In a new study by the universities of Cambridge and Manchester, data reveals the happiness of children significantly plummets as they leave primary school and enter secondary school. Surveying more than 11,000 children across the UK on how they felt about their friends, school, and family, they found that while most children were satisfied with life at age 11, the majority were majorly dissatisfied when they reached age 14. This plummeting satisfaction directly correlates with the jump from primary to secondary education. Further to this, parents have similarly noted a drop in their child’s academic achievement, with a new report from MyTutor, the UK’s most trusted tutoring platform, finding that 26% of parents have noted a visible decline in their child’s educational progression since the pandemic as they enter secondary school. The nationally representative study from MyTutor, has also unveiled that 55% of 18-24 year olds today have mental health struggles that have originated from school, inevitably impacting their learning outcomes.

The student who raises their hand and has the highest self-esteem, and is the most vocal about their struggles is bound to get more attention from the teacher and end up with better academic achievements, but parents today are worried that the pandemic has negatively affected their child’s ability to do so. MyTutor’s study found that over a quarter of parents (28%) worry that lockdown has harmed their child’s ability to interact with others and with the same amount (25%) worried that their child is so shy, it will hold them back from opportunities in life.

Key Stats:
25% of parents worry that their child is so shy it will hold them back from opportunities in life
28% of parents worry that their child doesn’t find it easy to communicate how they’re feeling
43% agree their child’s self-esteem is linked to the grades they achieved at school and university
59% agree that since COVID-19, their child has fallen out of a routine with regards to their education and their motivation to work has declined
68% agree that their child benefits from one-to-one learning environments, alongside the classroom experience
47% of students said they enjoy learning from a tutor they can relate to (age, interests, personal experiences, communication styles, etc.)
49% of students said they learn better from people who share a similar life experience to them

In light of these findings, MyTutor has outlined strategies to help your child regain their self-esteem, raise their hand during lessons, and boost their confidence in the classroom.

1. Use of technology
For lots of teens, using tech to support traditional teaching like online courses and revision apps is a great way to boost their confidence. If their learning’s online and not only in class, then they get more of a chance to plan their studies for after school and on the weekends. As they’re in more control of their learning, this in turn can improve confidence as they can adjust the time, the place, the pace, and the mode of learning to fit their needs and preferences.

As well as this, online one-to-one tutoring is a great way to complement teaching strategies, providing more personalised support and mentoring. Research from MyTutor has unveiled that 68% of parents agree that their child benefits from one-to-one learning environments, boosting their experience and confidence in the classroom. Lessons can happen in the evenings, on the weekends and throughout school holidays, so no matter when they need some extra help, their tutor can be there for them to help sort it out. One-to-one aids understanding, and understanding is the start of confidence. Even for your child’s favourite subject, with some regular online lessons they can race ahead with a new-found confidence, and tackle the topics they find harder. Research from MyTutor has unveiled that 68% of parents agree that their child benefits from one-to-one learning environments, alongside the classroom experience and

2. Support at home
Lots of studies advise teachers to encourage parents to take an interest in their kids’ studies as it can help bolster confidence. A close collaboration between you and their school can really help. Take advantage of school open evenings and PTA meetings, speak to your school’s parent support advisers and keep up-to-date with what’s being asked of your child.

Getting involved shows that you think their education is important and that can give them a real boost. Checking in to see how your child is doing also gives them a way to ask for help when they need it.

We know, however, that parents don’t always have the time to sit down every evening and go through their child’s homework with them, nor the expertise to help with every subject. For many students, online tutoring provides invaluable homework help and revision prep. Because your child has the full attention of their tutor, they get to ask all the questions they were too shy or embarrassed to ask in class. They can go over problem topics for as long as they need to fully understand them, and your child can learn study skills specifically tailored to how they learn best. Your child’s progress can be tracked more closely, and it helps them develop key skills such as goal setting and self-reflection. It really works too, and MyTutor reports an average of a whole grade’s improvement (often more) in just a term’s worth of lessons.

3. Mentorship matters
Personal mentoring improves a child’s confidence and academic potential. Students lacking confidence often don’t have a clear path or know what they want to do in life. When a child loses self-esteem, with it they can lose their motivation to learn – and it’s here where mentorship can have a profound and lasting impact. MyTutor’s research found that 49% of students said they learn better from people who share a similar life experience to them, and that 47% of students said they enjoy learning much more when they are taught from someone they can relate to.

MyTutor has thousands of high-achieving and friendly tutors ready to help their students achieve their potential. They’re all at top UK universities, and by being closer in age to your child than most of their teachers, kids tend to find them relatable and easy to communicate with. Having been through the exam process themselves in the past few years, they have a strong understanding of students’ aspirations and fears, and they can therefore adjust their approach in response.

Online lessons give your child a homework helper and a mentor in one. If they need extra support with Maths, for example, and they also dream of being an Engineer one day, you can find a tutor who’s an Engineering student at one of the UK’s best unis. This both helps them in the immediate sense and gives them a role model who can guide and motivate them to achieve their long-term ambitions.

Nicola Anderson, Chief Customer Officer at MyTutor comments:
“At MyTutor we have worked with thousands of undergraduate tutors from UK universities who have helped young people to achieve better exam results, develop their understanding of key subjects and build their confidence, both inside and outside of the classroom.

“As university students, MyTutor tutors have recent exam experience, so they can relate to what teens are going through at school, whilst using their subject expertise to explain tricky topics to students in a way that they understand. By connecting young people with inspiring and approachable near-peer role models, we want to give young people the tools and confidence to unlock their full potential and encourage a lifelong love of learning.”