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Picture the scene: you’re seven years old.

Your parents have decided that you might benefit from tutoring.

But the last thing you want to do is sit still, after hours upon hours of sitting still at school.

So what’s the solution?

Play.

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Although has been my main work almost a decade, I’ve also been tutoring primary school children for the past 12 years on an ad-hoc basis.

Whilst I’ve always made my lessons playful, it was when my own children grew older that I started to think: what if play didn’t have to stop?

What if I could combine the play-based approach that I’m passionate about with the curriculum children are required to learn?

And that’s ultimately why I decided to officially launch .

The Cottage Classroom is for everyone. Whether you have elected to home educate or are looking for a little extra support with your children’s studies at school, here you can get help from a fully qualified primary school teacher.

One of the things that I love the most about being a private tutor is tailoring my lessons exactly to the needs of my students. I rarely reuse lessons and most of the handmade resources that I make for sessions go home with that student at the end of the lesson or unit.

But perhaps best of all is the chance to really get to know my students. As a fully qualified teacher, I know the challenges of getting to know each child in a class of 30. But as a tutor, I can quickly build up a rapport with my pupils. I know the sports they play on the weekend, the songs they listen to on repeat (usually Taylor Swift!) and even what their favourite colour is. And all of this means that I can weave in their interests to the lessons I teach.

I’ve created a handmade fine motor toolkit for a young girl obsessed with Mr Toad from Wind in the Willows; designed board games that sneakily build spelling skills for the boy who loves to compete and built an ice-cream shop for the girl who enjoys designing recipes at home, so that she could learn how to add and subtract decimals.

We also get outside as much as possible, because movement and fresh air is so beneficial for learning.

So how does a play-based approach work online?

Whether online or in person, my tutoring sessions are tailored to suit the needs of your child in a fun and engaging manner.

Parents opt for online lessons for a range of reasons including health complications, time constraints or simply living in a different town or country!

My role continues to focus on building up a rapport with my students and making their learning engaging.

This has included using puppets with very young children, creating a movement based unit for a child learning about prepositions using, ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ and designing an interactive café to work on numeracy skills.

If you would like to find out more about The Cottage Classroom, email me at sian@thecottageclassroom.com or book a session below:

Book a Session

Find Out more:

Not only do I have experience tutoring home educated children, but my eldest son is electively home-schooled. I believe that there isn’t a ‘one size, fits all’ method for education, and as a parent, you need to decide what is best for your child.

Consultancy Services

Thinking about home-schooling or looking for fresh ideas to support your child’s learning?

My consultancy sessions provide a dedicated space for you to ask questions, gain clarity, and feel confident in your next steps. Whether you're just starting out, need advice on creating a learning rhythm, or want practical tips on areas like spelling, reading, or engaging reluctant learners, these sessions offer a supportive and experienced sounding board.

Book a session to explore personalised strategies tailored to your family's needs.

Book a Session

Bespoke Curriculums

I currently offer curriculum design for parents who are seeking support with literacy lessons and project-based studies. The full package includes planning, slide decks and printable resources but this can be adapted to suit your needs and budget.

As a UK trained educator, I have a full understanding of the National Curriculum and Early Learning Goals. In addition to this, I have experience in tailoring curriculums to EHCP and IEP targets.

Recent projects have included the creation of a tailored fine motor toolkit for a school starter and a Winter themed unit for a home-school family.

Curriculum length, price and support depends on your needs. In order to get started, please book a consultation session.

‘The Classics’ Curriculum

I am currently planning The Classics Curriculum, which will be available to purchase after Easter 2025.

To find out more information, please send me a message below:

Lessons

There’s a whole host of reasons why you might be considering tutoring: from a quick confidence boost to catch - up sessions on a particular subject matter. All lessons at The Cottage Classroom are tailored so that students can achieve their maximum potential. As a former researcher turned teacher, I take pride in ensuring that all of my sessions are tailored precisely to the needs of my students.

Lessons take place either at my house in the Northamptonshire countryside or online. Session types depend on the individual student. Some attend lessons weekly with a specific target in mind, whereas others have lessons on a daily basis.

