Supporting students to prepare effectively for the upcoming summer examinations

Article written by John Roe.

Supporting students in the run up to this summer’s examinations involves more than just helping them revise; it is also about creating a positive growth mindset, supporting them with their physical and emotional wellbeing and fostering a balanced approach to both study and revision. This blog aims to give you some tips and practical strategies that you can use to support students to prepare effectively.

1. Planning, Prioritisation and Time Management

Revision can feel overwhelming if approached without a plan. Having a clear study schedule allows students to allocate time for each subject or topic based on its importance and level of difficulty. It also helps to ensure students cover everything they need to succeed without wasting precious time. Effective planning which spreads revision out over time rather than last minute cramming can also reduce stress and lead to better retention and recall of information.

A structured revision plan helps break down tasks into manageable chunks, making the process seem less daunting and reducing the temptation to put it off. When planning out a revision timetable it is important to encourage students to set specific goals for each study session. For example, instead of just “revise chemistry,” setting a specific goal such as “learn how to draw ionic bonding diagrams,” will help to ensure that there is a clear focus to every session and will be valuable to students when evaluating their progress.

Many research studies have found that short, focused study sessions tend to result in better retention and understanding of material. A fantastic way of getting students to adopt this approach is to encourage them to try the Pomodoro Technique when revising. The technique involves students setting a timer and working for just 25 minutes before taking a 5-minute break. By setting a timer, students commit to a specific task for a set time, which helps them to stay on track and avoid procrastination. The short duration helps maintain elevated levels of focus and energy, reducing mental fatigue and distractions.

Being able to prioritise tasks is also an essential skill for students. It can help students be more organised, productive and help them make the most effective use of their time. When studying, some students will spend an enormous amount of time and energy on topics that they are already familiar with and often much less time addressing those that cause them the most difficulty. Students can save valuable time by auditing their current skills and knowledge and then targeting study and revision sessions to address gaps and weaknesses. There are many ways to support students with this. Some departments I have worked with have found it beneficial to produce subject knowledge audit grids for students. These list different areas of the specification and students are asked to reflect on each and then rate their level of understanding and confidence. Others have used a simple traffic light system, asking students to classify their confidence and understanding as either red, amber, or green. Whichever system is used for auditing knowledge and understanding, it can help both to inform teacher planning and students’ revision time.

Time-management is a major challenge for some students. Finding time for independent study alongside completing assignments, part time jobs, hobbies and other commitments can be difficult. Some students I have worked with have found constructing a daily ‘To-Do’ list a useful resource when managing their time. Although many Apps now exist for this, using a notepad or sticky note can be just as effective. Encouraging students to list tasks in order of priority and then to allocate the most time to the most important tasks can increase productivity. There are lots of great techniques that students can use to help them priorities their time effectively. Techniques I have found beneficial when working with students include the Eisenhower and Action Priority Matrixes. The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple tool to help students organise and prioritise tasks by urgency and importance. Whilst the Action Priority Matrix encourages students to differentiate between tasks according to how much impact they are going to have on their learning, relative to the amount of energy they will need to get them finished.

2. Supporting Students’ Wellbeing

Supporting students’ physical, mental and emotional wellbeing in the run-up to exams is vital if students are to perform to the best of their ability. Form tutors will often see students every day and because of this, there is the potential for strong, positive relationships to form. They will often be the first person to notice changes in a students’ mood, appearance, attitude etc. and if strong relationships are formed, they can be pivotal in encouraging students to seek the additional support and help they may need.

Tutorial sessions also provide an excellent platform for students to discuss issues both as individuals and collectively that are impacting their health and wellbeing. They also can be used to provide guidance on key topics such as self-care, sleep hygiene, healthy eating and managing exam stress. Over the next few months, regular check in sessions with students to ask how they are feeling both academically and emotionally can be incredibly beneficial. Knowing that someone cares can make a significant difference in reducing stress.

When working as a post-16 leader, my sixth form signed up to ‘Bloom’ a fantastic free UK wide programme which supports young people’s mental health and resilience. It is produced by Mental Health UK, which is made up of four mental health charities, one in each nation of the UK. The programme consists of six one-hour workshops covering topics such as resilience, exam stress, social pressures, decision-making and time-management. The programme provides free training to designated teachers as well as resources including videos, student workbooks, PowerPoint slides and teacher guides. The Bloom team will also co deliver workshop sessions and offer ongoing support to schools and colleges as they deliver the programme. Bloom was well received by both staff and students at my school and in addition to supporting student wellbeing, it also provided fantastic training and professional development for myself and my colleagues.

https://mentalhealth-uk.org/partnerships/projects/bloom/

3. Teaching Revision Skills

Lots of educational research exists on the topic of effective revision and teachers can play a key role in disseminating the findings to students. Some students will not know where to start with revision, so teaching them techniques such as retrieval practice, spacing and interleaving as well as practical strategies they can use when revising can have a significant impact on both motivation and achievement.

For any teachers who are interested in learning more about Retrieval Practice I would thoroughly recommend the series of books on the subject written by Kate Jones. They are full of great ideas and fantastic activities that can be used at all key stages both inside and outside of lessons. You can also learn more about Retrieval Practice techniques at the following website which has been put together by Dr Pooja K. Agarwal, a cognitive scientist, educator, and author to many fantastic books on the subject.

https://www.retrievalpractice.org

Although tutorial sessions and assemblies provide excellent opportunities to support students with revision skills, it is also important that there is a focus on developing these skills in subject lessons. Some teachers may worry that time spent teaching study and revision skills in lessons will impact on the time available to cover subject content. However, a focus on these skills can not only increase students’ ability to remember and build on content covered in previous lessons but also increase students’ metacognition and awareness of their own learning.

• Brain Dumps – students choose a topic and then first write down everything that they can remember without referring to class notes. They then use their notes, knowledge organisers or exam specifications directly to fill in any gaps.
• Essay Question Mapping – students plan out answers to a series of essay questions without writing full responses. They then check mark schemes and decide whether their plans meet the criteria before answering a question in full. Sharing plans with teachers for additional feedback can also enhance this activity.
• Flashcards – students produce flashcards for topics containing questions and answers and then use the Leitner System for effective spacing and interleaving.
• Past papers – students answering exam questions under timed conditions and using mark schemes to fill in the gaps is another powerful revision technique.

I hope you have found the tips in the blog useful, and that your students find the strategies I have discussed beneficial as they prepare for the upcoming examination series.

About John Roe:

John has worked in education for 22 years as a science teacher, head of department and pastoral lead.  John is passionate about creating an aspirational culture and supporting students to achieve their full potential. Prior to joining Alps, John was Director of Radyr Sixth Form in Cardiff for 10 years, where he lead the transformation of the sixth form with student outcomes consistently matching the performance of the top 2% nationally.