It’s easy to feel down in the middle of Winter; that’s why we chose ‘Motivation’ as our January Value. Obviously, we will do all we can to encourage a really positive start to 2019, but how can you help? Well, how about helping your son or daughter set some goals? Here are some tips:

• Let them choose! Looking through the reports, it’s easy to see where teachers have identified targets, but any attempt to impose your goals upon them may well backfire. By all means - discuss their report, but let them have the final say.
  
• Show a genuine interest in their choice! They are much more likely to stick with the goal during tough times if you are praising their efforts and improvements.
• Connect goals with future aspirations! ‘You are going on that trip to England next term, how about working on your speaking and listening scores?’
• Remind them that realistic goals are achievable: from time-to-time, they will focus on the barriers to them achieving; remind them of things they have already achieved themselves, and how they did it.
• Help them see what’s needed: a big goal can often be broken down into a series of manageable little problems to overcome, which can be achieved through developing qualities like patience, and persistence, and developing measurable skills.
• Celebrate milestones with them and encourage positive reflection. Explore with them the ‘why’ behind the decision they took when they originally set themselves the goal. Positively reinforce progress through bags of genuine praise; if you show you are proud of their accomplishments, they will share that feeling, and, in turn, feel valued.

Michael Leach, Headteacher
Festivalnaya Campus