• Are you concerned by levels of exam stress among your students?
• Are you looking for effective, realistic ways to support them through exams?
• Do you want to understand better why stress levels build?

This course is designed for secondary school teachers, pastoral leads and mental health teams who are looking for an in-depth training on the causes of exam stress and effective ways to reduce it.

Why exam stress needs our attention
Significant numbers of students are impacted negatively by problematic levels of exam stress: high levels of stress can impact physical and mental wellbeing and lead to behaviours which make it harder for the student to succeed (for example, disengagement, procrastination or hyperengagement).

Exam stress can have multiple causes such as pressure from parents, the competitiveness of the future job market, and challenging exam content, but teachers and pastoral teams have a key role to play in helping students prepare mentally for exams. This course will look at straightforward, easy-to-implement strategies which school staff can use to help students feel confident, motivated and calm about exams, embedding habits which will help them succeed in the exam hall and later in life.

This course draws on up-to-date research combined with practical, on-the-ground classroom expertise, offering realistic insights into how to reduce students’ exam stress

Benefits of the course

• Understand the neuroscience behind the stress: how does the brain respond to high-pressure situations and what are the workarounds which help students find a calm, confident route through?
• Use leading cognitive science to gain insights into thought-patterns and how students can develop a motivated, healthy relationship with exams
• Explore practical strategies which can be implemented straightaway without major changes to curriculum planning
• Each attendee will receive a complimentary copy of Exam Stress: A practical and positive guide for teachers

Course Outline

Understanding the science

• the physiology of the stress-response
• understanding cognition and the impact stress has on thought patterns
• key principles for restoring calm and a sense of safety

Taking stock of the context

• identifying stress-factors in your context: what’s happening at school, between friends, at home?
• learning to see the invisible pressures
• noticing the exam habits which are already in place

Re-thinking the language

• re-thinking how to talk about exam stress in advance
• re-thinking how to respond to students who are experiencing high levels of stress
• re-thinking how to frame low-level assessments in a way which will build a healthy, motivated relationship with exams

Communicating with parents

• helping parents to understand why stress builds
• explaining effectively how parents can support at home
• key messaging: how should parents respond to reports and exam results?

Presenter Profile

Katharine Radice is a leading expert on exam stress. She is the author of Exam Stress: A practical and positive guide for teachers and the parallel book for parents: The Parent’s Guide to Exam Stress: Practical, positive ways to support and motivate your child. She has more than 20 years’ experience working in secondary schools, spanning classroom, pastoral and senior leadership roles. She currently teaches at Parkside Community College, Cambridge, combining this with freelance education consultancy work, advising schools and working with parents on ways to reduce problematic levels of stress among students and facilitate better outcomes in exams. More information at www.katharineradice.co.uk

Praise for Exam Stress: A practical and positive guide for teachers

"Clear, brilliantly-researched and insightful, this book offers realistic, empathetic and targeted advice. I highly recommended it for teachers, pastoral teams and senior leaders alike." Jaideep Barot, Head of Bristol Grammar School and Chair of HMC 2024-25
"Exam Stress is a compassionate overview which provides nuanced insight into how exam stress manifests itself in pupils; it's a valuable resource for secondary teachers, providing many reflection questions." Ross Morrison McGill @teachertoolkit
"Impressively comprehensive - this book introduces or explains many important truths of psychology, equipping teachers with deep, relevant and up-to-date understanding." Nicola Morgan, The Teenage Brain Woman, www.nicolamorgan.com
"Seriously good in all respects: message, substance, structure, presentation, impact" Dan Silverman, Deputy Head, Alexandra Park School
"A thoughtful and helpful resource for teachers, SEN practitioners, and the School Senior Management team; I very much hope that schools will take up this invitation to hear our children’s voices and lessen the stressful impact of our examination system." Lucy Fuller Child Psychotherapist UKCP CPC
"The research and practical tips have helped us develop an approach that integrates academic and pastoral support and aims to equip the students with strategies that will help them now and in the future." Henrietta Barnet School
"The advice here will help in navigating the stress of exams and in a way that builds up good relationships." Craig Morrison, CEO, Kingfisher Schools Trust

Cost: £150 per delegate (fee includes a copy of Exam Stress: A practical and positive guide for teachers)

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