Teach Secondary Issue 13.4

A s exam season approaches, many schools will see heightened stress levels among their students. That’s understandable, of course, given that these young people will have worked hard to get to this point, and be wanting to give the best possible account of themselves throughout their assessments. At Stephen Perse Cambridge, we take great care in creating an environment during exam season that promotes a positive and optimistic approach. Our ambition is to provide a supportive and relaxed culture during the exam term that helps students feel able to rise to the challenge of the assessments, without experiencing any detrimental impact to their wellbeing. Cumulative experience The cornerstone of this work has been the creation of a support system that’s made available to every student throughout their school experience, not just during exams. Every summer during their time at Stephen Perse Cambridge Senior School, students in all year groups get to experience assessments which are conducted with an age-appropriate level of formality, becoming increasingly similar each year to the summer exams they’ll eventually sit, culminating in their Y11 GCSEmocks. These assessments are designed to mirror the experience of the real thing as closely as possible. It’s a process that ensures students will be well-practised at preparing for, and working through the exam period, while developing techniques and building resilience to help manage the stress of exams throughout their school careers. We prioritise open communication with our parent community around mental health to try and reduce any associated stigma. We want parents to feel they can share any concerns about their child’s wellbeing with us, so that we can best support their children throughout their whole school experience. One way in which we do this is by keeping parents informed about our various initiatives in this area – from wellbeing talks, to new PSHE modules. This way, parents can better understand the school’s ethos when it comes to wellbeing in general, which sets the tone for our approach to the increased stress of exam periods. Flexible independence A flexible study leave period before GCSEs and A Levels is also essential in empowering students to prepare and revise in a way that suits them. During study leave, our students can choose the learning environment which works best for them– be it a silent study room, group work spaces at school, the family dining table, their bedroom, the local library or a mix of all the above. Staff across all subjects hold optional revision lessons that students on study leave can attend, and are available to answer any emailed questions from students as they revise. At this time, promoting students’ wellbeing is just as important as their revision’s content coverage. That’s why we deliver workshops on the challenges of exam season, such as what they should expect on the day and how to manage exam anxiety. Looking ahead Students are also strongly encouraged to set aside time and space for their hobbies and other interests, plan in adequate breaks and continue socialising with friends and family. One key piece of advice we remind all students of is that no matter how they feel an examwent, once it’s done they need to put it behind them and look ahead to the next day. Staff need to reassure students that feeling anxious ahead of exams is completely normal, and doesn’t necessarily constitute an anxiety disorder or similar. These conversations don’t have to take the form of a PSHE talk; our pastoral staff and subject teachers all regularly encourage open conversations at all times with students around how they’re coping during exam term. At Stephen Perse Cambridge, we’re keen for subject teachers, form tutors and heads of department to be present on exam days, so that students are reminded that we’re behind them. Those final words of encouragement really can make all the difference to their mindset as they head into that exam room. Coping with CRUNCHTIME Abbey Jones takes at look at what’s involved in helping students feel relaxed, supported and secure in their wellbeing as exam season unfolds... ABOUT THE AUTHOR Abbey Jones is senior deputy head 11-18 at Stephen Perse Cambridge Senior School; for more information, visit stephenperse.com “Empower students to revise inaway that suits them” TEACH SECONDARY SPECIAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING 31 teachwire.net/secondary H E A LT H A N D W E L L B E I N G