Availability

To check my current lesson availability, view The Cottage Classroom Google Calendar. You can book online via Google Meet or message me directly.

My working hours are:

Monday - Thursday: 10am - 2pm (online only)

Monday - Wednesday: 3.30pm - 6pm (in-person, after school sessions)

I offer lessons that align with the British school term, however I’m happy to discuss alternative working arrangements for international students.

Group Sessions

I am currently planning to offer home-school group sessions during term-time, specialising in English skills for KS1 and KS2 students.

During school holidays, I run workshops for school starters, KS1 and KS2 children.

To register your interest in these sessions, please send me a message and specify whether you would need home-school or school holiday sessions.

The Cottage Classroom is an antidote to the fast-paced, stressful environment that has become the modern day classroom. Here, we focus on making learning joyful: taking a literacy rich, holistic approach to learning in the primary years of schooling.

I’m here for anyone who ever wondered if there was a different approach to learning. As a fully qualified primary school teacher, I know all too well the stress schools, students and their parents are under. Unfortunately, the joy has been sucked out of learning in favour of standardised tests. Teachers are leaving at record levels¹ and classes are often left with substitutes and TAs. This has a huge impact on children

The Cottage Classroom is for everyone. Whether you have elected to home educate or are looking for a little extra support with your children’s studies at school, here you can get help from a fully qualified primary school teacher.

The Cottage Classroom is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Why ‘The Cottage Classroom’?

I live in ‘Dragon Cottage’² which is located right in the heart of England. Growing up in the countryside had a direct impact on my own learning and I have fond memories of school. Fast-forward to today and I am right back in the village I grew up in.

I believe that a warm and nurturing learning environment helps children to learn. Most days, you’ll find us gathered around the kitchen table working on projects, reading or completing lessons.

About Siân

I’m Siân³, a former primary school teacher turned private tutor and educational consultant. You might also recognise me from my early years blog,

This Playful Home

I work with parents from all over the world through online courses, workshops and coaching. After seeing an increased demand for my private tuition sessions, I have decided to launch The Cottage Classroom to support home-schoolers and parents looking for extra support for their children.

Whilst I originally started out with a large following on Instagram, more recently I have navigated over to Substack and Pinterest where I’ve rediscovered my joy for sharing educational content.

When I’m not working, I’m usually out exploring the countryside with my husband and three children (aged 6-16).

I have experience both as a mainstream teacher and a home-school parent. At various points, all three of my children have been home educated: either fulltime or part-time. Currently, my youngest two children attend the local primary school whilst my eldest son is undertaking his studies at home.

Career, Education & Experience

After A-levels, I studied Politics and International Relations. I then went on to gain an MA in Journalism from UAL. A year after my oldest son was born, I felt a calling to become a teacher, so I pursued a PGCE in Primary Education.

I have now lived in three different countries which was an incredible experience for both myself and my family. Navigating international education systems helped to shape me as a teacher and broadened my horizons on learning.

Diplomatic families sought my help and advice with schooling and I have them to thank for my career pivot into private tutoring and consultancy work.

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Private Lessons

In addition to the materials here on Substack, I offer private tuition, home-school support and consultancy services via Google Workspace:

‘My son is dyslexic and so has found reading, writing and spelling skills during his early years. Sian’s professional, personal and caring approach meant that he trusted Sian and was comfortable learning with her. As a result, his confidence and abilities in reading, spelling and writing all improved markedly.’

D. Wrigley

My other work:

This Playful Home: A play-based approach to learning in the early years of childhood.

Our Reading Rituals: Children’s classical literature, Book Club and curriculum overviews

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Are you a qualified teacher?

Yes, I am a fully qualified British primary school teacher with experience teaching a range of age-groups from reception class to year 6.

In addition to this, I regularly undertake CPD and have recently taken courses in designing play invitations, loose parts, STEM and outdoor learning.

What age groups do you tutor?

I tutor children from the ages of 4 to 12. I use both the Early Years Framework and National Curriculum in my planning. 1

Do you teach all subjects?

I am qualified to teach all primary age groups, however I specialise in a reading and writing.

