Summer Study Strategy: a season of longer days, ice cream breaks, and much-needed rest from the pressures of the classroom. But for many parents, it also raises a familiar question: how do we make sure our child doesn’t fall behind during the holidays, especially if they have upcoming assessments next term?

The answer lies in a smarter summer study strategy, one that uses the quieter months to gently close knowledge gaps, reinforce core skills, and build academic confidence without burning out.

This article explores how parents can support their children with a more strategic, focused and sustainable revision plan, whether your child is preparing for GCSEs, A-levels, or any other academic hurdle.

Why summer matters (but cramming doesn’t)

It’s tempting to treat summer as a complete academic break, or, on the other hand, to use it to ‘catch up’ intensively. But research suggests the best approach is somewhere in between.

Children can experience a “summer slide” in learning, particularly in subjects like maths and science, if they disengage completely for six weeks or more. But overloading them with revision schedules can backfire, leading to stress, resentment, and loss of motivation before term even begins.

The goal, then, is to:

• Keep brains lightly engaged in core subjects
• Reinforce key concepts or tackle known weak areas
• Use the flexibility of summer to learn differently, and more effectively
• Allow space for rest and creativity

Step 1: Identify learning gaps before the autumn rush

Summer is a great opportunity to reflect, without the pressure of weekly assessments or looming exams. Many students already know where they struggle, but they haven’t had time to address it.

As a parent, you can help them:

• Review end-of-term reports: Look at teacher comments and grades to spot subject areas that need support.
• Do a mini self-review: Ask your child to score their confidence (1–5) in each topic from last year’s syllabus.
• Use academic tools: Websites like BBC Bitesize, Seneca Learning, or Isaac Physics allow students to take quick quizzes by topic to pinpoint weaknesses.

This process doesn’t have to be formal. A relaxed chat in the garden about what “didn’t click” last year is a great start.

Step 2: Create a gentle summer study rhythm

The summer holidays should still feel like holidays. But just a little structure can prevent last-minute panic in September.

Consider:

• Short sessions, spaced out: Two or three 25–30 minute revision sessions a day, 2–3 days per week, is plenty.
• Time of day matters: Mid-morning is often best—after a good sleep, but before the distractions of the day build up.
• Pair with privileges: Linking study time to something positive (like “revision first, then screen time or swimming”) builds routine.

Step 3: Use smart revision techniques

Summer learning should be light, but also smart. That means using the most effective strategies that help material stick.

Top Techniques:

• Active recall: Flashcards, mini quizzes, or self-made questions.
• Spaced repetition: Return to the same topics over time (not all at once).
• Interleaving: Mix up subjects or topics in one session to boost understanding.
• Dual coding: Combine visuals (e.g., mind maps, diagrams) with written notes.

Digital tools like Anki, Quizlet, and Seneca support these techniques, and many students enjoy the interactive, gamified format.

Step 4: Make it real-world and relatable

One of the best things about summer? Time to connect classroom learning to the real world.

Try:

• Discussing news articles: Relate them to subjects like politics, geography, or ethics.
• Applying maths to money: Let your child plan a budget for a day out.
• Science in nature: Explore plant biology in the garden or physics through bike rides.
• Creative writing prompts: Use holiday experiences to inspire a story or description.

This builds confidence and curiosity, two things that standard revision can sometimes squeeze out.

Step 5: Balance work with rest

The smartest summer strategy is one that preserves mental health. Burnout doesn’t just happen during exam season. If your child is already feeling anxious or exhausted after the school year, pushing hard all summer could do more harm than good.

Signs of fatigue:

• Constant irritability or withdrawal
• Avoiding any talk of school
• Sleep disruption
• Perfectionism or defeatist language

What to do:

• Encourage downtime: Days off, screen time in moderation, socialising, and rest are essential, not optional.
• Normalise effort over perfection: Talk about progress rather than pressure.
• Model balance: Let your child see you relaxing too, reading, walking, or simply enjoying the break.

Step 6: Plan ahead, but keep it flexible

As summer winds down, help your child feel prepared, not panicked.

