HELPING YOUR CHILD TO

ACHIEVE THEIR BEST

Remember, how you approach the next few

months can have a real impact on your child’s months can have a real impact on your child’s

future. Studies show that high parental interest

is linked with better exam results than for

children whose parents show no interest. What

will you do to give your child the best chance of

achieving success?

“The dictionary is the only

place where success

comes before work.”

YEAR 11 EXAM TIPS AND

REVISION STRATEGIES

comes before work.”

“It’s never too late

to be what you ”

might have been.”

George Eliot

"If there is

no struggle,

there is no

progress."

There are 12 weeks until the first BIG exam…

What can parents do to help? • Help your child to start preparing for their GCSE exams

now!

• If homework and revision are left to the last minute, this will limit your child’s chance of doing their best. Over the next few months: Over the next few months:

• Ensure that your child attends school regularly and is punctual. Every day lost in attendance reduces their chance of achieving their best at GCSE.

• Encourage your son/daughter to persevere and to begin working hard now in preparation for the exams. Check that they are keeping up with homework.

• Encourage your child to begin revising now!

Tonight’s Meeting

• Revision strategies

• English, Maths and Science tips and guidance

• Big Brain Breakfast – what is it?

• March Mock Exams• March Mock Exams

• Summer Exam Schedule

• Role of Mentor

• Any Questions?

Year 11 Revision Evening

English

The course is made up of 3

components

• Speaking and listening – worth

20%20%

• Coursework – worth 40%

• Exam – 40%

Coursework

• Assignment 1 – Writing to argue

• Assignment 2 – imaginative or

descriptive writingdescriptive writing

• Assignment 3 – Response to a

stimulus text

Speaking and listening - This is

what they are getting ready for.

Speaking and Speaking and Speaking and Speaking and Listening Listening Listening Listening

Pick a topic they want to talk about

3-4 mins of the

student talking

6-7 mins talking to the

assessor

20% of overall mark

Prepare a cue card to help them remember

what they want to say

Think about the sorts of questions

The exam

• It’s 2 hour exam

• They have to read 2

passages that they have not passages that they have not

read before

• Then answer 3 questions.

3 questions

•1

•2

• Directed writing

•2

•3

• Writer’s effect

• Summarise

What can you do to help?

• Ensure they improve their coursework and meet the deadlines set by their English teacher.

• To help them prepare for Speaking and Listening you could ask them to practise this with you at home, allowing them to use bullet point prompts only. Once they have finished, spend 6 – 7 minutes discussing their chosen topic with spend 6 – 7 minutes discussing their chosen topic with them by asking them questions about it.

• Please ensure your child is aware of the date of the exam (Tuesday 5th May) and is well prepared with the correct equipment. All students will need at least three different colour highlighters for the exam and for preparation in class leading up to it.

What can you do to help?

• To help them prepare for their written exam,

you should ensure your child reads widely and

as often as possible. Provide them with a

variety of texts such as newspapers, variety of texts such as newspapers,

magazines, leaflets, letters, speeches, blogs

and short stories. The aim is to know what

many different forms of written English might

sound like.

Revision Notes and Practice

• It is important that you make revision notes. However

you make your notes, make sure you include questions

from past papers amongst all the information.

•Make a collection of revision cards with key information. •Make a collection of revision cards with key information.

Remember to include vital diagrams or formulae.

•Have copies of past questions on the topic that you are

revising at hand

• Use Mathswatch. There are 1 minute clips also for quick revision

• Use MyMaths

• www.emaths.co.uk

• www.corbettmaths.com

• www.kangaroomaths.com

Science Revision

Miss Manir

Mr Akhtar

• Know what you’re going to be asked in Exam

• Websites: www.aqa.org.uk Syllabus/Past

papers

• Paper breakdown

Paper structure

• Paper breakdown

• 30% Application- using Science in Real Life

• 20 % Evaluation and Analysis- Tables/Graphs

• 50% Factual Recall- simple facts to recall

• Made for B1. C1. P1 modules

• Designed to be cover and recall.

• Pupils state exactly what is in the boxes.

• Ask questions request Answers or vice versa.

Science fact sheets

• Ask questions request Answers or vice versa.

• Check DAILY! New fact(s) to memorise daily.

• Review old learning to transfer to long term

memory.

• Core Science

• B1 5th June- Friday

• C1- 9th June- Tuesday

• P1- 12th June- Friday

Key Dates for your Diary

• Additional/Triple Exams

• B2/B3- 12th May- Tuesday

• C2/C3 - 14th May- Thursday

• P2/P3- 20th May - Wednesday

Intervention at Washwood Heath

Academy

Mr Gifford Achievement Leader

• WHA s offering a comprehensive program of intervention to ensure your child achieves their target grade.their target grade.

• Backed up by research.

• Imperative your child attends and on time.

• Rewards for best Attendance. Consequences for failure to attend sessions.

• These sessions are free of charge.

Year 11 Intervention SessionsMorning Sessions 8.30-9.05

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

English English English Maths Maths

Maths History

Afternoon Sessions: 3.00-4.00/4.30

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayMaths French History Science History

History Construction Maths Art Spanish

Spanish Geography B. S.

Urdu RE/IS

Urdu

Mentor

Room

• Designated students are allocated to Mentors to help with their academic achievement

• Use ex6 at break and lunch times and after school to help with course work homework, barriers to learning. There is computer access for students and anyone in Year 11 can use these facilities

You need to revise,

But how long should you

spend on each subject?

Is your revision

working?

Bad planning? Bad results?

Eating this pizza is like your revision

How will you handle it?

