Confidence after repeated poor results is rebuilt through evidence, not slogans. Start by separating the learner’s identity from the score, then identify one weakness that can genuinely improve. A broad judgement such as “I am bad at this subject” is difficult to repair; a specific problem such as weak algebraic manipulation or poor inference is workable.
Choose a task small enough for the learner to understand, practise it until performance becomes reliably better, and make that improvement visible. Then widen the difficulty gradually. Confidence becomes more accurate when the student can point to something they could not do before and can now do independently.
Begin with the Diagnostics & Recovery Hub, then use My Child Got a Bad Test Result — What Should We Do Next? when the confidence loss is tied to recent assessment results.