project.

Parents and their children are invited to visit the nursery and take part in a Gatsby course to help children prepare for school.

Activites include giving parents a disposable camera to take photographs of children completing activities such as sitting properly at a table.

Children also receive a backpack, containing a resource pack, during a home visit by a member of staff from the nursery.

Liz Pickard, senior advisory teacher for Redcar and Cleveland SureStart Partnership, said: "The Gatsby Early Years Enhancement programme enables parents and carers to give their child the best possible start in their education.

"It is the only project I'm aware of where a member of the school nursery staff establishes an early relationship with both parent or carer and their child in their home environment."

Gill McQuade, nursery assistant at Whitecliffe Primary School said: "It gives parents and children an idea of what happens in nursery and gets them used to coming into the school environment and some of the routines of nursery."