Stress management support rolled out for exam re-sit students
Our research shows that three quarters of students doing GCSE re-sits at college feel stressed about underperforming, with a third experiencing physical stress symptoms as a result. Find out how East Sussex College is tackling re-sit stress with an innovative new mindset management programme…
An innovative student stress and anxiety management project funded by SLN Uni Connect was so successful in the impact it had last year that it is about to be rolled out for the second year running at East Sussex College. The Confidence Coaching Project provides support to 16-19 year olds re-sitting English and Maths GCSEs at the college, often in conjunction with higher qualifications.
It sees Life and Mindset Coach Zoe Carroll provide workshops in which students are given practical tools and strategies for managing their stress and anxiety levels. During the informal online and in-person sessions, students learn powerful mindfulness and breathing techniques that they can use both in the run up to, and during exams.
Last year, following the workshops a quarter of students felt more confident about their exams, while a third felt better able to focus.
Vicky Speirs, SLN Uni Connect Programme Co-ordinator at the college commented: 'When they take hold, stress and anxiety can prevent students attending college and impair their performance during exams, which means students can all too easily get caught in a negative cycle of poor results, more re-sits and more stress.
'Our post workshop survey results show that positive, targeted interventions can have a real impact in boosting confidence and concentration, enabling students to break negative stress cycles and make tangible progress.'
To find out more about this innovative programme check it out here or contact our Post 16 Liaison Manager, Lucy here to chat through how a similar project could work in your college.