Your guide to supporting your child during exam season

It’s official – exam season has begun for those who are taking their GCSEs and A-Levels.

It can be a stressful time for all – the young people you love and care for are feeling overwhelmed with revision, and you hate to see them under pressure.  

It can be comforting to think that this will all be over in a few weeks, but here are a few things that you can do in the meantime to help your child or the young person you care for through the exam period:  

Make time to listen 

Even when you’re feeling stressed or busy yourself, try to make sure you’re making time to listen their thoughts, worries, or concerns. Setting time aside to check in can help to ease any anxiety they might be feeling and reassure them about their future. 

Create a calm environment 

When your space is a mess, it’s harder to focus on the task at hand! Help them to create a spot for revising that is tidy and organised and remind them to take plenty of breaks to keep their mind calm, too!  

Be ready to solve problems 

We hope it won’t happen, but sometimes your child won’t get the results they were expecting. Being prepared with solutions such as clearing information or alternative routes for further education will help to relieve the stress of the situation.  

Be patient 

When we’re going through stressful times, we’re more likely to have a short temper or get upset quicker than normal – and the same goes for young people going through exams. Remind yourself of the pressure they may be feeling and be patient if they seem a little snappier than usual! 

Further support 

• There’s plenty more information, advice, and useful resources in our free downloadable guides for parents, carers, and guardians. You can download it here!  
  
  
• It also includes information about how you can access further support yourself, including free workshops and sessions with the National Careers Service and access to fully funded training courses to help improve your skills 
  
  
• If your child or young person has SEND, personalised support is available. You can learn more in our dedicated post. 

If you'd like more information, advice or guidance on how you can provide support, call the National Careers Service Results Time Helpline on:
0800 100 900

After your son or daughter receives their exam results, if they live in Nottingham or Nottinghamshire and do not have a place secured in education, work or training, they can get support from us - just email: talk@futuresforyou.com