February half term 2027
Brighton · London
The last half term before the summer exams, spent the right way.
Brighton: Monday 15, Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 February
London: Thursday 18 and Friday 19 February
Come for a morning, an afternoon or the full day. Bring a friend.
Mock results are back. Now what?
For most Year 11 and Year 13 students, February half term goes one of two ways. A week of rest that slides into a week of guilt. Or a week of “revision” that looks like this:
• Rewriting notes
• Highlighting textbooks
• Reading instead of retrieving
• Avoiding the hardest topics
• “Studying” with a phone within reach
It feels like work. It rarely moves a grade.
The evidence on this is consistent. Timed, structured retrieval practice outperforms rereading and highlighting by a wide margin. StudyFest is built on that evidence, through the ASTAR Method, EduKate’s study skills framework.
Structure over effort.
Strategy over hours.
Introducing StudyFest
Picture a room full of teenagers, heads down, actually working.
That is StudyFest. A live academic intensive where GCSE and A-level students revise side by side, with a plan for every hour and experienced teachers on hand all day to mark work, answer questions and fix mistakes while they are still small.
There is a quiet buzz to it. Timers running. Someone at the next table explaining osmosis back to a mentor. A friend across the room halfway through the same sprint. Nobody drifting, nobody hiding at the back, nobody scrolling.
No chaos. No “bring your books and try your best.”
Just a clear plan, the right people around you and help within minutes.
Environment drives behaviour. Behaviour drives results.
Why the room matters
Better with friends. Better without the phone.
At home, revision competes with the bed, the fridge and a phone that never stops buzzing. However hard your teen tries, the house is full of reasons to stop.
At StudyFest, they sit alongside friends and other students who are all working. They keep each other going, take their breaks together and come home having actually done the work. You get your evening back, without the nightly debate about whether revision happened.
“
Before working with Kate, revision at home was a constant source of stress. My son was putting in the hours but wasn’t making progress, and we didn’t know what to change. These sessions completely shifted that. He came away calmer, clearer, and finally confident in how to revise properly.
Parent of an A-level student
Who is StudyFest for?
Students in Years 10 to 13 who are serious about their summer exams.
Capable students who need structure, accountability and someone to check their work.
Students whose mock grades did not reflect what they know they can do.
This is for your teen if:
âś” They are in Years 10 to 13, taking GCSEs or A-levels
âś” Their mock grades sit below their real ability
âś” Their focus slips at home
âś” They revise hard, but the methods are not sticking
âś” They respond well to clear targets and someone checking in
It is particularly powerful for:
- Capable but inconsistent students
- Teenagers who procrastinate
- Year 11 and Year 13 students with a gap to close before May
Hi, I’m Kate.
As a mum of two boys and an experienced teacher, I know how tense a house can get when a teenager is working hard at revision and the results are not following. I built StudyFest to take that pressure out of the kitchen and put it somewhere designed for focused work.
I studied Biology at Oxford, I am an examiner, and I spent 15 years in UK independent schools as a Head of Department and Head of Careers. The pattern I saw most often was capable, motivated students who had never been taught how to revise. They worked hard on methods that do not work.
At StudyFest, students learn the ASTAR Method, EduKate’s evidence-based study skills framework, with experienced tutors on hand to spot and fix misconceptions as they happen. They leave knowing what to revise, how to revise it and what to do between now and the exams.
Venues and dates
Two cities. One standard.
Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 February
Brighton
A Corporate Lounge at the home of the Seagulls.
Amex Community Stadium, Brighton BN1 9BL
Thursday 18 and Friday 19 February
London
A professional central London venue.
Address to be announced.
Inside StudyFest
How the day works
Every session runs on the Main Stage. Structured revision all day, with expert help a few steps away.
Every session starts here
The How to Use the Day workshop
Each morning and afternoon session opens on the Main Stage with a short, practical workshop led by Kate. Students choose their priority topics, match each one to the right revision method and leave with a plan for the hours ahead. Nobody sits down wondering what to do.
01
The Focus Zone
The heart of the Main Stage. Structured revision activities run in timed sprints throughout the day, with teachers and mentors overseeing the room.
- Focused sprints with clear targets
- Protected breaks
- Help within minutes if a student gets stuck
02
Test Me / Teach Me stations
Most students think they understand a topic until they have to explain it.
Mentors ask them to teach it back, question them with active recall and fix weak points on the spot. Retrieval under pressure, the closest thing to the exam hall.
03
Masterclasses and Q&As
Subject experts run taught masterclasses and drop-in Q&As across the day, some live in the room and some online.
Students opt into the ones they need, then head back to the Focus Zone to put it straight into practice.
Why it works
The right room, and a plan to take home
A room built for focus
StudyFest does not feel like school. In Brighton, we work from a Corporate Lounge at the Amex Stadium. In London, a professional central London venue.
The room is calm. Heads are down. Phones are away. Friends are welcome.
Students sit alongside other capable young people who are taking their exams seriously. When the environment changes, productivity follows.
Take-home systems
StudyFest does not stop when the session does. Every student leaves with:
- A revision plan that runs right up to their first exam
- ASTAR Method planning templates
- Study routines they can repeat at home
They learn to structure revision for themselves, the skill that carries them through May and June.
Choose your sessions
Morning, afternoon or the full day
Book the sessions that fit your week, in Brighton or London.
Half day
Morning
9.30 to 1
Start with a plan and two focused sprint windows. A strong half-day push that leaves the afternoon free.
Half day
Afternoon
1.30 to 5
Arrive, settle in and get straight to work. Ideal after a morning commitment, or for teens who hit their stride after lunch.
The full experience
Full day
9.30 to 5
Lunch included. Both sessions, both workshops and the whole day on the Main Stage.
“
I used to revise a lot but never felt sure it was working. Kate showed me exactly what to do instead, especially testing myself and fixing mistakes straight away. I left knowing what I needed to work on and feeling much more confident about my exams.
GCSE student
Your questions, answered
What is the timetable?
What are the timings, and can we book a half day?
Can my child come with friends?
Where is the London venue?
Which subjects do you cover?
Are there any rules or expectations?
Are devices allowed?
What should students bring?
Why are places limited?
How is safeguarding managed?
Why StudyFest
More structure. More accountability. More progress.
How a StudyFest session compares with revising at home or a traditional revision course.
Option one
Revising at home
âś• Structure: a plan, if they make one
âś• Accountability: nobody checking in
âś• Help: stuck until someone is free
âś• Focus: phone, bed and fridge within reach
âś• Subjects: whatever feels easiest
âś• Company: on their own
Option two
A traditional revision course
âś• Structure: a fixed timetable set for the whole group
âś• Accountability: sit, listen and take notes
âś• Help: questions wait for the end of the lesson
âś• Focus: hours of listening, not much retrieving
âś• Subjects: set subjects at set times
âś• Time: full days, often a full week
The better way
StudyFest
âś” Structure: their own plan, built in the How to Use the Day workshop
âś” Accountability: timed sprints, clear targets, teachers checking in
âś” Help: an expert at their side within minutes
âś” Focus: a calm room, phones away, active retrieval
âś” Subjects: every subject, plus masterclasses to opt into
âś” Time: a morning, an afternoon or a full day, alongside friends
February half term 2027
Give them the half term that sets up the summer.
Brighton: 15, 16 and 17 February
London: 18 and 19 February
Places are capped to keep the room calm and the support personal.
Book their place