Where do lessons take place?

Lessons predominately take place online. However I do also have limited availability for in-person lessons at my home.

Please note that I do not offer home visits.

How do I find out your availability?

For an initial consultation, you are able to find out my current availability via Google Calendar here. If you would like to book a regular tutoring session, send me a message or email.

Please note that I’m based in the UK and time slots reflect that. However, if you can’t find a suitable time, send me a message below:

What happens if I need to cancel a session?

Because all sessions are planned in advance, it’s important to let me know as soon as possible if you are unable to attend. You can find out more about lesson policies here.

Do you provide resources?

Resources are provided for sessions and are included as part of my fee. You can find out more about resources for online lessons (here)

Do you tutor home-school children?

Yes, I tutor home educated children. I also provide educational consultancy services and bespoke curriculums for parents looking to deliver their own lessons.

An online store is currently in development for ‘off-the-peg’ curriculums and educational resources.

Do you run group sessions?

I offer literacy workshops during the Easter and Summer holidays. These take place both online and at my home.

I don’t currently run group sessions during term-time, however plans are in place for the next school year (2025/2026)

To register interest for workshops or home education groups , please message me:

Should I stay with my child during sessions?

This is a personal choice. For in person sessions, some parents stay in the lounge area whilst I teach whereas others prefer to drop their child off and collect them at the agreed time.

For online sessions, parental supervision may be required for younger children who aren’t used to online learning. A full guide to online lessons can be found here.

Do you teach children of all abilities?

Yes, I teach a range of children and am a firm believer in ‘stage not age’ which is why I provide lessons for children aged between 4 and 12. All of my lessons are tailored to suit the needs of the individual child. I have experience teaching all abilities from those who need additional support to children who are in need of challenge.

Do you tutor SEN children?

Whilst I’m not a specialist SEN teacher, I do have experience teaching children with a range of special education needs including dyslexia, GDD, ADHD and autism. I have worked with schools and parents to deliver sessions based on EHCPs and IEPs.

It’s important to note that I am a primary school teacher and am not qualified to provide speech therapy, occupational therapy or other services outside of my remit. Please reach out via email if you need to further discuss your child’s needs.

Online Lesson Agreement
By signing up to lessons with The Cottage Classroom, you agree to the following terms:

1. Lesson Delivery

• Lessons will be conducted via Google Meet only.

• It is the responsibility of the Client to ensure that the child has access to a functioning laptop or desktop with a stable internet connection.

• A fully charged device or a power source nearby is recommended.

2. Resources & Materials

• Printable lesson resources will be emailed in advance. It is the Client’s responsibility to print these before the lesson.

• The Tutor does not deliver physical resources or provide materials outside of online instruction.

3. Technical Issues

• If technical difficulties occur on the Client’s end (e.g., weak internet connection, device failure), the lesson will still be chargeable as planned.

• If the Tutor experiences technical difficulties, the lesson will be rescheduled or refunded.

4. Communication & Scheduling

• All scheduling and lesson-related communication must be conducted via email.

• The Tutor’s working hours are [Insert Your Hours Here]. Responses outside of these hours may be delayed.

5. Payment & Cancellation

• Payment terms, cancellation policy, and any additional fees (e.g., missed sessions) follow the Tutor’s standard contract.

I’m committed to providing a supportive, engaging, and structured learning experience for every child. These guidelines help ensure that sessions run smoothly and that expectations are clear for everyone.

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Where & How Lessons Take Place

• In-person sessions take place at The Cottage Classroom. I do not travel to students’ homes.

• Online lessons are delivered via Google Meet. To get the most out of lessons, I recommend using a fully charged laptop or desktop with a stable internet connection.

• For online sessions, any resources will be emailed in advance for printing if needed. I am unable to deliver materials in person.

2. Health & Wellbeing (In-Person Sessions)

• To keep everyone well, I kindly ask that children do not attend if they are poorly, especially if they have:

•A high temperature

• Vomiting or diarrhoea (please wait at least 48 hours after the last episode before returning)

• Any other contagious illness

• If a child arrives unwell, we may need to reschedule the session in line with the cancellation policy.

