It’s been a week of magical milestones for our Class of 2026, and today, in our traditional Valedictory Day celebrations, we proudly, and bittersweetly, farewelled these students officially for the last time. With their HSC and IB exams on the horizon, Mr Tom Ginnane, Senior Study Advisor, has some key recommendations for students, and their parents, to help finetune final preparations.

One of the questions I get asked most frequently by parents of our Year 12 students is, ‘how best can I support my child during these important few weeks before exams start and end?’And while I always keep in mind the fact that every one of our 248 students this year is a unique individual, and that no rule is ever hard and fast, expertise has taught me that the six study hacks below help maximise study time and efficiency:

• Know when to call it a day: No student should be studying beyond 10.00pm. Sleep is a crucial part of the learning process as the brain consolidates what it has learnt within long term memory. Lack of sleep means less engagement and less effective learning during the day.
• Cull the screen time: Encourage your child to limit the technology they are using to study. Often the most effective study and revision is done with pen and paper.
• The importance of space: Ensure they have a quiet place to study with no phone available. Studies have shown that even having a phone in the same room, even if it is off and packed away, is a distraction from learning.
• Clear the decks: The work desk should be free from clutter – this allows the brain to focus exclusively on the notes or practice papers on the desk.
• Breaks are crucial: Encourage your child to take breaks every hour for five to 10 minutes, and a longer break after two hours of concerted work. The most effective study break looks like a drink of water and a walk around the block. Scrolling on the phone fails to give the brain the break it needs. Ensure water and study snacks are on hand.
• Fresh air intake: Support your child in getting outside for breaks and completing exercise daily; even if it’s just taking the dog for a 20 minute walk. Frequent exercise and a change of scenery are crucial to a well-functioning brain and overall wellbeing.

The next most-asked question during the holiday study period (or ‘stu-vac’, to those of us who did our final Year 12 exams in the 20th century) is, ‘what should my child’s study schedule look like?’

Again, no Year 12 student is the same, nor do they study or revise exactly the same way. However, these tips below can provide a good scaffold:

Put the extra effort in now: With only weeks to go until the final HSC and IB exams, students should be revising a minimum of six hours a day with breaks on top of that. Encourage your child to see these study days as they would a full school day – periods of one hour study blocks with 10 minutes break in between. Encourage them to write up a timetable of what subject they will study during each ‘period’, with a clear study plan for each session.

Take on the feedback: Students have been provided with extensive feedback following their trial examinations and should have a clear idea of their strengths and gaps that need to be refined. The feedback process should not stop here however, as each student should continually reach out to their teachers for feedback on their practice papers.

Help focus the mind: All the excitement of the final weeks of Year 12 and valedictory celebrations, can sometimes make returning to concentrated study at home in the holidays more challenging. To help them regain intent, remind them of these pointers:

• Practice papers under timed conditions without notes should form a significant part of student preparation. This will prepare them for exam conditions.
• A study session should involve a variety of challenging study methods. Further information on effective study techniques may be found on our Academic website.

Carpe diem: This is it! The period after valedictory is THE most important academic moment of Year 12, and each year we see enormous gains made during this time by those students who really put the effort in. Preparing for final school exams will never come again, so go for it.

We may have farewelled our 2026 Year 12 cohort today, but of course, they never really leave our community. While preparing for their final exams, many students will return during the holidays to take advantage of our specialised Year 12 study program. This includes teacher workshops, exam practice sessions, guided group study sessions, and tutoring support. For timings and offerings, please refer to our posting, ‘Term 3 Holiday Program Information’, on New Spaces.

It is a wonderful time of life for our Year 12 families and their students, and we are so proud of how our Year 12 students have engaged with their studies this year. We look forward to their heightened efforts at this crucial time in their academic journey, and to seeing where their endeavours take them in the future.