Since everyone returned to school last month, it has been wonderful to see the smiles on the faces of our children as they arrive each day, whether that’s a pupil in Reception on their first day, a girl in Year 8 back after so long at home, or a young man in the Sixth Form after a summer without exams. They were, and still are, clearly pleased to be back in a routine and the environment where they succeed.
Seeing parents look on as their children walk into school independently has been a very different experience. You, the parents, are like missing pieces of the Sherfield School puzzle. This recent situation means that you are unable to be as involved during your children's school day as you would all like or indeed have needed to be during the lockdown period, please be assured that you are a key part of your children's educational journey.
We all share a joint responsibility for the impact on our children’s learning. I have spent so much of my teaching career making sure that parents are involved in the school life of their children and understand what they are learning. It is so important that you understand when and how to help when they’re struggling and that you cheer as much as we do when they succeed. It has shown me that your engagement in their learning is just as important as ours.
As September arrived, there was a collective sigh from parents everywhere that there was no more home-schooling, but the encouragement and support you give your children with their learning journey, from their first day at nursery to their graduation from university is what has such a large impact on their self-efficacy.
According to research, there had been a decline in the amount of time and support parents were putting into their child’s education, before this year, but nearly fifty different studies have shown that when parents are engaged in their child’s learning, the child’s performance increases, they develop self-confidence and motivation and have better social skills and classroom behaviour.
There is, of course, a balance to be maintained. A time for learning and a time for play and an opportunity for you to learn as well as to pause and notice the small things they do. Take note of how they look when they’re doing something they love, the cute way they say certain words, the sound of their laughter, and their pride when they show you something new.
Whilst these things may seem small, they are equally as important as how sentences are structured in creative writing, the right way to conduct a science experiment or the maths problem they are learning this week.
So in answer to my question above, parental engagement is the most accurate predictor of academic achievement.
Together we can help them achieve their dreams.
Mrs Bouwer
Head of Junior Prep
Junior Prep Senior Leadership Team Blog
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