Back to School
In the blink of an eye, the summer holidays draw to a close and we ready ourselves to go back to school for another academic year.
Depending on where your children are in their academic careers, this can be an exciting or unnerving time, and maybe a little of both!
For those that are finally in the top year of primary school, it will feel great to finally be at the top of the school tree after looking up to elders for so long.
If students are about to embark on secondary education, it can be an altogether more unsettling time as they take their first steps into the unknown.
A new school, new teachers and new classmates are just the start of the changes. While some schools ease pupils in reasonably gently, for others it’s straight in at the deep end.
The fact is, secondary is a world away from primary education and trepidation and uncertainty is often justified.
The way students are taught is very different and there’s less help on hand to answer questions in class. Students are expected to be self-sufficient and to be proactive in finding answers. This means making oneself known in class to get questions addressed and being proactive outside of class to fill in any blanks.
In my experience, it’s essential that students do not fall behind in the early stages of secondary education. Firstly, it can be challenging to catch up. Secondly, it’s a stressful experience to be chasing the pack and it can have a negative effect on a student’s confidence.
A lack of confidence can then impact every area of a student’s life, both inside and outside of academia.
If you’re familiar with my ‘Crossing the Chasm’ article, you may recall that a friend of mine had a teenage child that struggled all the way through secondary school before finally catching up in year 11 ahead off the GCSE exams.
This was as a result of initial challenges not being identified and rectified at the very beginning.
To say it was challenging for the student, the family (and let’s not forget the teachers), is an understatement.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way! If you have any doubt as to how your child is settling in, or coping with the new workload, it’s vital that you get help and advice as early as possible.
To that end, my door is always open, and should you have any questions at all, you can contact me here.
