Working in schools very regularly, I have seen no evidence of kids being stressed out by too many exams. None. Most seem not particularly bothered about them, to be honest.

The thing I have observed, through working in a whole range of secondary schools, is that some schools are better than others. On the whole, this isn't necessarily down to catchment, or how well resourced the school is, or how much the kids are being tested. It is down, in my opinion, to how well structured the school environment is. The more slack the school, the more unstable the learning environment and the more stressed the kids generally seem. Any parent will understand this: kids feel secure when they are given consistent boundaries. A lack of structure and boundaries makes kids feel more stressed.

Structured environments can mean all kinds of things. It is not simply about kids sitting quietly and rigidly in rows at desks. The best schools provide clear guidelines for different kinds of teaching and learning, and provide the resources that allow these to be utilised. But what it does mean is that kids know and understand the rules, the rules are enforced, and the environment is managed and supportive. The schools where kids are expected to turn up on time, where uniform policy is strong, where there are very specific means of dealing with unacceptable behaviour, where policies about racist and bullying behaviour are clearly set out and enforced...these are the environments where kids seem the happiest, the most productive. There is a positive buzz from the minute you walk in the door.