• The learning space is just for students—siblings or additional adults can’t attend unless we’ve discussed it in advance, however the lounge is available for parents who wish to stay.

• Please note, that I do not offer childminding as part of my services.

3. Drop-Off & Pick-Up

• Please arrive on time for drop-off and collection. If you’re running late, just send me a quick message.

• If a child arrives more than 15 minutes late, I may not be able to continue the session.

4. Online Learning Guidelines

• Families are responsible for their own technology. A strong WiFi connection and a quiet space help make the most of the session.

• If there are technical difficulties on the student’s end, I may not be able to extend or reschedule the lesson.

• Online lessons should take place in a calm, supervised space where the child can focus.

5. Cancellations & Rescheduling

• I understand that things come up! If you need to cancel or reschedule, please give at least 48 hours’ notice so I can offer the slot to another family.

• Cancellations with less than 48 hours’ notice will still be charged in full, except in exceptional circumstances.

• If I ever need to cancel, I’ll always offer a rescheduled session or a full refund.

6. Additional Reports & Meetings

• If you need a detailed report, written update, or a meeting with another professional (such as a teacher or therapist), I’m happy to help but please note that these services will be charged at my standard hourly rate (£45 per hour).

• If you need support with EHCP documentation, IEP documentation or other formal paperwork, please get in touch to discuss options.

7. Resources & Materials

• If your child borrows any books or resources, please return them in good condition during the next scheduled session.

• If an item is lost or damaged, there will be a charge at full market value to replace it.

• For online lessons, parents are responsible for printing any necessary materials ahead of time.

8. Communication & Working Hours

• To help keep everything organised, I ask that all lesson-related communication is sent via email rather than WhatsApp or social media.

• My working hours are Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm. If you send a message outside of these times, I’ll respond as soon as possible during my working hours. Please note that I do not check my phone during lesson time.

As a fully-qualified primary school teacher, I love designing curriculums that are not only engaging for my students but follow national curriculum targets.1

Bespoke Curriculums

I currently offer curriculum design for parents who are seeking support with literacy lessons and project-based studies. The full package includes planning, slide decks and printable resources but this can be adapted to suit your needs and budget.

As a UK trained educator, I have a full understanding of the National Curriculum and Early Learning Goals. In addition to this, I have experience in tailoring curriculums to EHCP and IEP targets.

Recent projects have included the creation of a tailored fine motor toolkit for a school starter and a Winter themed unit for a home-school family.

Curriculum length, price and support depends on your needs. In order to get started, please book a consultation session

‘The Classics’ Curriculum

I am currently planning The Classics Curriculum, which will be available to purchase after Easter 2025.

To find out more information, please send me a message below:

There’s a whole host of reasons why you might be considering tutoring: from a quick confidence boost to catch - up sessions on a particular subject matter. Perhaps your child has been absent from school after a prolonged illness or they are preparing for an entrance exam to secondary school. No matter the reason, I’m here to help you.

All lessons at The Cottage Classroom are tailored so that students can achieve their maximum potential. As a former researcher turned teacher, I take pride in ensuring that all of my sessions are tailored precisely to the needs of my students.

How Tutoring at The Cottage Classroom Works

The Cottage Classroom is for children aged between 4-12.

Whether you are a home-school family or looking for a little extra support with your children’s studies at school, here you can get help from a fully qualified primary school teacher.

The Cottage Classroom is an antidote to the fast-paced, stressful environment that has become the modern day classroom. Here, we focus on making learning joyful: taking a literacy rich, holistic approach to learning in the primary years of schooling.

Lessons take place either at my house in the Northamptonshire countryside or online. Session types depend on the individual student. Some attend lessons weekly with a specific target in mind, whereas others have lessons on a daily basis.

Availability

To check my current lesson availability, view The Cottage Classroom Google Calendar. You can book online via Google Meet or message me directly.

