Students across Teesside could be struggling to cope - as new research claims nearly 80% of them think exam pressures are too high

New survey from National Citizen Service (NCS) reveals more than half of parents (55%) don’t know how to help their children cope with exams.

• Research published as the nation’s teens revise for new style GCSEs which have little or no coursework counting towards final grades

• Overwhelming majority of parents and teens (79%) think there’s too much pressure on them at exam time

Eight in 10 (79%) UK parents believe there is too much exam pressure on their teens and more than half (55%) don’t know how to help.

Commissioned by National Citizen Service (NCS) - a two to four week programme that helps teens to build confidence - the research found that 79% of 16-18 year olds agree that there is too much pressure on them during exams. More worryingly, a third (32%) said they didn’t have any mechanisms to cope with exam stress at a time when added pressures leading to mental health issues are being widely publicised.

Among the teens polled, more than three fifths (61%) revealed that they rely on their mum for support, and over a third (33%) turn to their dad despite 45% feeling as though their parents do not know how to help them when they’re revising.

The impact of exam stress is manifesting itself both physically and emotionally:

How parents say stress manifests itself in their teens (aged 16-18)

Get angry a lot 42%

Become over emotional 41%

Can’t sleep 31%

Headaches 24%

Lock themselves in their room 23%

Do not eat properly 19%

Cry 18%

Feel sick 16%

Avoid working 11%

Physically sick 4%

Rash appears 3%

A Department for Education spokesperson said:

"We want all young people to grow up feeling confident about themselves and able to get the right mental health support when they need it. That is why we outlined £300m of funding in the children and young people’s mental health green paper which will provide significant additional resources for early mental health intervention for all schools.

“In order for pupils to be successful, rigorous examinations are vital. They are not, however, intended to cause significant anxiety. We are helping schools to spot mental health problems and respond in the right way by offering mental health first aid training for a member of staff in every secondary school.”

• The Government has pledged £1.7 billion to help promote, protect and improve children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

• At GCSE level we have removed the incentives for multiple resits that were not helping children’s education, giving pupils at least two full years of study before they sit exams. At A level we have also made the exams linear with no January assessment window, and have created a new structure that will enable students to study for two full years towards an A level without the need to take an AS exam at all.

• There is a lot that schools can do to prepare pupils well to take tests and examinations, and to help parents support their children. Good teaching is one of the most important factors in making sure that pupils feel ready. Good leaders know that positive mental wellbeing supports attainment, and make that part of the overall school ethos.