Joy Chamberlain sheds helpful light on the difficult and sometimes traumatic path that all children must tread

The scenario
In the not-too-distant-future, there will be fewer teachers and more online learning. Teachers will assign work, using data from websites, and they’ll use online formats as templates. Internet usage will be intrinsic to what is taught in schools, the methods used to teach all subjects, and the way pupils study and revise for exams.

The way it is now
Actually, the scenario isn’t that far distant from where we are now. Teachers draw a lot of inspiration from the Web, and for many pupils, using the Web for project work and revision is standard.

The Web is particularly suited to multiple-choice questions and tick-box answers. But the format doesn’t work where essay-style answers are required – it isn’t possible yet to search a database for genuinely helpful answers.

There are developments in progress. The DfES (Department for Education and Skills) and several commercial companies are working on revision programs, that provide sample answers expected in exam conditions. But there are no clear indications as to when these new programs will be available to pupils online.

Key Stage 1 and 2
For a lot of pupils, exams are an inescapable recurring nightmare and, like the worst of nightmares, they seem to get more desperate each time. The first major test is taken at the tender age of seven, by children at Key Stage 1. Luckily for them, they won’t know they’re being examined, since the tests are designed to fit in to their normal classroom activities.

But by the time they’re 11 years old, the tests are more formalised, like proper exams. The timetables can be found on the DfES site using the Curriculum and Assesment button at the top of the page. Look for the ‘Key Stage Test Dates’ heading.

The tests for 11 year olds last five and a half hours, and children are tested on reading, writing, spelling, maths, mental arithmetic and science. According to the DfEE, ‘Learning how to take tests and getting a gentle introduction to slightly stressful situations are both valuable lessons for your child, which will help them prepare for the future’. In truth, many feel this is a ‘gentle introduction’ to the massive stress they will get, when they reach Key Stage 4 and GCSEs.

At the age of eleven the tests are for Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum of which there are four Key Stages and eight Levels. It’s not an easy subject to get to grips with, but teachers in all state schools talk the language of the National Curriculum as though it's their Bible.

To find out about it, there is a site dedicated to informing interested parents at www.parents.dfes.gov.uk. Click on the Curriculum and Assesment button at the top for a menu.

SATS
At the age of 14, children reach Key Stage 3 and take the SATS (Standard Assessment Tests). By now tests are getting serious, even if they’re merely designed to give parents and teachers an indication of how their children are progressing.

The key factor is that, at this stage, the question about which GCSEs to take will have been raised, and the results of these SATS could be important in deciding what direction a pupil is heading in.

Consequently, there’s a need for parents to get more involved at this point. A very useful document outlining all aspects of the choices available to 14 year olds is on the DfEE site.

Revision help for Key Stage 3 SATS
Can be found at www.samlearning.com. You’ll find free learning material and a guide to understanding what the tests consist of. To get deeper information, you’ll have to subscribe to the site, which is unusual for educational websites. However, it is available free to most schools and is worth knowing about.
For comprehensive revision help, go to ks3bitesize on the BBC site.

GCSEs and A-levels
The big ones. GCSEs, followed by A-Levels and Vocational Qualifications – and later, there are HNDs, degrees and lifelong learning. Exams never really come to an end unless you give up formal education, altogether. A lot of children would leap at the chance, but they don’t have the choice. They’re obliged to take GCSEs, when they reach Year 11, Key Stage 4.

Sympathy? I’m a parent, so I know. Children don’t want sympathy (although that’s far better than no sympathy). What they want is to be left alone so they can forget all about exams, and then just pass them, preferably, without actually sitting them. In fact they’d prefer not to talk about them all all – Buffy or Final Fantasy 9 are much more appealing.

Once they’ve overcome the petulance, children enter a kind of dull resignation. They understand that these exams stand between them and the rest of their lives, so it’s a matter of tackling the barrier with as much skill and resilience as possible.

Of course, the stress teenagers undergo isn’t just about passing exams, it’s also about getting good grades. When you’re just two percent off an A grade, it can be upsetting. A sympathetic and extremely useful teen-revision friendly site can be found on schoolsnet.com. Or try the BBC's gcsebitesize

A-Level and NVQ students are capable enough to research information for themselves. Point them to the DfES homepage. It’s an excellent resource for students at advanced level.

Strategic thinking
A strategy for revision is essential, and a strategy for sitting exams is equally vital. Both of these can be worked out between pupil, teacher and parents, using common sense – e.g. the list should include things like time management (time devoted to study each time), learning resources (books, CD-Roms, library, Internet…etc.), taking mock tests, and a calendar of when the real exams are taking place.

Make sure you know which board is setting the exams. Different subjects may be set by different exam boards. Knowing the different syllabuses will mean you can check that right material is being revised.

All the boards have websites, which can be acessed through the DfES site, under the heading, Examinations Services.

The key thing is, don’t panic. There are plenty of resources for pupils, parents and teachers to draw on for help.