Tooled Up Education

10 Ways to Support Your Child with Interview Practice

When children are preparing for an interview for a new school, it can be nerve wracking for them and us alike. It’s important for us parents to support them through the process calmly, helping them to feel prepared and comfortable. Here are our top tips.

Supporting Transition: Quick Tips for Parents

Changes at school or home are exciting times in a child’s life, and in yours, but they can also feel a little bit daunting. To help children approach change with a sense of excitement rather than dread, we have 10 transition tips for parents that can be ‘tried and applied’ at home. Watch this short video to learn more.

Moving Up to Year 7: An Activity for Children

This activity is aimed at young people who will soon be moving up to Year 7. It nudges them to consider how change makes them feel and think of all the things that they are excited about as well as anything that might make them feel a bit wobbly. It is similar to our activity called ‘How Do I feel About Change’ but has additional sections on seeking further information and making new friends.

Planning for All Eventualities when Choosing a School or Waiting for Exam Results: An Activity to Help Children Feel Prepared

When children and teens are taking important exams or you are working together to choose their school, it’s vital that both you and they understand all of the options and have a positive plan for all outcomes. They need to know that, whatever happens, there are always avenues open to them and that there are numerous ways of achieving their goals. Help them to research and prepare and ensure that you’ve had plenty of conversations about all of the different pathways. Fill out these Plan A, B and C templates, pop them in envelopes and keep them for results day. On the day itself, open the relevant envelope and use it to help all of the positives shine through.

Helping Children Deal with Disappointment if They Aren’t Offered Their First Choice School

When children aren’t offered a place at their first choice school, especially if they’ve worked hard to sit an exam, or gone through an interview process, they can feel disappointed, deflated, and perhaps even rejected. If your child needs some help navigating through some of the discomfort of these emotions, here are our top tips. We’d recommend that you read this advice in advance, so that you can put some pre-emptive steps in place, which will help your child to feel content and hopeful, whatever setting they eventually attend.

Dr Weston Talks with Caoimhe Dempsey: How Parents Feel when Kids Start School

In this interview, Dr Weston talks with PhD student, Caoimhe Dempsey about her research into how parents feel when their children first start school. We know a lot about how to make children ‘school-ready’ in terms of their learning, but what about how parental attitudes and emotions impact their transition? Do parents tend to feel positively about school starting? How does it impact on their life? Tune in to find out!