Exam Stress: A Necessary Catalyst for Academic Success, Says Former Harrow Headmaster
The pressure cooker of exam season, particularly for Year 11 students facing their GCSEs, is often viewed with apprehension. However, a prominent voice from the educational sector is challenging this perception, arguing that exam stress can, in fact, be a powerful driver of academic achievement. Barnaby Lenon, the former headmaster of the prestigious Harrow School, has issued a robust call to action, urging GCSE pupils to dedicate significant time to revision during the upcoming Easter holidays.
Mr Lenon, who helmed Harrow for 12 years and now serves as Dean of Education at the University of Buckingham, firmly believes that academic pressure enhances performance in high-stakes tests. He has cautioned against the temptation to “idle away the Easter holiday,” highlighting that GCSEs are inherently “competitive.” In his view, students who neglect this crucial revision period risk falling behind their peers.
The Science of Revision: More Than Just Reading
“All the research shows that Year 11s need to revise their notes at least three times before the exam,” Mr Lenon stated. He asserts that this level of revision is only feasible if the Easter holidays are strategically utilised. The key, he explains, lies in the active process of recalling information. “It is the process of trying to recall notes that really has the greatest impact,” he emphasised. This intensive recall requires time, and Mr Lenon suggests a daily commitment of “working 9-4pm each day” as a productive benchmark.
He further rationalises this intensive approach by pointing to the substantial summer break that follows the exams. In this context, “sacrificing Easter is not so bad,” he argues, when weighed against the long period of leisure ahead.
This perspective emerges amidst a broader national debate concerning the intensity of testing faced by British teenagers, with some teaching unions voicing concerns that excessive exams are detrimental to students’ mental health. Mr Lenon, however, remains steadfast in his conviction.
A Strategic Approach to Revision
In an open letter addressed to headteachers, Mr Lenon outlined his strategy for effective Easter revision. He urged educators to impress upon parents the importance of integrating study time into their holiday plans. He dismisses passive revision techniques, such as simply reading notes or highlighting them, as insufficient for solidifying knowledge. “These things are too passive,” he explained. Instead, he strongly recommends a more active method: “writing out notes with a pen and then again by memory.”
For mathematics, Mr Lenon advises students to dedicate their revision time to tackling practice questions. For languages like French, he suggests a daily commitment to memorising vocabulary, recommending a target of “30 words a day every day.”
Mr Lenon, who also boasts 12 years of teaching experience at Eton College and has authored several influential books on education, was appointed CBE in 2019 for his contributions to the field. He has cultivated a reputation for his direct and no-nonsense advice, a style he acknowledges has drawn criticism.
Addressing the Critics: Stress as a Performance Enhancer
“They say I am making life too stressful for 16-year-olds,” Mr Lenon admitted. However, he stands by his assertions, citing the numerous “appreciative letters” he has received, often from students who previously struggled but saw their prospects improve due to this last-minute academic push.
He reiterates his belief that while exams are inherently stressful, recent research suggests that “stress is quite a good thing in this context.” He firmly states, “there is no evidence at all that stress lowers exam performance. Quite the reverse.”
The core of his argument centres on the concept of memorisation. Mr Lenon believes that even the most effective teaching can be rendered “largely wasted” if students fail to commit the material to long-term memory. He therefore urges schools to actively motivate students, reminding them “why GCSE grades matter so much.” While acknowledging that “life is about more than exams,” he warns that any educational institution or teacher who dismisses the significance of GCSEs is making a “massive mistake.”
GCSE examinations are scheduled to take place between May 4th and June 26th.
Barnaby Lenon’s Open Letter to Headteachers: A Call to Action
Dear Headteacher,
Now is the moment to write to Year 11 parents and tell them that it is important that their children revise right through the Easter holidays. There are a few reasons for this, the main one being that GCSEs start in May so there are few weeks left for Year 11 before then. Secondly, all the research shows that the Year 11s need to revise their notes at least three times before the exam. That is only possible if the Easter holidays are used.
Thirdly, the Easter holidays will be the last long interrupted period before the exams. They need that time to sort out their notes, fill any gaps and then commit the work to memory. You cannot commit work to memory by reading notes or even highlighting them – these things are too passive. They need to write out notes with a pen and then again by memory. It is the process of trying to recall notes that really has the greatest impact. But all that takes time and I would say working 9-4pm each day is a good amount.
For maths they should be doing practice questions. For French they should be memorising 30 words a day every day.
Fourthly, public exams are to some degree competitive. The grades are rationed. I know from my own experience that hundreds of thousands of Year 11s, especially girls, will be doing what I recommend. So those pupils who do not bother are falling behind.
GCSEs are the most important exams pupils in England ever take. So, given that the GCSEs will be over in June and then they are looking at an enormous summer holiday, sacrificing Easter is not so bad. To become motivated Year 11s need to understand why GCSE grades matter so much.
In the past I have been criticised by commentators for these suggestions. They say I am making life too stressful for 16-year-olds. But I know I am right because of the many appreciative letters I have had, often from lazy boys whose prospects were improved by making this last-minute push. Exams are stressful but recent research showed that stress is quite a good thing in this context and there is no evidence at all that stress lowers exam performance. Quite the reverse.
This is all about memorisation. The plain fact is that you can have a good teacher but if you have not committed the work to memory that teacher may have largely wasted their time. On the positive side, we now know that GCSE knowledge stored in the long-term memory can last a lifetime. It is untrue that everyone forgets what they learn at school.
Some pupils will prefer to idle away the Easter holiday, but the head teacher’s letter stuck on the fridge is a useful weapon that parents often use.
Finally, I would want to stress that life is about more than exams and we know that the best schools devote a great deal of time to non-examined activities. But any school or any teacher who thinks GCSEs don’t matter is making a massive mistake.
Best wishes,
Barnaby
