Boys and tests

Girls have been outperforming boys at every subject at GCSE for several years. Lower down the school, girls have been outperforming boys in English at the age of 7, 11 and 14. In maths and science at 7, 11 and 14 the situation is slightly better, but not much. Girls have recently started to outperform boys at A level. What can we do about it during the run up to GCSE exams and end of Key Stage tests?

We need to

• ensure that he is organised and can see the bigger picture – a timetable of GCSE exams is vital, for example, together with revision timetable that you display in the kitchen.
  
• get dads or older males in the family to support him during the run up, with revision (explore revision sites) and talking through the experience
  
• encourage him to use a whole variety of ways to revise, not just reading and taking notes. Many boys prefer to learn and revise in very different ways to girls - Check out learning styles
  
• promote a healthy diet
  
• Get him to take regular exercise
  
• ensure that he is not leaving everything until the last minute by regularly discussing his progress
  
• make sure he realises that if wants to do well he will have to put in the effort, and that it is worth making sacrifices now as it is his future after all.
  
• encourage him to talk through any anxieties about the tests or exams, it doesn’t come easy to a lot of boys
  
• limit the amount of time he spends in front of screens
  
• make sure he gets enough sleep!
  
• Have more hugging – less tugging
  

The problem is complex. Some of the main problems arise around boys being significantly less independent when they start school as well as having a much less developed use of language.

Girls use between 10 and 30 times the amount of language in their play as boys do. Boys often see reading as something that girls and women do, particularly if it was mum that read to them as a child. Boys suffer from the anti-swot culture, where they are under pressure from other boys not to tow the line.

In addition, low self esteem is a growing problem amongst boys, who often don’t have positive male role models to aspire to or the confidence or ability to express their worries and concerns.

When it comes to doing coursework at high school, many boys struggle because they have not developed the skills they need, often expecting everything to turn out right in the end without putting in the effort, or by simply leaving everything until the last minute.

For more information about raising boys’ achievement contact

succeed@kirklees.gov.uk (School Improvement Officer for raising boys’ achievement)