Year 11 Information Evening 2020 Key Staff Mr

Year 11 Information Evening 2020

Key Staff • Mr O’Doherty – Assistant Head teacher • Miss Walker – Year 11 Progress Leader

This evening’s information 1. Key dates 2. Attendance 3. Advice for students 4. Revision resources for parents 5. Advice for parents

Key Dates • W/B 7/12/20 - First Mock Exam week. • W/B 11/1/21 - GCSE Sport, Child Development and IMedia • 21/01/21 – Year 11 Parents Evening – 3: 30 – 6: 30 pm • W/B - 1/2/21 GCSE Child Development

Key Dates • W/B 1/03/21 - Second Mock Exam week. • W/B 24/05/21 - Start of external GCSE exams.

This evening’s information 1. Key dates 2. Attendance 3. Advice for students 4. Revision resources for parents 5. Advice for parents

Attendance

Results • GCSE Results On average, compared to someone with attendance above 98%. . . • Someone with attendance between 96% and 98% achieves an average grade which is ½ grade lower. • Someone with attendance between 90% and 95% has an average grade which is 1 ½ grades lower. • Someone with attendance lower than 90% achieves an average grade which is 3 grades lower.

Attendance Team • Every student should aim for 100% attendance • 98% and above is the average attendance we expect

This evening’s information 1. Key dates 2. Attendance 3. Advice for students 4. Revision resources for parents 5. Advice for parents

Preparing for exams • ORGANISE • REVISE • RECALL

Organisation • Start revision early. The sooner you start the less you will have to do each day and the less stressed out you will be • The most important thing is to make a realistic revision timetable that you will stick to • Get one good revision book or aid for every subject. They do much of the initial work for you by breaking the subject down into ‘do-able’ chunks

Plan your calendar • When you prepare your revision timetable, make sure you plot in your school timetable, your exam dates, and the things you don’t want to miss out on e. g. half term revision. • Important events e. g. - your friend’s birthday party etc. need to be made part of your planning.

Reward yourself Build reward time into your timetable. For instance, a full day of revision could equal a trip to the cinema.

One last thing on planning … Don’t spend ages making the timetable, or your revision notes, look pretty. Exam timetables are great as long as they don’t become a revision avoidance technique.

Working environment • Find somewhere quiet to revise – your bedroom and refuse to be interrupted and distracted. • Don’t revise in front of the television, or while listening to the radio. • Sit at a proper table or desk if you can. Bed isn’t a great place to revise as snoozing is far too tempting.

Revision • Understand it • Condense it • Repeat it • Review it

Understand it … • Check the syllabus … do you understand the whole of the course? • If not, ask for help. • Note down things you still don’t understand so that you can ask your teachers to talk you through them. • Never be embarrassed to ask.

Condense it Make notes from your notes, then make summary notes of these!

Repeat it • Learn through repetition. • Revision is repetitive … you need to make it as interesting as possible. • 10, 000 hours rule.

Review it After a one hour memorising session: • 10 minutes later revise the topic for 10 minutes • 1 day later revise the topic for 5 minutes • 1 week later revise the topic for 2 -5 minutes • 1 month later revise the topic for 2 -5 minutes • Before exams revise the topic as required. Each time knowledge is reinforced; it enters deeper into the longterm memory and becomes more stable and easier to recall.

Rehearse it Practise on past exam papers and revision tests. There are lots available on the web. Initially, do one section at a time - and progress to doing the entire paper against the clock. http: //www. edexcel. com/i-ama/student/Pages/Past_papers_app. aspx http: //www. aqa. org. uk/examsadministration/exams-guidance/find-past-papers -and-mark-schemes http: //www. ocr. org. uk/i-want-to/download-pastpapers/

Preparing for exams • ORGANISE • REVISE • REHEARSE

Look after yourself

Stay healthy • Stay in good health. Eat a balanced diet, exercise (it keeps your brain active) and get enough sleep. • “Higher educational attainment is associated with healthier behaviour”

Look after your brain!

. . and finally… Don’t forget that there is plenty of help and support for you in school from: Subject teachers Form tutors Mentors Make the most of it!

This evening’s information 1. Key dates 2. Attendance 3. Advice for students 4. Revision resources for parents 5. Advice for parents

This evening’s information 1. Key dates 2. Attendance 3. Advice for students 4. Revision resources for parents 5. Advice for parents

Revision Resources • www. senecalearning. com – explains material and then tests you. • CPG revision guides – these can be useful but these are ONLY GUIDES – you would be much better learning the materials in your folders / exercise books • Revision flash cards available in shops like B&M for less than £ 2. • Classcharts will have revision resources to download e. g. revision timetables, tips etc.

Classcharts Parents and students both have log in codes to see the homework teachers issue. You can download as an app on your phone or use it online. All students should have homework each evening AND should be revising.

This evening’s information 1. Key dates 2. Attendance 3. Advice for students 4. Core subject key information 5. Revision resources for parents 6. Advice for parents

Parental Support • You are the expert in knowing your child • Don’t underestimate the difference you can make • 16 year olds will differ significantly in their approach to exams.

Understand the challenge • Reformed GCSEs are very demanding - most courses 100% exam - more content to revise - ‘A level’ content • Students will have to work hard and revise to do well • Reinforce why they have to revise, explain the rewards of doing well.

Help them to get organised • Have they got the right equipment they need to revise? • Have they got access to the right revision guides? • Do they understand the exam timetable? - When/where exams are - What is examined on different papers.

Healthy habits • Exercise • Hobbies • Food and hydration • Sleep • ‘Unplugging’ (all devices off) • They have to be alert for a 9 am exam.

Keeping it in perspective • If they are finding it difficult… - remind them that it’s hard for everyone - tell them it will soon be over - it will be worth the effort and sacrifice in the long run. • If they think they have ‘failed’ an exam, reassure them they probably haven’t • If they are stuck, get them to ask for help • They can only do their best! • Contact us if you are worried that they seem overwhelmed.

Parental support – please don’t • Make comparisons with brothers/sisters etc. • Unintentionally add to their worries by constantly mentioning exams • Relate too much to when you sat exams • Worry if they seem to have unusual revision techniques • Distract them unnecessarily • Overreact by telling them, ‘they’ll fail if they don’t…’ • Expect them to study all the time.

Parental Support – please do • Praise hard work and effort • Encourage your child to seek help if they are stuck • Encourage regular breaks • Keep us informed of any problems/issues • Remind them that it will soon be over! • Emphasise the rewards of doing well • DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE DIFFERENCE YOU CAN MAKE!

General Information • Newsletters of key information will be emailed out to parents. • Exam stress workshops. • Motivational speakers. • Mental health and wellbeing talks.

• Year 11 Question. And. Answers@blanch. org. uk

Enrolling onto Post 16 courses Come and join us for our sixth form information evening! Thursday 28 th January 2021 6 – 8 pm