‘Mock the Week’ by Grace Moore, St Bede’s School

Some schools this year are opting to complete all mocks before the Christmas break to allow students to relax and not have to revise over the duration of the holiday. However, there are mixed emotions among students about this decision; some students believe that it’s too much to fit into a shorter amount of time, and that they needed more time to revise, on the other hand, some students think that it is much better as they get their christmas break to relax without exam stress in the backs of their minds.

Also around this time, year eleven students are choosing their A-level options. Many of these choices could potentially affect these students for the rest of their school careers, which creates lots of stress and tension around picking subjects. The current mocks can help the students decide which subjects to apply for, as well as help them get an idea of what they’re real GCSEs will look like.

However, the intensity of exam season tends to take a large toll on students; statistics from previous years state that an overwhelming majority of teachers believe that exams have the biggest impact on students’ mental health and wellbeing. Many schools are trying to combat these harmful ‘exam side-effects’ by helping students structure their revision as well as providing intervention sessions where students can seek help from subject teachers to help boost their grades, which have proven incredibly useful.