My child is learning so much more being outside of the school classroom - how do I encourage this to continue when she returns?

[UnpoppedPopcornIsTheWorst]

Absolutely nothing to do with me! I’m working full time and she is sticking to her usual daily timetable with her teachers uploading the required work for the week every Monday.

My child is 12 and is a bright girl and was in all the top groups at primary. She went up to secondary in the summer and suddenly lost all interest in learning. All she wanted to do in class was chat. Her teachers are forever reporting that dd constantly talks and distracts others and never finishes her work. She has gone from getting great feedback on her work to just scraping by in tests etc at 50%.

Since schools closed, she has submitted several essays and project work and I nearly burst into tears reading some of her feedback from teachers yesterday. They seemed really delighted and gave her great marks.

Dd really does seem to do better when away from other children. I’m genuinely worried now about her going back to school and losing this rediscovered spark!

She says she just can’t concentrate in class because of noise and because she loves talking to people so she just doesn’t bother to do the work.

Any advice for managing this when she returns? I’ve already told her that she’ll need to start doing extra work in evenings and weekends if her marks slip again now I know she is capable when she tries.

Thanks for any advice.

[TeenPlusTwenties]

Now the teachers know what she is capable of they will start expecting more, I think. Also though you could ask her to be moved to the front of the class away from friends to help her concentrate. Also worth having a word with her tutor if noise is a general problem though tbh it sounds as if your DD is contributing to that somewhat!

[Destroyer]

Well, she’s also need to take some responsibility.

[Malmontar]

I would ask her to be moved to the middle, very front desk. My DD is the opposite, she's also y7 and 12 but doesn't talk at all and won't say when she needs help. After moving her to the front it helped a lot as the teacher could keep her eye on her. She hates it but it works and she improved massively.

I'm v selfishly hoping schools stay closed till sept as DD is also doing really well at home. I'm able to supplement loads and help her catch up in a lot of subjects. It's been really nice for her to go at her own pace and I'm dreading the return to school. She's either low sets full of disruptive kids or sets that go way too quickly.

[Kelsoooo]

Use this time to teach your daughter some self responsibility.

My DD at 7 is very much the same. And with homeschooling is really flying, she's like her dad, very bright but won't apply herself.

So I'm using this time to instill a better work ethic and the importance of understanding when it is and isn't appropriate to talk.

[SlowDown76mph]

Motivation. Can you start some discussions about what she enjoyed (or didn't) about any of the work she has submitted to school? Explore possible future careers? Raise her aspirations?

[crazycrofter]

My year 9 ds is similar. He was diagnosed with ADHD at the start of year 9 and it explains the issues he's always had with focus and distraction.

I'm not sure what the answer is, however, since his year have been put in sets for English, Maths and Science he's been better (well, in those subjects anyway) as he's mainly not with his friends. We've said to all his teachers not to hesitate to move him, and to sit him on his own if it's possible (but the classrooms are usually full unfortunately). I remember one time when ds did unusually well in a test - it was because he'd been sent out of the room to work in the corridor and he spent the time revising without any distraction!

A lot of it is about motivation and responsibility too. We're not there yet with ds, but as he moves into year 10 I'm hoping he will start to want to do well and maybe take responsibility? He's definitely doing better at home - we knew that already as he was home educated in years 5 and 6. It's more difficult to do in secondary though, although we've been threatening it all this year if he didn't buck his ideas up at school!

[BiggerBoat1]

She obviously has brains to do well, she just needs to grow up a bit now. It is the same for lots of children when they start secondary school. They suddenly have more freedoms and have to be more responsible for their own learning and some of them don't quite have the maturity. I'm sure she'll be fine, just give her time.

[HandfulofDust]

It could be ADHD (often girls only begin to show symptoms as the hormones from pubity ramp up) or could simply be that she's getting older and more invested in her social life. It's great the teachers are seeing her potential now - how did she do at homework when she was attending school? I think that would be a great way of maintaining her current momentum. Maybe agreeing no phone for X hours after school so she focuses on work, revises for tests etc.

[Leonessie]

Just don't send her back to school?? Home ed is perfectly legal and she can easily fulfil her potential, particularly if she is as self motivated as she sounds...self motivation is very attractive to universities and future employers.

[Davespecifico]

Swap to online school if you can afford it. It’s cheaper than private school.