Anxiety surrounding exams is very common, and this may be particularly acute for fostered children who have had frequent placement moves and a disrupted childhood. For some, just getting through the exams will be an achievement in itself. For others there is the need to achieve certain grades to enter further education or apprenticeships. Many young people will also not want to disappoint teachers, parents or carers, and they will want to keep up with their peers.
Tips for foster carers
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Speak to your young person
Discuss the pros and cons of exam pressures. Suggest that a bit of pressure is not a bad thing, that it can help to engage them, and that this is a strength. It may not necessarily be a good thing if they didn't feel any pressure at all - Mohamed, foster carer
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Ensure your young person is sleeping well during revision and before exams
Being well rested can increase people’s ability to deal with difficult situations - Stephen Buckley, head of information, Mind
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Boost their confidence
Young people are likely to feel anxiety about doing their best. Remind them of previous achievements, projects and learning they have shared with you, and be emotionally consistent and reassuring - Lisa, London Fostering Achievement
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Be available
Help if they ask you, laugh with them and put the kettle on. If intelligence is the ability to adapt to your environment and the ability to adapt your environment to yourself, then this is the skill children in care are learning with our help. This is not tested by written exams but by life - Tony, foster carer
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Make time for family mealtimes
Mealtimes provide a time where anxieties can be expressed and listened to. The ritual of a shared meal reinforces individual identity. Importantly, mealtimes make people feel connected to others - Mental Health Foundation
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Be informed
Request key documents from their school: revision timetables, exam timetables, reading lists and any revision websites the school is using - Nikki, Fostering Achievement Northern Ireland
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Show understanding
Be relaxed about chores or untidiness and understand the young person might be moody - NSPCC
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Help out
It might be testing them on French vocabulary lists, watching them rehearse a dance routine or watching the film of Macbeth - Lisa, London Fostering Achievement
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Encourage practice with past papers
I advise my young people to over-prepare for the exams by doing past exam papers. They are often a very good indicator of what students will be faced with and they can be accessed from the exam boards with a quick online search - Mohamed, foster carer
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Breathing
If your young person is becoming panicky, encourage them to try some slow breathing techniques. Join them if you think it will help - Stephen Buckley, Mind
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Keep calm
If you stay calm you will help your young person stay calm. Exam time can be an exciting rather than stressful time when the student can show how well they can do in school - Fiona Farrow, London Fostering Achievement
Tips for students
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Talk to people
Explain ideas and processes to friends, parents or teachers and ask them for help if you get stuck. My fostered daughter once asked me for help understanding a poem, I read it aloud with a different rhythm and it suddenly became clearer to her - Hashida, foster carer
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Eat healthily
A balanced diet is vital during exams. Fruit, vegetables and protein will help you concentrate. Avoid foods high in fat, sugar and caffeine such as cola, chocolate, sweets and fast food - NHS
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Get organised...
Have a calendar on my wall with achievable deadlines on. I stick to it and cross things off once they’re done which shows I’m on top of things and reduces my stress - Zoe, care leaver
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...But don’t over-organise
I have seen friends spend days producing Excel spreadsheets and differently coloured memory cards, losing crucial time for revision - Daniela, London Fostering Achievement
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Take away any distractions
I find revision hard because my phone or iPad will flash or vibrate, so I’m always tempted to reply to just one more text. I try to do one hour with no distractions then have a five-minute social media break - Zoe, care leaver
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Use different learning techniques
Finding it difficult to concentrate? Try switching between different methods, such as reading, listening and doing. Use mind maps, quizzes and flash cards to help vary your revision and make it more enjoyable. Teaching another person often helps you to remember a topic. Stephen Buckley, head of information - Stephen Buckley, Mind
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Exercise outside
Also, vocabulary and key facts are learned best while doing another activity. Try it! - Daniela, London Fostering Achievement
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Think positively
Celebrate your success in revision tasks and know when you do well - AQA exam board
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Take a night off, don't overdo it
It's really important to take a night off. You won’t be on your A-game if all you’re thinking about is what happened at your friend’s party and how annoyed she is that you weren't there - Zoe, care leaver
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Get some sleep
It’s essential to get into a good sleeping pattern: it will help your body have the energy to focus. If I stress about uni deadlines and stay up all night, I feel exhausted the next day - Zoe, care leaver
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Eat healthily
A balanced diet is vital during exams. Fruit, vegetables and protein will help you concentrate. Avoid foods high in fat, sugar and caffeine such as coca cola, chocolate, sweets and fast food - NHS
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Focus on yourself
If anyone tells you they are either never stressed or they tell you to calm down, give them a smile and IGNORE them! Feeling nervous is a healthy reaction and essential for survival. Good for you! - Daniela, London Fostering Achievement
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