Starting schools
When your child first starts school, it’s a big change in your family life, especially if it is your oldest or youngest child....
Help your child
Help your child to develop the skills they need to be independent, such as getting used to playing with other children, dressing th...
Children can achieve well at school when their family and friends take an interest in their school and schoolwork. Getting involved in your child&rsqu...
The return to school can trigger a range of emotions in parents and children. Parents may feel sadness that extended time together as a family is over...
The key to a stress-free school run begins with an organised routine. The amount of tension generated by running around the house searching for your c...
If your child will be starting secondary school in the new term, the journey to school may change considerably. The new journey to school may take a n...
Practice the journey to school
Where possible, practise the new journey with your child a few times beforehand. If they will be taking a bus, then pr...
Changing schools
Whether a child is making the transition from primary to secondary school or starting a new school because the family has moved to a...
“Getting them to settle down to homework seems to be a bit of an uphill struggle. And as for the maths and science - I couldn’t even help ...
Making homework a part of the routine
Give children a chance to talk about their school work - make it a natural part of asking how their day was. Ev...
Some primary schools introduce sex and relationships education (SRE) for children, most often in year 6 and sometimes in year 5. SRE is a legal requir...
School gate culture
Do you find the school gate a daunting place? Perhaps you feel like an outsider, left out by all the other parents who seem to kn...
“I wait in the car till the last possible moment so I don’t have to be communicate with these parents. They will gossip about other childr...
Family Lives receives many calls from parents concerned about schools and schooling, with bullying being the most common issue we hear about. Whi...
Children who are stressed, worried, or unhappy will struggle to engage with school work, whether the issues are school related or not. Sometimes the c...