My working hours are:

Monday - Thursday: 10am - 2pm (online only)

Monday - Wednesday: 3.30pm - 6pm (in-person, after school sessions)

‘My son always spoke highly of Sian and enjoyed his time learning with her. He would come home and tell us how much fun he had, how kind Sian was, and that she put him at ease with his learning. This was a significant statement from him as teachers at his school regularly made him feel like he was going too slow, or was wasting their time.’

Adrienne Steward

Pricing

Initial consultation: £45

The initial consultation includes:

• A meeting with you and your child

• A meeting or email discussion with your child’s teacher to gain insight into their current level, interventions and targets.

1:1 Tutoring: £45 per hour

Each one hour lesson includes:

• my planning and preparation time

• resources

• one hour lesson

Group Lesson: £25 per hour

I am currently planning to offer home-school group sessions during term-time, specialising in English skills for KS1 and KS2 students.

During school holidays, I run workshops for school starters, KS1 and KS2 children.

To register your interest in these sessions, please send me a message and specify whether you would need home-school or school holiday sessions.

Book a Session

How I drink my coffee hot is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

As a former teacher, I have to say that report writing wasn’t my favourite thing to do. Writing 30+ reports and ensuring that they were personalised is a huge task on top of every other teaching responsibility. I much preferred meetings and parents evenings so that I could go over progress with the parents directly - this also meant I could answer any questions or queries immediately. But I digress.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of School Reports

Good:

• Good schools will hand out reports at least one week to 10 days before the end of term. That way you can raise any issues with your child’s teacher in plenty of time.

• When you read your child’s report, you should feel like the teacher really knows your child.

• The report shows a good balance between what your child excels at and what they need to work on.

• Areas for improvement are clear and understandable (i.e. not in teacher speak!)

• The report shows a clear indication of how your child has been helped throughout the year - e.g. any intervention groups they have been part of.

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In addition to this, a good school will usually invite you to an open morning or afternoon a few times per year so that you can view your child’s school work and invite you to one to two parenting evenings.

Bad:

• You are genuinely shocked by some aspects of the report contents with regards to behaviour issues or academic progress.*

• The report is generic and you don’t get the impression the teachers know your child at all. Or even worse, you find another child’s name in the report!

• The report only talks about the positives and gives you no idea on areas for improvement.

• The report is overly negative and doesn’t highlight any areas of strength at all.

• The report is written in teacher speak and you feel like you need to have an education degree to understand it!

*I will caveat this by saying, this doesn’t count if you have missed all parents evenings and requests for meetings from the school!

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How I approach reports

When I first receive the reports home, I prefer to read them in a calm and quiet area of the house. I sort out snacks etc first and when the children are playing, I take my time to read them.

To start, I’ll take a top line approach of overall behaviour and grades, then I’ll go back and read them properly. After that, I read through the report with the children with a real emphasis on the positive aspects.

Then, over the coming weeks, I’ll see if there are any areas of improvement that could easily be worked on at home. For example, my daughter’s report mentioned that she needs to work on analogue time. This is something we can easily remedy by reminding her to put on her ‘tell the time’ watch each morning.

I’ll be addressing the so called ‘summer slide’ in next week’s email.

What to do with the information

Do:

• Sit down with your child and go through the information and what it means (older children might wish to read the report themselves).

• Praise effort and progress. Sometimes your child might not meet the end of year expected level for their age group, despite working hard and making progress. It is still important that you praise their individual effort and avoid comparison to their peers.

• Seek out clarification from the teacher if you are unsure of anything on the report.

• Ask for advice on how to help your child at home, particularly if you notice any patterns to the report. For example, issues with focus and concentration levels.

• Request information on how the teachers plan to help your child in the next class (in instances where they do need extra support) and ask if the new teacher is aware of any needs.

• Make a plan, if needed, to seek out resources online or 1:1 tuition to support your child during the next academic year.

Don’t:

• If you have more than one child, avoid comparisons and overly favouring one child’s results.

• Focus solely on the negative aspects of the report.

• Feel bad about requesting a meeting for clarification on elements of your child’s report.

• Set up a strict school-like schedule over summer for your child to follow in order to ‘catch up’.

• Avoid seeking out help for your child so that they can better grasp concepts they are falling behind on.

