How We Prepare Pupils For Exam Season

We like to start the preparation early. From S1 onwards, our pupils take part in study skills workshops designed to build confidence, resilience and effective learning habits year after year. Therefore by the time they reach S4, they are equipped not only with strong academic foundations, but with the practical revision strategies, exam techniques and self-belief needed to approach assessments feeling prepared and confident. 

“Aim not just to complete, but to improve” was one of the key messages to our S2 pupils at our recent study skills workshop, hosted by Mr Starbuck, our Head of School. In addition to his career in teaching, Mr Starbuck has over 25 years experience with delivering study skills having been Director of Learning Performance.

“We provided workshops to over half of the UK’s secondary schools, and I had the pleasure of writing many of the programmes," he shared.

It also led him to be a guest speaker at the Festival of Education twice, speaking on the theme of Growth Mindsets. “I’ve always believed that every pupil can succeed if they understand how to study and prepare for exams, and whilst there are clearly techniques and strategies to use, so much comes down to believing in yourself and your ability to get better at something.”

The Albyn Way of Learning

In S1, pupils learn about the psychology of how our brains learn, and get introduced to mind-maps, Cornell Notes, and using flashcards properly. They do the course in the Autumn Term, once they have settled into the routines of Upper School life.

In S2, pupils do their workshop towards the end of the year, ready to prepare them for exam-level study. Topics are themed by our school values of being self-aware, ambitious and outward-looking learners - focussing a lot on the importance of testing recall, and upgrading any existing techniques they use.

In S3, ahead of their first taste of more formal exams in May, the focus of their workshop in February is about keeping calm under pressure in the exam - managing their time, dealing with stress and setbacks, and making calm, sensible decisions. It also looked at strategic ways to prepare for exams, and perspective over perfection.

The S4 workshop, also in February, is all about fine-tuning their revision and exam performance strategies ahead of National 5 exams. The workshop encourages pupils to think honestly and openly about their current habits, identify areas to “protect” and “rescue”, and choose deliberate revision strategies based on evidence rather than comfort. Similar to the S3 workshop, we also spent time on performing under pressure, managing anxiety, and making effective decisions during exams.

Feedback from our pupils is extremely encouraging, with 90% saying they felt more confident about coping with their exams, and over 82% said they now have a clearer understanding of what effective revision actually looks like.

“The long-term aim is not just to help pupils pass exams, but to help them become increasingly independent learners - it’s a key part of our mission to be Aberdeen’s leading community of lifelong learners. Exams are important, but not the ultimate goal. Knowing how to organise yourself, cope under pressure, and improve over time are all going to be crucial ways to adapt in our ever-evolving world," Mr Starbuck reflected.

“Our young people today face a lot of pressure around exams and performance, often because of social media and a comparison culture in wider society. We want academic success for our pupils, but not at the expense of their mental health. We want pupils to develop confidence, resilience and perspective - understanding that effective learning is not about perfection or endless hours of study, but about building good habits, making sensible decisions, and learning how to respond when things feel difficult.”