From the outside, it can look like they’re doing the right things:

• Sitting at a desk.

• Reading a revision guide.

• Watching videos.

• Highlighting notes.

But underneath that, there’s often no real understanding of how learning works, how to remember information, or how to check whether revision has actually stuck.

So time is spent. Energy is used up. But grades stay where they are.

In my experience, this is when parents start to panic. Mock exam results come in and there’s still no improvement, so they turn the pressure up.

This can lead to more arguments, more panic and usually- less success.

The problem is most GCSE students have never actually been taught how to revise properly. If they're lucky they've had a session covering making a revision timetable and flashcards. But they're rarely shown how to revise.

So a few weeks later they’re back to highlighting notes again.

Then the mock results come back.

You panic- you're not sure what to do.

Your teen's confidence drops. They were working hard but it seems pointless.

you hear the dreaded: "There's no point in trying".

Because the problem is, not knowing:

• what to revise

• where to start

• what to do when they get stuck

• how to tell if something is actually helping

• how to prioritise what to revise now (vs later)

• which revision strategies to try when