Before September:

• Organise study materials: Clear out old books, gather what’s needed for the year ahead.
• Set goals: A short list of 2–3 academic aims can give direction (e.g., “Improve confidence in physics”, “Complete all English texts before December”)
• Ease back in: In the final week, increase study sessions slightly and review any material from the start of the new syllabus.

But don’t over-plan. Life happens, trips, illness, family events, so build in breathing space.

Final Thoughts: Making the most of summer

You don’t need to be an expert in trigonometry or Shakespeare to support your child’s summer learning. Your job is to provide structure, encouragement, and perspective.

Smart revision during summer isn’t about giving up fun, it’s about protecting the school year ahead. With a few well-placed hours each week, your child can go back to school sharper, more confident, and less overwhelmed.

Because when the summer days are bright and the revision is smart, everybody wins.

The post Bright days, smarter revision: A summer study strategy: Complete Guide appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

I don’t know if the summer holiday in your household is any similar to mine?  I’m beginning to get that familiar feeling, that “the anticipation of the summer is sometimes better than the reality of the actual summer”. This is not about the weather in the UK at present, so I’ll do my best not to dwell too much on that. Considering June was all very sunny, we should know better not to expect our good fortune to carry onto July and August.  I am an optimist, and one of those people who try to pretend that the weather doesn’t matter. Of course it does, as the weather alters your mood, even when you try to ignore it. Anyway, it’s a green and pleasant land after all, and the rain certainly helps to keep it that way!

Back to the small matter of teenagers at home in the summer. On the one hand you can’t help thinking that the teenagers haven’t got too long now to leave the nest and fly away into the world, so you want to spend some so-called quality time with them – if there is such a thing. On the other hand, the idea of finding the fridge empty and so much mess in the kitchen all the time can be rather irritating and sometimes exhausting. One solution is to try and get them to do the at least some of the food shopping and   even the cooking. My advice on that is “don’t try this at home” and, if you have to, give them a list and do not give them your card.

I’m beginning to regret slightly my opposition to my 17-year-old getting a job. My wife is more sensible, as she had perhaps foreseen that the fact that the teenager is not working does not necessarily mean they will be spending their time in a productive way. Yes, relaxation is important and it’s good for the teenager to relax a bit, as that is the way to refresh and re-energise. I’m struggling to get both my son and daughter to buy into the idea of spending some of their summer on self-development and a little bit of revision in preparation for the next academic year.

My idea of productive use of time by youngsters is not all about doing schoolwork, as there is more to life. But one would have thought that if the teenager is not working or volunteering over the summer, at least he or she could be spending time learning a new skill or sport or getting involved in some sort of adventure. I don’t think we parents will ever win the battle against our teenagers spending too much time on their devices, but with my son and daughter, one slight compromise is see them cycling to the gym despite the weather, as opposed to asking for a lift all the time.

The other is to see my daughter being more creative in cooking basic food or just preparing food for herself, and what she makes usually looks rather sensible. That’s never been an issue with my son. In fact, it’s the other extreme, as he spends endless time cooking, and I can’t begin to comprehend how much time he spends making pizza.

One thing that I am learning fast is that bringing up teenagers is more of an art than science. It is putting my creativity and negotiation skills to test, but I’m someone who relishes a challenge and I’ll keep trying and we’ll see how it all pans out.

Over the years, I’ve written quite a bit on all sorts of things that teenagers could be doing over the summer to keep themselves productively engaged.  Please see below for links to some of my previous blogs on the issue of teenagers and their summer holidays.

The post Beyond the Screen: How to Spend Quality Time with Teenagers appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

For me, yesterday was one of those days when events turned out differently than I had planned. I won’t say it is a wasted day necessarily, but I had to invest my time differently from the way I had anticipated, as I decided to go to a university open day with my seventeen-year old son. I had discussed the open day with him the previous evening and he assured me that it was all fine, that he could go with his friends from school. I accepted that decision, as I do not want to be too pushy about asking if I should come with him. In the end, my last minute decision to go with him was something that he appreciated.

I suppose one of the prices we have to pay as a parent is the vulnerability to getting our plans disrupted. I’m not just talking about the teenager eating the last chocolate éclair that I was looking forward to demolishing in my late evening raid!

