At EMAS, examinations are one of many tools we use to assess learning and growth. They sit alongside student portfolios, formative assessments, project work, and reflective self-evaluation to provide a balanced and meaningful picture of each learner’s progress. Our students understand that exams are not an endpoint, but a skill, one of many they develop on their journey toward independence and self-knowledge.
Sitting exams successfully requires organisation, focus, emotional regulation, and resilience. These are not simply academic skills but life skills, and they are carefully cultivated through the mentoring and tutoring structures that define our senior phase. Students receive guidance on planning, revision, and exam technique, learning how to manage time, balance workload, and approach challenges with confidence.
By the time they reach this stage, EMAS students know their interests and passions well. They are supported to create a clear roadmap to further education that includes the qualifications they need, while continuing to be an active part of our close community. This balance, combining academic rigour with a nurturing environment, allows students to thrive both personally and intellectually.
The senior learning environment at EMAS feels more like college or university than traditional school. Students are treated as young adults, trusted to take ownership of their studies, and supported to make purposeful decisions about their learning pathways. This mature atmosphere underpins the essential life skills sought by further education institutions: self-management, adaptability, collaboration, and curiosity.
Exams at EMAS are part of a much larger process that develops capable, confident, and reflective learners who are ready to meet the demands of higher education and life beyond.