Almost four in five headteachers say they are getting more requests this year from students wanting to sit exams in separate rooms away from the main hall.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said today that this increase, above the levels seen before the pandemic, is mainly due to high levels of anxiety and stress among students.
Of those surveyed by the headteachers’ union, almost four in five heads (78 per cent) said they had received more requests this year from students to be able to take exams in separate rooms away from the main exam hall.
In an ASCL survey of 527 headteachers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, more than four in five (82 per cent) also said the level of stress and anxiety among students due to take their exams this summer was higher than in pre-pandemic years.
Headteachers said the increased stress and anxiety among students had led to a high level of absence, with others reporting more challenging behaviour, as well as a rise in incidents of self-harm.
Several headteachers said that stress and anxiety is worse among A-level students who did not have the experience of taking GCSE exams two years ago because of the pandemic.
ASCL said schools have also put in place a range of measures including increased support with revision techniques, extra counselling, pastoral support, wellbeing sessions and additional parental engagement.
A number of heads have said there have been more pupil referrals to local mental health support services.
Students experiencing anxiety can request a separate room in which to sit their exam, and schools will be expected to meet these requests under the Equality Act 2010.
There have previously been warnings that the requirement could leave schools struggling to find enough space and invigilators, which are already in short supply.
But the survey (which was conducted between 4 and 5 May) found that more than a third of headteachers (38 per cent) still have not been able to recruit sufficient numbers of invigilators for this summer’s exam series.
Concerns over Covid infection
The survey also revealed that the potential impact of Covid on exams continues to be a concern for some headteachers.
More than one in ten (14 per cent) said the current level of infections in their school was a worry, with a further three in five (60 per cent) saying that, while it was not a problem at this moment, it could escalate.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL, said the survey revealed the “extremely challenging circumstances” facing both schools and students.
Mr Barton added that the exam season was “far from being a return to normal”, and he is “particularly concerned about the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of young people”.
He added that schools are doing everything possible, but their budgets are “extremely tight because of years of government underfunding, and the government has simply not shown enough urgency in improving mental health support for young people going back long before the pandemic began”.
Mr Barton also repeated the union’s appeal to the government to make free testing available for exam students to “reassure” invigilators.
You need a Tes subscription to read this article
Subscribe now to read this article and get other subscriber-only content:
