Environment

The first decision you need to make is the physical location of where he will work. There is debate over whether you should let them work in the confines of their own bedroom, where privacy could mask what they are really doing with their time online or in a more public, but quiet area of the house. A light and spacious environment is a good idea, so if you can station him near a window for natural light and fresh air, so much the better.

Even if your child can work independently in their bedroom, if they’re going to be working online or using the internet for research, it’s worth considering setting up a laptop or computer station in a family area like the kitchen or dining room. This means you can keep half an eye on what they’re doing, and make sure they’re not being distracted by games, social media and YouTube.

If you’re working from home, it may be difficult to share a space with your child, so think about alternative ways that it could work. For example, could you work in your child’s bedroom while they have the kitchen table?

Think about your son’s chair. Ideally, they’ll be able to sit comfortably with their feet flat on the floor, they should be sat at a desk - this is a strong visual cue for them to set the working environment, just like being at school, you can view some useful workstation health and safety information here.

That means no tablet by your son’s side, unless they’re using it for work, no TV to distract them, maybe even no pets in the room! Put away their mobile phone, too, if they have one: we all know how hard it is to ignore the ‘ping!’ of a new notification! Remember, though, that your son is used to working in a busy classroom, so you don’t need to shroud him in complete silence. Some might even find working easier with a bit of background noise, like a radio or music.

A routine/schedule on you son’s desk or stuck to the wall can help them see exactly what they should be doing at a glance. You can work on this together: use different coloured pens, highlighters or stickers to make it appealing. You could also put a clock or watch on the table, or use a timer so your son can see how much time to spend on each task.

Working from home means there’s a temptation for your son to raid the kitchen cupboards every 10 minutes, we all know what growing teenage boys are like! Not only will this mean they munch through a fortnight’s worth of snacks in two days, but it will also be a distraction from their learning. A good strategy is to create routines, just like school for morning ta, and then a break for lunch. Maybe put a fruit bowl out for snacks or put a snack box together for the day, try making some of these brain-boosting snacks. Once your son has eaten everything, that’s it for the day – they should soon learn to pace themselves, and not get distracted by the lure of food.

Not all of us are lucky enough to have gardens, bedrooms equipped for learning, spacious kitchens with a family table, and home offices or studies, and so will struggle to create a dedicated learning space. Try not to get stressed if you’re fighting for workspace with your son, or if there’s simply not room for them to have all their books and stationery out. Make the most of the space you have, but don’t get stressed if you can’t provide the perfect learning environment: if need be, your son can work on the sofa or on their bedroom floor. We are realistic about what students can achieve at home, and will understand that we all have issues to work around.