I was reading the other day about the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report “Poorer children’s educational attainment: how important are attitudes and behaviour?”
We work a great deal with Aim Higher who are constantly challenging bright kids’ perceptions and perhaps family expectations of low future attainment.
Experience has shown that high potential kids who spend a short time with us can really boost their confidence and help them be resilient to peer pressure – and even help them with their confidence in challenging others’ expectations within the family.
The report mentions that children experience school as a controlling coercive place where education is “done” to them. We make sure that they are not simply passive receptacles by making them confront
The Intimidator and
MADMAXMAN characters
There are many other interesting conclusions from the report – but since we work with very privileged kids and quite ordinary extraordinary kids, I don't believe you have to be poor to have others' low expectations to rub off onto your child.
To see the full report go to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation website:http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/educational-attainment-poor-children