What's the best way to use the Summer holiday?
The sun’s out, school is finished, and the last thing anyone wants to think about is exams. But for Year 10 and Year 12 students, those GCSEs and A levels are only 10 months away (not a year like you might have thought!). That sounds like ages… until it suddenly isn't...

After years of teaching, tutoring, and examining, I’ve watched the same pattern unfold again and again. Two students at the same point at the end of Year 10, but they are about to embark on two completely different journeys. And the outcome rarely comes down to intelligence. It comes down to timing, habits, and momentum.

Below is the pattern I’ve seen hundreds of times. One path leads to confidence, calm, and strong results. The other… well, you’ll recognise it....
Month
Student 1
Student 2
Aug
It's Summer! Time to relax, and I'll think about school in September!
It's Summer! Time to relax, but I'll spend a little time reviewing Year 10 content too.
Sep
Back to school - how do I do this? It's going to take me a while to get back into the routine...
That little bit of work over the Summer has kept me in good habits, back to school isn't that drastic!
Oct
Mocks? I'll see how they go and then I'll know what I need to revise for the real thing!
Mocks will let me see how my revision is going and let me know what I need to adapt.
Nov
Two weeks of mocks - this is so stressful! At least I haven't got any lessons or homework.
These mocks are alright, my revision has put me in a good position.
Dec
There's only 2 weeks left, the mocks were stressful - I'm going to wind down to the holidays and enjoy Christmas.
I'll keep going with my 'little and often' routine, and have some downtime over the Christmas break.
Jan
Mock results are out and they didn't go well, but then I didn't revise. The real thing will be much better!
My mock results are good, and I know what I need to work on and my embedded routines mean I know exactly what to do,
Feb
Parents' evening was horrible. My teachers just kept nagging me, and my parents are really disappointed.
Parents' evening was great. My teachers were really pleased, gave me excellent feedback and my parents are super proud of me.
Mar
It's so close to Easter holidays, that will be the perfect time to start my revision properly.
I just keep building momentum. I don't need to revise loads, but I'm actually enjoying it.
Apr
Right, Easter, time to revise properly! There's so much to revise, and I don't know where to start or how to do the revision... I'm overwhelmed...
I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. Everything is in hand and I've got this.
May/
Jun
Exams have started, and they're ok. I probably could have done better, but it is what it is...
Exam time, I'm ready to show off to the examiners! Can we start early?
Jul
Exams are done finally. Time to relax and forget all about it. But I could have done better... what if...
I've worked hard, I did well and now I've earned this break. I'm going to chill!
Results
Day!
I'm smiling through the disappointment, I wish I'd started my revision earlier.

How did I not get the results I needed? Please let me do the course I want to do! I promise I'll work harder next year!
I was a little nervous, but these results are amazing! These open the doors to everything I want to do, and more.

Time to celebrate!!
These two journeys don’t diverge at Easter, or in February, or even at the November mocks. They diverge now, in the quiet, sunny weeks when most people aren’t thinking about school at all.

A small amount of smart work over the Summer creates momentum. Momentum creates confidence. Confidence creates consistency. And consistency creates results.

If you want your future self to thank you, the best time to begin is today.