Every Mountain Has a Summit

From the slopes of Mount Teide to the examination hall – why the climb matters just as much as the view.

I am writing this week's blog from sunny Tenerife, where I am enjoying a little warmth, a change of scenery and, rather unusually for me, the opportunity to stop working for a few days. Well, almost. You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but apparently you cannot stop her finding educational metaphors wherever she goes!

Dominating the island is Mount Teide, an enormous volcano which rises majestically above the clouds. At 3,715 metres, it is the highest mountain in Spain and, rather ambitiously, I have decided that I am going to the top. Or as close to the top as my legs, the weather and the necessary permissions will allow!

Now, I am quite sure that at some point during this adventure I will question my own judgement. There may be moments when the summit seems impossibly far away, when the going feels difficult and when I wonder why I didn't simply stay beside the pool with a cold drink and a good book but I also know that when I reach my destination, I will want to stop, look around and enjoy the extraordinary feeling of having achieved something. That got me thinking about our students.

For many young people, preparing for GCSEs and A Levels feels rather like standing at the foot of an enormous mountain. The summit is visible, but it seems a very long way away. There is so much to learn, so much to remember and, sometimes, so much pressure to succeed that the whole experience can feel overwhelming. The trouble with looking only at the summit is that we forget the importance of the climb.

Nobody reaches the top of a mountain in one enormous leap. Progress is made through individual steps, some confident and energetic, others slow, hesitant and rather uncomfortable. There are occasions when we need to stop, catch our breath, reconsider our route or ask somebody with more experience for guidance. None of those things represents failure. They are simply part of the journey.

Learning is exactly the same.

A student who manages to write a paragraph independently, remembers a quotation, improves an essay grade or sits down to revise despite feeling anxious has taken a step forward. These achievements may not look particularly dramatic from the outside, but they matter enormously. Every step brings the summit a little closer, and sometimes the most important achievement is simply refusing to give up.

Of course, being an English teacher, I cannot possibly visit a volcano without finding a literary connection. One of the most apt comes from Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre', where Rochester describes Jane as having a nature that is not made of cold stone but contains a hidden fire. Throughout the novel, volcanic imagery helps express the powerful emotions, passions and conflicts that lie beneath an apparently controlled exterior.

I rather like that image when thinking about young people. We often see the calm exterior, or perhaps the anxious one, without fully appreciating the determination, ambition, frustration and extraordinary potential bubbling away beneath the surface. Sometimes all that energy needs is a little direction, encouragement and somebody who believes in what is possible.

At 'OakWell Education', that is a significant part of what we do. Yes, we teach examination content, develop skills and prepare students for the demands of assessment, but we also help them manage the climb. We break enormous challenges into manageable stages, build confidence, develop resilience and remind young people that progress is not always straightforward.

There will be difficult days. There will be disappointing marks, forgotten information and moments when everything feels rather too much. There may even be the educational equivalent of a small volcanic eruption! However, one difficult day does not undo weeks of progress, and one disappointing examination result does not define a young person's intelligence, character or future.

Something else occurs to me as I contemplate Mount Teide. When we eventually reach a summit, we tend to celebrate the view. We take photographs, congratulate ourselves and enjoy the moment. Yet how often do we allow our students to do the same?

We are very good at setting targets. We are excellent at identifying what needs improving but sometimes we move so quickly from one achievement to the next that we forget to celebrate how far somebody has already travelled.

A student moves from a grade 3 to a grade 4, and immediately the conversation turns to achieving a grade 5. Another earns a grade 7, and the focus shifts to securing an 8. Ambition is important, but so is recognition. Achievement deserves its moment in the sunshine and, most importantly, celebration should never be reserved exclusively for the highest grades. For one student, achieving a grade 4 may represent an extraordinary personal triumph. For another, simply entering the examination room after months of anxiety may be the greatest achievement of all. We should recognise both.

When I stand on Mount Teide, I hope I remember to look back at the distance travelled rather than immediately start thinking about the next mountain. I hope our students learn to do the same.

Education is not simply about reaching a destination. It is about discovering what we are capable of along the way, and if I discover that climbing a volcano is considerably more challenging than writing about one, I shall remind myself of the advice we give our students every day: take it one step at a time, ask for help when you need it and keep going. (Although I reserve the right to complain about my legs afterwards!)

At 'OakWell Education', we help students tackle their own mountains through personalised tutoring, examination preparation and confidence coaching. Whether the challenge is academic, emotional or a combination of both, we are here to help make the journey feel manageable and to celebrate every achievement along the way.

If your child is looking at the mountain ahead and wondering how on earth they will reach the top, please get in touch to discuss how we can help.