EXAM STRESS – REPORT FROM NSPCC Between 1 April 2024–31 March 2025, Childline delivered 1,647 counselling sessions where the young person mentioned exam/revision stress, an average of 137 counselling sessions per month.

NSPCC monthly counselling sessions about exam/revision stress peaked in May 2024 with 359 counselling sessions, which is over two and half times higher than the monthly average.

Where age was known, half (50%) of counselling sessions were with young people aged 12–15, around two fifths (39%) were aged 16–18, while 11% were aged 11 and under.

Some of the key themes that young people shared with Childline on this topic included:

• Putting pressure on themselves to do well
• Feeling pressure from parents and family members
• Struggling to balance revision and other parts of life like friends and hobbies
• Losing sleep over revision, exams and the idea of failing
• Feeling conflicted between knowing breaks can help with revision and stress, but feeling guilty for taking breaks
• Comparison to friends in how well they’re doing in class/mock exams and how much revision they’re doing
• Not having motivation to revise because it is hard and being convinced that they will fail regardless
• Feeling hopeless about the future if they don’t do well in exams.

For advice from NSPCC for students on dealing with exam stress and information for parents and carers on supporting their child through the exam period, please click here.

Kendrick School has also gathered a few useful guides on our website for students with tips for keeping calm, some ideas for self-care and also guidance for parents on how to support their child.

Please remember that school is here to help you, talk to your teachers or contact the Student Welfare Team, studentwelfare@kendrick.reading.sch.uk, for support.