‘A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play.’
I remember when I was (a lot) younger considering whether this advertising statement may actually be true. And if so, which aspect did the chocolate bar help most with:
-Surely, it couldn’t be work, although it would give you a noticeable, albeit small, energy boost;
-Rest would likely be the most likely connection, given that one often relaxes with a treat and a hot beverage;
-In terms of play, though I heard that the former footballer Andrew Cole used to eat a full box of Jaffa Cakes at half term to inject some pace into his game at the start of the second half, I’m sure too many bars can not be good for an athlete.
Apparently, the slogan was originally coined in 1959, and is often attributed to Murray Walker, the former motor racing commentator and advertising professional, and it lasted until the mid-1990s, which is quite a feat given how much the world changed during that time.
The key motive behind the slogan was obviously to sell chocolate bars, but beyond that, the phrase made an important point about the importance of a healthy work-life balance long before the term had become a talking point.
As many schools enter the final week of term – for us, it’s the penultimate one – that balance can come under severe strain.
Whether it may be carol concerts, nativity plays or fundraising initiatives within schools at this time, the focus at the College has always remained academic, but with the emphasis on maintaining a balance.
Students have mock exams from the 12th December to the 19th, and these are important. They may be able to demonstrate the ability of a student in Year 13 to secure their intended predicted grade, or for a Year 12, starting their journey towards a UCAS application, or for a Year 11 student to identify the subjects they will prioritise at A Level.
Mock exams tend to lead to a perception that it’s a time of silent persecution for students – sitting diligently completing exams under duress.
It’s not a realistic image – or at least not at the College.
This is where the Mars slogan comes in – students have the necessary independence during this period to be as productive as they can be. Being productive does not mean cramming before these assessments – rather it means finding a way to balance their time in order to be the best they can be:
-Working with staff to fine tune revision methods
-Finding a way that they can study to the full, but at a manageable level
-Giving themselves the requisite amount of recreation time in order to unwind
It is about finding a successful working method which will see them through GCSEs, A Levels and beyond.
This does not mean working themselves into a state before the Christmas holidays:
-It means being able to see where they are in terms of what needs to be learned;
-It means working hard up to the end of term, and with it being able to look back with some pride in terms of what has been achieved;
-It means getting to the holidays, and truly having a break – not approaching them with trepidation about results due soon after, or assessments in January.
As a trend, we’ve seen more and more students join the College with some form of anxiety towards school. Invariably, this manifests itself in the approach towards examinations or assessments.
We’ve spent a great deal of time working towards ensuring that this mindset is transformed within students. It takes time, but within one or two exam series, the culture and ethos of the College makes the difference.
Mock exams are not the enemy – in fact, they are a vital support to students:
-They become more and more comfortable with the environment for sitting assessments, which leads to comfort when the real thing comes around.
-As long as their results are framed in the right way, they see the process as formative, and part of improvement, rather than a summative judgement on their merits
-The rewards at the College, which follow the assessments, fosters a spirit where effort and improvement carries the same importance as excellence.
As always, I look forward to this series – it’s hard work for all staff involved, whether that is the Exams Officer, who organises the schedule and finer details of running the assessments, the SENCO who has to get things in order in terms of access arrangements, the office staff who provide comprehensive support to ensure that the whole process runs seamlessly, or the staff who invigilate, mark and distribute results from the exams to the students in a timely manner.
I’m still of the opinion that it is the most worthwhile and productive use of the end of term possible.