We use cookies to improve your online experiences. To learn more and choose your cookies options, please refer to our cookie policy.
As our Year 11 students approach their IGCSE mock examinations at Dover Court International School, we are committed to ensuring they feel confident, supported, and well-prepared. In this article, Caspar Yim, Progress Leader for Year 11, outlines the comprehensive strategies we use to guide students through this important academic milestone. From wellbeing workshops and revision techniques to practical tips for parents, discover how our school community is working together to help students thrive during exam season.
Year 11 IGCSE Exam Preparation
Having started their IGCSE journeys two years ago at the start of Year 9, our students are now preparing for their mock exams, which serve as an essential rehearsal for the final exams scheduled later in the academic year. These mock exams enable students to test their revision strategies, experience full exam conditions, and learn to manage their time and organisation independently. The effort they put in now will reduce the pressure before the final exams.
How Dover Court Prepares Students for Exams
Strong exam performance begins with high-quality teaching and learning. However, we also understand that for many Year 11 students, these mock exams are their first experience with formal, extended assessments. That’s why our preparation goes beyond academics.
Our Year 11 Wellbeing curriculum includes:
Subject teachers also guide students through subject-specific revision techniques and resources. We’ve compiled many of these into a practical revision ‘top tips’ guide which we share with our students and their families. Additionally, our recent Exam Readiness Enrichment Day provided our Year 11 students with focused guidance on revision timetables, cognitive learning strategies, and wellbeing during exam periods.
How Parents Can Support Exam Preparation at Home
Even well-intentioned teenagers may find it hard to stay productive, so it’s important for parents to support their young person's revision efforts. Here are some practical ways parents can help:
1. Create Effective Study Spaces
While teens often prefer studying in their bedrooms, consider setting up a study area in a more visible part of the home, such as the dining table or a quiet corner of the living room. This arrangement helps parents and carers in monitoring revision efforts.
2. Manage Screen Time
Technology can enhance learning and revision, but it can also be a significant distraction if not used with limits. Social media apps are designed to keep users engaged for extended periods, which increases advertising revenue for the companies behind these platforms. Unrestricted screen time not only interferes with study time but can also negatively impact sleep, which in turn affects learning. Many devices come with built-in parental controls that help manage screen time and restrict access to specific apps. Some telecommunications and broadband providers also offer content filters upon request. It's worth exploring these options to reduce online distractions.
It may also be useful to set rules at home about when and where your child can use their phone. Remember that many social media and messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and others, can also be accessed from laptops. We recommend that students enable ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode while studying to avoid seeing notifications. Additionally, encourage your child to remove gaming consoles from their bedroom during exam periods.
3. Encourage a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Between schoolwork, hobbies, sports, co-curricular activities (CCAs), family commitments, and friendships or relationships, young people often face many conflicting demands on their time. As exams approach, it is expected that students will need to dedicate more time to revision and exam preparation, possibly at the expense of time spent with friends or on other activities. Although this can be challenging, we always encourage students to participate in activities they enjoy outside of school.
We recommend that students create a revision timetable that clearly outlines their weekly schedule. This timetable should allocate sufficient time to each subject while also allowing for socialising and pursuing hobbies.
The key consideration is balance, ensuring that social commitments are maintained in moderation. For instance, going out for lunch with friends on the weekend is reasonable, provided that the afternoon is devoted to revising at home instead of spending hours wandering around a mall. Similarly, while an important family event over the weekend should be a pleasant experience, students may need to limit their time spent gaming or engaging in sports with friends in the days leading up to that event to accommodate their ‘day off’ during the weekend.
4. Partner with the School
Our dedicated team of subject teachers is always available to support students for subject-specific advice. Encourage your child to reach out to their teachers if they don’t feel confident in their preparation for the mock examinations. Parents can also contact teachers directly, or reach out to the Year 11 tutor team or me for general concerns.
For questions about exam logistics, Erum Husain, our Exams Officer, is an excellent resource. Our SENDCo, Erin La Porte, is also available to answer any questions regarding exam access arrangements. If your child is experiencing unhealthy levels of stress, please don’t hesitate to contact our pastoral team or Social Emotional Counsellors for support.
5. Promote a Growth Mindset
Mock examinations provide students with a valuable opportunity to understand their potential attainment in IGCSE exams and identify areas for improvement. When giving feedback on these mock exams, teachers will focus on how students can strengthen their work, enabling them to learn and grow from the experience. We encourage parents to adopt a similar approach by helping students reflect on how they can improve their preparation for the final exams. It’s important to avoid fixating on the mock exam grades or marks, as these should not be seen as limitations to their potential achievement.
We are always grateful for the support that parents can offer. Whilst mock examinations can be a stressful period, they also offer our Year 11 students a very useful opportunity to practise examination routines prior to their final exams. With support from both school and home, our Year 11 students are well on their way to success in their mock and final IGCSE exams. We wish all our students the best of luck!
Caspar Yim Progress Leader for Year 11, Dover Court International School