Following the Year 8 pupils' Learning Conference on the morning of Wednesday 5 February 2025, we were delighted to welcome Year 8 parents and carers to our Year 8 Learning and Curriculum Evening. The 2025 Year 8 Learning and Curriculum Evening focused on how parents can support their sons and daughters as they embark on what can be tricky teenage years. There is a view nationally in education that a dip takes place in Year 8, which can have an impact on attendance, behaviour and progress as pupils transition from Year 7. 

Mrs Davies, Assistant Head, sought to find out how our Year 8s think and feel and interviewed a number of pupils in advance of the parents' event. When asked what is 'good' about being in Year 8, pupils said they enjoyed the opportunity to be in new groups for some subjects, giving them the chance to widen their circle of friends. They also spoke of feeling more confident about school routines and no longer being worried about getting lost or making friends. They described 'less good' things as having to work harder and needing to organise themselves well to manage an increased amount of homework. Mrs Davies gave parents advice about supporting their children in managing this. For example, make sure your child has a quiet, dedicated workspace at home and a place to keep their books and equipment; help them learn how to organise their time and homework tasks; consider our Key Stage 3 Homework Support Club on Thursdays after school.

Mrs Davies shared information from subject heads about the Year 8 curriculum (see downloadable document below).

To help your Year 8s create a sense of belonging, ask them to...

• Think about who you really are and what you enjoy
• Find people you feel comfortable with and who support you
• Don't give in to peer pressure to do things that you aren’t comfortable with
• Take part in extra-curricular activities, at lunchtime or after school
• Seek support if you need it.

The teenage brain goes through radical and fundamental rewiring, as it did when they were toddlers. The frontal lobes - which control impulses, reasoning and planning - are the last to be rewired for adulthood. Teenagers are hypersensitive to our opinions of them and pretending not to care is their defence mechanism. Spending unpressurised time together is important - watch a film, go for a walk, cook a meal, chat on a car journey.

Our Year 8 Curriculum and Learning Evening was completed with a presentation by Miss Creed-Miles, Science teacher and hypnotherapist, entitled 'Why does my brain get stressed?' Miss Creed-Miles explained the Primitive and Intellectual sides of the teenage brain - the Chimp and the Scientist. When in Chimp mode, problems can seem up close and overwhelming, but by putting the Scientist in charge and using some intellectual processing, and techniques to create space, teenagers can learn to empty the bucket of negative thoughts.

You can access a copy of the two presentations combined below.

The Year 8 Parents' Evening is on Thursday 6 March 2025.

Some of our Year 8s this month:

Useful links:

• BBC Future: The biggest myths of the teenage brain
• 'Blame My Brain: the Amazing Teenage Brain Revealed' by Nicola Morgan