Back to school: how do you help prepare your child?

A new term and a new academic year are nearly upon us. Whilst many parents will be very ready for the return to school, many children will not be. In fact, for many children and teenagers, it’s a worrying, daunting and stressful time.

Apart from the usual stresses and strains of going back to school, there are of course, particular flashpoints in your child’s school career – starting primary school, changing school, CATS, starting secondary school, the beginning of GCSEs or Nationals and, of course, Year 11. So while you may be thinking it’s just another term or year, the challenges ahead for your child as they make these different transitions can be very intimidating. And although rest and relaxation are a really important part of the summer break, there is also a lot you can do to help ensure your child is confident and ready for the new term.

1. AWARENESS

Look out for tell-tale signs of anxiety. Typical tell-tale signs that your child is anxious about the return to school include bad behaviour, bed wetting, rudeness, tears, avoidance, or being unusually quiet, to name but a few. And these signs often start appearing as the back-to-school deadline starts to loom.

But there are other factors that you also ought to be aware of, such as their end of term reports and any issues they flagged up or perhaps your child’s willingness to read during the holidays. Spotting those little tell-tale signs now will help you plan the best way to prepare for the new term.

The key point to remember is that it’s natural to feel nervous but it’s equally important to validate your child’s feelings. Start a conversation. Ask them how they feel about the new term, what they’re excited about and what they’re nervous about. Talk to them about making new friends or tell them about positive experiences you had at school (or ask an older sibling to help).

Explain that nerves are natural and try and remove the “unknown” factor. Perhaps arrange a walk around the school just before term starts, get together with any children you know who’ll be at the same school, talk your child through the school day and routine. You might even give them some suggestions of how to start a conversation and what to say.  

2. PREPARATION

Building their confidence

Most parents start the school holidays with the intention of ensuring at least some learning takes place during the summer months, whether that’s daily reading, some written activities or trips to museums. But keeping up a schedule of summer learning can be hard. Children can be resistant, you’re probably busy and before you know it, September looms and your children haven’t picked up a book since July! Eek!

The good news is that it’s never too late to get some extra help with this and we thoroughly recommend you enrol your child for some private tuition. Our learning programmes offer a really fun, easy and affordable way to build up your child’s confidence and ability. And they take the pressure off you too. 

Apart from the obvious benefits of getting your child help with the curriculum, enrolling your child with MagiKats gives them a chance to meet new people and work in a new environment, which in itself helps prepare them for the new term.

Getting organised and making going back to school fun  

It happens to us all – over the summer holidays good habits and routines tend to slip and late nights and later mornings, unhealthy snacks and erratic mealtimes all become the norm. You may even find yourself wondering how you’ll ever manage to be dressed, fed and out of the door in time for the school bell.

The solution to this in the main lies in getting organised and there’s huge potential to make this part of going back to school a really positive experience for your child.  

You’ll probably need to make lists of what needs to be done, but get your children involved in this. Don’t just present them with their new school bag and lunch box. Take them shopping. Make it fun. Spend time in the stationery department letting them choose items that will help them get organised – a brightly coloured lever arch file for all their homework, dividers, coloured pens, etc.

Build in a treat during the shopping day, whether it’s lunch, a trip to the cinema or park when you’ve finished or buying them a lucky mascot of their choice for them to take to school on the first day.  

Creating new habits

Getting organised is all part of creating a good routine! Research shows it only takes 21 days to create a new habit and good habits can set your child up for a lifetime, not just the new term. Start having at least one family meal a day as you approach the end of the holidays, start bringing bedtime a little earlier and as the new term starts, consider what after school routine would be helpful.

Perhaps the first hour after school is always dedicated to having a healthy snack, doing homework and then having a kick round with a ball outside. Whatever your routine, do it regularly enough and it just becomes a habit that your children don’t even think about!

3. ADAPTABILITY

Every child is of course different, and a one size fits all approach doesn’t work. Most children will have issues at some stage of their school years, whether it’s a minor issue in one of their subjects, not being challenged enough or something much more serious. With luck, between you and their teachers, any problems will be identified quickly although it is not always easy to work out what’s going wrong.

Our tailored tuition programmes are suitable for each individual child. Whether your child is starting out in the first years of primary school, going into their final year, moving up to secondary school or preparing for exams, we adapt our programme to suit the stage they are at, as well as the particular issues they may be struggling with. We also keep our workshop style classes small, so that each child gets the attention they need and deserve.

We have a thorough knowledge of the curriculum in the UK, Scotland and Wales and where your child needs to be when they go back to school. We create a learning programme specifically for your child, building on the areas they already excel at and supporting them in areas which might be more of a struggle.

Back to school should be an exciting time for your child, and full of potential. A little bit of planning and organisation can make what could be a very stressful event, a success. Private maths and English tuition remains one of the most effective ways to build your child’s confidence, help them achieve their potential and get them ready for all that the new academic year brings!