In short
A level exam coaching from Performance Learning teaches sixth form and college students how to learn at A level: independent study, long-term memory and recall, analysis and evaluation, and managing exam stress. It does not re-teach subject content, so it helps in every subject. It starts with the £50 Foresight assessment, then SOAR (£10 a month), a £295 Virtual Classroom or one-to-one coaching with Dr Tej Samani.
Why do bright students struggle at A level?
The jump from GCSE to A level is steep, and it catches out many capable students. Your child studies fewer subjects in far more depth, covers more content in each one and is expected to do much more of the learning on their own, in free periods and at home.
Many reach sixth form with revision habits that worked at GCSE but don’t scale. Most A levels in England are assessed mainly by exams at the end of the two-year course, so knowledge learned in the autumn of Year 12 has to be recalled, analysed and applied almost two years later.
If your child is putting in the hours but not seeing the grades, or anxiety is creeping in ahead of mocks, the issue is usually how they are learning, not how clever they are.
What is A level exam coaching?
A level exam coaching teaches your child how to think, structure their learning and perform under exam conditions, in every subject they take. Performance Learning focuses on the skills A levels demand most:
- Independent study: planning free periods and the weekly workload, so learning happens without a teacher directing it.
- Organising heavy content: structuring large topics into connected sections and maps that are easier to revise.
- Long-term memory and recall: retrieval practice and spaced repetition across two years, rather than cramming before each exam.
- Analysis and evaluation: simple frameworks for compare, evaluate and justify questions, and for planning extended answers.
- Time management: pacing within a paper and balancing three or four demanding subjects.
- Stress and confidence: walking into the exam hall feeling prepared, not panicked.
The coaching follows Performance Learning’s Seven Steps to Learning Success: organise it, structure it, retain it, recall it, understand it, analyse it and apply it. At A level, the later steps, analysing information critically and applying it to unfamiliar questions, often make the difference between average and top marks.
A level exam coaching vs tutoring
Tutoring is valuable when a specific topic isn’t making sense, and many families use both. Coaching makes sure the knowledge your child gains, from school, college or a tutor, is organised, remembered and used well in the exam.
| A level exam coaching | A level tutoring | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | How to learn, revise and perform at A level | Content and practice in one subject |
| Subjects | Skills that apply across all A level subjects | Usually one subject at a time |
| Starts with | A Foresight assessment of how your child learns | The specification and knowledge gaps |
| Covers | Independent study, memory, recall, analysis, exam stress | Topic teaching, worked examples, past papers |
| Long-term benefit | Study habits that carry into university or work | Stronger knowledge of that subject |
Our guide to why revision plans stop working explains some of the most common traps and how to fix them.
How does A level exam coaching work?
Every route starts with understanding how your child learns.
- Book a call. Talk to the Performance Learning team about your child’s subjects, workload and worries. There’s no obligation.
- Take the Foresight assessment (£50). The Foresight assessment is a 25-minute online assessment that looks at learning behaviours, wellbeing and attainment factors such as recall. You receive one-page action plans for your child and for you, plus a 35-page report to share with school, college or tutors. An optional 30-minute review call costs £45.
- Choose a coaching route.
- SOAR Online Learning, £10 a month: Foresight plus unlimited access to an adaptive platform with personalised pathways, on-demand coaching and monthly progress monitoring.
- Virtual Classroom with PL, £295: two live, interactive 2-hour masterclasses in a small group, with a Foresight assessment included.
- Academic Transformation with Dr Tej, application only: year-round one-to-one coaching and mentoring with Dr Tej Samani, a personalised PL folder of learning material and access to SOAR between sessions.
What can parents expect?
A level students are older and more independent, and the coaching respects that. You get your own Foresight action plan, and SOAR includes monthly progress monitoring, so you can see how things are going without having to micromanage.
The aim is for your child to change how they study, not just how long: more active revision, regular self-testing and a clear plan for each week. For more on the step up, read how to master the increased A level workload.
We don’t promise particular grades, because every student is different. We do promise an honest view of whether coaching is the right support for your child.
What is the evidence behind Performance Learning?
Students using Performance Learning improved by an average of 2.4 grades against their predicted grades (Thomas et al., 2024, an analysis of 940 students led by Birkbeck’s Centre for Educational Neuroscience). The method was developed by Dr Tej Samani, whose doctoral research focused on improving exam results and assessment in schools, and the research behind it has been published in peer-reviewed papers. You can read them on our research page.
Schools including The Appleton School have used Performance Learning to identify the needs of Year 12 students. Real talk. Real change.
Frequently asked questions
How is A level exam coaching different from A level tutoring?
A level tutoring usually teaches the content of one subject, such as a tricky topic in chemistry or economics. Performance Learning's A level exam coaching teaches how to learn at A level: planning independent study, organising heavy content, remembering it over two years, answering analytical questions and managing exam stress. The skills apply to every subject, so coaching works alongside school, college or a tutor rather than replacing them.
My child did well at GCSE but is struggling at A level. Can coaching help?
Yes. This is a very common pattern, and it rarely means your child has stopped being capable. Revision habits that worked at GCSE often don't scale to the depth and volume of A level content, especially when most of the learning is independent. Coaching helps your child replace those habits with methods that do scale, such as structured notes, retrieval practice and spaced repetition, and rebuilds the confidence that can dip after a difficult first term.
Which A level subjects does Performance Learning's coaching cover?
Performance Learning's coaching is skills-based rather than subject-based, so it supports every A level your child takes. The same learning skills, organising information, retaining and recalling it, analysing questions and applying knowledge to unfamiliar problems, apply in the sciences, maths, humanities and essay subjects alike. Academic Transformation with Dr Tej also includes subject-specific learning strategies for mapping and recalling heavy content.
When is the best time to start A level exam coaching?
Early in Year 12 is ideal, because habits built at the start of the course pay off across both years and most A levels are examined at the end. Starting in Year 13 can still help, ahead of mocks or final exams, when recall, time management and exam stress matter most. A call with the Performance Learning team can help you weigh up the timing.
How much does A level exam coaching cost?
Every route starts with the Foresight assessment, which costs £50, with an optional £45 live review call. SOAR online learning then costs £10 a month including Foresight, the Virtual Classroom with PL costs £295 for two live 2-hour group sessions plus an assessment, and Academic Transformation with Dr Tej Samani is by application only. Full details are on the Performance Learning pricing page.
Can coaching help with A level exam anxiety?
Yes. Managing stress and confidence is part of every Performance Learning coaching route. The Foresight assessment looks at how your child perceives stress and anxiety, as well as sleep, energy and time management, so coaching can focus on what is actually driving the worry. Students also practise low-pressure recall, which builds confidence that what they have revised will be there when they need it.
