How to get the right results next time ...
TODAY, thousands of teenagers will be celebrating their GCSE results.
However, it will not be a success story for all, and some students face disappointment and the possibility of retakes.
Those pupils who fail to make the grade in English and Maths — achieving below a four on the new GCSE grading system — must carry on studying them. The benchmark was previously a grade C.
Retakes in the two subjects are allowed in the November and summer of the following academic year. There are also resit opportunities in science and additional science.
Rakhee Kotwal, a course director and tutor at Justin Craig Education, has compiled a simple checklist for students who do not get the results they expected:
TAlK TO YOuR TEACHERS: Were the results expected? Where did you lose marks? And ask their advice on whether you need to resit your exams, or which other options there are for you.
lEARN fROM THE RESulT: If you decide to retake, then ask for feedback. This will enable you to look at where you can improve your marks.
CREATE A NEW STuDY pROGRAMME: for retake revision, or to consolidate your knowledge as you go through the academic year, gaining confidence in your ability and reducing the stress level for next time.
Ms Kotwal says: ‘Many schools and colleges put a lot of hard work into changing mindsets of the youth of today, to boost their confidence as well as knowledge.
‘But it is widely believed that the same environmental setting, way of learning and exam preparation can hinder students from thinking outside of the box.’
She argues this is where ‘external’ revision experts, such as Justin Craig, can help. The company provides GCSE and A- level revision courses across the country.
‘They work alongside experienced teachers, examiners and other educational bodies,’ she says. ‘ The perception of retaking exams as dull, monotonous and demotivating can be changed in a different setting, bringing a different result altogether, not only in result but in attitude, focus and more importantly positivity.
‘ The Justin Craig approach helps students embrace their revision, becoming an enjoyable experience as opposed to being stuck in a rut.’