Parenting Matters Articles
A series of articles written by teaching staff with advice about issues ranging from IT, teenage mental health and choosing a university.
Adolescent Development
During adolescence the body and brain go through a physical and emotional journey, transforming a child into a skilled, independent and self-controlled adult. Due to our improved diet and living conditions, puberty begins early now than in previous generations, in some cases as early as 9 years old, with hormones causing growth spurts and body changes...
Choosing a University
Choosing what to study after life at Dulwich can be a daunting experience, and the biggest pitfall for students is that they are afraid to go against the majority of their peers, or that they follow advice that is out of date. There are a vast range of courses and options out there and this article suggests some ways in which you can help your son navigate this complex landscape...
Choosing the right A-Levels
One of the most difficult decisions pupils are asked to make when they join the Upper School is to select the subjects they would like to study in Year 12. With A levels it is always helpful to have an eye ahead to the next stage, which for most Dulwich boys will mean a university course. The entrance requirements for the vast majority of courses at prestigious universities...
How we Learn
How do we learn? A new world record for solving the Rubik's cube, breaking the elusive 5 second barrier, was set last year by a 14 year old boy from Kentucky. Lucas Etter achieved the feat in 4.9 seconds: which is not only astonishing but made even more impressive if the video is watched in slow motion. One Dulwich science teacher has always been impressed by those who are able...
Independent Learning
A key skill in both education and the workplace is the ability to be an ‘independent learner’. However, it can be difficult to define and even more difficult to implement! There are myriad discussion forums on what constitutes an independent learner and how to become one. The rhetoric can be confusing so hopefully this short article will help clarify a few things. So what is independent...
Managing Homework
Homework can be a source of real stress and tension between pupils and parents and establishing a healthy balance between support and independence can be tricky. As boys get older, they can grow increasingly reluctant to discuss the details of their school life with parents, and homework may be completed in school or straight after school without parents knowing...
Mental Health
In recent years the mental health of adolescents has attracted a great deal of media attention, and, in the light of such reporting, one could justified in believing that we are on the cusp of an epidemic. The degree of apprehension and, on occasion, a sense of helplessness amongst those of us who look after and work with young people can be compounded further by the uncertainty...
Preparing for Exams
How to help your son prepare for examinations. Boys respond to examination pressure very differently. Experience tells us that support at home is as important as the preparation and teaching boys receive while at school. If your son is feeling anxious ahead of an examination, it can interfere with success and feelings of wellbeing; being prepared will help reduce those feelings...
Realising Potential
Deeply embedded in articles on what makes a good school you may find a sentence or at most a short paragraph on its provision for the ordinary pupil, but that genus deserves further attention. Some of the hardest work a school has to undertake is to care for the pupils who are seen or perceive themselves as “nothing special”. That is, schools need to work hard to ensure they care...
Relationships and Sex
All boys at the College have a weekly Wellbeing lesson and many of these lessons focus on Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). Boys are encouraged to think about how to form healthy relationships, about why people have sex and how to ensure it is safe and enjoyable when they decide the time is right. They learn about the law, discuss sexually transmitted infections and contraception...
Technology
Computers are now a part of everyday life for nearly all members of our society. Adults and children alike have access to internet-enabled devices at every turn; whether it be a mobile phone, computers at school, our televisions or gaming consoles. This article explores questions posed both as a teacher and as a parent and the answers suggested serve as guidance only. They may...
