'tis that time of the year again, when the true behaviours of students becomes all too apparent. Those "lower sixth" in old parlance, still not too far from gcse days, have now started to lose the veneer of a "fresh start". The default behaviours are a revelation: the drunkeness from the freedom of those "independent study &emdash;a.k.a. free&emdash; time" has got to many heads (remember, this is London; can go far on a free 'oyster' card!); the advice to develop a study timetable, long since ignored; the mistaken belief that gce a(s) study within the taught classroom is sufficient; laboratory safety is an optional "lifestyle choice", similar to a mobile phone option of a video-game; etc.. Similarly with those 'year 13' students that treat lessons as a cafe appointment; family completely ignorant of their child's timetable, punctuality, attendance (don't expect to school to inform); the dubious dream of "predicted grades", one, two, three higher than reality (sometimes supported by school management) that seek "aspirational", "positive conversation", "contextual background" and similar nonsense to maintain obfuscation until "judgement day" a few months from now. Some are scared that the ease of school days are coming to an end; what next?
Have always opinioned that the critical months are September to December: if the correct behaviours are not settled by then, if the detrimental behaviours are not removed/minimised during this period, most often too late to achieve anything in chemistry. Some managers like to whine about "not giving up on these children" or the favourite mantra of "growth mindset"; such platitudes are seldom sufficient.
