Author Archives: patguyschoolandfamily

‘A friend is one of the nicest things you can have and one of the best things you can be.’ (Winnie the Pooh) Children and young people’s friendships gradually increase in importance during the school years as the child’s focus moves from family towards contacts outside the home. This shift is an essential part ofContinue reading “Girls’ Friendships”

Social media. Remember that: – Internet images are carefully posed or photoshopped. Hundreds of images will have been taken and the best two or three selected.  Looking at firm and toned female bodies on social media sites does not always inspire, but rather make girls feel inadequate by promoting a body image that is unachievableContinue reading “Young girls and body image”

Statistics.  According to the 2011 Census, 51% of the population of England and Wales is female and 49% male. In the last set of ‘A’ Level exams taken by pupils, (2019), 25.5% of girls got A/A* grades compared to 25.4% of boys. The gender split of the UK Higher Education student body is 56% female and 44% male, (MarchContinue reading “GENDER EQUALITY.”

Neurodiversity is the term used to describe the differences in brain function and behaviour that would be regarded as normal variation within a population. A Specific Learning Difficulty, (SpLD), refers to the difficulty a child or adult may experience with specific aspects of their learning. The most common SpLDs include: Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Attention DeficitContinue reading “Moving from Specific Learning Difficulties to Neurodiversity.”

Some people are born fidgets. Fidgeting tends to be a family trait and, if parents move about a lot, their children are likely to inherit the same need for continual motion. Unfortunately, anyone who fidgets in situations where they are expected to remain still, (work meetings, concerts, plays, school lessons, church services), will appear toContinue reading “Fidgeting”

‘Words are our servants; we are not their slaves. It matters not how we spell them, it matters what we say.’ (Sally Gardner – Children’s writer and illustrator.) A difficulty with spelling is one of the problems typically experienced by children with dyslexia. Most dyslexic children will learn to read adequately, but spelling may remainContinue reading “Spelling and IT”

Creativity – the use of the imagination or original ideas to create something.  Creative individuals share numerous personality traits including: – Motivation. Creative breakthroughs occur as the result of perseverance and hard work. The creative individual pursues their hobbies and interests with an unusual amount of dedication and, as a result, has an in-depth understandingContinue reading “Creativity and Autistic Spectrum Disorders”

It isn’t uncommon for children to create imaginary friends: someone for them to talk to, interact and play with. Research shows that two thirds of children up to the age of seven years, and over a quarter of children aged 5 to 12 years have an imaginary friend. These pretend friends can be invisible, something fantastical,Continue reading “Imaginary Friends”

‘Never do today what you can do tomorrow (Procrastination) If I do too much it’ll only end in sorrow (Procrastination) I’d have done it all by now but there’s something in the way (Procrastination) I’ll consult a horoscope just to pick the perfect day (Procrastination) (‘Procrastination’ The Damned – 2018) Most of us will procrastinateContinue reading “Procrastination.”

When a child or young person has additional educational needs that might require more support or resources than are usually provided by their school or college, the child’s parents or the young person can apply for an Education, Health and Care plan to access additional provision.  SEND Tribunals have been set up in order toContinue reading “Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunals.”