How to Build a Study Buddy System at KS3

Revising with a friend can be one of the most effective study tools available — or one of the least effective, depending on how you structure it. A well-run study buddy session pushes both students to explain, question, and recall. This guide shows how to make it work.

Why peer revision works (when done properly)

The Education Endowment Foundation rates peer tutoring as a high-impact strategy, producing on average five additional months of learning progress when implemented well. The key mechanism is explanation: when you teach a concept to someone else, you are forced to organise your knowledge, identify gaps, and confront anything you only half-understood.

Unstructured sessions with a friend, however, tend to drift into socialising, agreement without challenge, or both students reading from the same notes simultaneously — which is simply passive revision with company. Structure is what makes the difference.

Step 1 — Choose your study buddy carefully

A good study buddy is:

Good choice | Poor choice
At a similar level in the subject | Someone significantly ahead — you do their work for them
Motivated to actually revise | A close friend who will distract you
Willing to challenge your answers | Someone who agrees with everything to be kind
Available at times that suit your schedule | Someone whose availability never matches yours

One committed study partner is worth more than a large group. Groups tend to diffuse accountability — two people cannot hide from each other.

Step 2 — Agree the topic and ground rules in advance

Before every session, agree:

Which topic or subject you will cover.

How long the session will last (25 to 40 minutes works well).

Whether you will both revise the same material or different sections to then teach each other.

That phones go face-down for the duration.

Having a shared agenda prevents the first ten minutes of every session being spent deciding what to do.

Step 3 — Use the teach-back method

The most effective peer revision technique is teach-back, sometimes called peer teaching. Here is how it works:

Both students spend ten minutes revising a topic independently — reading notes, making a brain dump, reviewing flashcards.

Student A teaches Student B what they just revised. Student B asks questions and challenges any unclear points.

Student B teaches Student A what they revised. Student A does the same.

Both students compare their understanding and resolve any disagreements using their notes.

This structure means both students spend time in both roles — learner and teacher. Research consistently shows that explaining something to someone else is one of the most powerful ways to consolidate understanding.

Step 4 — Quiz each other

After teach-back, spend ten minutes quizzing each other. Take turns asking questions:

"What are the three main causes of the First World War?"

"How do you calculate the area of a trapezium?"

"What does osmosis mean?"

Neither student should look at their notes during the quiz. After each answer, the questioner confirms whether it is correct. Questions that both students answer incorrectly get flagged to revise solo later.

Step 5 — Debrief and plan the next session

In the final five minutes:

Each person names one topic they felt most uncertain about during the session.

Both agree to revise that topic independently before the next meeting.

Agree the topic and time for the next session before you leave.

The debrief is important: it converts the session from a one-off activity into an ongoing programme. Consistency — meeting once or twice a week — produces far better results than occasional intensive sessions.

A sample 40-minute study buddy session

Minutes | Activity
0–10 | Independent silent revision of agreed topic
10–20 | Teach-back: Student A teaches Student B
20–30 | Teach-back: Student B teaches Student A
30–38 | Mutual quiz — questions without notes
38–40 | Debrief: gaps identified; next session agreed

Frequently asked questions

What if my study buddy knows more than me about the subject?

This is not necessarily a problem — teaching a less confident peer is known to reinforce the teacher's own understanding as well. However, if the gap is very large, the sessions may drift into tutoring rather than mutual revision, which is less effective for the stronger student. Try to choose someone at a similar level, or agree sessions that rotate who is ahead in which topic.

Can study buddy sessions replace solo revision?

No — they complement it. Solo revision builds your individual recall; study buddy sessions test it under mild pressure and reveal gaps you would not have noticed alone. Aim for roughly one study buddy session for every two to three solo sessions, not as a replacement for independent work.

What if sessions keep getting derailed by chatting?

Try changing the environment — a library or a quiet corner of school is more productive than someone's bedroom for most students. A visible timer also helps: when both students can see 20 minutes remaining, it is easier to stay on task. If the problem persists, it is worth asking whether this particular pairing is the right one.

How does peer revision compare to working with a tutor?

Peer revision is excellent for testing recall, practising explanation, and building confidence. A skilled tutor provides something different: expert diagnosis of misunderstandings, structured progression through a curriculum, and Socratic questioning that pushes thinking deeper than a peer typically can. The two approaches complement each other well — peer revision for breadth, tutoring for depth.

For expert tutoring that takes your child's understanding to the next level — and works alongside any study buddy system — visit aitutors.me.