Improving your students’ success in exams

As GCSEs and A-levels loom ahead for Year 11 and Year 13 students the task of achieving success can feel like a mountain for them to climb. 

This is understandable when we consider the depth of the curriculum, particularly in the new 9-1 GCSE exams, therefore we need to help them break down this challenge into achievable chunks. 

In this article, we will look at the five steps to achieving success: Decisions, Destinations, Resources, Knowledge and D-Day.

Decisions

As students embark on the next few months they will inevitably have some gremlin thoughts in their heads and these will range from, this is impossible, I’m not clever enough, there’s not enough time. If students let these thoughts manifest their chances of success are diminished, as success starts with the mind.

Ask students to re-programme their thinking to positive thoughts, and the most simple of these is, I Can Do It. In recent years I have suggested students write this on their knuckles when they are revising to overcome the doubts in their minds.

Young people these days are easily influenced, so let’s make the most of this and influence them positively. Once they know that hard work makes the impossible, ‘possible’ and if they make up their mind that they ‘can do it’, a positive decision has been made and they are ready to embark on the challenge ahead.