One of the popular phrases these days when speaking about young people is “follow your passion” and this is often applied to subject choices at GCSE, A-level and all the way to university degree courses. I must say that I agree with that phrase to some extent, but largely, when I hear it, it makes me a little nervous and I’ll explain. Before I explain my scepticism about the notion of following your passion, I must say that I do not think anyone can call themselves successful if they are doing something they hate passionately or have near interest or zero enthusiasm for. No matter how much money or fame they may have doing that thing, doing anything just for the money or just to please other people is the ultimate definition of failure, as life is so short.

Now, let me explain why I think following your passion can sometimes be dangerous and may lead to profound unhappiness later down the line. If you follow your passion and you are not successful in what you do. As for the word success, each person has their own definition of what success means for them. But earning a lot of money or being in the very top bracket of people in your field of work or whatever you do should not be the only thing that constitutes success.

In the week or two leading to the visit to the university open day we attended yesterday, my son had been wrestling with the issue of which degree course he should apply for at university. He has always been leaning on the side of studying something relating to physical sciences and that largely reflects    his subject choice of Physics, Maths and Further Maths. His fourth subject has changed twice since he started A-level last September. He started with History, changed to Economics and he’s now back to History. Three days ago, he was seriously considering going to university to study Economics and he came to me late in the evening to tell me about his decision. Now, while I personally like Economics very much and consider it to be one of the more useful of degree courses, and, depending on the young person’s talent and position and other factors, it may be a good idea to study Economics as a first degree, I am likely to discourage some students from  doing so. Let’s put professional courses such as Law, Medicine and Engineering aside for a moment. I would recommend Maths, Physics, Chemistry and History before Economics as a first degree. After studying any of these seven subjects courses I just listed here, as being above Economics, and even others that I have not mentioned here. One can still go on to do a postgraduate degree in Economics or Business or Management. Yes, even without having studied Economics or business at any level ever before. I must also quickly point out that I also would not usually recommend Law as a first degree, as I am of the view that one is better off studying something else before Law, as it is the university where one obtains the first degree that matters more than the actual degree course, for most courses anyway.

Getting back to where I started, after the open day at Imperial College yesterday, my son is now less sceptical about a Physics degree than he was before going. He was relieved to learn that most people do not go straight from a university degree to get a job in what they have studied. The conversation for the last six or so months has revolved around him not knowing what he wants to do in life, for which I constantly reassure him that it is perfectly normal at this age. The key thing is to develop your talent well and try to study something that gives you more options, especially when you do not know what you want to do. The good thing is that he has a list of about three or four professions that we all know that he is decidedly unsuited to – Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science and Accountancy. The problem is that he likes Economics, Physics and History – in that order – at the moment! The reason why that is a problems is that if you are applying to a competitive university, Physics is on one side, and Economics/History on the other. These are at two opposite ends, and writing a good personal statement that will persuade the admission officer of a good university will be tricky.

Just to conclude on the notion of following your passion, what I say to young people is that it’s good to follow your passion as you are extremely unlikely to succeed in doing something you utterly dislike. However, before you go for your passion, also try to think about   where you want to be in say 10 years’  time. Not only in terms of the job you want to be doing but where you want to be living and perhaps what money you’d like to be earning. No, money is not everything; however, it is more dignifying to earn a decent wage and have more options in life. The other point, which I believe applies to most people, is that not many are so passionate about one particular thing for a long time. For my son, his passion has fluctuated between Maths, History, Politics, Physics and Economics in the last few years. We all go through phases, and what we are passionate about today may not be what we are passionate about tomorrow or in a few years’ time.

Links to related blog posts are below :

The post The Great Debate: Choosing a University Degree: Passion vs Career Prospects appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

After my son’s GCSE exams a few weeks ago, he asked me how to compose a CV as he is looking for job so that he can earn some money during the summer weeks. I was actually a little surprised that he was asking me, as he could at least have made a start by doing some research on the internet to see CV samples.

Of course, he had looked it up on Google, it’s just that he could not figure out what to put as job experience in his CV. I then suggested to him to put down teaching Maths to his younger sister as job experience. Despite the fact what we give him an extra £5 a week for helping his sister, he still does not consider that good enough to put on his CV so I had to remind him that he is only 16 and that will do fine. The other activity he could have listed is helping during school open day to take prospective families around.

