SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD THROUGH THEIR GCSE EXAMS
There is no correct way to parent during exams, pick out a few ideas that you feel could work for you and your child. The GCSE exam period can be one of the most stressful periods in a person’s life. We hope to help you understand how you can support your child in the build-up to this important time. In school, we will be working on exam preparation, skills, and techniques over the coming months. We will be preparing students for examinations,
teaching them everything they need to know about: ▪ What they need to know for their exams in each subject ▪ When to start preparing for the exams ▪ How to get started in these preparations ▪ How to produce a revision timetable ▪ How to revise ▪ How to manage themselves during the exam period
Our aim is to build upon the skills they have been developing from Year 7. Ultimately this should result in students being more fully equipped with the skills, techniques, and knowledge to manage the exam periods effectively, with the support of the staff here at school and their friends and family. This leaflet has been designed for you as parents and carers to support your child at home.
Success in exams is a team effort which involves you, the school and your child working together: “The more parents are engaged in the education of their children, the more likely their children are to succeed in the education system. School improvement and school effectiveness research consistently shows that parental engagement is one of the key factors in securing higher student achievement.” (DFE Research Report 156, September 2011) The single most effective thing you can do to ensure good exam results for your child is to…
GET YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL EVERY SINGLE DAY, ON TIME
95% is considered good attendance by most people, however, this actually causes your child to be at risk of serious underachievement:
95% attendance = half a day of lessons missed every two weeks 95% attendance = two weeks of lessons missed per year
This is equivalent to almost a whole year of lessons in one GCSE subject!