Matt’s Minute: How to make sure you get the grades you deserve this summer

It’s that time of year when our learners are cramming in their last-minute revision ahead of the most important exams of their lives… at least, if it was any normal year.

The pandemic has thrown up challenges left, right and centre to the way we teach. But our learners have shown amazing resilience and adaptability.

Despite the overwhelming challenges the last year has brought with it, it has simplified examinations like never before.

Our Year 2 cohort are free of the traditional exam stresses that accompany the period from Easter through to the summer. Instead, Teacher Assessment Grades are being used to award our learners with their final grades that will help chart their course into further education or apprenticeships.

We are now in the final few weeks of evidence gathering that will ultimately determine our learners’ grades. These are unprecedented times, so here’s some of my advice for learners wanting to do their best and parents/guardians looking to support their children…

Tips for learners

Remember: A deadline is a deadline

While exams in the traditional sense are not an issue for our Year 2s in 2021, there is still a set date when no further work can be submitted. There is no option to be able to extend the deadline so make sure you make the most of this opportunity.

Stay focussed

The next few weeks will make all the difference. Make sure you keep attending to give yourself every opportunity to achieve the grades you deserve. Remember, if you’re not submitting work, your teachers are unlikely to have seen just how capable you are.

Take the opportunity

For generations, students have been judged wholly or partly by their success in an exam hall. For our current Year 2s, this has been taken away meaning the pressure of revising and to ‘perform’ under pressure is not a factor. Make the most of this chance.

Stay active

Staying fit and well is all important for your body but it is also vital for your mental health. Even without exams, the time around final submissions will be challenging so make sure you remain active. A blast of fresh air can make all the difference to improve your mood and blow away any feelings of anxiety.

Tips for parents/guardians

Ensure your child continues to attend

Non-attendance has the potential to negatively impact on learners’ final grades. We are desperate to make sure that every learner leaves us with the grades they deserve but we can only do this if they attend and continue to submit work.

Keep them on task

If your child is doing work from home, then make sure they knuckle down and avoid distractions. As lockdown continues to ease, there is more and more for our learners to be doing outside of The Academy Grimsby. If they can maintain their focus for another couple of weeks, then there will be a whole summer for them to enjoy without the need to think about their work. Keeping teenagers ‘on task’ can be challenging – believe me, I know – but it will all be worth it in the end!

If you have any questions about this year’s grading process or require some extra support during the final few weeks, please get in touch via: [email protected]