You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from those of us who’ve now come to the end of the exam period road. Now, all we have to do is wait for the results. But amongst us there are year 10 parents, the next cohort of GCSE studying fa

On what happens after GCSEs

Jun 27th, 2022 31m 10s

The end of exams brings with it an almost palpable lifting of a weight. The hard work has been done – or not – and now all you have to do is wait. And I say “all” like it’s easy in itself. For some this waiting period can be a little fraught to

On good advice during the exam period

Jun 1st, 2022 25m 45s

If there’s one thing more stressful than revision for students – and us parents – then it’s the actual exam period. Many of us will feel like life is on a knife edge not knowing what to do for the best. Just how can we move past the fluctuating

On apprenticeships as an alternative to university- "Get The Jump"

May 9th, 2022 25m 52s

There’s a broad presumption that after school there’s A levels and then onto university for a degree. A lot of young people just seem to get swept along on this fast-flowing river of higher education. But with increasing options and alternative

On common questions in the run up to exams

May 4th, 2022 33m 14s

It’s not long now until the exams. It’s a time when nerves can get frayed, and tensions run high. This is the stage of revision that is most marked by the rhetorical questions like my personal favourite: Shouldn’t you be revising? Wouldn’t it b

On revision techniques that work with Kate Jones

Apr 12th, 2022 47m 27s

“I’ve been revising for ages” is often something that battle weary parents will have heard when asking how it’s going. As if lapsed time, spent near an open book or with a YouTube video playing a good use of time. But to be fair, it’s not just

On finding a sense of normality – when things are anything but

Apr 5th, 2022 26m 30s

Keeping up with the Jones’ was always used as an expression about consumerism, upgrading the washing machine, getting a fancier car, holidaying to the Costa Del Sol – if my Essex childhood was ever in any doubt, this is proof positive! At some

On supporting anxious and overworking teens with Dr Dominique Thompson

Mar 29th, 2022 45m 13s

The run-up to exams is an anxious time for all teens – and their parents. A certain amount of stress is not only normal, it can also be a good thing. It shows that the outcome is important. However, some young people feel that pressure to perfo

On creating a revision revolution at home with Helen Howell

Mar 23rd, 2022 42m 37s

There’s a widely recognised link between how well teens do in their exams – and in school generally – and the kind of interest and support they get at home over around their education. At least that’s how I justify any fleeting moments of overb

On getting started with a plan

Mar 14th, 2022 25m 29s

If you ask any exam facing student whether they want to fail, they will tell you they don’t. Of course. And invariably they’ll know that to not fail (but especially to do well) they have to revise a bit. But strangely this acceptance doesn’t al

On how teens view time and preparation

Mar 7th, 2022 39m 12s

“I’ve got loads of time”, “It won’t take me long” or “I’ll do it later” come up time and time again as the top procrastination tactics with our teens. The fact that these things are rarely true does not mean it’s easy to convince them otherwise

On encouraging self-sufficiency in our teens

Feb 21st, 2022 40m 56s

Having children is exhausting. I’m not daft I guess I would have realised that would be the case when they were babies, toddlers and even growing up. But no one warned me that this was a perpetual thing right up until they fly the nest – and in

On Advance Information and the impact on GCSE and A Level revision

Feb 14th, 2022 37m 50s

It’s been a whole two episodes since we mentioned the impact of COVID on our teen’s education. That was never going to last! In recognition of the fact that those sitting exams this year – being year 11 and year 13 students – have had two year

On nutrition and the impact on revision and exam performance

Feb 7th, 2022 42m 38s

There’s something about sugary, or creamy, or fried that screams 'treat'. Well, it does to my mind. There are those for whom a crunchy carrot baton and organic hummus are a reward. For most of us, though, I suspect we’d walk blinkered past a qu

On making changes that stick with Shahroo Izadi

Jan 31st, 2022 36m 13s

They say that around 80% of new years resolutions will fail by mid-Feb. That’s an awful lot of promises to revise harder for students and “I’ll stay stress-free” for parents that will have fallen by the wayside. But these things are important t

On creating a productive parent-child relationship

Jan 25th, 2022 35m 23s

For most of us, a successful week of revision comes from us not having to nag or coerce our children – well not too much at least. The idea that there could be some symbiotic relationship, where parent and child actually grow and thrive through

On trying not to be that overbearing parent

Jan 17th, 2022 41m 49s

There’s not a parent amongst us who doesn’t want their child to do well. Them doing well gives them more options. It will raise their self-esteem and confidence. And often, from our point of view, it’s what we know they are truly capable of…. B

On being more effective in supporting a studying teen

Jan 10th, 2022 26m 7s

As we ring in the new year, we’re often symbolically determined to make a fresh start. For thousands of students, there’s renewed vigour – if not enthusiasm – to revise. And a correlated number of parents who are promising to make sure that the

On target grades and school reports with David Didau

Dec 20th, 2021 37m 3s

The end of term reports are in. In many households, this can hold more sway over Christmas harmony than Santa’s naughty and nice lists. But are we right to put so much store in them? By which I mean the predicted grades not Santa's lists, obvio

On wanting to do well but struggling with motivation

Dec 13th, 2021 24m 11s

This week's guest is teen, Emily. She's taking her GCSE exams in 2022. She talks openly about motivation (or lack of) even though she knows the exams are important. She also explains why she wouldn't mind if exams were cancelled.It's great t

On approval, self worth and learning from our experiences with Sanjeev Bhaskar

Dec 6th, 2021 47m 51s

We’ve all done that thing of saying or doing something to our children we promised our younger selves we would never say or do. It’s the gradual but undeniable transformation into our own parents. But is that such a bad thing? After all, doesn’

On successful habits and study skills

Nov 29th, 2021 46m 31s

It’s been quite a while since many of us have taken an exam, so it’s understandable that we might have forgotten some of the best practices. To be honest I suspect a significant number of us may not have been especially au fait with those best

On boarding school

Nov 22nd, 2021 27m 47s

Parenting can be a thankless task at times. Sure there are great bits to it, and on balance we wouldn’t be without them. Well, not all of us, and not all of the time. But there are aspects of the role that can be unwelcomed. The disciplinarian

On co-parenting and blended families

Nov 15th, 2021 30m 56s

Our guest this week is Darren. He's dad to two teens - a girl who is in the first year of A Levels and a boy sitting GCSEs in 2022. Darren talks about his experiences of supporting teens when they live half the time with him, half the time with

On busy home lives, structure and handling teens with very different approaches

Nov 8th, 2021 34m 36s

Jenny is mum to two teen girls. One is taking her GCSEs in 2022 and the other the following year. Both are incredibly sporty and keep Jenny and her husband busy with matches and practices in addition to the usual teen activities.We talk about