Pupils showing high anxiety in run-up to GCSEs and A-levels, teachers say

Reports of panic attacks, anger, self-harm and disengagement before first exams in three years since Covid

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

Teachers have observed high levels of anxiety among pupils in the run-up to GCSEs and A-levels, with reports of panic attacks, angry outbursts, self-harm and disengagement among students who will be the first to sit examinations in three years due to the pandemic.

With the main summer exam period due to begin next week, headteachers say they have seen a rise in requests from GPs and mental health teams, asking for individual pupils to be allowed to sit their exams in a separate or smaller room, away from the main exam hall, because of stress and anxiety. Numbers have more than doubled in one school, creating space and invigilation challenges.