The Autumn term is normally when kids learn the biggest chunk of their curriculum for the school year. If they’ve got exams coming up in the Spring, it’s really important that they keep up – any learning gaps they have now will only widen as the year progresses. So as well as chilling out and spending time together as a family, half term is a useful chance to take stock of what they’ve learned at school so far, so they’re ready to keep going for the rest of term. Take a look at our top tips for keeping your family busy – but not too busy – over the Autumn half term.
Half term is a chance to take stock and get ready for the run-up to Christmas
Family time – free museums, galleries & events
The school holidays are normally a valuable time to catch-up as a family – whether that’s just two of you or 20 extended relatives. A free local museum or gallery, cheap theatre tickets (there’s normally a youth discount) or any other local events are a fun way for everyone to learn something, and spend time away from phones and laptops.
Think about important decisions
Outside the demands of school and before the immediate pressure of exams, the Autumn half term is a perfect time for your teen to talk to you and other family members about their upcoming options. It’s great if they can talk to different grown-ups about the pros and cons of any option – whether that’s what sport to play, what subjects to choose for GCSE or where to apply for university.
If they’ve got subject choices or UCAS applications to make, taking the time to explore what job options are out there, or visiting some university campuses can help them decide what sort of path they should head down.
Find a mentor
Whether plugging any learning gaps, or debating which subjects they’re enjoying best, it’s good to talk things through and encourage a positive attitude towards school.
Chatting things through with a mentor such as an older sibling or university student can be especially energising as they’ll feel in control of their own progress and decision-making
With MyTutor, you can choose from lots of lovely tutors who can mentor your teen. They’re all from top universities and they’re experts in lots of different subjects. This means they always have buckets of advice for choosing where to go, what subject to study and how to do UCAS. Because they’re younger than most of your teen’s teachers, they also tend to find it easy to strike up a rapport and empathise with the stressful stage they’re at.
Catch-up time
With the madness of the new school year, it’s easy for teens to get behind on a couple of subjects (especially ones they’re not so passionate about). Putting in some time to go over what they learned in the past few weeks will help put them in the best position possible when term starts up again.
Reading
Time off school is always a great time for your teen to explore their passions independently. With some quiet time reading or researching a subject online, they can deep dive into topics that excite them. With a passion ignited, they’ll be more motivated to learn when they get back to school too. If they’re not sure where to start, a trip to a local library, bookshop or even the ebook website Audible, where they can browse and choose a few things is a nice way to start the holidays – especially if you’re heading off on any long journeys.