Survey research has identified that exams are a significant source of stress and worry for pupils in secondary school. Exam stress can be really challenging, not only for
children but for those that live with them. Research shows that having someone to talk to about their work can help. Support from a parent, teacher or friend can help young people share their worries and keep things in perspective.

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Handling the pressure of external exams

Healthy habits are essential to living a long and happy life, and they are important to instil in children from a young age. If you help them form these habits now, you will be giving them the tools to navigate any obstacles they may face as they grow into adulthood. Research reveals that there is a strong link between healthy habits and pupil achievement. Poor health habits add up to poor grades, and research suggests that healthy habits and good health-related decisions can lead to improved academic performance

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Developing good habits

‘Don’t Break the Chain’ is a method of success originally created by Jerry Seinfield. Jerry placed an X on a calendar for every day he completed writing new material. After a few days a chain of X’s form and the goal is to NOT break the chain by carrying out work for every day of the year. The ‘Don’t Break the Chain’ strategy is a constant reminder which can help pupils stay disciplined, be determined and keep motivated. Pupils can set their own goals and targets, which may be to complete revision or homework every other day, exercise four times times per week or drink two litres of water a day.

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Don’t Break the Chain

Having a tidy space can reduce stress and improve productivity. Another way to maximise opportunities for work and reduce distractions is to ensure the space is organised with everything needed for studying: laptop, books, pens and any other equipment.

It is often surprising how much we can actually achieve in short bursts of time when we are fully focused, with no distractions, and know that there is a clear end when we’ll get to do something we want to.

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Encouraging productive learning

The Sleep Council highlights how quality sleep is essential for growth and development and that your child needs between 8-10 hours sleep every night. Teen’s body clocks naturally shift to make them feel tired later in the evening. Teens need more sleep than adults. Research shows that the brain’s ability to process information declines with lack of sleep. Our emotional responses, empathy towards others and tendency to do silly things all goes up with lack of sleep.

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Sleep

Developing independence has many benefits: increased academic success, increased motivation and confidence and improved awareness of students’ own strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to manage these. Independent learning isn’t about working alone: teachers and parents still need to support and enable the learning  that is needed in this time so that it is structured, productive and effective. We can’t expect children to just ‘know’ how to work independently as well as effectively, they will need some guidance and support.

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Encouraging Independence

The emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows young people to develop resilience, cope with the ups and downs in life and grow into healthy adults. Surveys suggest that most young people are mentally healthy but more children are having problems due to life changes, traumatic events, feeling vulnerable or not coping with difficult situations.

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Mental Health

The more frequently that information is revisited and used, the more likely it is to move into longer term memories. Research shows that revisiting learning frequently is more effective than mass-revision. Unfortunately, many students report that they don’t feel like it’s working and they prefer larger and rarer chunks. Knowing this is useful for us, and the young people we care about, so we can talk about it and address this issue,

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Re-visiting of learning

Resilience is the ability to overcome adversity, ‘bounce back’ during difficult times and get back to feeling good. It is about having the capacity to adapt to difficult circumstances, and using tools and resources available to do so. Evidence suggests that promoting resilience can help young people sustain good relationships, develop
personal life skills, overcome challenges, cope in difficult situations and help them to achieve their potential.

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Building resilience

An important part of teenage life should be relaxation. It is an essential part of maintaining health and wellbeing and being able to calmly deal with stress and pressure which, as we know, can be quite intense during the school years and especially being an adolescent.

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Relaxation