From a de-stress grotto to yoga sessions, Solihull School has decided to hold a number of events throughout the examination season to help our students with exam stress.

With students skipping meals and losing sleep over the stress of GCSE and A Level examinations, we believe it’s important for schools to do what they can to help pupils cope with such a hectic time. We’re offering students a variety of different events to improve their focus and motivation, as well as creating a calm and positive atmosphere for students to feel comfortable in.

The school is now offering weekly yoga classes with a professional instructor, feel-good film screenings like Back to the Future in the Bushell Hall, and a library of motivational TED Talks students can access online. Inspired by relaxation rooms offered by many spas, a ‘de-stress’ grotto has also been created for students to use. The room is populated with soothing lighting and calming music for those worried about an exam or needing to relax afterwards.

Matthew Babb, Head of Upper Sixth, said “Exams have always been stressful for students but the academic world has become so competitive that the pressure on students seems greater now than ever. This programme aims to supplement our existing pastoral support through the exam period by offering students a variety of ways to unwind and escape their worries for a while.”

A Lower Sixth student who attended one of our yoga sessions said, “I found it was really relaxing and the lady was great. She said that she found yoga when she was going through similar things as we are with exam stress, so it's clearly very effective.”

The events will hope to provide opportunities to promote concentration, positivity and self-confidence to help our student perform in their exams.