The Summer of Discontent

The impact of the recent government announcements that GCSEs and A levels will be decided by the qualification board based on grade predictions, past grades and recent mocks will no doubt come as a shock to teachers, students and parents alike. The spread of the coronavirus has already disrupted the educational experience of UK students with school closures and now, confirmation that there will be no exams this summer, and no replacement exams at a postponed date, will inevitably disadvantage many.

There may be those whose mocks and school reports are not reflective of the potential they could show in a final exam and this outcome may be frustrating. Although there may be channels to appeal, it makes sense to focus on those things that students can control. In particular, possible future qualifications that they go on to take.

GCSE students will be looking at over five months of interruption to their study. To many, this will be a welcome break from the treadmill of studies but those of us looking back on prolonged study breaks know just how difficult it is to get back into the rhythm of learning. The step-up from GCSE to A level is famed for its increased demands and academic skills. We advise students to continue with their GCSE revision and curriculum in order to hit the ground running with their sixth form qualifications. The advantage to these students is that they can focus especially on their A level subjects and try to develop an introductory understanding of the A level syllabus in the first few months.

For A-level students, this decision could change the course of the academic career, denying them places at university they have worked towards for the past six months. Again, keeping up momentum and confirming subject knowledge will be vital to taking the subject further at degree level.

Most importantly, we believe that students require regularity, structure and discipline to build the independent learning skills that are required as they moved up the educational ladder.

1. Begin and end studies at the same time each day to build the discipline of a routine
2. Studying alone on the computer can take increased stamina so build in screen/refreshment breaks
3. Utilise your peers – learning from fellow students is a huge benefit of classroom education so bring together study teams through a virtual video platform
4. Identify a mentor or tutor who can provide expertise and give advice on your progress

Try our “Keeping Up Classes” or one-to-one academic tuition to maintain momentum and hit the ground running in your future academic career.