Supporting Pupils Through Exam Season

As exam season approaches, we know this can be an important and sometimes challenging time for pupils. Fountain Head House School works closely with every pupil to make sure they feel prepared and supported.

We place a strong focus on wellbeing. Exams can feel overwhelming, so we create a calm and supportive environment with clear routines and encouragement throughout. Helping pupils feel confident and comfortable is just as important as academic preparation.

Margaret Simpson, our Assistant Head for Careers and Qualifications, says: "We are entering into that time of the year when all the pupils hard work gets recognised. For many of our pupils the idea of sitting in a room without their normal trusted adult to support them is a daunting one. Here at FHHS we spend a lot of time preparing our pupils by practicing the exam conditions many times and supporting any anxieties with discussion and by celebrating their achievement in practice papers for the English and Maths. We offer both traditional GCSEs and Functional skills as the Functional Skills, although an equivalent at Level 2 to a GCSE offers an on-demand alternative so the pupil can re-take this exam in-year thus ready for their post 16 progression pathway onto the next stage of their educational step to further education and, if appropriate, employment.

Parents are kept informed at each stage of this process and can help by ensuring the pupil has the opportunity to discuss any fears they might have and communicating this to their teacher. There may also be some homework given to help with practice and familiarity of the exam content areas.

Alongside the English and Maths exams are personal development and life skills qualifications that may also be related to the career the pupil has in mind e.g. catering or coaching football. These qualifications are mostly assignment based and we gather evidence of their progression through photos, whitness testimonies and tasks that the pupils complete independently. These qualifications are recognised by post 16 providers and help to show the scope of learning that they are comfortable with."

Most importantly, we celebrate progress in all its forms. For many of our pupils, exam season is about building confidence, independence, and resilience - and those achievements matter just as much as results.