Here’s why you don’t need to worry:
Past papers are an easy fix
One of the better ways to revise is to test yourself. The more familiar your child is with past papers, the easier they generally find the real thing. While most exam boards only have a couple of years of *this* version of GCSE, you’ll find that for most subjects the older papers are just as useful. They’re free to download, and you can get the mark schemes too. Head to gcseguide.co.uk/papers for all of them in one place.
Teachers will still be teaching
Even if your child’s teacher is ‘technologically challenged’, there are teachers up and down the country that will be setting up online lessons and resources in the case of school closures.
Schools are also busy putting measures in place so that students will have work to complete, just in case.
It’s all online somewhere
There are a host of online education providers, and many of them are making their content freely available to support students in this situation. We’ll pull together useful links in our Facebook group, so you can find support for every subject online.
See also: Tips for homeschooling your teenager
Practical things you can do to prepare:
- Stock up on notepads/printer paper.
- Get them to bring their books home, along with any other revision materials that they have at school. They may not have a chance to pop in and pick things up in the event of a school closure!
- Have a revision timetable drawn up to help them structure their time. (We have a free revision plan generator that’ll build one for you in under 5 minutes.)
- Stock up on wine / chocolate / valium / earplugs / box sets. However much you love your kids, once cabin fever sets in, it’s going to be a looooooong couple of months…
Finally, regardless of how well prepared their school are, there isn’t a child on the planet who won’t try the old ‘I’ve run out of things to do…’ trick to get out of working. ?
That’s why we have teamed up with YourFavouriteTeacher.com to help you make sure that if your child’s school does close, they won’t be disadvantaged.
We’ve put together a Core GCSE Revision Pack (suitable for Y10 / 11), with exercises (and answers) that link to YFT videos. That way, they can still be supported in their learning, and stay on top of English, maths and science.
It could also be a great opportunity for them to develop some life skills, like cooking or DIY – what jobs do you need doing around the house…? ?
P.S. We’re putting on a couple of free online events to help you out – click on the image to register!
