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The Stonar Way 19 May

The Stonar Way 19 May
  • Senior
  • Sixth Form

Jo Worrall, Senior Deputy Head, reflect on exams, how they are important but not all that matters.

Does the mere mention of the word "exams" bring forth joyful thoughts? Does it fill you with a warm smile, a sense of calm, and serenity? Or does it awaken less pleasant memories and fears of what might unfold? Perhaps your mind becomes inundated with a whirlwind of possibilities that could occur within the exam hall. Will your mind inexplicably turn into a blank slate upon opening the paper? Will the outcome make or break your future dreams? Will it define who you are? Alternatively, does it excite you, viewing exams as an opportunity to showcase your knowledge and the joy you've derived from learning?

While provisions such as extra time, reader pens, rest breaks, and the use of electronic devices in exam settings are in place to assist pupils, we have yet to find a way to acknowledge and reward all the diverse strengths that contribute to an individual's brilliance. The current exam process does not address the fact that awarded grades may not reflect the true potential of every pupil, and after more than twenty years of teaching, this still saddens me.

You may have come across the poem about Year 6 SATs exams (happily not taken by our Year 6s) that has gone viral on social media in recent years. I would like to share a version of it here, with ‘SATs’ replaced with ‘Exams’. Of course GCSE and A Levels do test Art, Music and PE, but the overall sentiment still resonates:

 

Exams don’t measure sports,

Exams don’t measure art,

Exams don’t measure music,

Or the kindness in your heart.

 

Exams don’t see your beauty,

Exams don’t know your worth,

Exams don’t see the reasons,

You were put upon this earth.

 

Exams don’t see your magic,

How you make others smile,

Exams don’t time how quickly,

You can run a mile.

 

Exams don’t hear your laughter,

Or see you’ve come this far,

Exams are just a tiny glimpse,

Of who you really are.

 

So sitting at your table,

With a pencil and your test,

Remember exams aren’t who you are,

Remember you’re the best.

 

It's essential to acknowledge that assessments also have many positive outcomes. Early exposure to formal tests gives both pupils and staff the opportunity to identify and work on learning gaps throughout their educational journey. Regular exam sittings provide pupils with plenty of practice and ensure they feel supported and confident when facing timed papers throughout their academic years. The annual focus on assessments helps teachers refine their teaching methods and allows pupils to master effective exam techniques in various subjects, a vital component of achieving high results. Exams also showcase the top performers, opening doors to continued academic study at prestigious universities and colleges.

Moreover, they prepare pupils for the transition from school to the real world, where, particularly within Western culture, 'performance' is often regarded as a key metric of success. One of the most important benefits, however, lies in the development of high-level critical thinking and problem-solving skills through exam preparation and test conditions. These skills are invaluable throughout our lives, regardless of the grade achieved.

As educators, if we can recognise the unique pressures of exams and teach pupils to manage anxiety and fear while performing, then we have succeeded in a crucial aspect of our job. I often share a quote given to me by Ant Middleton, an ex-Special Forces soldier and TV personality, during an event I attended a couple of years ago: "Fear is our body's way of saying, get ready, it's time to perform."

This piece is an opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and excellent effort of many, indeed most, of our pupils, be that those from the Prep School, who have been taking GL assessments, to Senior School pupils taking internal tests, to our Year 11 and UVI external exam candidates. The work, commitment, and resilience observed has been humbling and wonderful to see. Of course, for some there will be lessons learnt, one of which will be that revision works and lack of it has a consequence, but that is what practice is about.

I would also like to note that some of our pupils have been upset about their results. When scooping them up, they often tell me that they are worried about what their parents will think of their results. In the process of supporting a pupil I will tend to look up their baseline data (the cognitive ability assessment results that offer a guide to academic potential and likely exam outcomes). Very often those pupils are performing at close to or at their baseline potential. However, whilst their results are fine against that benchmark, they fear that they will not match the benchmark of parental expectation.

An inspector from our recent ISI inspection remarked, in awe, at how we managed to achieve such impressive value added scores in our exam results over the arc of several years. We are very good at helping pupils achieve better than their baseline predictions, often much better, and so if a pupil is performing close to or at their baseline predictions with two of three years until their public exams, then they are on track. Subsequent meetings with parents can often help both parents and the pupil navigate the difficult pathway between a laissez-faire approach and unrealistic expectation, but, as parents, we should not underestimate the potential impact of our remarks about exam result expectations.

To all our pupils and parents, reflect on what went well, learn from what didn’t and please talk to us if you would like help to navigate the post-exam wash-up.

Remember, you've got this, and we've got you.

Have a lovely weekend.

Jo Worrall

Senior Deputy Head