Study Skills and Exam Technique

What this programme covers

A pupil can know the content and still lose marks. Timing, question wording and answers that never quite reach the point cost grades every summer. This programme deals with that gap. We teach study skills and exam technique to pupils aged 7 to 18, and most of the pupils who take it are in Year 5 or above. For younger pupils we keep the focus on recall habits and reading the question properly.

Every lesson is one-to-one, online or at home, with a DBS-checked qualified tutor. We do not reteach the syllabus here. Maths, English and science content lives on its own pages. Instead the tutor works from your child's marked papers, mocks and exercise book, and teaches four things:

• How to revise so the information is still there in June: retrieval practice, spaced review, short self-tests, not rereading and highlighting.
• How to read a question: command words, the number of marks on offer, the parts of a scenario that actually matter.
• How to plan and time an answer, including how long to spend per mark and when to move on.
• How to check work before the paper is collected, which is a habit rather than a talent.

For GCSE and A-level we use the mark scheme and examiner report for the pupil's own board. For 11+ we drill the timing that multiple-choice papers demand. Pupils see why an answer earned two marks rather than four, which is often the first time the scoring has made sense to them.

Who it suits, and who it does not

It suits the pupil whose knowledge is better than their marks. You may recognise the pattern: strong classwork, weak test scores, or a mock grade that sat well below the predicted one. It also suits pupils moving into GCSE or A-level who have never been taught how to revise, and 11+ candidates who finish the paper with questions unanswered.

It does not suit a pupil with a gap in the underlying subject. If fractions or sentence structure are missing, timing drills will not fix that. In those cases we say so and suggest subject tuition first, then come back to technique once the content is secure. Nor is it a revision club. The pupil does some practice between lessons. Twenty minutes twice a week is enough to start.

How a term runs, step by step

First, a look at the evidence

Before the first lesson we ask for recent marked work: a mock paper or a class test. The tutor reads it with the pupil and groups the lost marks by cause. Timing? Misread question? Answer too thin? That diagnosis sets the plan, and it is why two pupils in the same year group rarely follow the same sequence.

Then weekly lessons

Each lesson has one technique focus and one timed task. A typical hour might open with five minutes of retrieval questions on last week's topic, move to a command word the pupil keeps missing, then a ten-minute exam question under real time. The tutor marks it in the room and talks through the difference between the pupil's answer and the mark scheme. Lessons run online or at home, whichever suits the week.

Practice between lessons

We set short, specific tasks: three past paper questions on one topic, a two-minute recall check, a plan for one essay. Not a whole paper. The point is repetition of the skill, not volume.

Reports and review

Parents get progress reports at agreed points in the term, showing what has improved and what still costs marks. We review the plan at the end of each half-term. If the pupil no longer needs the sessions, we will say so.

What to bring

Bring the exam board, tier and year group, plus any access arrangements the school has granted. Bring recent marked papers, the school's mock timetable and the pupil's exercise book. For online lessons, a quiet room and a charged device matter more than a second screen, and pen and paper should be within reach. For home lessons, we ask for a table and a few minutes of quiet, not a full study set-up. The tutor brings question banks and mark schemes. If you have a school report, bring that too; it often explains a mark pattern faster than a stack of papers.

What affects the number of sessions and the cost

Timing depends on how close the exam is, how many subjects you want covered, and how much marking the tutor needs to do. A pupil sitting mocks in November needs a different run-in from one preparing for A-level papers in June. Weekly sessions over a term are common. Some families book a short block before an entrance test. Others come for a handful of sessions to fix one habit, such as essay planning.

Home lessons take travel into account, so online lessons are often the simpler option midweek. Fees are quoted on request once we know the year group, exam board, subject and format. Ask about availability when you book; we confirm times with you then rather than promising a slot on the website.

Doing nothing has a cost too, though it never appears on an invoice. A pupil who keeps revising by rereading can spend a whole Easter doing it and still walk into the exam without ever having practised under time. The first timed paper usually shows that plainly. That is also where a folder of past papers on its own falls short: without marking against the scheme, the pupil repeats the same mistake with more confidence each week.

Questions parents ask

Is this the same as subject tutoring?

No. Subject lessons teach content. This programme teaches how to use that content under exam conditions. Many pupils do both, and we keep the two plans joined so the tutors are not setting conflicting homework.

Can lessons be online as well as at home?

Yes. Every lesson is one-to-one, online or at home. Some pupils prefer online for the midweek session and home for the longer weekend one.

How many sessions will my child need?

It varies. A single habit, such as checking work, can shift in a few weeks. A full revision plan for five GCSEs takes longer. We set a review point after the first half-term and tell you honestly if the sessions are no longer earning their place.

Do you work with Year 6 pupils on 11+ timing?

Yes, though the content side of 11+ preparation sits on its own page. Here we focus on pacing, question selection and staying calm when a paper is harder than expected.

What do parents receive?

Progress reports at agreed points, plus a short note after each lesson if you want one. We also flag when practice at home has slipped, because that is usually visible in the next timed task.