HALF term might be a chance to relax and have fun for some children and their families – but for many youngsters, the late spring holiday just means another week of non-stop revision.
With teens throughout Notts currently smack in the middle of their GCSE and A level exams, family life can be somewhat challenging. Some parents and children are even turning to advice lines and counsellors for help.
As the pressure to succeed mounts, how are local youngsters coping – and what can parents do by way of support?
Here, we ask Bev Turner, 43, from West Bridgford, a children's speech and language therapist, and her daughter Meg, 16, who is currently taking her GCSEs at Rushcliffe School, to tell us how they're getting through this challenging time:
I suppose I was quite prepared for this difficult time – it hasn't come as a big surprise. To be honest, myself and her step dad are not having to do a lot in terms of support. I've mainly helped Meg with a lot of the last minute preparation on the morning of an exam when she's really stressing out, just calming her and testing her on the questions.
But when I think back to when she had her SATs, we really went over the top with preparation and I went on and on at her to study, getting her all the revision guides and constantly practising together.
GCSEs are a lot more solitary for her. She's got to do it herself.
I'm really backing her up when it comes to getting her to do jobs and chores at home. She's not having to do those, so the pressure's off for her there.
I'm quite conscious that I want her to be eating well while she's revising, so I've got bowls with about 20 different fruits in them sitting around everywhere, just so I know she's eating something healthy for lunch and not having too many sugary snacks.
I think treats are important too. It was her birthday recently which wasn't very nice because of the timing – but we made sure we went out for a meal and she went out with her friends.
She's been telling me she's not sleeping very well and she's having really vivid dreams, so I've tried to be there to reassure her.
I'm not surprised really. I know this is the most stressful time she's experienced so far in her 16 years. It's bad enough for her, but I don't know what it will be like for children if they change the system so it's even more based on exams, rather than coursework. That will be a nightmare.
I'm definitely not one of those parents who is putting the pressure on to get As and A*s. She's had some health problems when she was little which affected her development and I'm just delighted she is doing so well.
I think she does feel under pressure and that she'll be letting me down if she doesn't get good grades, but I'm really trying hard not to make her think that.
It's a very fine line between encouragement and obsessional pressurising. I'm sure that some parents are putting the pressure on too much, I'm trying to strike a nice balance.
We have talked about rewards for doing well and giving money for each A* but we didn't actually come to any conclusions about that. It's an incentive, there's no doubt about that – but I don't want to end up skint!
What we are doing when all the exams are over is going on holiday to Barcelona or somewhere, just me and her. She's had so much pressure, she needs something nice in her life.
Half term is here, but it's not nice for us as it just means we have loads of work and loads of revising to do.
I'm not so bad when I'm at school, as the teachers are there and they go on at you a little bit and make you do study time. But when you're at home and the teachers aren't there, it's really difficult. I feel like I'm really on my own and if I don't understand something, there's nobody around to ask.
So I end up going on Facebook to ask my friends and then before you know it, I'm on there for hours. Actually, Facebook isn't so bad but I'm terrible with Twitter and if I get on there, I can be on for hours wasting time on the laptop.
Facebook can at least be quite useful as you can help each other. It's easy to get distracted, but being able to talk about subjects can be very useful.
I tried to sort myself a revision timetable out at home, but it's hard. I had an English exam, but I'd been revising biology and then I had to change it all around and catch up.
Organising your time is definitely the most stressful thing. Revising itself is not that stressful, actually, but sorting out what you've got to do and when is.
I'll have done 11 exams all told by June 14. But we've already done some before, probably about 20 since we started Year 10.
I don't really like exam mornings. I never feel confident and I start getting into a bit of a flap. All my friends call me The Flapper.
I had some health problems when I was little, so it's been agreed that although I don't get any extra time or special consideration, I'm allowed to do exams in a separate room with a maximum of seven or eight other people, just to make it a bit less stressful. At least that way I don't have to see everyone else's beady eyes looking around the big exam hall.
I do feel under pressure. When I was in Year 10 I was predicted straight A*s – but I really think that was very much all guesswork.
I'm also thinking about what I'm going to do after the exams. I haven't decided if I'm going to stay on at Rushcliffe School sixth form. I look on Twitter and people tweet all the questions they have to do for A levels and it all looks so hard.
I make sure I try and have a break from revision and stop for water or a soft drink. It was nice going out for my birthday and doing something else other than work.
When I have a break, I often go on Amazon and order myself a new book or I go and look at shoes and order myself a new pair. That's the main way I reward myself.
