Article

Could 10 Minutes a Day This Summer Save Your Child’s grades?

By Donna Rouse

When school starts in September, students and their teachers face a familiar scenario. Over the long summer break, some students haven’t just forgotten a few topics, for some, particularly in maths, skills can decline by up to 27%, equivalent to nearly two months of lost learning. 

Confidence can take a hit as entire topics and critical methods can fade away after the extended classroom break. 

It’s not just anecdotal, it’s a well-documented phenomenon known as summer learning loss, or the summer slide. Research from UK and global studies shows that students typically lose around one month of academic progress over the summer, with maths suffering most.

For students in the lead up to their exam years , if a teacher has to reteach the summer term content in an already packed autumn term, it can be harder to stay on track. But the good news is that reversing this trend doesn’t require intensive tutoring, expensive courses, or hours of daily study.

There is a more innovative way to study, and thankfully, the research and classroom experience increasingly show that just 10 minutes of revision daily can make a meaningful difference.

Short, focused bursts of revision – known as microlearning, where the key is consistency over intensity. A smarter way to study, microlearning, is proven to reinforce long-term memory and help students retain key knowledge.

Microlearning is great as teachers and parents can encourage a light-touch daily habit instead of getting pupils to sit through full past papers or lengthy study sessions. Microlearning means you can still enjoy the holidays, as it fits easily around summer plans.

Aligning with memory retention functions, microlearning works because it uses paced repetition, active recall, and daily engagement. Over time, these short sessions build a foundation of retained knowledge that makes September feel like a continuation to be built on, not having to start again from scratch.

To support students during the summer holidays, here are a few actionable suggestions:

  • Create a simple schedule – Encourage students to set aside just 10 minutes daily, after breakfast, before bed, or after screen time.

Gen Z students prefer engaging and digital platforms, and a range are available to support them in their exam years:

  • Premium services like EdPlace, Seneca and Tassomai offer high-quality learning resources.
    • Innovative freemium apps, such as  Inspired Learning AI, offering full courses with instant AI marking and feedback and multiple learning styles (ebook, videos, quizzes, and more), and Quizlet with interactive flashcards and study activities,
    • Free resources: like BBC Bitesize and Oak National Academy.
  • Celebrate small wins – Positive reinforcement goes a long way. Track streaks, set achievable goals, and make revision part of a healthy routine, not a punishment.

Today’s platforms are designed for a few minutes daily, meaning they lend themselves easily to a bit of learning each day over the holidays. They also cater to individual ability levels, offering adaptive content that grows with the learner. Importantly, many of these tools are free or low-cost, making them a realistic option for most families.

As a teacher and head of department with over 25 years of experience teaching in schools including Wycombe Abbey and St George’s, I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact of summer revision habits. 

Those students who engage even lightly over the break return more confident, more prepared, and far less anxious. It’s a small investment with a big bonus on the first day back in the classroom.

Although summer learning loss is real, it doesn’t have to impact grades. By taking a proactive ‘little and often’ approach and using engaging tools, students can start their exam year with confidence and the best possible start.

About the Author

Donna Rouse, a maths teacher with 25 years’ experience across some of the UK’s top schools, including Head of Maths at PH School and Howard of Effingham, and teaching roles at Wycombe Abbey and St George’s. With exam outcomes under more pressure than ever, she has a refreshingly simple solution to combat summer learning loss.