A growing number of students are seeking counselling because of exam stress, according to the children’s charity Childline. The charity said that it had provided 3,135 counselling sessions over the last year, helping pupils to cope with exam pressure. That is the equivalent to almost nine a day.
The exam season is just about to begin, with younger pupils across England take their Sats this week. Teenagers are also prepare for upcoming GCSEs and A-levels.
But many sitting their GCSEs in particular face new challenges this year with a different grading system having been put in place. The new 9-1 system is replacing the old A*-U letter grades for some subjects. This is already thought to have caused stress among students, with reports of them crying in the toilets and breaking down in class.
Share your experiences
We are keen to hear from teachers, parents, counsellors and students over coming weeks about exam pressure. Is the new GCSE grading system ramping up pressure? What are the big worries? How are students coping? Are schools sending letters of support home? Are you trying different techniques to calm kids down? Share your stories.
