The autumn break comes after the first weeks of school, often with a first report card. If the results are disappointing, it is tempting to see them as a verdict on your child’s abilities. Above all, they are valuable information, received at the right time: almost the whole school year is still ahead.
Why the autumn break report card matters so much
In French-speaking schools in Belgium (Wallonia-Brussels Federation), since the school calendar reform, the year starts at the end of August and the autumn break lasts two weeks. In 2026-2027, school started on Monday 24 August and the autumn break runs from Monday 19 to Friday 30 October 2026.
Each school organises its assessments and report cards as it sees fit. In many schools, primary and secondary alike, a first report card or first review does arrive around this break. It marks the end of the settling-in period.
It is a turning point, for three reasons:
- the first study habits, good or not so good, are already in place;
- gaps spotted now have not yet had time to pile up;
- two weeks off give time to recharge, then to start again on a better footing.
Here are three keys to make this report card a starting point rather than a punishment.
Key 1: the report card is a diagnosis, not a final grade
An assessment measures the gap between what a pupil has mastered and what the curriculum expects. It is a measuring tool. It becomes misleading when we only keep the number, without asking what it means.
One grade, several possible causes
A 4 out of 10 in maths can mean very different things:
- a lack of regular work;
- a problem-solving method that has not been understood;
- a difficulty limited to a single chapter;
- stress during the test, even though the material is known.
To find the right cause, look beyond the average. Marked tests, teachers’ comments and the form teacher’s remarks often say more than the number. And if something remains unclear, the parent-teacher meeting or an appointment with the form teacher is the right place to ask.
Talk about causes, not the grade
For your child, the report card is information about their work, not a judgement on who they are. The conversation works better when it focuses on causes (method, organisation, missing foundations) than on the result itself.
Instead of “This grade is unacceptable!”, try for example: “What does this result tell us about the way you work? What shall we change together?” This question turns a reproach into a problem to solve, and your child becomes part of the solution.
Key 2: a failure is information to work with
A bad grade is often felt as proof of a lack of talent: “I’m just not a maths person.” Yet abilities grow with targeted effort and better strategies. If your child has failed, it mainly means their current method does not suit them.
This is the idea popularised by psychologist Carol Dweck as the “growth mindset”. A word of caution: recent studies show smaller effects than the early research suggested. Changing what we say is not enough. Pairing encouragement with a genuinely new strategy, however, makes sense.
Question the strategy, not the ability
After a disappointing grade, you can say: “It’s hard. Which other method shall we try?” A few examples of concrete changes:
- if they only reread their notes, suggest explaining the material out loud, as if teaching it to someone;
- if they study the night before, spread revision over several days;
- if they never redo exercises, have them redo a few without looking at the answers.
Value effort and perseverance
Praise the work done and the progress made, rather than intelligence. A child encouraged for their effort dares to make mistakes more often. A child who keeps hearing they are gifted may, on the contrary, fear a failure that would call that label into question.
If the report card comes with a deeper dislike of school, our article My child doesn’t like school can help you understand why.
Key 3: one priority, one small action a day
The first report card often reveals several weaknesses at once: organisation, memorisation, concentration, missing foundations. Trying to fix everything at the same time quickly leads to exhaustion and discouragement.
Choose the most critical point together
With your child, choose just one thing to improve: a subject or a habit that the report card clearly points to. Then turn it into a micro-action: a daily task so small that it is easy to start and to keep up.
Examples of micro-actions
- Organisation (messy school bag or desk): every day, tidy the school bag for 5 minutes after homework.
- Missing foundations: revise vocabulary or irregular verbs for 15 minutes before any leisure time.
- Concentration (distracted by the phone): leave the phone in another room during the first hour of study.
- Passive attitude in class: reread the notes for 10 minutes on the evening of every science lesson.
Succeeding at this small task day after day rebuilds confidence. This regularity is what brings visible progress before the next report card. Once the habit is in place, you can move on to the next point.
How to use the two weeks off
The autumn break is a time for rest as much as for catching up. Your child needs to recharge, and that is also what will help them start again. A reasonable balance:
- a first week mostly devoted to rest and leisure;
- a quiet moment to read the report card together and choose the priority;
- a few short sessions in the second week to review a poorly understood topic and launch the micro-action before school starts again.
For older pupils, our 5 study tips to pass your exams offer concrete ideas to put in place now, before the December exams if their school holds them.
When to ask for help
These three keys are often enough to get the year back on track. Outside support can still be useful when:
- the same difficulties come back from one report card to the next;
- discussions about homework regularly turn into arguments at home;
- the gaps concern foundations from several years back;
- your child seems unmotivated or anxious about school.
If anxiety or lack of motivation dominate, the form teacher or the school’s PMS centre (psycho-medical-social centre) are good first contacts. For school difficulties, My Sherpa has offered since 2003 private tutoring and support with study skills, at home anywhere in Belgium or online. An educational advisor first assesses your child’s needs, then chooses the most suitable coach. For younger children,homework help helps build good habits.
Used well, the autumn break report card becomes an opportunity: it shows that it is time to act, and comes early enough for the changes to have time to bear fruit.
