Target Setting

By Gemma Louise Bull

I have never been a fan of New Year's resolutions. Initially, I always find the idea of making grand gestures inspiring but, by the time I have been soaked multiple times - and ended up with a stinking cold - I find myself disinclined to continue my Coach to 5K training by about mid-January.

For twenty years, my life has centred around three terms per year or six half-terms. Consequently, I find the concept of termly or half-termly target setting way more effective than a New Year's resolution that I am going to struggle to achieve.

Indeed, setting short-term, achievable goals is more impactful. Whilst our long-term goals need to be in our minds, trying to achieve them too quickly can lead to frustration, demotivation and disappointment. Imagine you are a complete beginner and you want to play a complex Beethoven piece of music on the piano. You wouldn't expect to be able to master the piano immediately because the reality is that success takes time, commitment and hard work.

Making progress in education requires the same approach. Your long-term goal could be for your child to achieve a place in a specific grammar or independent school with a score of 85% or above, but there are multiple short-term goals you need to focus on to achieve your ultimate target.

So, how can you set targets for the next term? Let's take a look at an example:


Long-Term Goals (by September 2025)	To be offered a place at our chosen grammar school. To consistently score 85% or above.
Short-Term Goals (by June 2025)	To improve Reading Comprehension marks (particularly inference questions) To develop vocabulary knowledge for Comprehension and VR. To build a stronger understanding of percentages. To improve speed when answering Maths word problems.
Resources and Support Required	Explore existing workbooks (CGP, Bond, etc) and identify inference questions. Speak to my child's tutor for advice about tackling inference questions. Keep track of scores and highlight questions that need further focus. Read regularly with my child. Use flashcards daily to build vocabulary knowledge (approximately 5 per day). Create a vocabulary book with unknown words, definitions and synonyms/antonyms. Explore existing workbooks and identify percentage questions. Ask my child a percentage question when we are shopping etc. Keep track of scores to assess progress. Use the 10-minute tests books and time my child. Ask my child a question and time how long it takes. Ensure accuracy is good before adding too much time pressure.

Your own personal targets will naturally be different to the above but this should give you an idea of how to set long-term goals, short-term goals and how to identify what you need to do to achieve the goals.

To download a blank table, click the document below: