54% of parents agree graded assessments are more effective for their child than end of year exams

The future of school exams in the UK has been widely debated following the adversary stance on GCSEs and A-Levels taken by Euan Blair, spearheaded by the argument that exam results bare no connection to success achieved in the workplace. Consequentially, the alternative presented for a future form of assessment involved a more active approach between teachers and students that would be beneficial to student’s grades and wellbeing. The insight comes in light of new research from MyTutor – the UK’s largest online tutoring platform – which revealed that the majority of parents across the nation – 54% – agree that their child learns and retains more due to being graded throughout the year rather than end of year exams.

These revelations also follow anecdotal evidence from teachers who have observed high levels of anxiety among pupils in the run-up to exams, reporting that panic attacks, angry outbursts, self-harm and disengagement among students were becoming increasingly prevalent. This notion has been further reinforced in MyTutor’s study, unveiling that 42% of parents said their child has the highest levels of stress they have observed in their lifetime.

Key statistics:
54% of parents agree their child feels they learn and retain more due to being graded throughout the year rather than end of year exams
42% of parents said their child has the highest levels of stress they have observed in their lifetime
43% of parents agree their child’s self-esteem is linked to the grades they achieved at school and university
31% of parents agree that pre-Covid, their child disregarded coursework and class time in favour of putting greater effort into their exams
44% of parents agree that post-pandemic, their child now prioritises their coursework and class time rather than cramming revision before exams
46% of parents agree that having experienced teacher graded assessments, their child actually prefers this way of learning and grading
To address issues around stress and anxiety, Dr Louise Egan, a child, adolescent, and clinical psychologist, shares her thoughts on how students and parents can cope during the stress of exams;

“Many parents and teachers are concerned about teens’ emotional wellbeing in the lead up to exams, especially in these challenging times. I hear from many parents and students about their specific struggles with self-esteem and anxiety around their studies and this has been reportedly exacerbated by the stress, uncertainty and expectations that young people have faced over the last two years.

“For many school staff and parents, striking the right balance between caring for a student emotionally and helping them to achieve academically is difficult, but my advice would be to focus first on the emotional development of the individual; positively connect with them, try and find quality time with them to try and open up opportunities to curiously and empathically understand and accept their version of the world and any concerns they may have. Ask them how can we help, what do they need from us?

“Help nurture their positive self-esteem, praise, and remind them of their strengths in all aspects of their lives, encourage them to believe in themselves, share how they have grown and learned to worked through so many challenges. We can build in opportunities for rest and relaxation amidst stressful periods of time too, good quality sleep is so important at this developmental stage. Their brains are still developing, and they need our sensitive and compassionate care to navigate this challenging stage in life.
“If we are able to help our teens feel emotionally secure in themselves, their relationships and their worlds this can better enable them to make good use of their learning; security and compassionate good enough care can help them weather the storm of academic challenges/demands. Families, schools and teachers need to be compassionate to themselves too!”

Bertie Hubbard, co-founder of MyTutor, comments on the impact of exam stress on teens:

“The last two years have been a tough for teens. And after months out of school it’s no surprise that students are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety. The pressure of exam season always come with stress and anxiety, but this year we’ve heard more than ever before.

“Teens are in more need than ever for some support and reassurance with their studies, and that’s exactly what our tutors offer. Our tutors are all from UK unis, and because they’re just a few years older they can easily relate to what teens are going through. With their dedicated one-to-one support, teens get some much-needed reassurance and come out with a stronger self-belief – 88% say that lessons made them feel more confident.”