How to help your child overcome school anxiety

This is a sponsored article brought to you by TheSchoolRun and Performance Learning. 

Why does your child feel anxious about school? 

How your child sees themselves, their teachers, and their school dramatically affects their learning experience. Following over a decade of work in education, Tej Samani found that eight core factors shape how kids see themselves and their school life and, in turn, determine how well they do in school:

1. What they think about their school 
Is it a place where they feel happy, safe, and comfortable?

2. How they feel about learning
Are they excited to learn and gain knowledge?

3. Their self-image
Do they believe they can do well in school?

4. Being ready to learn
Are they motivated and prepared for lessons?

5. Their attitude towards teachers
Do they feel supported by their teachers and school staff, and do they have respect for them?

6. Their effort and determination 
Are they determined to succeed, both in school and later in life?

7. Showing up to learn
How important is going to school for them?

8. Subject demands
How do they feel about what is expected of them in school and from exams?
 

How to ease your child’s anxiety about school 

The key to boosting your child's confidence is to move perceptions in these areas from negative to neutral. Getting them to a place where they are comfortable in all eight areas will have a transformative effect on their mental health and grades, which are closely interconnected. They don’t have to feel maximum positivity in every area every day. Magic happens in the neutral zone, and sustainability occurs in the positive zone.

What exactly is the neutral zone? Put simply, it is a state of mind free from thoughts and feelings such as hopelessness, fear, and low self-esteem. It is not a feeling of indifference but a state of mind that is fundamentally at peace with learning. A child in the neutral zone approaches their homework, studies, and lessons calmly. They know that, provided they put in enough work, they must improve the subject. They view feedback, constructive criticism, and their previous errors as learning opportunities rather than indicators of their inability.

Your priority is to get them out of the so-called negative zone, a state of anxiety and helplessness, in every area of perception. When your child sees things more neutrally, they are in the right headspace to learn essential life skills and face challenges. Let’s look at an example of this in action:

Your child is struggling with grammar because an earlier memory of grammar being complex has convinced them that it is something they will never be able to master. They have developed a negative perception of learning grammar and their ability to learn it.

We need to change a negative perception to a neutral one. Neutral is safe, and neutral is sustainable. You can help shift them from negative to neutral by having guided conversations with your child to address the eight core areas. 

You can also support them in developing a regular, stable routine that incorporates a healthy amount of sleep, a balanced diet, and productive, genuine rest periods. These changes at home from you as a parent will greatly impact their learning at school. They will have the perceptions, skills and behaviours they need to perform at their best.

Getting them to a positive perception of every subject is possible but takes time – your first and most important hurdle is always the change from negative to neutral. This is because the neutral state allows them to complete work without helplessness kicking in.

Starting early to minimise school anxiety 

Teaching these skills and improving their perceptions early on is crucial. This will build the foundation for success in school and life outside of the classroom. These skills enhance academic performance and give your child problem-solving abilities, resilience, and the ability to adapt to life's challenges. If embedded in your children from as early as primary school age, they are much more likely to become second nature when they reach critical exam years.

More about Performance Learning 

Commenting on the impact Performance Learning has had on her child, Karen, from Kent, states that:

I recommend Performance Learning to people who want their kids to become more aware. Interesting and giving tools to develop a child's mental health. If my son gets angry about his homework, I now know how to help him through Performance Learning. The [FORESIGHT] Assessment has helped me to think about the importance of sleep, and although we all know you need a good routine, having that reinforced helps us be more determined to do it.

Performance Learning is a company that helps children improve in school by teaching them how to learn, not just what to learn. They offer a comprehensive range of educational coaching beyond subject-specific tuition, focusing instead on core learning skills that can be applied to any subject. Performance Learning is trusted by many of the UK’s top independent schools, including Eton College, Rugby School, and St Edward’s School Oxford.

You can book a free consultation with the Performance Learning team to find out more.