Learned for exams. Used long after.
The beChill® Exams course for students aged 14–19, support for teaching staff, and sessions for parents. Delivered in school, online, or as a mix of both. In person in the Gdańsk area, online anywhere.
Led by a certified sophrologist and beChill® Exams Coach with over twenty years' experience in teaching.
What I can offer your school
| Module | For whom | Format |
|---|---|---|
| beChill® Exams - course for students | Ages 14–19 | 8 × 60 min or 6 × 75 min, groups of 6–10 |
| Support for staff | Teachers, form tutors, pastoral staff | 90-minute workshop or a series of 5–6 sessions |
| Parent sessions | Parents at your school | Talk of 60–90 minutes, open to all parents; or a series of 4 online sessions for parents of students on the course |
Formats are indicative - I adapt the schedule to your timetable and school calendar.
The beChill® Exams course for students
The programme is designed for students preparing for exams at school, and for students in music, sports and arts schools, for whom the pressure of performing or competing is a routine part of life. It also works well for students who know the material but lose their footing when they're being assessed.
Materials. Every student receives access to the beChill® app, with recordings of all the exercises, valid until the end of the school year. The app is GDPR-compliant. This means students can keep practising on their own during the exam period, after the course itself has finished.
Topics covered
- The nervous system
- Anchoring calm
- The teenage brain
- Managing energy and concentration
- Habits and automatic responses
- Distance from “I can't do this” thoughts
- Building optimism
- Sleep hygiene
- The value of a mindful break
The programme is structured, but I adjust the emphasis to the group - a class of IB students in their second year needs something different from a group of music-school teenagers before competition season.
See what the course looks like from a student's perspectiveFitting the programme into your school year
The full beChill® Exams course can start at two points in the year. Both give students time to practise the techniques before the examination session itself.
Autumn start
The course finishes before the winter break, so students go into their mock examinations with the techniques already in hand - mocks fall in January and February for IGCSE and A-levels, and in February and March for the IB Diploma. That makes the mocks a genuine rehearsal, not just for the papers but for the state students are in when they sit them. Before the real session, an optional booster block can be added: three short sessions, on the principle of a training camp before a competition.
Winter start
The course finishes in spring, shortly before examinations begin. The techniques are freshly learned and support runs unbroken up to the session - IB examinations fall between late April and mid-May, IGCSE and A-levels across May and June. In this variant the booster block isn't needed.
A note on the IB Diploma. IB students carry assessed work across two years, not one - the Extended Essay, Internal Assessments and TOK all fall outside the examination session. For these students the case isn't really about the fortnight of exams - it's about practical tools for a workload that runs across two years.
Planning ahead. Decisions about next year's provision are usually taken during the spring term. It's worth settling the details by the end of April, in time to present the course to parents and to run an information session if you'd like one.
Support for teaching staff
From experience, what helps most is what can be done in two minutes before walking into a difficult class, and at the end of the day, to clear accumulated tiredness. That's what we concentrate on - nothing that needs to be added to an already full timetable.
Teachers are among the groups most exposed to burnout, and the atmosphere in a classroom depends to a large extent on the state the teacher is in.
Introductory workshop - 90 minutes. Practical techniques that can be used between lessons and in short breaks. Works well as part of an INSET day.
Extended series - 5–6 sessions. Preventing burnout, recovering quickly during the working day, improving sleep.
Sessions for parents
A parent who understands what's going on can support their child far more effectively.
Standalone talk - 60–90 minutes. Open to all parents, not only those whose children are on the course. How the teenage brain and nervous system respond under pressure, what that looks like at home, and what actually helps. Fits a wellbeing week, a parents' association meeting or coffee morning, or an information evening before exam season or before students move into the Diploma.
Introductory session to the beChill® Exams programme. Before every course, I offer a free session for parents - in school or online. I explain what happens in the sessions and what can be done at home.
Parallel series - 4 sessions online. For parents of students taking the course: fortnightly sessions, running alongside their children's. Parents learn how the teenage nervous system works and what I'm working on with their children - and at the same time learn techniques that work exactly the same way for adults. It's the most effective form of support I know: the child practises, and at home someone understands what it's for.
A unique combination of experiences
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A method with a proven track record
Sophrology was developed in the 1960s and has been used for decades in schools in France, Spain and Switzerland.
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Teaching experience
Over twenty years as a violin teacher, taking students from first lessons through to examinations and competitions.
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A professional musician's practice
I understand performance stress, perfectionism and working towards goals set years ahead, because I've been through it myself.
This is what lets me fit the techniques to the realities of school life, with the student, the teacher and the parent all in view.
Accreditations
- Advanced Practitioner Diploma in Sophrology, Sophrology Academy (UK), accredited by the Fédération des Écoles Professionnelles en Sophrologie.
- Member of the International Sophrology Federation, which sets a code of ethics and requires ongoing professional development.
- Certified beChill® Exams Coach, specialising in supporting teenagers.
Next step
Every school has a different calendar and different needs. I'd suggest starting with a short conversation - twenty minutes is enough to establish whether the programme makes sense for you, and in what form.
If you'd like to see the work before committing to a full course, there are two ways in: the free introductory session for parents, and the 90-minute workshop for teaching staff, which gives your team direct experience of the techniques.
Payment. The course can be paid for directly by parents, from school funds, or through the parents' association - depending on your circumstances and how extracurricular provision is organised.
I'm happy to send you the full offer. Leave your email address below. You will receive a PDF describing the programme.