Latest news with #GCSE
The Sun
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Seven in 10 Brit parents have taken time off work to revise for their kids' GCSEs, survey reveals
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. 3 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.' 3 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.
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Seven in 10 Brit parents have taken time off work to revise for their kids' GCSEs, survey reveals
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. 3 Parents started preparing for exam season three months ago Credit: SWNS 3 Some students welcome help from their parents, while some prefer solo study Credit: SWNS To prepare, 45 per cent of parents drafted a 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, 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. Read more News 'But that doesn't have to mean pulling all-nighters themselves or learning '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. Most read in The Sun 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. Britain's favourite nicknames for bodyparts revealed in survey - does yours make the list- '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 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.' 3 Seven in ten parents have taken time off work to help during GCSE season Credit: Getty 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.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
White working-class pupils behind in all but 21 of UK's 3,400 secondary schools, shocking figures reveal
White working-class children are falling behind their peers in all but 21 schools across the country, shocking official data has shown. It means only a tiny fraction of more than 3,400 secondary schools across England see such pupils doing as well as their peers. Last night Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson warned that white working-class children were being 'betrayed' and left behind. In what has been seen as an attempt to take on Nigel Farage 's Reform UK, Ms Phillipson has launched an inquiry into why such children are failing. She said: 'Across attendance, attainment and life chances, white working-class children and those with special educational needs do exceptionally poorly. 'Put simply, these children have been betrayed – left behind in society's rear-view mirror. They are children whose interests too many politicians have simply discarded.' The proportion of white working-class pupils getting grades 5 or above in English and maths GCSE was 18.6 per cent, substantially below the 45.9 per cent national average, according to the data. But critics said Labour was only paying attention to the issue to counter the threat from Reform. Tory schools spokesman Neil O'Brien said: 'Everything Bridget Phillipson is doing is disastrous for white working-class kids. 'Her trade union-led Schools Bill is smashing up 30 years of cross-party reforms which have raised standards in England. 'Phillipson has axed support for able pupils in mathematics, physics, Latin and computing because she sees them as elitist. 'She has axed the behaviour hubs which were doing so much to improve discipline and standards in schools. 'School funding formulas still tend to heavily favour urban areas. While 40 years ago, London was an education disaster zone, today it is the highest-achieving part of the country and the lowest levels of achievement are found in shire and coastal areas.' At secondary school, white British pupils on free school meals perform around a grade and a half worse in each GCSE subject compared with the national average. Officials said the drivers of low attainment among white working-class pupils included a lack of parental involvement or aspiration. According to the research, white boys from disadvantaged backgrounds and workless homes have the lowest aspirations of all groups. But white working-class girls also fell in school attainment at a faster pace than their peers over the past five years. The inquiry will be led by Sir Hamid Patel, who runs a number of outstanding schools across Yorkshire, the North West and the West Midlands. Former home secretary Sir David Blunkett will also sit on the panel, alongside school standards tsar Sir Kevan Collins. It will look at why white working-class children perform worse across measures including behaviour, attendance, mental health, attainment and life chances. Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty said: 'Since the early 2000s, white working-class pupils have fallen behind their peers at every level of education. 'English and maths GCSEs are the bedrock of education and opportunity. 'The Government must develop a strategy to close this attainment gap and ensure this group are no longer marginalised. 'Labour must dispel the ongoing narrative around white privilege, as well as intergenerational disadvantage, geographic inequalities and disengagement from school, if they are serious about improving outcomes.' Announcing the inquiry, Ms Phillipson said: 'We'll look closely at what's working in the tiny number of schools that the data indicates may have cracked this problem for white working-class children. 'My message to parents is that we will create a school system where every child, in every classroom, has the support they need to achieve, and a fair crack at making a success of their life.'
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Seven in 10 parents have taken time off work to revise for their kids' 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. An astonishing seven out of 10 parents have taken time away from work to hit the books alongside their children preparing for GCSEs, reveals a study of 500 parents with kids facing exams this year. It turns out they started to revise some of the subjects three months back, in an attempt to get their head around the curriculum. Despite their best 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 supposed to be learning. While 69% admitted their kids are stressed about the weeks ahead. In a bid to be supportive, nearly half made up a study schedule, 16% delved into 'An Inspector Calls', and 12% endeavoured to memorise 'Macbeth'. A third have been companions during study sessions, 16% turned to audiobooks, while 12% have pulled all-nighters. This insight comes courtesy of a study conducted by MyEdSpace, an online education portal now offering free 'Exam Cram Courses' complete with live three-hour tutorial sessions, set to prime students ahead of Maths, English and Science exams. 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." '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." Parent's efforts to help manage their kids through this daunting period are welcome for the most part as 65% 'actively' want their mums and dads to help them with revision. Although the research, carried out through OnePoll, found 19% would prefer it if they didn't. Reasons why include wanting to be independent (46%), thinking they can revise better on their own (36%), and 28% wanting to prove themselves (28%). Kharis Yanakidis, co-founder of MyEdSpace which aims to defuse the stress of exam season, understands the pressure, stating: "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." 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. EVERSE 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.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Think you know a lot about Dickens? Then who's this Herbert character?
It's unwise to drill too deeply into the exact questions that come up in a GCSE paper. You can't get a proper sense of proportion when: you most likely don't know the answer the examiners are looking for, or anything about the subject; your kid can't remember what they wrote anyway; and someone on TikTok has the mark scheme. But do they really? Or is it more TikTok nonsense? You'll either get sucked into the catastrophe-vortex, or you fall into the trap of minimising, looking over your metaphorical half-moon glasses and going, 'I'm sure it'll be fine, darling,' like an Edwardian dad. All parents and teachers know this, which is what made last week so very unusual. The English paper set by one of the main examining boards has a character question that encourages pupils to engage deeply with someone in the key text. It might not be the main character, but usually it will be one you've heard of. In Great Expectations, however, they chose Herbert. Maybe you're familiar with the story – there's a hero, there's a love interest, there's an eccentric benefactor, and there's a villain who only appears twice but is very colourful. None of these people are Herbert. There's a kindly father figure, a mother figure, a random bad guy, a merchant and a gold-digger, and, again, none of these are Herbert. Herbert is a nobody. He's the guy in the wedding photo whose name people can't remember by the 10th anniversary. He is – in the modern parlance – not A Thing. Shoehorning everything, or even anything you know about Great Expectations, through the character of Herbert is like trying to explain photosynthesis using a fingernail and some gravel. It's been the talk of the town. I walked into a Starbucks and overheard two people of about my age going: 'Who the hell is Herbert?' This is probably the most talked-about Herbert has ever been. So, a great day for him, but a disaster for everyone else. Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist
