Two leading Dubai schools share practical, research-backed advice to help your child revise with confidence and less stress
Exam season has a way of tightening the air at home. Revision timetables appear. Evenings stretch. Everyone wants to help, and no one wants to get it wrong.
We asked leaders at Brighton College Dubai and DESS College for clear, research-informed guidance on when to start revision, what techniques are most effective, and how parents can best support their children. Their advice is simple, practical and reassuring.
Start early, but not as a panic response
“A sustainable revision programme is not something that suddenly starts a few weeks before examinations,” says Simon Crane, Head Master at Brighton College Dubai. “By the time pupils reach formal exam years, good habits should already be embedded.”
In practice, that means revision is not a last-minute shift, but a continuation of learning already happening in the classroom. By the time exams approach, typically eight to ten weeks out, students are consolidating rather than starting from scratch.
Short, focused blocks of 25–45 minutes, spread across the week, are far more effective than long, draining sessions.
“A plan that requires four hours every evening isn’t a revision plan,” says Joe Roberts, Assistant Headteacher at DESS College. “It’s a burnout plan. Sustainability matters far more than intensity. It really is a marathon, not a sprint.”
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Rereading is not revision
Students must be taught how memory works.
“We should never assume pupils naturally know how to revise,” Crane says. “Most initially think revision means rereading notes or highlighting textbooks, which educational research consistently shows to be among the least effective strategies.”
Instead, effective revision relies on retrieval practice: closing the book and recalling knowledge from memory. Timed practice questions, spaced repetition and explaining concepts aloud all strengthen retention.
Crane also highlights a key misconception: many students confuse familiarity with mastery. Material may look familiar, but exams require students to produce knowledge independently.
Roberts reinforces this idea through what psychologists call “Desirable Difficulties.”
“If learning feels too easy, it probably isn’t sticking,” he explains. “The slight discomfort of having to struggle and retrieve is exactly what drives long-term memory.”
Target the gaps, not the comfort zone
Hours spent at a desk do not automatically translate into learning.
“Good revision feels effortful,” Crane states. “Testing yourself, writing answers without notes, or explaining a topic from memory feels harder, but that difficulty is exactly what strengthens retention.”
Students often drift towards topics that already feel secure, but that’s where progress slows.
Roberts emphasises that revision should focus on identifying gaps. Practice questions, feedback and mistakes are not setbacks; they are learning opportunities.
“Focus on the gaps in skills and knowledge,” he advises. “That’s where the real gains are.”
Parents are stabilisers, not supervisors
When exams approach, the instinct for many parents is to do more – more hours, more monitoring, more intervention.
Roberts cautions against this.
“Our parents are incredible and are the cornerstone of success in exams,” he says. “The best advice we give them is to do what they do best: provide love, safe spaces, and support. If families are anxious about where their child stands, speak to the teachers, don’t add more hours to the revision timetable.”
Crane points to the factor that most strongly affects outcomes: wellbeing.
“A child’s wellbeing, sleep, emotional security and confidence are key. A tired, anxious child who studies for five hours will usually perform worse than a rested, calm child who studies for two focused hours. Examinations assess knowledge, but performance on the day depends heavily on emotional regulation.”
Parents help most not by becoming additional teachers, but by acting as stabilisers who provide calm routines, predictable expectations, and reassurance.
Three priorities that make a difference
Sleep. Teenagers need 8–9 hours. Memory consolidates overnight, making sleep one of the most powerful revision tools.
Routine. Meals, exercise, and normal rhythms. Stability lowers stress and improves recall.
Reassurance. Effort matters more than perfection. Confidence supports performance.
Stop worrying about:
• Excessive timetable monitoring
• Endless extra worksheets
• Becoming the teacher
School provides structure. Home provides security. Students need both.
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