Seven in 10 Brit parents have taken time off work to revise for their kids' GCSEs, survey reveals

The Sun

2 days ago

Seven in 10 parents have taken time off work - to revise for their kid's GCSEs.
A study of 500 parents with children taking exams this year found they actively started getting their own heads GCSE-ready three months ago.
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To prepare, 45 per cent of parents drafted a revision plan, 16 per cent have read study notes on An Inspector Calls, and 12 per cent have attempted to memorised MacBeth.
While 33 per cent have sat with their kids during revision sessions, 16 per cent have listened to audiobooks, and 12 per cent have stayed up 'all night' reading.
The research was commissioned by online learning platform, MyEdSpace, which is running a series of free GCSE 'Exam Cram Courses featuring live interactive three-hour lessons, which would normally be £300, ahead of this year's core subject exams – maths, English, and all three sciences
Co-founder of MyEdSpace, Sean Hirons, said: 'Understandably, parents just want to help their kids when it comes to exam season – especially those intense few days just before a big test.
'But that doesn't have to mean pulling all-nighters themselves or learning Macbeth off by heart.'
'Right now, the best thing parents can do for their kids is keep calm, give them some space and make sure they're not forgetting to do the basic things like eating regularly or getting a good night's sleep while they prep.'
'We don't want any students, or parents, to be feeling overwhelmed or unsupported during this extremely stressful time of year.'
Despite their efforts to familiarise themselves with the current GCSE syllabus, half of all parents polled have struggled to get their heads round what their children are learning.
While 69 per cent admitted their kids are stressed about the weeks ahead.
'Math-fluencer' Neil Trivedi, who is part of the MyEdSpace team and has streamed revision classes reaching more than 43,000 students, said: 'Bedding in knowledge evenly across the year is obviously the best way to learn.
'There are ways to optimise the revision process.
"One way to try and solidify your knowledge is to try and explain your work to a peer, those who study together, succeed together.
"And finally, take breaks, eat healthily, take your omega 3s and drink lots of water!'
Parents' efforts to help manage their kids through this daunting period are welcome for the most part as 65 per cent 'actively' want their mums and dads to help them with revision.
Although the research, carried out through OnePoll, found 19 per cent would prefer it if they didn't.
Reasons why include wanting to be independent (46 per cent), thinking they can revise better on their own (36 per cent), and 28 per cent wanting to prove themselves (28 per cent).
Kharis Yanakidis, co-founder for MyEdSpace, which aims to make exams less stressful and improve exam performance said: 'GCSE season can be overwhelming for students and families, so making revision fun and enjoyable can make all the difference.
'That's why our team is made up of expert teachers - many of them previous examiners - who last year helped MyEdSpace students achieve grades 7-9 at more than double the national average.'
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NEIL TRIVEDI'S TOP FIVE HACKS FOR ACING EXAMS WITH MINIMAL STRESS
"Understanding that 'practice makes perfect' on its own is not enough to get results - practicing with shaky foundations leads to terrible outcomes
"Use these top five tips and start by focusing on the topics you are weakest at, going back and covering those topics from their foundations in your textbooks and gradually build up to very difficult, problem-solving style questions from past papers."
Don't spend hours remembering formulas - I've never used a formula booklet in my life, I was able to learn all the relevant formulas from practicing questions, you too will naturally remember them with practice. Even better, you learn to recognise which problem they should be used for.
Teach to remember - Teach a friend, sibling, or even a stuffed animal a concept you're struggling with - it forces you to consolidate your knowledge.
Reverse engineer exam papers - Start with the answer, then work backward to understand how to solve the problem.
Focus on past exam paper questions - Textbooks are fine to practice specific mathematics skills - however, during exam season it is most important to gain exam specific exposure. For written subjects, study mark schemes to see exactly what your exam board is looking for.
Address every misconception - Do not accept incorrect answers without explanation - if you get a question wrong, make sure you fully understand where you made mistakes and what to address. Do the question again to prove to yourself you have understood your mistake.