Do you know the feeling of opening a fresh notepad and a sense of excitement fills your heart? I experienced it as a primary school student going to the stationery shop, or even as an adult at the start of the university year. An empty notepad waiting to be filled with important notes, to-do lists, scribbles and sketches as the mind wanders and one-word notes. Flicking back through the book at the end of the year will jog everything that has taken place over the year, allow feelings of pride and opportunities to carry over goals into the next year.
A fresh notepad can also symbolise opportunity. As we approach the return to school, we can view this as the opening of a blank notebook. Empty pages waiting to be written with new adventures, memories and challenges. For some children, this blank notepad may feel daunting. As if sitting down to write a story and the blank page stares back dauntingly or not wanting to make a mistake in a new book.
Continue reading for some advice on how to tackle this.
Framing a Positive Mindset
In the lead up to school returning, try and have conversations that allow your child to share how they’re feeling. Highlight the exciting new opportunities that will arise in the return to school: new friends, teachers, activities, classes, clubs, subjects and much more. Be conscious of the language you are using in conversations – try and frame your language positively. For example, if your child has shared with you their worries over maths, rather than saying ‘Was maths as scary as you imagined?’, you could say ‘Tell me about maths today, what is something new that you learned?’
Even small shifts in how we phrase questions can make a big difference in helping children feel capable and motivated.
Tackle their worries
In the lead up to returning to school, children may share their worries with you. In which case, try and be solution focussed to help them come up with an action plan. For example, if they share they’re worried about not being in a class with any of their friends, rather than consoling them in this worry, try and reframe it and develop a plan of attack together. You could say ‘How can you use this an opportunity to make some new friends? When you first walk into the classroom, what can you do?’ and come up with a plan together.
Often, the act of creating a plan together is enough to ease their concerns and remind them that they don’t have to face challenges alone.
The Power of Goal Setting
Just like that fresh notebook, the new school year is full of possibilities, but it can also feel overwhelming if there isn’t a sense of direction. This is where goal setting becomes valuable. Helping your child set goals gives them a sense of purpose and something to work towards. Some goals are short-term, like finishing their next reading book by the end of the month or improving their score on the next spelling test. Others are long-term, such as building confidence in maths over the year or aiming for stronger report card results. A useful way to frame these is with the SMART method: goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. For example, instead of a vague “I want to get better at reading”, you might help them turn that into a SMART goal: “Read for 15 minutes before bed, four nights a week.”
Teachers and tutors can play a big role here too, helping children set realistic goals and gently holding them accountable in a supportive way.
The Role of Reflection
Another powerful habit to encourage is reflection. Taking a little time at the end of each day or week to think about what went well and what could be improved helps children develop self-awareness and take ownership of their learning. This might be as simple as asking them, “What are you proud of this week?” and “What would you like to do differently when faced with a tricky Biology question?” Reflection is not about pointing out mistakes, but about noticing progress and identifying the next small step forward. Over time, this practice builds resilience and helps children see that learning is a journey made up of successes, challenges and opportunities to grow.
Reflection works best when it’s gentle and regular, not forced. Even a short conversation on the journey home from school can spark valuable insights.
We’re Here to Help
At Dukes Tutoring, we offer bespoke Consultancy services with our team of experienced teachers. If you would like help or advice to help get your child started off on the best foot for the academic year, book a free thirty-minute non-committal consultation call here: https://calendly.com/ruby-dukestutoring/30min?month=2025-08
Good luck to all parents, carers and children with the return to school. We hope the next academic year is filled with success, opportunities, academic challenges, adventures and an abundance of joyful learning.
