How to Measure a Child
Posted 10 September 2024
As the dust settles on the back-to-school melee, can we ask how you’re doing? Can we ask how any children in your care are doing? Finally, can we ask how many times you’ve heard the words ‘National Curriculum’ so far this September? You have our sympathies.
Yes, as pupils return to a fresh school year, among the new pencil cases and slightly over-sized uniform, for the majority there will be 12 months ahead of new learning, assessments and targets. But what if your own student doesn’t like school? What if they struggle academically? Can they still be considered a success when their classmates outrank them? Yes! It all depends on how you measure a child.
The National Curriculum combines an official set of academic subjects and standards for use in primary and secondary schools in England. It sees children assessed and checked throughout their school journey, with national tests sat by all pupils in Years 2 and 6, followed by final GCSE exams in Year 11. For its faults, the National Curriculum does fulfil a purpose, however the emphasis placed on it during a child’s life can easily leave less academic students feeling inadequate.
There’s a popular quote, often attributed to Albert Einstein, which goes,
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
And whoever really said it, that quote is spot on. In day-to-day life, if we’re measuring a child with the wrong ruler, we aren’t doing them any favours. It’s time to widen the scale.
Firstly, let’s take into account what are often known as soft skills. These are non-academic abilities including tools for life like communication, teamwork, resilience and adaptability. They might be harder to assess, but helping your child to develop them can be great for their self-esteem and give them super skills to cope in the real world.
In addition to this list, we’d also like to suggest including values such as kindness, care and empathy. When we start measuring by these standards, suddenly so many more children can be top bananas.
Secondly and to help with the above, encouraging a child to try out a new activity or hobby can lead to a more accurate, successful measurement. Sports clubs and organisations like the Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association, Scouts and Guides offer many opportunities for members to gain new skills far removed from the classroom. If you happen to have a hobby of your own, try introducing it to a child in your care. They may not like it, but equally, they may LOVE it, feed off of your enthusiasm and add another string to their bow. Baking, gardening, drawing, crafting, Lego, gaming and creating TikToks all count.
Standardised assessments go so far, but to really level the playing field for children, maybe we should all commit to finding the right ruler? That way we can measure a child for all they are truly worth.
Have you got any other rulers you wish people would consider more often? Please share your thoughts on our Facebook page or, if you want to talk one to one about anything fostering, contact us and we’ll be happy to chat with you.