To answer this question, we have taken advice from former West London headteacher James Clements, whose job heavily involved encouraging parents to maximise their children’s success. Below are a few of his tips that can help your child thrive at school.
1. Be engaged with the school
Research suggests that the children of parents who take an active interest in their education make greater progress than their peers. It is possible that the effect of parents being involved at primary school lasts throughout a child’s school years and can still be seen at the age of 15.
2. Learn about what they’re learning about
The school curriculum has changed a great deal since most of us were at school. Knowing what your children are learning about day-to-day and getting to grip with how the subjects are taught can be a great way to encourage them to learn both at home and in school.
A brief look at the national curriculum can be a great place to start. Find it here – https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum
3. Find out their strengths and areas for improvement
All children have subject areas of the curriculum that they find easier than others. It is human nature to want to spend time doing the things that you enjoy or find easier than others. It’s important however to get a balance. If your child enjoys writing stories, try and encourage them to spend time doing this as well as trying to improve on the other areas where they’re feeling not so confident.
4. Be an active parent
Both you and your child’s teacher want the same thing – a happy, confident child who enjoys going to school and loves learning. By building an effective home/school partnership, both you and your child’s teacher can achieve this aim together. Here are some ways you can achieve this:
- Attending parents’ evenings and ask questions about the curriculum and school life.
- Helping your child with their homework
- Listening to them read
- Making sure they’re on time to school everyday
- Responding to messages from the school
- Communicating with the school if there are any relevant academic or personal problems
To hear more from James Clements, visit – https://blog.oxfordowl.co.uk/