Important information for Year 2 A Level students about their exams.
2025 A Levels
A Level revision is always challenging, and we are aware that some Year 2 A Level students are feeling daunted by the amount of revision they need to do
We want to highlight the ways we are supporting Year 2 students and suggest ways you can help at home over Easter and in the lead-up to the final A Level exams. It is vital that all students establish a routine for revision and have a clear plan, so they feel prepared for each exam and allow enough time to revise the topics that appear on each paper.
We hope that this information will be useful and supportive in helping all our students cope with their workload while also managing their own well-being during the exam period. We have included key dates for you at the end of this letter regarding exam timetables, study leave, and results day.
Key Dates
- Individual student exam timetables will be available for students on the MySCG app and on ProPortal from Friday, 11 April. These will include candidate numbers, rooms, seat numbers, and any access arrangements. The exams officer will contact individuals with information about any exam clashes.
- The process for downloading the timetable will work in the same way as for the mock exam week earlier in the year – instructions will be available through tutorial if students need reminders for how to do this.
- Normal lesson timetables continue through the next half-term from Monday 28 April until Friday 23 May.
- A Level exams begin during the week beginning Monday 12 May for some subjects – lessons continue through this period, but students can take the morning before an afternoon exam as study leave where needed; they must report their absence via the MySCG App in this case.
- Half-term is from Monday, 27 May, to Friday, 31 May.
- Year 2 students are then able to take study leave from Monday, 2 June onwards. However, teachers are still available throughout this period to support students during usual lesson times and with specific revision workshops.
- Exams continue throughout much of June. The exam boards have collectively agreed that Wednesday, 25 June, will be the final national contingency date. In the event of a significant national or local disruption, they reserve the right to reschedule the date of any exam at short notice, and this is the last such date that they could use. All students must remain available until this date; the exam board will not accept holidays as a reason for missing a rearranged exam.
Support available in college:
- College campuses are open over the Easter holidays so that students can revise in a quiet environment:
English Bridge Campus
8.30am until 3.30pm – 14 to 17 April and 22 to 25 April
London Road Campus
8.30am until 4.30pm – 14 to 17 April and 22 to 25 April
Welsh Bridge Campus LRC is closed for the Easter break, normal hours resume Monday, 28 April.
- Subject-specific support continues to be available on Tuesday and/or Thursday lunchtimes. Students can drop in, or they may be directed to attend by their subject teachers; in this case, they should prioritise attending wherever possible.
- Students need to make sure they ask their teacher(s) for help to plug any gaps in their knowledge of specific topics. Teachers are expecting students to ask if they need help.
- Exam papers and mark schemes are available in all subjects. Students should check with their teacher to ensure they have all the necessary resources (available on Teams, Moodle, or in paper format).
- Revision sessions are available throughout the exam period to provide a focus for each paper. Individual subject areas will share details.
- Student support tutors are the primary point of contact for general support with creating a revision timetable, developing study skills, addressing attendance issues, or addressing other pastoral concerns.
- Our Academic Study Skills Coordinator is offering sessions on exam preparation and revision. Students are encouraged to sign up for these and can also ask their tutor for an individual referral if they believe it will help with their revision.
- If your daughter/son is feeling anxious around exams or anything else during the exam period, they can call our Student Assistance Programme on 0800 028 3766, where a trained counsellor will discuss strategies to help manage any feelings of stress so that they can perform at their best.
- An additional source of help is the Wisdom App from Health Assured. In addition to practical help, students can enrol in a 4-week programme to help manage stress or follow the guides for sleep and meditation. Students can download Wisdom from the App Store or Google Play using the college code MHA249996.
Support you can offer at home
Discuss a revision plan with your daughter or son to ensure all subjects and topics are covered, while also allowing time for relaxation and sufficient sleep.
- Encourage them to seek support from teachers, tutors, or exam workshops as needed.
- Discuss with your daughter/son how to approach negotiating reduced hours of part-time work with their employers, from now through until the end of the exam period – time invested in studying to secure higher grades and better progression opportunities will be worth more to them in the long-run than short-term wages in the next few weeks.
- Support their full attendance for all lessons in college up to the May half term, as well as final revision sessions during the exam period.
- Encourage a routine of sleep/getting up throughout the exam period - morning exams start early!
- Provide access to a quiet space to work and/or encourage students to come in full-time to college from Easter onwards to work in the LRC or other study areas during the day when they are not in lessons.
- Suggest that they print a copy of their exam timetable – stick this up somewhere at home so that you can provide appropriate reminders of the exam dates and times.
- Ensure that transportation to exams is planned and reliable.
A Level Results Day is Thursday, 14 August – details will be sent out next term regarding how students will receive their results and the support available to them for progression queries after receiving their results.