How to Give Kids Exam Confidence and Boost Grades

Exams can turn even the calmest household into a battleground of stress, stubbornness, and last-minute panic. If helping your child revise makes you want to hide in the garden shed, this episode is for you. Gurpreet Kaur, founder of GC Tutors and a qualified teacher with a heart for building kids’ confidence, joins Heather, Lyn and Kelly-Jace to unpack what really works when exams are looming.

She shares down-to-earth advice for parents whose children struggle with low marks, anxiety or special educational needs. You’ll hear when it’s worth bringing in a tutor (and how early support can make a huge difference), why modern maths methods often baffle grown-ups, and how an outside expert can get through to kids who won’t listen to mum or dad.

Gurpreet talks candidly about the signs of test anxiety, how to spot it at home or in the classroom, and simple ways to calm nerves so your child can show what they know. She also lifts the lid on Ofsted ratings, whether parents should trust them blindly, and how to weigh up local schools beyond the inspection labels.

For a fresh twist, the conversation touches on whether tools like ChatGPT help or hinder children’s learning and how older students are using AI creatively for revision.

Full of relatable moments and gentle encouragement, this episode is a pep talk for parents and a reminder that no child should face exam stress alone. Grab your headphones, breathe out, and find out how to bring calm back to study time for your kids and for you.

Highlights

• When to consider getting a tutor and how it can fill gaps before they grow

• How changing teaching methods confuse parents and make homework battles worse

• Practical ways to tell if low scores are due to anxiety, not ability

• Calming strategies for different personality types, from energetic kids to quiet worriers

• Gurpreet’s honest view on Ofsted reports and how much weight to give them

• The surprising ways older kids use AI for revision and why it’s not always a magic fix

• How tutoring helps children with special educational needs thrive with personalised support

• Reassurance for parents: you don’t have to be a perfect teacher to help your child succeed