Back To School

After a fairly rainy few weeks, September is just around the corner which of course brings the return to school. This is especially daunting for Year 7s across the country as they will be starting at high school but all pupils might find September a difficult time. Over the summer they fall out of good routines of waking up early and working hard and it can take a bit of time to get back up to speed. Hopefully with these tips you will be able to support your child.

Homework habits

Start as you mean to go on. In September it is easier for young people to establish strong habits that can help put them in an excellent position for the rest of the year. One brilliant habit is for the parents or carers to check the homework diary or website regularly to help pupils keep on top of their deadlines. It will also be helpful for pupils to print out an extra timetable to keep in a prominent place – perhaps stuck to the fridge – so that they always have a spare if they lose theirs and to help make sure they are aware which days PE kit needs to be taken in.

Summer slump

Teachers often talk about the Summer Slump – this is the situation where pupils lose progress over the long summer holidays. In June and July, many pupils would have been familiar with complex ideas like quadratic equations and algebra; but after 6 weeks of not looking at any maths they might find themselves struggling with simple multiplication and division. The good news is that pupils will remember things pretty quickly! To help avoid the effects of the ‘Summer Slump’ encourage your children to ask the teacher for help – it can also be helpful to look back at last years books

Friendship groups

At the same time as being academically challenging, September can be a lot of fun. Over Summer pupils might not have seen there friends as much as normal and it is important to give them the chance to get reacquainted. The start of the school year is the perfect time to join extra-curricular groups such as sports teams and drama societies. Sometimes it can be tempting to push young people to work hard all the time, but social time is crucial for their overall personal development.

How Cardiff and Vale Tutors can help

September is one of the busiest months for us at Cardiff & Vale Tutors. Many parents want to make the most of that ‘New Start’ feeling and hire a tutor to help their children thrive in the subjects that they need an extra push in. Tutors help pupils by explaining difficult concepts to support the learning that happens in the classroom. Our tutors often find that because they can tailor lessons to pupils learning styles and interests more than teachers can in a classroom, they can help young people develop a passion for subjects which they haven’t normally enjoyed.

Photo by Max Fischer

Blog by Sam Heaton.