Poll: Is there too much focus placed on doing well on exams at school?

Children as young as 10 are smoking cigarettes, gorging on junk food and drinking energy drinks to prepare for their exams, new research has found.

A poll of more than 1,000 youngsters who took Key Stage Two SATs last year found eight had smoked before the tests, while 37 ate chocolate and 30 drank the high-sugar beverages.

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The survey also revealed some 55 per cent of youngsters feared getting bad results would affect their future lives. Three in five children – 60 per cent – said they had been told by teachers that SATs were important for the school league tables, while 68 per cent admitted feeling pressured at exam time, according to the research by Kellogg's.

Meanwhile, a second poll of more than 1,000 parents found 20 per cent believed their child was too nervous to eat before SATs exams, while one in eight said their youngster had refused food.

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Almost a fifth of parents – 18 per cent – said their child's behaviour got worse during SATs week, and 74 per cent felt their children were under more pressure than themselves when they were a similar age.

Children reported not being able to concentrate due to being nervous, 20 per cent, not being able to eat because of nerves, 12 per cent , and feeling hungry due to skipping a meal, 14 per cent, according to the survey carried out by Opinion Matters.

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Some 22 per cent of children reported losing sleep during their SATs, but the figure rose to 59 per cent among children who admitted skipping breakfast.

The findings come as thousands of Year Six pupils in England prepare to take their Key Stage Two SATs this week.

Child psychologist Dr Claire Halsey said: "It's troubling that children are expressing so many worries about their exams. It's natural to experience some pressure to perform, but these results show that SATs have become more than a little nerve-wracking."