Parents: help your child revise

The countdown to exams can be a stressful time for everyone. But whether they know all the subjects or not parents can be a great help guiding their children through the exam revision maze.

We asked Chris McNab, Headteacher of Overton Grange School for his advice on how parents can help their children revise.

Here’s his top tips.

The first thing to do is ask your teenager how you can help: you can start the conversation by asking; ‘Have you created a revision timetable?’ There will be lots of support from the school regarding how a plan should be structured. Once in place, print it out and display it where they study. Keep a copy for yourself.

It’s important to remember teenagers and young adults need routine, at home as well as in school, especially where a lot of independent study is required.

They’ll also need the right environment to work in at home such as a quiet space and a tidy desk away from noise and distractions. Have everything they’ll need, books, pens, highlighters etc, in one place where they can easily find them. Top tip ‘Have the next session organised at the end of any revision period, this will support students to get started which is always the biggest hurdle’

We all know how important a good night’s sleep is. Make sure your child has a night-time routine and it’s a good idea if they stop revising at a set time each night. You may want to encourage them to turn off their phone and possibly leave it another room, so they have an undisturbed sleep.

Eating a healthy and varied diet will also give them the energy for revising and stop them raiding the biscuit jar too often for that sugar hit.

Parents should always have high expectations of their children but they should also be aware of their anxieties and their need for regular breaks. Schedule in some down time to help your child clear their mind between subjects, take part in extracurricular activities or see their friends.

And finally, at Overton Grange School, we believe in helping our young people through this challenging period. It’s often a stressful and worrying time for everyone. But by helping your child develop a positive and can do mindset you’ll be giving them the tools to overcome any obstacle throughout their lives. At the school we host a number of support sessions for parents and encourage them to make contact with the school should they need any further guidance.