MyTutor Exam Anxiety & Mental Health Report 2020

The headlines over the past couple of years have been inescapable. If accounts are to be believed, students sitting their GCSEs now face an unparalleled level of pressure – and teachers are on the front-line to witness the fallout, whether that’s pupils burning out from the workload, grappling with anxiety, or disengaging from learning altogether.

This is without taking into consideration the added pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (which has unfolded since our 2020 Exam Anxiety & Mental Health Report was originally published, in February). Since then, we’ve seen the cancellation of exams, and an unprecedented loss of learning time during the 4+ months of school closures.

Earlier this year, we surveyed over 4,000 secondary school teachers to understand the nationwide perspective of how mental health issues at KS4 have evolved in recent years.

The report reveals our findings and outlines teachers’ viewpoints, with insights including:

• 60% of teachers believe that too much passive screen time, technology and social media are the biggest harmful factors for their pupils’ mental health
• 52% point to ‘lack of parental engagement at home’ as a significant negative factor
• 60% feel that Y11 students are more anxious than they were 2 years ago

The report also provides straightforward, actionable advice from educational psychology experts on how to help Y11s cope with exam stress and stay buoyant in the face of daily challenges inside and outside of school.

Read the full report here for more insights.