Calm before the storm
Half term is nearly upon us, with sunny weather forecast, but the dark cloud of examinations looms on the horizon for our children. Many in Year 11 have completed the majority of their GCSE papers, whilst Year 13 students are in a much more varied position, with some having nearly finished their A-level exams, whilst others have barely begun.
For most pupils, however, it is the end of year exams beginning on Monday 1 June that are raising their blood pressure. Asking pupils not to worry about exams is a somewhat pointless exercise, a degree of concern is quite natural. Exams are challenging, not much fun, and preparing for them properly is hard work.
However, we do our best at LGS to help our pupils to work smarter rather than necessarily harder. I know that the Heads of Years 7 to 10 recently wrote to parents to share some of the resources available to support pupils, but perhaps some of the key messages are worth repeating here.
First: exams are important, but they are only one part of a much longer learning journey. They provide an opportunity to consolidate knowledge and practise applying it under exam conditions. It is this process, and the learning gained from it, that matters far more than the mark on the front of the paper.
Second: it is neither sensible nor feasible for most pupils to memorise every aspect of every subject studied this year. Revision time is finite, so our advice is to focus on revising the most important things in the time available, rather than setting the unrealistic goal of covering everything.
Third: active revision is much more effective than simply “reading your notes”. The pupil guide to efficient revision offers further detail on this.
Finally: rest, relaxation, and time spent with family are essential. Exams week is hard, and we want our pupils to arrive on Monday morning feeling refreshed and ready to do their best.
I will finish with one tip for parents, as I know that exam pressure can weigh just as heavily on us as it does our children! Try not to worry, education rarely proceeds in a straight line, but the approach we take at LGS works well. They will get there in the end, even if the journey has a few bumps along the way.
With best wishes for a calm yet productive week,
Magnus Anderson
Headmaster