There are so many potential benefits that working brings for teenagers, be it paid or unpaid employment. Let’s leave aside for now the money they can earn from the job, which at this time of inflation  can save us parents a few bob. Benefits range from strengthening university application to independence and time-management. Having said this, some of the benefits can also be a disadvantage – the money they earn from the work to be precise. Let’s stay positive and explore the pro first before we take a look at the cons.

With an ever increasing number of young people getting the top grades, job experience is often used by top universities to filter candidates for places on their courses. This is particularly the case on courses such as medicine, where there is a high demand, as so many candidates apply but universities can only admit a limited number. To be fair, some young people decide against studying medicine after they’ve done their work experience, as they’ve had the opportunity to see first-hand what the working environment is and the nature of what medics have to do, day to day in a real-life situation.

Many teenagers, like many adults without deep thoughts, see the money they earn from getting a job as the most important aspect. This is certainly not the case for the overwhelming majority of teenagers in Britain, as it is more about the experience and skills the idea of working brings for them. The summer holiday, in particular, provides an excellent opportunity to do some work – paid or unpaid and if only for a couple of weeks or more.

As mentioned briefly earlier, the money earned from getting a job can create a serious distraction for teenagers. This is mainly because they often want to work so they can buy more toys – such as computer games or clothes and so on. The thing is that they need time to play on computer games, smartphone or other gadgets they fancy. This is all fine during the summer holiday, as they have a lot of time on their hands, and it’s okay to spend their time on working and playing with their toys. The teenager gets into the habit of earning money from working and, then, not only are employers begging them to work for longer hours during the summer but also to work for at least a reduced number of hours a week when they go back to school.

Working to earn money distracted me from my studies, as if I had not spent so much time working, I would have spent more time on my studies and achieved higher grades. I have seen the same thing happening to so many teenagers these days.

I remember in the very early part of my own teenage years, transistor radios that allowed you to listen to FM radio stations were the cool thing and that was one of the main reasons to work. In the later part of my teenage years, I was working to pay for night clubs and clothes to keep up with fashion, so I could look good when I went to a disco! When mobile phones became popular in the early 90s, I was at university but also one of the first people to get a cell phone – which was the old Motorola flip phone.

I suppose, like anything, it’s all about getting the balance right, which is not always easy for us parents to have meaningful discussion that ends up influencing our teenagers positively, so they don’t spend too much of their time working. The fact that there is a drastic shortage of workers in the UK at the moment makes it easier for anyone to get a job.

On the whole, teenagers working during the summer holiday is a good idea, but needs to be managed well so it does not lead to working for long hours during school term time. My preference is actually for teenagers not to work at all during term time, if it can be helped.

In my next blogpost, I will explore the health and fitness side of things, with respect to teenagers working during the summer. Watch this space!

The post Beyond the Paycheck: The Benefits of Summer Jobs for Teenagers appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

Essential Life Skills for Teenagers:

Just like the teenagers, the parents are looking forward to this summer more than the previous ones, at least in the last couple or so years. This is particularly an eventful year, and the pandemic, this time around, is not at the top of the news agenda. There are so many other relatively major events –  the cost of living, heatwave, war in Easter Europe, disruption to flying abroad and a change of prime minister. One of these  – the rising cost of living due inflation – is of a particular concern to parents, as it makes it more challenging to replenish food and drink in the fridge. We parents can decide to skip a meal or two here and there but trying to get the teenager to do the same is a hard nut to crack!  This morning my daughter complained there we are not feeding her well in this house because we only have plain croissant and baguette and not pain au chocolat.

The sixteen and eighteen years old are the first to have done a proper exam in the last three years and they are so relieved it’s now all over, and they eagerly await the results. The main thing on everyone’s mind at present is how to make the best of the summer holiday. One thing I’ve always liked about the summer time is the anticipation of it. I always look forward to longer days at least, as I know that there is no guarantee of sunshine or warmer weather!

As a parent of two teenagers, discussion in my household about the summer has included all the usual – from my sixteen-year-old son getting a job over the summer to my daughter wanting to go to the gym, holiday plans and so on.