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And finally…

School reports are a great indicator of how your child is doing academically and socially (within a school setting). But there’s a whole host of things a school report doesn’t highlight from their sporting or music prowess to what a fantastic sibling they are. A school report doesn’t typically show how talented your child is at performing arts or how they show enthusiasm when helping out in the kitchen.

Take a ‘whole child’ approach and add the information from school to your wider picture of your child.

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One of the main issues with Parents’ Evening is that they are short. Each slot is typically 10-15 minutes, meaning that you need to make each minute count. 

Whilst teachers should have a plan of what they are going to say to you, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared with your own questions. 

As a former teacher and mum to three, it’s safe to say I’ve had a lot of Parent’s Evenings over the years. 

I know that there is nothing worse than attending a Parents’ Evening and feeling as though the teacher doesn’t know your child. 

I know the horrible feeling of being bombarded with an issue that you were previously blissfully unaware of. 

I recently saw a Threads post that went something along the lines of, ‘I don’t attend parents evening. My child gets good grades and is never in trouble.’ And whilst, yes, that is fantastic, there is so much more to attending parents evening.

First and foremost, it shows your child that you are interest in their education and their lives beyond home. Attending also helps you get to know the teachers and school a little better.

School’s usually give plenty of notice for Parent’s Evening, so get the dates in the diary. Set a remember on your phone when slots are made available to book - you often need to be lightening fast to get the appointment you want!

If the stars don’t align and you can’t make the evening, speak to the teachers and make alternative arrangements.

Should your child attend?

This really varies from school to school. Some strictly do not want children there whilst others encourage it. If communication hasn’t been very clear from the school, check in with the teacher.

If at all possible, leave younger siblings at nursery or in the care of a trusted adult so that they aren’t distracting from your discussion. It’s very difficult to focus on the meeting if a toddler is trying their best to destroy a display - I speak from experience on this one! Ultimately, My husband and I decided that it was much better for one of us to attend and give full focus than both attend with distracted focus.

Question Prep

Since it’s the first parents’ evening of the year, you probably haven’t had the opportunity to see any of your child’s work from this academic term. Therefore, refer back to the previous school report and review the contents. The end of year report will give you topics of conversation to help tailor the meeting to your child’s needs. 

Talk to your child about their progress but don’t just make it about academics. Ask them about friendships, any difficulties they’ve had understanding lessons and whether they are enjoying the new term. 

Since you only have 10-15 minutes, aim to prepare between 3-5 questions that you could ask. Subjects could include:

• academic progress

• learning style and needs

• classroom behaviour and social skills

• engagement and motivation

• support and collaboration

Sometimes, a school might also ask you to do a little preparation beforehand. I’ve previously been asked by teachers to consider ‘two stars and a wish’ (two things I think my child is doing well and one thing I would like them to work on) prior to the meeting. 

Clear Communication

Neither you or the teacher should feel blindsided by anything that happens during Parents’ Evening.

Parents’ Evening is really intended as a general overview of your child’s progress and if the teacher has noticed anything more serious, they should’ve already made you aware.

Likewise, avoid saving up all issues until Parents’ Evening. You want to make your child the centre of the evening rather than creating a catalogue of complaints about teaching or management.

If you have major concerns about your child’s academic progress, friendships or behaviour, then arrange for a separate meeting to take place. This gives the school time to investigate and arrange for any specialist teachers (such as the SENCO) to be present.

Teacher Lingo

Don’t be embarrassed to ask for clarification on terms. Teachers, myself included, tend to speak in abbreviations or teacher talk. You might’ve noticed it above when I used the term ‘SENCO’. SENCO is the abbreviated form of Specialist Educational Needs Coordinator. You might’ve heard the term before or perhaps you haven’t. Most teachers aren’t trying to be difficult when they use technical language — they just forget!

Keep an open mind

It can feel terribly confronting when you are faced with an issue over your child’s progress. Try to avoid jumping to conclusions and listen carefully to the teacher’s feedback.

Aim to ask clear, constructive questions that will help you to overcome any problems. For example:

How can we address this challenge together?

How can I support learning at home?

