In short
Parents can build a child’s school confidence over the summer with small, steady steps: keep a regular routine, review last year’s learning, set small achievable goals, praise effort over results, try new hobbies, rehearse social situations, reframe negative self-talk, read together, build everyday independence and talk openly about returning to school.
Key takeaways
- Confidence is built piece by piece through positive experiences, routines and achievable goals.
- Regular wake-up, meal and wind-down times make the September return feel familiar.
- Praising effort rather than marks teaches children to value progress and reduces fear of failure.
- Swap “I’m rubbish at maths” for “I’m still learning this” to encourage a growth mindset.
- Role-playing introductions or asking for help reduces fear of social and classroom situations.
Summer break often brings a welcome pause from the daily pressures of school. It’s a chance to relax, explore and breathe deeply after months of structured learning and assessments.
But it’s also a valuable window of opportunity and a chance to quietly build school confidence before September rolls back around.
“For many students, school confidence doesn’t come easily,” explains Dr Tej Samani, founder of Performance Learning.
For many students, school confidence doesn’t come easily. The classroom can be overwhelming, expectations can be confusing and comparisons with peers can quickly chip away at self-belief – Dr Tej Samani
“The classroom can be overwhelming, expectations can be confusing and comparisons with peers can quickly chip away at self-belief.”
It’s important to understand that confidence isn’t something you can switch on overnight. It’s built piece by piece through positive experiences, constructive routines and achievable goals.
So, to help that, we’ve shared 10 simple strategies you can use over the summer to help children return to school with stronger confidence, clearer focus and a better sense of themselves.
1. Set a steady routine
Establish regular wake-up times, mealtimes and evening wind-downs to build consistency and help reduce back-to-school anxiety.
Predictability creates a sense of control and lowers stress levels in both younger and older children returning to term-time schedules.
This rhythm helps reframe the school routine as familiar and manageable rather than abrupt or stressful in September.
2.Review last year’s learning
Encourage your child to review notes, books or topics they enjoyed or found tricky from the previous school year.
This refresh builds confidence in areas they already understand and helps strengthen weaker topics before they’re forgotten.
Familiarity breeds confidence and feeling ‘in the know’ makes it easier to re-engage when term starts again.
3. Set small goals
Work together to choose fun manageable goals like reading three books, mastering five maths topics or journaling weekly.
Goals should stretch them slightly but remain doable, creating pride and momentum as they’re gradually achieved.
Each goal completed is a small win reinforcing self-belief and a can-do mindset for the new academic year.
4. Praise effort over results
Praise your child for trying, persisting and improving not just for outcomes like high marks or perfect answers.
When effort is celebrated, children learn to value progress over perfection, reducing fear of failure.
This kind of praise builds resilience which directly boosts school confidence and encourages risk-taking in learning.
5. Try new hobbies
Trying something different over summer from coding to crafting or gardening opens the door to new confidence-building successes.
When children see themselves succeed in different areas they develop broader self-belief beyond just school performance.
Hobbies also provide conversation starters and shared interests to boost peer confidence when school resumes.
6. Practise social situations
Gently rehearse situations like introducing themselves, asking for help or joining a new group or club at school.
Role-play builds familiarity and reduces fear around social or classroom situations that may feel intimidating.
Practising in a safe, light-hearted way helps children respond more confidently when those moments actually arise.
7. Reframe negative self-talk
Help your child notice when they say things like “I’m rubbish at maths” and reframe those thoughts with more constructive wording.
Modelling phrases like “I’m still learning this” or “I find this tricky but I’ll improve” encourages a growth mindset.
Over time this shift in language helps rewire self-perception and build lasting school confidence from within.
8. Read together regularly
Shared reading whether aloud or side-by-side promotes bonding, emotional safety and intellectual curiosity in a relaxed setting.
Choose books your child enjoys even if they’re below their reading level to foster positive associations with learning.
This positive reinforcement builds confidence in their ability to engage with texts in school settings.
9. Build everyday independence
Give children more responsibility planning a day out, budgeting pocket money or helping with meals to boost decision-making confidence.
These real-life problem-solving moments help them trust their judgement and take initiative when faced with school challenges.
Confidence in everyday skills translates directly into confidence in academic and social school environments.
10. Talk about school openly
Create safe spaces to chat about what excites or worries them about returning to school in September.
Talking through concerns validates feelings and gives you a chance to offer support, advice or gentle reassurance.
Being heard and understood builds emotional security which is the foundation of real school confidence.
Ready to give these school confidence tips a go?
Summer doesn’t have to be all about academics – and in fact, it shouldn’t be.
However, weaving a few intentional strategies into the break can make a surprisingly big difference to your child’s mindset and readiness for the new school year.
By supporting emotional steadiness and encouraging small moments of growth, you help lay the groundwork for long-term success.
When children feel calm, self-assured and ready to take on new challenges, their experience of school becomes more positive, and their confidence begins to take root in meaningful ways.
At its core, confidence isn’t about being the best: it’s about feeling capable, staying curious and remaining open to learning, even when things feel unfamiliar or hard.
So, whether your child is starting primary school or stepping into their GCSEs, use this summer as a gentle opportunity to remind them: they’re ready, and they’ve absolutely got this.
Frequently asked questions
How can I help my child feel confident about going back to school?
Confidence is built piece by piece through positive experiences, steady routines and achievable goals, so the summer is a useful window. Keep regular wake-up, meal and wind-down times so term-time routines feel familiar. Review topics from last year, set small goals and praise effort over results. Talk openly about what excites or worries your child about September, as feeling heard builds security.
Should my child do schoolwork over the summer holidays?
Summer does not have to be all about academics, and it should not be. A light review of notes, books or topics your child enjoyed or found tricky last year can refresh what they know and strengthen weaker areas before they are forgotten. Weaving in a few intentional strategies like this can make a surprisingly big difference to their mindset and readiness for September.
How do I stop my child saying they are “rubbish” at a subject?
Help your child notice when they say things like “I’m rubbish at maths”, then reframe the thought with more constructive wording. Model phrases such as “I’m still learning this” or “I find this tricky but I’ll improve” to encourage a growth mindset. Over time, this shift in language helps change how they see themselves and builds lasting school confidence from within.
What summer activities build a child’s confidence?
Trying new hobbies, from coding to crafting or gardening, gives children successes outside school and broader self-belief. Giving them real responsibility, such as planning a day out, budgeting pocket money or helping with meals, builds decision-making confidence. Reading together, even books below their reading level, creates positive associations with learning, and role-playing social situations makes those moments less intimidating.
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