There are multiple maturational stages a child passes through during their academic career.

The period of emerging adolescence (10-14 years of age) is marked as a period of developmental change second only in importance and intensity to the first two years of life (Stewart and Nolan, 1992; Carr Grieg, 2002; Nagel, 2007). The inter-related developmental changes, (physical, psycho-emotional, cognitive and social), have lasting effects on the development of self concept, academic and social adjustment to social norms. This stage determines the kind of person the emerging adolescent will finally become (Erickson, 1968, Hargreaves, 1986, Nagel, 2007). Psycho-emotional development is characterised by the search for personal identity, transition from industry to inferiority (Erickson, 1968) and from identity to role confusion. While intensely preoccupied with self this is contradicted by a fluctuating sense of self-worth, and the desire to impact on major societal issues. Social development is characterised by decreasing parental affiliation and increasing peer influence. The development of strong peer group conformity is coupled with a growing acceptance of and interest in members of the opposite sex (Stevenson, 1998).