As a child, going back to school or starting a new school, can be quite worrying, as soon as they see ‘Back to school’ in the big high street shops. They might get butterflies in their tummy, thinking, that their new teacher might be really strict or that exam, they have to face, might be really difficult.

There is a huge amount of pressure on young people to get into the right school to succeed academically. So just to keep up with the next child we send them to music lessons, private tuition, and verbal reasoning, practise and sports lessons. Of course we want the best for our children, but not at the expense of equally important family time. So instead of being excited at seeing their friends again, some children will feel stressed and anxious.

‘In Praise of Slow’, Carl Honore challenges the modern ‘cult of speed’ and argues that all this rushing around is making us short-tempered, irritable, even ill. Honore goes on to say, ‘We don’t know how to enjoy ourselves, anymore, because we are always looking ahead to the next thing. ‘He argues that, ‘Children as young as five now suffer from stomach upsets, headaches, insomnia and eating disorders, brought on by stress.’

He believes that, “It is much better to study at a gentle pace, taking time to explore subjects deeply, to make connections and to learn how to think, rather than just pass exams”.

I tend to agree, and if this approach is combined with proper functional preparation, your child will pass exams easily because they are prepared. Please note, tutoring is an incredibly important part of the preparation process for the seven and eleven plus exams. It reduces stress by preparing children adequately, so they know what to expect and how to execute tasks to the best of their ability.

Until next time, Elisa