Shropshire school head urges parents to stress importance of exams
The head of one of Shropshire's top schools has urged parents never to tell their children that exams do not matter.
Jonathan Forster, principal of Moreton Hall School, near Oswestry, said telling young people "Qué será, será" - whatever will be will be - "isn't good enough advice".
Writing in a national newspaper, Mr Forster said: "Many thousands of A-level and GCSE students spend the long summer holidays worrying if their hard work - or lack of it - will bring them the success that they hope for when the results are posted online.
"And we all tell our students what will be, will be.
But "Qué será, será" isn't good enough advice and surely can't reflect the value placed upon academic success in the highly competitive modern work place."
He said the type of school which now promotes stress relieving and mindfulness programmes now tells youngsters that exams are not the most important aspect of education.
"Of course they aren't," he added. "But results really do matter.
"And for very selective schools, where upwards of 90 per cent of grades at A-level and GCSE are passed at grade A*, to now apparently downplay the value of the academic achievements of students who have done extremely well in less selective schools, could be seen to be patronising.
"In the simplest terms, every person must do their best: the best for their school, the best for themselves. Usually, but not always in that order.
"Good schools nurture the individual to get the best examination results relative to their own ability - but without undue stress in the process. They also open up academic and career pathways for their students by relating what happens in the classroom to the wider world."
Mr Forster said Moreton Hall was running a bio-medical summer holiday course allowing pupils from every type of school in the country to study with medics and university academics in university departments, allowing them to find out what it meant to be a GP or chemist.
"Try telling the students from St Martins Comprehensive School that their results this summer don't matter, that they shouldn't worry so much about doing well," Mr Forster said.
"Those students are tasting academic success and now that they have access to a wider range of resources through their school's partnership with Moreton Hall, the opportunities that too often are the preserve of private schools are on their door-step.
"Ultimately, raising aspiration for all students should be the objective of all educational providers."
