This week we had a really good meeting of our Parent Council and I want to thank the senior pupils, parents and local councillors who attend these meetings.  It really does help to share ideas and shape the thinking of how we keep the school moving forward.  This is a fairly brief blog sharing some ideas with parents on how they can help their children do well at school:

Routines:  routines matter as they provide structure – particularly first thing in the day, on getting home from school, on doing homework and before bed.  Take time to set some routines which work and stick to them.

Peace and time to offload:  Build in some ‘quiet time’ for your child, away from social media and the ‘noise’ of everyday life as well as some ‘chat time’ where they can offload some of the burdens of teenage life

Sleep is essential:  no phone, social media, screen time in the half hour before going to bed, absolutely none overnight and it does not need to be the first thing they go to in the morning

Preparation and processing:  Preparation is about being ready for school both actually (the right books and equipment etc) and mentally (being ready for the ups and downs of the day).  Processing is about stepping back from it and sorting out the important stuff (organising your thoughts/notes, meeting the deadlines, being clear what you need to work on to improve)

Keep channels open: over the secondary years your child grows up and that can bring its challenges.  Many become pretty insecure as they try to figure out who they are, what others think of them and where they are going.  Put social media into that mix and it can be an emotional roller coaster.  We need parents to step back and offer some perspective (not jump in and ride the wave with their child).  Be there for them, listen, let them consider the options and guide them.  Accept that they may make bad choices but be there for them when they do and help ensure they do not keep repeating bad decisions.  But try to be there for them, through thick and thin, as they can feel the world is against them and often it is.

We are here to support families and to help young people “be the best they can be”.  Please get in contact if you need our help.