Northampton education leader issues exam season advice for local families
A Northampton education leader is urging local families not to let exam season overwhelm them - and is sharing practical, evidence-based advice to help students perform at their best during one of the most stressful times of the year.
Tutu Alaka, CEO of Bauhaus Education, has over 20 years' experience helping struggling and anxious students turn things around. With GCSE and A Level exams running until the end of June, she wants Northamptonshire families to know that how students prepare in the days and hours before an exam matters just as much as the revision they have already done.
"The biggest mistake students make at this stage is thinking they need to cram," said Tutu. "Your brain needs space to consolidate, not more information thrown at it. The night before an exam, stop taking in new material by early evening, eat a proper meal, and get to bed at your normal time. Sleep is when your brain finalises what it has learned - disrupting that is one of the biggest performance saboteurs there is."
Tutu also has a clear message for the morning of an exam. "Eat breakfast, even if nerves reduce your appetite - your brain needs glucose to function. Give yourself more time than you think you need, because rushing activates your stress response before you have even sat down. And limit conversations with friends beforehand about what might come up. Those conversations tend to fuel anxiety, not settle it."
Once in the exam room, Tutu advises students to take two or three slow, controlled breaths before reading a single question. "This is not a soft suggestion - it is neuroscience. Controlled breathing activates the part of the brain responsible for clear thinking. Under pressure it is the single fastest way to shift from panic mode into performance mode."
She also urges students to read the whole paper before writing anything, and to start with the question they feel most confident about. "Confidence builds momentum. Starting with a question you know well settles your nerves and gets your thinking flowing. The harder questions often feel more manageable once you are in your stride."
For parents, Tutu's advice is simple: be the calm in the storm. "Keep home as calm as you can during exam weeks. When your child comes home after a paper, don't ask for a detailed debrief - 'how did it go?' is enough. Detailed questioning adds to the anxiety. Trust the preparation. Your quiet confidence in them is worth more than any last-minute advice."
Tutu is CEO of Bauhaus Education, an OFSTED-registered tuition and complementary education centre based in Northampton town centre. Bauhaus works with students from Key Stage 2 to A Level, including those who are struggling in mainstream school, disengaged from learning or in need of targeted exam support. The centre is an approved examination centre for AQA and Edexcel.
"What I see every year at Bauhaus is students who come to us in September saying 'I can't do this, what's the point?' and who by the summer are saying 'I actually did it'," said Tutu. "That transformation is possible for every young person - but they need the right support, and they need to know that nerves are not a sign something is going wrong. Nerves mean they care. And that is a very good place to start."