What if summer didn’t mean rest?
By Mr Tilling, Secondary School Headteacher
Teenagers need rest; not all of them get it
As a headteacher in a secondary school, I see how hard our students can find education; trying to engage and succeed as they navigate growing into young adults through their teenage years.
I know how tired I feel at the end of a term, and how much I look forward to a long summer break — the chance to recharge so I can go again in September.
Now imagine you’re a teenager: you need more sleep than most, and your battery is running out. But when you finally get to the end of the school year, you don’t get that much-needed chance for rest. Because you don’t have a bed.
At home, you’re either sharing a bed or, worse still, sleeping on the floor or sofa. How do you re-energise and get ready to succeed?
We can’t fix this from the classroom
This is something outside our control as teachers, and often the families are just too polite to ask for help.
During term time, we can work closely with our families to identify those who need additional support at every stage of their education. We can refer students to Zarach and help them get the rest they need. We can break down barriers and make sure they’re ready to be successful learners.
But once the holidays are here, that support disappears.
That’s why it’s so important we get as many beds to as many young people as possible, as soon as possible.
For every £4,000 we raise, £1,000 extra will be donated through match funding.
Let’s help them come back ready to succeed
Often in September, when young people come back, we ask them how their summer holidays have been.
We don’t ask them if they’ve had enough sleep.
Why? Because we assume everyone has their own bed and a chance to recuperate properly.
But we now know that’s not always the case. That a lack of sleep over the summer can lead to all kinds of difficulties in school come September: in attendance, punctuality, engagement, conduct and effort.
Could you do your job properly without adequate sleep?
If students can re-energise in their own bed, they can come back ready to learn and ready to succeed.
Isn’t that what every child deserves, no matter their background?
Your support will help children return to school rested, recharged, and ready to thrive.
