By Irina Tobias, Secondary Special Educational Needs Coordinator and Teacher of Mathematics at Caxton College, Valencia

Good study habits and revision routines are increasingly important in supporting strong outcomes for our students. I shared with our teaching staff the following information that I came across and that really resonated with me.

Professor Adam Tooze is a historian at Columbia University and Director of the European Institute, and when asked in an interview, “What is the number one skill that students need to develop before going to university in order to succeed during and after the university years?” he replied:

So many people have iterated in different ways, but it’s sustained attention, the ability to sustain prolonged serious attention to a text, to read, to think, to problem solve. It means learning your own internal rhythms, like where does your spirit go? Where does your mind wander to? How do you contain it? How do you manage it?

And that I think is the absolutely key thing, and it is rare and it is difficult. It takes habit and it’s a kind of training, like learning to play an instrument or perform well in sport. It requires a kind of bravery, because you have to be willing to be lonely, willing to be on your own; you have to be on your own with your own thoughts, not constantly just in the loop with the thing that’s feeding your prejudice, but actually pursuing your own thread.

Challenge students to read for half an hour solidly, then 45 minutes, then an hour and so on from there. Once they’ve gotten up to several hours, they’re already in the Super League.

Good study habits benefit all students and are especially important for learners who need these routines to be taught explicitly, modelled clearly and reinforced consistently. Independence, revision habits and reading stamina do not just appear on their own; they are built over time through structure, repetition and shared expectations.

With that in mind, here are a few simple strategies that can help support all students as they prepare for exams, now as well as in the future:

Model how to revise in your subject

Many students do not automatically know how to revise effectively. Showing them what this looks like in practice can make a real difference.

Be specific about revision tasks

‘Revise for the test’ can feel too vague. Clear instructions such as ‘revise these 10 key words’, ‘complete these 5 retrieval questions’ or ‘learn these 3 processes’ are much more accessible.

Encourage revision in short, focused chunks

Many students benefit from 15–20 minute focused revision blocks with a clear goal, rather than long, unstructured periods of study.

Use retrieval regularly

Low-stakes quizzes, flashcards, blurting, summarising from memory and quick recap questions help students practise recall rather than just re-reading.

Support planning and organisation

Checklists, revision calendars and helping students break larger tasks into smaller steps can reduce feelings of being overwhelmed and improve follow-through.

Promote sustained reading

Regular reading supports vocabulary, comprehension, literacy and attention. Building stamina gradually matters, especially for students with literacy-based difficulties.

Keep strategies and expectations consistent

Students are more likely to succeed when routines, language and expectations are predictable across lessons and subjects.

Aim for support that builds independence

Scaffolds are important, but wherever possible we want students to do the thinking, organising and recalling for themselves, with the right level of support.

A consistent message can make a real difference. Strong outcomes are supported not only by subject knowledge, but also by independence, routine, reading, revision habits and sustained attention.