For the teenagers in particular there is so much they could do over the summer, and below is a list of some of the possible activities:

1. Learning a new skill or two
2. Cooking – like baking a cake or cooking pasta
3. Doing sport and exercise
4. Getting a paid job
5. Volunteering or charity work
6. Reading for pleasure
7. Catching up with the school-work to reinforce strengths or strengthening weaknesses
8. Going to a holiday camp
9. Spending time with a relative or new friend
10. Family holiday

This is just a short list and so much more can be added under each item in the above list. The link below is to one of my past blogposts with an extensive list of activities that teenagers could undertake over the summer.

I’ve always thought that I was reasonable cook until now. Although I can’t bake a cake to save my life, I can knock up a pasta sauce in about 22 minutes max.

Since my son finished his GCSE in June, he has been perfecting his cooking skills and has become a bit of an Italian food connoisseur. I get lectured every time about why the crust of a proper pizza must not be half a millimetre thicker than it should be and why cooking pasta sauce for less than three hours is a crime!

I dare no longer attempt to cook without following the correct procedure, with not only timing everything to perfection but using the precise ingredients.

Although I will never admit it to his face, his pasta source tastes rather yummy, and, unusually for me, I often help myself to a second helping when no one is looking. Whenever I’m about to get caught I’ll pretend I’m putting the sauce in a new saucepan to preserve space…

There are so many ways in which teenagers can spend the summer holidays and, as a parent, it is preferable that it isn’t one that costs too much money.

As for my fourteen-year-old daughter, what she wants to do is to spend a bit of time in the gym over the summer, and I’m likely to be going along with that, as it appears to be a little less expensive in comparison to other options that she might have chosen.

My son dreams of working at an Italian restaurant over the summer and he thinks his cooking skills and the love of Italian food make him qualify for that but I’m not entirely convinced that those two attributes are sufficient. He still hasn’t got round to finding a job yet but we’ll see how he gets on. The good thing is that the three and half hours he spends cooking pasta sauce is three and a half hours away from computer games and that’s got to be a good thing!

There are so many activities and skills that teenagers could spend their time learning over the summer and cooking is just one of them. Every week, throughout the summer, I’ll be writing about at least one of these skills. I’ll do my best to share a story or two with you about my own experience relating to each skill I write about.

The post Beyond the Classroom: Essential Life Skills for Teenagers appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

The summer holidays allow us time to rest and get some perspective on our progress in life, but they also provide us the time to tackle things that we often don’t have time to do during term time.

Here’s a list of a few of the things that students should consider to have their most productive summer ever: –

Resting & Relaxing 

Making productive use of your summer break to get an academic edge and to further career prospects is a great idea, but it’s important to remember that as well as experiencing a fierce level of competition from fellow students, young people today are under an unprecedented amount of pressure to perform and succeed. The summer break (particularly for year 11 and 13 students) can provide students with just that – a break. The first few weeks of summer can be a great time for students to rest & relax, allowing them to forget about studying for a few weeks and recharge their batteries in preparation for the year ahead.

> Britain’s 30 Best Seaside Towns

Taking up a New Skill or two!

Working on new skills and hobbies that aren’t related to your chosen school subjects can be a great way to relax, whilst also developing yourself in a way that boosts your CV and impresses future employers. Career prospects aside, working on areas outside your chosen domain is one of the best ways to become a well-rounded and interesting person, expanding your horizons and becoming an effective adult.

Here are some ideas we like:

• Learn to Code: Fast Company described coding as “The Most Important Job Skill Of The Future”, and it’s one that’s accessible to anyone, whether you decide to learn at home or at boot camp in your local area. UCL* in central London (an Excel in Key Subjects teaching centre) run weekend boot camps – Code at Uni

• Drawing/Painting: Even those who don’t consider themselves ‘artsy’ would do well to consider an art course. Painting and science have been closely associated historically, and up until the 19th century, many scientists like William Blake were also artists. Experience in both the artistic and scientific fields can demonstrate to university entrance boards as well as company HR departments that you’re a well-rounded person and a critical thinker – Amazon: Drawing on the right side of the brain

