Any parent with exam age children will know the trials and tribulations of exam season. From the weeks of revision to the tests themselves and, of course, the long wait for the results, it can easily become a period of high pressure and stress for students and their families.
Stress during the exam period is a widespread issue, with a 2024 study by The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) revealing that more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of teachers and school leaders have reported seeing mental health issues related to exam anxiety in their Year 11 students.
For some pupils, the strain can be too much, with the same research showing that 28 per cent had experienced students being withdrawn from GCSE exams due to exam anxiety, while 65 per cent reported students not attending school on this basis.
For students who struggle with exam pressure, whether it’s due to nerves or other external factors, sometimes opting for online learning can prove an invaluable solution, allowing them to excel in an environment more suited to their personal situation and learning needs.
An environment where every student thrives
This was the case for Veronika, a student based in Vienna, Austria, who attends leading global online school King’s InterHigh. “I joined at the beginning of Year 10 because I no longer wanted to deal with the pressure my previous school put on its students, and with the general tightness of the system,” she recalls. “King’s InterHigh saved me from a mental and physical burnout.”
Veronika enjoys the freedom and flexibility online schooling offers. “If I have an appointment, training, or if I am travelling, I can still continue learning. If I am sick or other things get in the way, being able to watch all the lessons back makes it very easy to still learn.”
When it comes to the outcome of exams, families have different aspirations. For some, King’s InterHigh’s high-quality education and tailored approach is a pathway to top grades, while for others it simply offers a welcoming and supportive environment in which pupils can enjoy learning and do their best. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to take exams that may not be accessible at a traditional school, and in different ways.
King’s InterHigh is registered and approved with all the major exam boards and can offer IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education – the same level of education as a traditional GCSE, but without a UK-centric curriculum or context), A-levels in a wide range of subjects, along with the IB Diploma. Pupils can also opt to sit most subject exams* fully online as part of the school’s world-first initiative with Pearson Edexcel.
Veronika went on to achieve nine in English Literature and French, eight in English Language, Physics, and Business, and seven in Mathematics for her IGCSEs, and says the ability to learn and take exams online combined with the ongoing support from the King’s InterHigh team was fundamental in achieving these excellent results.
“They provided an enormous amount of opportunities to prepare for exams, from past papers to study groups to online quizzes, and then (of course) all the learning material from the GCSE years that I could go back to. My teachers were all available during study leave, and I wrote emails to them whenever I had questions, or if I wanted them to mark a practice exam response for me,” she explains.
Balancing exams with extracurricular commitments
For children balancing professional careers with academic exams, the option to attend an online school while they are on the road can be a lifeline. With King’s InterHigh’s flexible, adaptable approach to learning, these students can rewatch lessons at a time that suits them and take their final assessments online – something that would be impossible if they attended a traditional in-person school.
Cole, a Year 11 student who also works as a child actor on films like Batgirl, says King’s InterHigh’s support for his career has allowed him to thrive academically too. “My grades went up, because I was so much happier and had time to focus on the way I wanted to learn,” he explains. When it came to sitting the exams, opting for the onscreen exams was a key part of his success. “I was able to focus so much better in the comfort of my own home without the chatter of other kids or the teachers glaring at me. It made a big difference,” he adds.
Exam season will always come with its challenges, both for students and their families, but with the right support and guidance, it doesn’t necessarily need to be something to dread. If it’s a tailored and individual offering that’s going to ensure your child meets their exam goals, an online school may well be the solution you have been searching for.
To find out more about King’s InterHigh and whether it might be the right learning choice for your family, visit King’s InterHigh
*The following subjects are not Edexcel exams and cannot be sat online – for these exams, pupils will need to register with a physical centre:
AQA GCSE – Psychology
WJEC GCSE – Film Studies
Cambridge International IGCSE – Arabic
Cambridge International A Levels – Computer Science, Geography, Media Studies, Sociology
AQA A Levels – Politics
OCR A Levels – Classical Civilisation
International Baccalaureate (IB)
