How Do I Help My Child Welcome a New Pupil in Class Thoughtfully?

Parenting Perspective

Starting at a new school or joining a new class can be a daunting experience for any child. A new pupil often feels nervous, lonely, and unsure of how to find their place. By teaching your own child how to welcome them with thoughtfulness and care, you are helping to build their capacity for empathy, confidence, and inclusion. This is a beautiful opportunity to strengthen your child’s own sense of kindness and leadership.

Nurture Empathy for the Newcomer

The first step is to help your child imagine what it must feel like to be in the new pupil’s shoes. You could ask, ‘If you were the new student in a classroom full of people who already knew each other, how would you feel if nobody spoke to you?’ This simple exercise in perspective-taking helps to build genuine empathy and motivates them to want to act with kindness.

Equip Them with Simple Welcoming Phrases

Give your child a few easy-to-use phrases that they can say with confidence to break the ice. You could suggest they try:

‘Hi, my name is Aisha. Would you like to sit with me at lunchtime?’

‘We are about to play a game, and we would love for you to join us.’

‘If you need any help finding your way around, I can show you.’

These short, friendly invitations can make a world of difference and provide a simple script for inclusion.

Suggest Small, Practical Gestures of Inclusion

Guide your child to think about small, practical actions that can make a newcomer feel seen and included. These could be little gestures like sharing their colouring pencils, saving a seat for them in the assembly, or introducing the new pupil to one or two of their other friends. These small acts of kindness help a new child to feel part of the group very quickly.

Build Confidence Through Practice

You can help your child to feel more confident about approaching a new pupil by role-playing different scenarios at home. You could pretend to be the new pupil and say, ‘I do not know where I am supposed to put my bag.’ Your child can then practise responding with, ‘I can show you!’ This rehearsal helps the real-life moment to feel more natural and less intimidating.

Reinforce Kindness as Part of Their Identity

When your child tells you about how they helped a new classmate, be sure to affirm their actions with warmth and sincerity. You could say, ‘I am so proud of you for asking the new boy to join your game. That was a very thoughtful and kind thing to do.’ This reinforces the idea that kindness and inclusion are a core part of their character.

By guiding your child in this way, you are helping them to become the kind of person who instinctively notices those on the edges and has the confidence to bring them into the circle with warmth and care.

Spiritual Insight

Islam places a great deal of emphasis on the importance of welcoming others, showing hospitality, and making people feel at ease and included. The simple act of helping a new pupil in class is a wonderful, child-sized way of living out these noble Islamic values.

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hashar (59), Verse 9:

‘…And giving preference over themselves, even though they were impecunious themselves…’

This verse praises the beautiful quality of putting the comfort and needs of others before one’s own. By teaching your child to welcome a new pupil and help them to feel comfortable, you are teaching them a practical form of this noble generosity.

It is recorded in Al Adab Al Mufrad, Hadith 112, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

‘The believer is not he who eats his fill while his neighbour is hungry.’

This profound hadith teaches us that a true believer is someone who is aware of the needs of those around them and takes action to help. For a child, this means not ignoring a new classmate who may be “hungry” for friendship, but actively helping them to feel included and cared for.

When your child welcomes a new pupil warmly, they are practising the virtues of empathy, hospitality, and generosity in action. These thoughtful habits prepare them to grow into adults who instinctively strengthen community bonds and spread mercy and kindness in every circle they enter.