New Year Resolutions for students facing SATs and GCSE Exams

At this time of year, many of us take the opportunity to make improvements in our lives. Giving up bad habits, taking up good ones; setting ourselves new goals and planning for ways to fulfil them. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that we can apply these practices to education, with a view to helping our youngsters plan for success in their exams this year. Whether your children are preparing for 11+, SATs or GCSE exams over the next few months, here are a few resolutions which will help them to achieve their best results.

Setting targets

Make sure you know what you’re aiming for. By now, schools will have covered most, if not all, of the syllabus content for SATs and GCSE exams.  Now is the time for filling the gaps and making those resolutions to help you get organised for success. Each resolution should begin with “I WILL”, leaving no room to back out of our good intentions. Above all, our resolutions need to be realistic.  Nothing but disappointment can be generated by setting goals which are beyond our reach. So, set a realistic target to aim for, something you can achieve within the next few months; then plan the route to achieving it.

GCSE Exams – English Example

Resolution: I WILL raise the standard of my essay writing.

Steps to success:

• Read the question thoroughly (and any supporting sources or texts).
• Plan my response, remembering P E E structure for paragraphs.
• Ensure that my essay has a strong opening and a clear conclusion.
• Check my grammar and punctuation.

KS2 Maths SATs Example:

Resolution: I WILL improve the accuracy of my number work.

Steps to success:

• Make a chart of Times Tables, and post it where I will see it every day. (Learn the tables by heart.)
• Practise number bonds up to 100.
• Ask my teacher or tutor for extra help on topics I struggle with.
• Write down how I work out word problems. It will help me to understand the process.

There are many other possibilities, but these examples will help to demonstrate that no step is too small to be useful, and no target is insignificant. Taking the right steps now will make a massive difference to your child’s study skills and subsequent progress.

Extra Help is Available

Of course, no-one has to face this alone. Whether you are studying for GCSE Exams, for SATs or for the 11+, there is always help available. 

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