Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre

Advice for Parents

Creating an effective working environment for your child, needs careful consideration. We recommend that you consider the following points:

Define a physical space for your child's study

Most children have a regular space to complete homework but it would be wise to consider whether this is appropriate for a longer period of time. It is better to set up a space in a common area where parents and carers can monitor learning and answer questions. It is also helpful for your child to have a separation between a relaxation space and a work space.

 Monitor work set on SMHW

Each Show My Homework student account has a corresponding parent or carer account, We recommend that you review work set and encourage students to "tick off" an activity when it is completed. This will help your child to feel in control of their learning and gain a sense of satisfaction.

Begin and end each day with a check-in

Students may well feel isolated due to the lack of engagement with their peers and school teachers. To support your child's wellbeing, we recommend that you start and end each day with a simple check-in. For example, what are your plans for today, what were your stress points, how can I help to support you?

Take an active role in helping your child to process their learning

During a normal school day your child will have plenty of interactions with students and teachers. They can ask questions and clarify learning. Some of these interactions will no doubt move online but any support parents and carers can offer will be very helpful. Don't under-estimate your own potential to learn new knowledge alongside your child.

Establish times for quiet and reflection

A challenge for families with multiple children will be how to manage all of their children’s needs, especially when those children are different ages and have different needs. There may be times when siblings need to work in different rooms to avoid distraction. Parents may even experiment with noise-cancelling headphones to block out distractions.

Encourage physical activity and/or exercise

Make sure your children remember to move and exercise. This is vitally important to their health, wellbeing, and to their learning. Think also about how your children can pitch in more around the house with chores or other responsibilities. Don’t let your children off the hook – expect them to pitch in.

Remain mindful of your child's stress or worry

It is imperative for parents to help their children manage the worry, anxiety, and range of emotions they may experience. Difficult though it may be, do you're best not to transfer your stress or worry to your children. They will be out of sorts, whether they admit it or not, and need as much normal routine as parents can provide. For help and guidance please refer to these online providers:

Teen in Crisis


NHS - Worried about your teenager:

Young Minds 

Monitor how much time your child is spending online

We do not want students staring at computer screens for 7-8 hours a day. We ask that parents remember most teachers are not experts in distance learning, and that it will require some trial-and-error before we find the right balance between online and offline learning experiences.

Keep your children social, but set rules around their social media

There’s sometimes excitement for students when a school closes. However, the initial excitement of school being closed will fade quickly when students start missing their friends, classmates, and teachers. Help your children maintain contact with friends when circumstances permit. Please also monitor your children’s social media use, especially during an extended school closure. Older students will rely more on social media to communicate with friends. Social media apps such as SnapChat, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Facebook are not official school sanctioned channels of communication.

Remind your children to be polite, respectful, and appropriate in their communications and to represent your family’s values in their interactions with others. A student’s written words and tone can sometimes offend or cause harm to others.