In PSHE lessons, the boys learn about the importance of having dreams for the future and setting personal goals, but that these personal targets need to be realistic and, with hard work and effort, achievable. 

Parents want the best for their children and are often eager to guide them to be the best version of themselves that they can be, but it is vitally important that any parental expectations that are set, are realistic and achievable.

The Dangers of Unrealistic Expectations

1. Stress and Anxiety: If children are constantly pushed to meet expectations that they cannot realistically achieve, it can lead to significant stress and anxiety. This can manifest in various ways, such as sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, and a general sense of being overwhelmed.
2. Lowered Self-Esteem: Consistently failing to meet unrealistic goals can damage a child’s self-esteem. They may start to see themselves as failures, which can have long-lasting effects on their confidence and self-worth.
3. Loss of Interest: When expectations are too high, children may lose interest in activities they once enjoyed. The pressure to perform can take away the joy and lead to a lack of motivation.
4. Rebellion and Resentment: Unrealistic expectations can create a rift between parents and children. The constant pressure and perceived lack of understanding can lead to rebellion and resentment towards the parents.
5. Academic Pressure: Academic performance is one of the most common areas where parents set unrealistic expectations. This can lead to cheating, belief that they are failing, and a negative attitude towards learning.
6. Physical and Mental Health: The constant stress of trying to meet high expectations can have serious repercussions on a child’s physical and mental health, including conditions like depression and anxiety disorders.

Setting Realistic Expectations

1. Age and Ability Appropriate Goals: Every child develops at their own pace. Expectations should be tailored to your child’s age and developmental stage.  Understanding what is appropriate for your child’s age, will help you avoid putting undue pressure on them to achieve tasks they aren’t ready for yet.
2. Understanding Individual Strengths: Every child is unique and comparing your child’s progress to that of their siblings, peers or even yourself, can set unrealistic expectations. Focus on your child’s individual growth and progress, rather than how they measure up to others. This helps children develop a sense of self-worth based on their own achievements rather than external comparisons.
3. Incremental Challenges: Set small, achievable goals that gradually increase in difficulty. This approach helps build confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
4. Open Communication: Take the time to actively listen to your child and understand their interests, dreams and goals. This helps in setting achievable targets that are aligned with their passions and capabilities, rather than your own.

Setting realistic, age-appropriate expectations is not ‘lacking ambition’, in fact, it’s about nurturing a child’s growth positively and helping them to build their confidence, resilience, and healthy self-esteem, as well as, ultimately, achieving their goals.

It was wonderful to welcome the boys back to school this week. In our assembly on Tuesday, I asked if any of the boys had made New Year's resolutions. Among the answers were to do more exercise, say please and thank you more often and to avoid eating so much processed food! We discussed that new year has traditionally been a time for make resolutions and thinking about your hopes and dreams for the year ahead. The boys reflected on how achieving our hopes and dreams is not always easy and we have to persevere, listen to advice, ask for help, be resilient, and take small steps towards our goals. It was also important to remember to encourage and support our friends in achieving their dreams in the weeks and months ahead. 

Well done to all those boys who attended the Young Voices Concert on Wednesday this week. The concert was the result of many hours of rehearsal last term and, although it was a long day, the boys have spoken so positively about the experience, and I am sure that it will stay long in the memory. Thank you to all the staff who supported the event, especially Mrs Glover. 

Next week, the boys will start their fixture programmes and there are also parent meetings for the upcoming Year 6, and Year 3 and 4 Residentials. 

With best wishes, 

John Bond 

Last week, Year 3 had the mission to save all the penguin eggs! We had to design a container to protect a precious penguin egg and keep it safe from the rocky playground.

In teams, we designed them and then worked together to build our containers. Some groups designed parachutes and others designed small boxes and used small amounts of bubble wrap, tissue paper, plastic, paper and cardboard to protect the egg from the fall.

Once our design was complete, we dropped our containers, with the egg inside, from the balcony. Some penguin eggs unfortunately did not survive, however, six did! 

By Rideh and Aarav, 3B

It has been a very busy last week of term, but a week which has also shown the Junior School at its best with the friendly yet competitive nature of the Christmas Staggers, the excitement of Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas Lunch, the confidence and creativity on display during Open Homework presentations, the enthusiasm for the Christmas General Knowledge Quiz, the support of the PAWS in running a Christmas Activity afternoon for all the boys in the school, and the joyous singing and reflective readings at the wonderful Carol Service. The last week of this term is always a highlight of the year and although this year the week has been a little busier than usual, the boys have been a credit to the school. 

The calendar for the Lent Term has been finalised and we will be sending out a Start of Term letter and Key Dates for the term on Monday 5 January. Please note that Monday 5th is an INSET Day and that the boys in Young Voices will have their concert on Wednesday 7 January 

As we start the Christmas holidays, I would like to thank you all for your support of your sons, not just in the last week, but throughout the term. I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas with your families and look forward to welcoming the boys back to school in 2026. 

With my very best wishes, 

John Bond 

We are delighted to announce the results of the 2025 Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge, in which the Year 6 boys sat the Junior level which is open to children in Year 6 and Year 7. We achieved our best results ever, with 29% of boys scoring in the top 10% nationally. These boys receive a Gold Certificate and will have the opportunity to take part in the Raspberry Pi Foundation Coding Challenge in March next year.

Huge congratulations to Alexander , Edward, Leon , Edward , Alexis, Ike, George, Hugo, Ben, Henry, Oscar, James, George, Louis, Teddy, Will, Jasper, Jonas, Asher, Mathias, Alfie and Hunter.

On Thursday, 20 November, teams representing Warwick Junior School and Warwick Prep School travelled to Bablake School for the Warwickshire Primary School Team Championships, to compete in mixed teams.

Diego, Ansh, Alyssa and Lily finished in joint-second place. All gave a great account of themselves, with Lily finishing as the team's big hitter with 3 points from the 4 team matches she played. James, Leon, Alex and Ellie were the convincing winners of the Zonal with a 100% score. James, Alex and Ellie each won all of their 4 games for the team. Furthermore, both teams qualified for the final which will take place in the New Year. Well done to everyone who took part!