With that being said, you shouldn’t be in a situation where you are faced with a laundry list of negatives from the teacher. However, if this arises, prompt them for feedback on strengths.

Goal Setting

Be wary of the teacher who claims your child is perfect in every way.

Be wary of thinking that your own child is perfect in every way.

I’ve had plenty of experience of teaching children who are naturally good at everything, but there is always something that could be developed.

Aim to set a SMART goal for your child that is specific to their needs. Something that could be worked on for one school term (approximately 6 weeks) is best.

For example, instead of saying 'I want Daisy to be able to tell the time’, break it down to working on telling the time to o’clock and half-past as a starting point.

Here’s some more examples:

Instead of ‘write better stories’ try ‘use adjectives to improve descriptions’.

Instead of ‘talking more in class discussions’ try ‘contribute at least one idea per lesson’.

Currently one of the students I tutor is working on a simplified goal to help improve his reading. Whilst the overall goal is to help boost reading fluency, the actual goal right now is about reading CVC (consonant vowel consonant) words. Once he has mastered these, we will move on to a new goal.

Plan to follow up on any goals you have made towards the end of next term. This could simply be an informal chat at the school gates or a longer meeting.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Parents’ Evening

Good:

• Good schools will notify parents of Parents’ Evening at least 6 weeks in advance. They will also send out further notifications when the booking system is open.

• When you meet your child’s teacher, you should feel like the teacher really knows your child.

• The meeting shows a good balance between what your child excels at and what they need to work on.

• The teacher talks about ‘whole-child’ progress, rather than focusing on academics only.

• Plans are clearly in place for interventions and how you can help your child at home.

In addition to this, a good school will usually invite you to an open morning or afternoon a few times per year so that you can view your child’s school work.

Bad:

• You are genuinely shocked by some aspects of the meeting with regards to behaviour issues or academic progress.*

• The meeting is generic and you don’t get the impression the teachers know your child at all.

• The teacher is overly negative and doesn’t highlight any areas of strength.

• The meetings are severely behind schedule, leaving you feeling frustrated!

*I will caveat this by saying, this doesn’t count if you have missed all requests for meetings from the school!

What to do with the information you receive

Do:

• Sit down with your child and go through the information and what it means

• Praise effort and progress.

• Seek out clarification from the teacher if you are unsure of anything

• Ask for advice on how to help your child at home, particularly if you notice any patterns. For example, issues with focus and concentration levels.

• Request information on how the teachers plan to help your child in the next class (in instances where they do need extra support).

• Make a plan, if needed, to seek out resources online or 1:1 tuition to support your child.

Don’t:

• If you have more than one child, avoid comparisons and overly favouring one child’s results.

• Focus solely on the negative aspects of the report.

• Feel bad about requesting further meetings.

• Avoid seeking out help for your child so that they can better grasp concepts they are falling behind on.

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As someone who lived in Australia for four years, I can’t help but associate early February with the start of a new school year. But regardless of whether your child is starting school for the first time or not, there’s always an opportunity to start afresh with a simple, calming before school rhythm.

Establish a family rhythm is something that I feel very passionate about. Rhythms helped me go from overwhelmed and exhausted to feeling joy and connection.

Having a family of 5 means that mornings have the potential to be extremely chaotic. But I learnt that they don’t have to be that way. Calm, simple mornings can be achieved: you just need to be organised and start building habits.

Why is it important to build a before school rhythm?

• Mornings have the power to make or break the entire day. Starting off the day stressed affects the entire family.

• Being consistently late for school makes for an unsettled start. The first 10 – 15 minutes of the school day might not seem like a big deal, but being on time helps your child feel settled.

• Being organised means you have more time to connect with your child. Connection time – even micro moments – can make all the difference.

• Planning and organisation upfront means you’re less likely to forget events. Again, forgetting a library book in the early years might not seem all that important, but it can make your child feel like they are missing out.

Change always begins with an awareness that something isn’t working.

My moment of clarity came with the realisation that the stress, rush and chaos we all felt each morning before school was benefitting no one. My eldest son was 7 and his sister was just a baby. I was often tired from sleepless nights, which definitely affected my overall mood.

