After the mock exams: Acting decisively to secure GCSE outcomes
By the end of mock exam season, most schools have a clear picture of where their Year 11 cohort stands. The data rarely brings surprises, but it does bring precision. Pupils who appeared broadly on track may be sitting just below key grade thresholds. Others whose attendance has fluctuated may show gaps that are not fully visible in classroom assessments. A smaller group may be significantly behind, requiring more than a revision to close the distance before spring.
What mock exams provide, above all else, is clarity. They reveal the difference between curriculum coverage and exam readiness, between understanding and performance, and between predicted outcomes and what pupils can currently demonstrate under pressure. The challenge for school leaders is deciding how to respond quickly and proportionately within a narrowing window of time.
The reality schools are navigating post-mock exams
Disappointing or unexpected mock exam results rarely stem from a lack of effort. They may reflect knowledge gaps, inconsistent attendance, weaknesses in exam technique, and reduced confidence when working independently. These factors rarely occur in isolation.
But as the period between mock exams and the official GCSE exams narrows, schools face increasing pressure to deliver targeted interventions that get students up to speed with GCSE content and feeling exam-ready. All this while managing competing pressures, staff capacity, and structured timetables. Revision resources alone cannot replace structured teaching for those who require guided explanation, repetition and feedback.
Pupils who could realistically achieve a pass may not receive enough structured teaching time to close gaps before exams begin, particularly if attendance remains inconsistent or confidence has been unsettled by mock outcomes.
Not only that, but they may become more anxious than ever before and therefore in need of emotional support too. In a 2024 survey by Save My Exams, 85% of students reported experiencing exam anxiety, with 15% categorised as “highly test anxious.”
At this stage, alternative provision can be a lifeline, providing students with the boost they need (both academically and personally) to tackle their GCSE exams and achieve the best grades possible.
The importance of targeted teaching, not simply more revision
The weeks between March and the start of GCSE exams are often framed as revision time, yet for many pupils, the greater need is for continued teaching delivered in a focused, structured way. Knowledge gaps cannot always be addressed through independent revision, particularly where understanding was never fully secure.
Targeted teaching allows pupils to revisit core content, practise exam responses, and receive immediate feedback in a smaller, more supportive learning environment. It also provides continuity for pupils who, due to prolonged absence, have missed elements of classroom teaching and are attempting to compensate solely through revision.
For school leaders, the question becomes how to provide that additional teaching without further stretching internal capacity or disrupting the wider timetable.
How schools are using flexible online alternative provision
Many schools address this challenge through flexible alternative provision. As the UK’s leading online alternative provision specialist, Academy21 provides a range of targeted solutions for GCSE students, all with live, structured teaching that sits alongside school provision and can be introduced quickly for individual pupils or small groups.
The provision is typically used to extend teaching capacity in core subjects, enabling pupils to revisit essential content, practise exam technique and maintain engagement during the final months before assessment. Small class sizes of up to 15 students create space for questioning, explanation and verbal reasoning, helping pupils articulate understanding and build the confidence needed to demonstrate knowledge in exam conditions.
Because delivery is fully online, support can be scaled up or down as needed. Some pupils attend short-term programmes to consolidate knowledge ahead of the official exams. In contrast, others require longer engagement, with attendance disruption or sustained gaps that have affected their progress more significantly.
Different levels of support for different needs
Post-mock intervention rarely requires a single approach. Schools typically support pupils across a spectrum of needs, from those requiring a short period of reinforcement to those needing a more sustained pathway to secure a pass. In practice, this can include:
GCSE Booster
Our GCSE Booster programme is specifically designed to provide high-impact support during the crucial months leading up to GCSE exams. We offer time-limited interventions that give students a necessary circuit-break from the mainstream classroom, allowing them to reset and refocus in an environment led by trauma-informed, subject-specialist teachers.
The programme consists of 4 live, interactive lessons per week as standard, with the flexible option of Friday consolidation sessions. Beyond the live, adaptive classes, pupils have constant access to lesson recordings and a library of additional content, which is vital for building the “exam stamina” that educators have noted as a significant challenge for the 2025 cohort.
Available in English, Maths, Science, and Humanities, these boosters provide the targeted support needed to help students move up a grade boundary or secure a critical pass.
GCSE Bespoke Booster
Our Bespoke Booster groups offer a fully customisable solution. We understand that every cohort has unique needs, which is why we work closely with our clients to build a programme that fits your specific schedule and student data. A school might, for example, choose to run an intensive eight-week block of English and Maths classes starting at 15:15 to fit alongside their existing timetable.
We can even split these groups by ability, ensuring that students aiming to secure a Grade 4 receive different, specifically pitched instruction than those working towards a Grade 7. This level of precision allows your school to provide elite-level intervention without the administrative or staffing burden usually associated with small-group tutoring.
GCSE Resits
While the immediate priority is maximising performance in the upcoming exams, it is also important to consider your students’ long-term journey. We know that for some, despite their best efforts, results may not go as planned. In these instances, our GCSE Resit courses offer students a vital second chance. These courses provide expert teaching in a stigma-free environment, specifically focusing on rebuilding the confidence that is often knocked after a failed attempt. By offering 100% live lessons in core English and Maths, we ensure that students have a clear, supportive path to achieving their best, whether they are preparing for their first sit or a retake.
Securing good grades and enabling progression
Ultimately, educators’ core priority is securing outcomes that allow pupils to progress. For many young people, achieving a standard pass in English and maths determines access to further education, apprenticeships and employment pathways. The difference between just below and just above that threshold can be significant, even when the gap in understanding is relatively small.
Well-timed, targeted teaching can make that difference. Whether delivered internally or through supplementary provision, the focus remains the same: ensuring pupils have the knowledge, confidence and exam readiness required to achieve the best outcome realistically available to them.
