If you are a parent with children in school and feel like you don't know how best to support their development, that there are things other parents are doing that you're missing, then you might like to delve into some of the latest research on levelling the playing field in schools.
Schools are held responsible for aspects of youth development that fall outside of their remit, such as helping with homework, or encouraging student to learn. But according to Lee Elliot-Major, professor of social mobility at Exeter University, the best thing parents can do for their children is engage with them in the learning process: encourage them to want to learn, and help them with reading, learning and studying outside of school hours.
Learning is a culture rather than an isolated activity and a positive attitude to learning is the key to inspiring children to strive for more in schools.
Top tips
read with your kids
encourage them to read in their own time
discuss the news with them at dinner
take them to events and engage them in discussion of what they learned
make sure they do their homework if you can
engage a mentor if you can afford to
Above all, positive reinforcement and trying to instil a sense of joy and excitement into the learning experience can make a huge difference to student engagement in school. Learning is living. It's not boxed into mark schemes just because school can sometimes feel that way.