But with that being said, I didn’t want to be the ‘shouty’ mum who nagged the kids and told them repeatedly to hurry-up. I didn’t want my children’s lasting memory of the school morning to be one where they saw me stressed.

Start observing your current before school rhythm, without judgement

Whether you truly realise it, you probably have some element of rhythm already. It just might not be working for you.

When I first observed our mornings, I realised:

• TV time was too distracting. Whilst it felt like a good idea when my eldest son woke up early and I was exhausted from being up all night with the baby, it wasn’t doing us any favours

• My son struggled to find his backpack, shoes and hat because there was no organised system.

• I was often hurriedly checking the school newsletter for any important events

• Breakfast was rushed. My son couldn’t reach any of the plates, bowls etc because of the layout of the kitchen so he relied on me to do everything. This wasn’t always easy with the baby.

Change starts with small steps. So little by little, we changed our morning rhythm: simply starting with turning off the TV and replacing it with a morning basket.

6 simple ideas to make your before school rhythm less overwhelming and more joyful

Set reminders on your phone

As soon as you receive a school newsletter or calendar with key dates, get them in your diary! Make it part of your regular weekly rhythm. Set up repeated reminders for:

• PE Day

• Library Day

• Homework Day

• After-school club

I set notifications for the night before so that I can remind the children of any additional items they need to pack.

Prepare schoolbag the night before

Build habits that will help everyone. As soon as my children get in from school, they know they need to take their lunchbox, snack box and drink bottle to the kitchen ready to be washed.

After a snack and homework, bags get repacked. It helps to have a copy of your child’s timetable (especially for those in secondary school) so they know what needs to be packed.

I involve my younger children in this process so that when they reach the middle years, they can independently pack and check their bag.

Some parents find preparing school lunch the night before helpful, but I really think this depends on you and your schedule. I am an early bird, so I prefer to make lunches in the morning. Trial both and see what works best for you.

Create a simple school week wardrobe (if your child doesn’t wear uniform)

My children have attended schools where there is a uniform policy and ones where this is no official uniform. I honestly believe that a uniform is better because it takes some of the stress away from deciding! However, there’s no reason you can’t create a simple school week wardrobe for your child. Here are some ideas:

• Hang outfits together, clearly labelled with the day

• Remove all out of season or unsuitable clothing from the wardrobe

• Clear out a drawer and use it specifically for school clothes

With school clothing, comfort outweighs style, especially in the early years when your child will spend all day playing – which probably means getting messy too!

Avoid Screens

I’m not a parent who is anti-screen, but I don’t believe they do anyone any favours first thing in the morning. Watching fast-paced cartoons or being too engrossed in an iPad screen takes away from important connection time.

So what to do instead?

• Create a simple morning invitation

• Create a morning activity basket

• Provide an art cart

• Provide a selection of books to read

• Encourage independent play in the play space

Provide a buffet style breakfast

This doesn’t mean a banquet style breakfast worthy of a hotel, but simply placing all breakfast items (including bowls, cups, and spoons) on the kitchen or dining room table.

The problem with a lot of kitchens is that they aren’t geared up for small children. Reaching bowls, cereals and milk from the fridge can be hard – and sometimes dangerous if your child is trying to climb the kitchen counters to reach things. So until your child is tall enough, provide a buffet style breakfast.

Organise the entrance way

School mornings can often go smoothly right until the last minute, then disaster strikes! Your child simply cannot find their shoe! Cue frantically scrambling for the lost shoe and a mad dash out of the door.

It only takes one thing to throw the entire morning off track.

Organising the entrance way of your house so that you have dedicated cubbies or baskets for each child can help with this.

Again, build systems into your after-school rhythm to help with this. Get your child into the habit of putting their shoes in the cubby and hanging up their coat as soon as they get home for the day.

Journal Prompts to help improve your before school rhythm

• How do I want to feel each morning?

• How do I want my children to feel each morning?

• What elements of our morning routine work well? Why do they work?

• What elements of our morning routine cause problems? How can we eliminate or minimise those problems?

• What’s one slight change we could implement immediately?