In the 2022 Summer maths exams, the formulae will be given to the students on a handout for use during the exam. For the most part, this is acknowledgment that this year group has had a lot of disruption. If you’ve had that news, it might seem a little strange to you that I’m writing a post all about how […]
In my 16 years in education I came across so many different parents. Some were really involved in their child’s education, where others left it up to the school. It became obvious to me that there were some parents who were successful at getting what they wanted for their child. It all came down to how they were communicating with […]
Is it STILL September? It must be, because we are knee deep in my deep dive on communicating with school! As Head of Maths for 11 years, I was on the receiving end of many angry parents, and mediated between teachers and young people. So today I thought I’d use some of what I learnt to help you navigate the […]
During September, I’ve been exploring communicating with the school in my Facebook community Education Support 4 Parents. My 16 years in schools (you can find out more about me here) showed me that the best results come from schools and parents working together in a co-productive way, to support their children from all angles. The most successful children were not necessarily the […]
It’s the beginning of a new academic year. You’ve made sure your kids have uniform, equipment, and food, and hopefully they have physically gone back to school now. What next? I’ve put together some top tips to help you get the best out of the year and be prepared for whatever it holds. Find out the best channels of communication […]
It’s that time in September when young people are preparing to start school again, and parents are panicking that the uniform stockist has run out of PE tops (for the 5th year in a row!), and the uncertainty of the new school year is dawning. It’s inevitable that the first few days or weeks are going to be a period […]
We’ve just been through that time of year, when young people get their results and they feel the whole of their future is pinned on that one day. Just like last year, there has been a lot more uncertainty than normal this year. Today we meet Joanna Rawbone, her story has echoes of Sophie Breslin who we met in January, having […]
When you were growing up, did you want to be just like everyone else? Maybe you dyed your hair, changed the way you talked, walked, or just wanted to do what others are doing. But we need to acknowledge that we are all different. From hair colour, eye colour, to the way our brains work. At Skills4Parents we teach about […]
We don’t like to take the blame – our children are their own people who make their own decisions. We can’t control them. But here’s the thing… Your attitude to learning will affect your young person’s attitude. I saw this in a non-scientific way at school. I’d have a young person who hated maths, and they had wholly given up. […]
There are many things I’m frightened of from spiders to looking stupid, but sometimes I just have to suck it up and deal with them. When it comes to spiders I either have to live alongside the spider, or I have to move it. That, or I never enter my house again! As to looking stupid, that happens regularly… and […]