Exam stress: how to help children cope with GCSEs and A-levels

‘Remind them that there is more to life than their grades, and their results don’t define who they are.’ Photograph: parkerphotography/Alamy

Look out for signs of stress

“I think the first thing is about being aware,” says Dr Dan O’Hare, the vice-chair of the British Psychological Society’s division of education and child psychology. “Are they more irritable than usual? If they play Fortnite, have they suddenly lost interest in it or are they playing way more than they should be? Have they gone off their food, are they complaining of physical symptoms, like headaches and stomach aches more regularly than they might do?”