One family’s son arrived at Brampton to retake his A levels having struggled for years with exam anxiety — despite teachers consistently telling his parents he had A* potential. The gap between his ability and his results had taken a real toll on his confidence.
A year later, he’s off to study Engineering at the University of Nottingham, his first-choice course. Here, his father shares what that year actually looked like — and why, for him, the bigger change wasn’t the grades.
“Our son has just finished his year at Brampton College retaking his A levels, and we are absolutely delighted that he has secured his first-choice university and course, studying Engineering at the University of Nottingham. It has been a challenging journey to get here and we couldn’t be prouder of him.
Throughout his school years, he struggled with exam anxiety. He was always a bright boy, and his teachers often told us he had A* potential, but when it came to exams, he found it difficult to translate his potential into results. Over the years, this really affected his confidence and self-esteem, and he became increasingly withdrawn and unhappy. By the time he started at Brampton he lacked self-belief.
Deciding to retake his A levels was difficult but given our very positive experience with Brampton with his older brother, who had attended the college and achieved excellent grades, the decision was made easier. We knew what a difference a year there could make and we hoped it could do the same for our younger son.
What Brampton has given him in this one year is something we had been hoping for throughout his school life. The teaching has been excellent, but what really stands out is how much the teachers care and how involved they are with each student. They understood his difficulties, saw his potential and genuinely wanted him to succeed. That personal attention made such a difference.
One of the biggest changes was the amount of regular testing and exam practice. At his previous school, there were relatively few tests, with everything often building up to one big exam at the end of term. At Brampton, he was regularly sitting two or three tests a week in each of his three subjects. It sounds like a lot, but for him it was exactly what he needed. Exams and tests gradually became something familiar rather than something overwhelming.
His anxiety hasn’t magically disappeared but he has learned how to manage it. He now knows how to prepare, how to recognise different types of questions and how to use his knowledge properly under exam conditions. Most importantly, he has learned that he can still succeed even when he feels anxious. That is something he will take with him not just to university, but through life.
Since receiving his results, the change in him has been wonderful to see. He is holding his head high again, his confidence is coming back, and he has the sense of personal achievement that he had been missing for so long. Seeing him happy and believing in himself again means more to us than any exam result.
I would wholeheartedly recommend Brampton to any parent whose child is struggling to reach their potential or has lost confidence after disappointing results. Of course, the academic results are important, but for us it has been about so much more than that. Brampton has helped our son rediscover his confidence and realise his capabilities and potential.
We will always be grateful to the teachers and everyone at Brampton for the care, encouragement and support they have given him. They have helped him get to his chosen university, but more importantly, they have helped him believe in himself again.”
