Hi Reader

Today, many of my students sat their final English exam.

As always, this time of year leaves me feeling incredibly proud of them. Not because every exam will have gone perfectly, but because I have had the privilege of watching how much they have grown over the last year.

One thing I've learned, after many years of teaching and examining, is that improvement in English rarely happens overnight.

It isn't usually a sudden breakthrough or a flash of inspiration.

More often, it looks like a student attempting a question they would previously have avoided.

It looks like someone who once stared at a blank page beginning to write with confidence.

It looks like a teenager who has spent months saying, "I don't get this," suddenly recognising a writer's attitude or spotting a technique without prompting.

Again and again, I've seen students surprise themselves.

Some of the biggest successes this year have come from students who found English difficult, who lacked confidence, or who worried constantly that they weren't making progress. The difference wasn't that they became fearless. The difference was that they kept going anyway.

One student springs particularly to mind. Throughout the year, he has often doubted himself and found some aspects of English challenging. Yet in our final lesson before the exam, he tackled a question that would once have made him panic. Within minutes, he was confidently identifying the writer's attitude and the methods used to convey it. The knowledge had always been there; what had changed was his confidence in using it.

Moments like that are why I love teaching.

And that brings me to parents.

Many parents tell me that they feel unable to help because they don't remember the texts, don't understand the mark schemes, or aren't sure how English is taught today.

In reality, some of the most important support happens away from the subject itself.

Making sure homework gets done.

Encouraging revision when motivation is low.

Listening to worries.

Providing reassurance after a disappointing mock result.

Celebrating the small wins along the way.

Being the person who gently insists that they keep going when they'd rather give up.

These things matter more than many parents realise.

Academic progress is rarely just about knowledge. Confidence grows when students see that effort leads to improvement. Every time they tackle a difficult question, practise a skill, or receive feedback and act on it, they build evidence that they are capable of succeeding.

As another exam season comes to an end, I'd like to thank all the parents who have supported their children through the process. Your encouragement, patience and persistence play a bigger role than you might think.

Now, for students and parents alike, I hope there is time for a well-earned rest.

My students may have finished their exams, but today I have begun marking hundreds of GCSE English Literature papers, so I'll be seeing exam responses for quite a while yet!

Warm wishes,

Verity Bell

GCSE and iGCSE English Tutor
GCSE English Examiner