• Learn a Language: Learning a second language slows the aging of the brain, opens up new possibilities for travel and future jobs and is well respected by the top universities. Foreign languages aren’t considered a great strength of students in the UK, so picking up a second language can be a great way to stand out from the crowd, and with the online resources available, attending classes in person may not even be necessary – Tim Ferriss: Language Learning Tips

Getting Work Experience

For young students looking to eventually progress to university with the aim of securing a top graduate job, it’s important to remember that student internships whilst at university (usually in the summer of the second year, for students on a three-year course) are one of the main routes to secure a top graduate job – but getting that summer internship usually requires a history of work experience – either in first year of University or before, whilst still in school or college. For year 11-13 students, reaching out to family, friends and industry contacts can be a great way to start the conversation around a work experience placement in your chosen field, but getting a regular paid summer job is also a great way to bolster student’s income whilst gaining valuable work experience.

Making some Flash Cards

Flash cards are the most efficient way for students to commit certain types of information they need for exams to their long-term memory – we’re not talking about physical paper flashcards, but rather spaced repetition software on a computer or smartphone that uses algorithms to help learn a large number of items and retain them indefinitely in memory.

Electronic flashcards are commonly used by language students and medical students due to the large amount of information and terminology they are required to retain, but the problem is creating them can be time-consuming. The summer holidays can provide a great time for students to learn how to use a flashcard system and start creating their flashcards for the year ahead.

> Wikipedia: Spaced Repetition

> How to learn (and never forget) French vocabulary

Volunteering

Volunteering is something many people want to get involved in, and the time and space afforded by the summer break – when the pressures of school disappear temporarily – can be a great time to kick things off.

Giving back to a cause that’s close to your heart is a rich and rewarding experience, and volunteering for a large international charity also looks good on your CV and will help you build skills in new areas. The breadth of volunteering opportunities available also means that there’s something out there for everyone – whether you want to spend an afternoon here and there close to home or you’re looking to spend a large chunk of your summer abroad, working for a charity.

To start, think about what areas you want to make a difference in. Decide what commitment you want to make, and whether you’re going alone or with friends, and starting researching charities, many of which will have opportunities on their website. Reach out to the organisations directly, or check out the links below for a more comprehensive guide on how to get started.

• The Ultimate Guide to Volunteering

Reading

We’ve said this before, so we’ll say it again: Amidst the array of attractive distractions that we call gadgets, a lot of young adults forget that there is a lot to be gained from reading. Not only can you brush up on your general knowledge and wisdom(!), but you might actually get into it! Reading used to be the primary pastime of kids a few generations ago and there’s got to be a reason why we’re so adamantly encouraged to take it up. Not only will it make you more knowledgeable, it will also give you skills of eloquence, a wider range of vocabulary, improved writing and communication skills. All of these attributes will boost your essay and interview techniques, placing you well ahead of the dull crowd.

And if that doesn’t entice you, remember the old saying: “Readers are leaders.” When Warren Buffet was asked the key to success, he pointed to a nearby book and replied: “Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it”.

• The tragic tale of why nobody reads anymore and how to use this summer to become a book lover
• The Top 100 Fiction Books of All Time
• The Top Rated Non-Fiction Books

Getting a Head Start on Your Studies

Getting a head start on your studies can be one of the highest leverage points when it comes to making a productive use of your summer. Understandably, many students start the year a little rusty after their summer break, but students who let their whole summer pass by without thinking about their studies are doing themselves a disservice. The teaching material covered at the beginning of the year is just as important (and as likely to come up in exams!) as material covered at the end of the year, but many pupils come out of the starting blocks a little slow, and take their time to get back into the swing of the things at the beginning of the year.

At Excel in Key Subjects, our Summer booster courses are designed to help students get an edge when starting back at school, and provide 12 hours of teaching at GCSE, and 20 hours of teaching at A level – Summer Booster courses at Excel in Key Subjects – Click Here

Alternatively, our Saturday classes, running during term time, provide expert teaching in the subjects that matter most, allowing students to reach their full potential and achieve to the best of their ability – Saturday Classes at Excel in Key Subjects – Click Here

*This course is not provided or endorsed by UCL

The post The Summer Advantage: 7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Holidays appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.