It really is a sensational sunny evening in Somerset.  I am weary after a day of invigilating but it is work that I love doing.  Seeing an ambitious school in action – witnessing the staff doing as much as they can to support the 100’s of children who attend is quite something and I want the children to attend this school to be thriving beyond the exam season.  

Exams matter to me now.  I hated them when I was young and I can see now that I spent far too much time invested in my anxiety and fear and dread as opposed to investing time in learning to learn and looking at the benefits of exams.   And because exams are a big part of school life, I make it my mission to see the ‘goodness’ in them.  GCSE’s and A’levels are almost over and now Mocks are starting.  

Mocks are of such help.  They are a part of journey of strategising for success later on down the line.  Mocks are designed to give you useful information.  What else do you need to be learning?  How can you be learning more effectively?  What is an improved strategy for when writing exams in the future?  How can you ensure the you are calm and focused for your exams?  What is a routine that works for you?  Who do you need to be surrounding yourself with over the exam period?  Who are the people who want you to be doing well?  Who are the best people to be reaching out to for added academic support?  What are the key takeaways from these Mocks that you will be applying for next Summer when the exams are serious?

Would it make a difference to you if you decided to be grateful for these exams?  As I often will say – these exams are not just about the actual content that you are learning for the tests.  Exams are more than exams. They have the potential to prove to yourself that:

You can manage your emotions during times of pressure;

You can plan towards a deadline;

You are able to wrestle with learning and learn to learn; 

You know that you are able to sit at a desk for a stretch of time and get the work done;

You show up for yourself – and your teachers;

You can work towards a goal, even if the work is difficult;

You can do hard things and make the work meaningful;

You can be relied upon get what needs to be done, done.

Even if the subject does not particularly inspire you – is there a bigger picture to the exams that does.  And what could you tell yourself about the exams that stretches you to be ambitious for yourself in working for them?  

I want your future, beyond school, to be stimulating and satisfying.  I want you to have really good and interesting options for yourself.  I want you to know that you CAN do it.  And that you are able to learn to learn and to tackle the exam season ‘professionally’.  

You’ve got this. You really have.