Steps to manage your time

1. Know what you have to do

2. Understand how to do it

3. Estimate how long it will take

4. Decide when is it going to get done

5. Do it!

Exam Revision Timetable

Exam Revision Timetable

• Divide any task into manageable ‘Chunks’

• Chunks should be 30 minutes long

• Each subject should last for 1 hour, then change subjects

Chunking up tasks

• Take a short break between ‘chunks’

– Take a walk

– Have a cup of tea

– Reward yourself for completing a ‘chunk’

– Do something different

• Advantages

– Easier to concentrate

– Improves recall and retention

Chunking it

Improves recall and retention

– Allows the brain to make connections with what you know

• But you must be disciplined to follow your timetable

• Memory – Is the information retained in your brain

• Recall – Can you access that information and use it

Recall v’s Memory

1. Get the Syllabus

• Get exam details for all subjects

• Content, assessment, grade criteria, coursework • Content, assessment, grade criteria, coursework

outline.

• Check your completed work against the syllabus

content

• Check for gaps

• Know what you have to do

2. Attend Revision Sessions

• Choose those sessions that will help you most

• Find out what is being delivered

• If the topics you need are not included talk to the

teacher about it

• Don’t miss them!

3. Use Revision Guides and Past Papers

• Last 3 years past papers will help

• Answer questions

• Work with a friend

• Get questions marked, by yourself, friend or teacher

• Notice where you went wrong

• Good for Maths, Sci, Geog, Hist, Langs• Good for Maths, Sci, Geog, Hist, Langs

• Choose a guide that suits you: layout, easy to read

• Some have questions and sample answers

• Use regularly & make memorable revision notes

from them

• Good for English, Science & Maths

4. Underlining or highlighting (colour coding)

• Underline key words in your exercise book

• Underline key words in your text book • Underline key words in your text book

• Ask your teacher to start you off, so you will know

what to look for

• Underline in different colours or patterns

Use different colour paper for different pieces of work

• The colour will link to the topic and be easier to recall

• Try not to use similar colours for similar topics

5. Compression 5. Compression

• When revising count the pages of notes on a topic

• Reduce notes by half

• When reviewing a second time reduce by half again

• On the third go reduce by half again

• Place the reduce notes on notecards

6. Notecards:

• Record you key point on notecards

• Put one topic on one card

• You could use words, symbols, pictures

• On other side show a worked example

Visuals

• Use pictures, drawings or diagrams

• Use different colours

• Place key ideas, words, people, places within the pictures • Place key ideas, words, people, places within the pictures

• Make your notes attractive

• Try mind mapping with pictures only

Order/Sequence

• Put your notes in order

• Title and number them

• Place them in order so you can see how things progress

• Look for logical ways of looking at things

7. Post-Its:

• Write info on post-its

• Display them on wall, door, large paper

• Rearrange post-its for themes, groups, dates

• Rearrange as you learn more • Rearrange as you learn more

• Build your knowledge

• Work with a friend if you want

• Post revision notes, mind maps, ceiling flags around the

house

• In favourite places,

• Consider what’s on the notes there from time to time

• Recall the place and recall the notes

8. Thought Burst and/or Posters

• Follow the rules: splat ideas or words, then associate words,

spag bog them, then…………

• Convert to Thought Map or diagram like bubble, spider etc.

• Use plain paper, colour, symbols, key words, pictures •

Teach a close friend and learn, then display Teach a close friend and learn, then display

Make a poster on each topic (A4 to A1)

• After reading all the notes/info reduce onto one poster

• Use loads of colour

• Display on the wall from the ceiling

Fishbone Diagram

Bubble Diagram

Spider Diagram

Thought Map

Tree Diagram

Spider / Thought

Spider / Thought

Spider / Thought

• Subject: English, Maths, Science, Geography, History

• Topic: Shakespeare , Fractions, Climate Change, Holocaust

• Download: Write downs as many words that you associate with that topic as

possible

• Association: For each word you have written, add another word that links to the

first

Making successful revision notes

• Connections: Draw arrows that link to other words/factors that you have written,

and add a reason why they link.

• Getting Organised: Add headings or sub-headings to each connection to assign the

main points. These could be; Key areas , Key themes, Key characters, Main events,

Who, what, when, why, which and how

• Structure: Decide on which structure best suits your revision notes for the

particular subject/topic you are revising, these could be: Bubble Diagram, Spider

Diagram, Thought Map, Tree Diagram, Fishbone Diagram

1. Equipment - Get the right stuff – colours, paper

2. Topic - Choose a topic that you will need

3. Download – ‘thought burst’ what you know

Creative Notes

4. Associations – add additional associated words

5. Connections – link words and phrases together

6. Structure – decide on a suitable structure

7. Diagram – choose a diagram and go for it!

9. Review in your words

• Review your notes on the same day you make them • Only

take a few minutes doing this

• Look at them again within a day, then a month • Look at them again within a day, then a month

• 80% can be recalled doing this

• Combine with reducing your notes • Rewrite topic in your own words

• Read a chunk then think what it really means

• Now write it in your own words

• Do the next chunk

• You are more likely to recall what you think

10. Buddy Up, Test and Teach It

• Work with someone you trust

• Meet somewhere different to school

• Try different ways of learning

• Ask each other questions from the same topic

• Teach one another

• Make notes for each other• Make notes for each other

• TEST EACHOTHER WITH PAST EXAM QUESTIONS;

What do you remember?

• Prepare topic, or answer and teach it to a friend

• Think about how they learn best

• Plan & deliver it

• There is no better way of learning than teaching

1. Complete both revision timetables together

(weekday and weekend)

2. Read through the top ten ways to revise

What have we learned?

2. Read through the top ten ways to revise

together, discuss these strategies and decide

how you will make these work for you

3. Follow the advice, speak to teachers, and start

revising

What else can you do?

• Recognise the importance of GCSE exams and the preparation

time needed to do as well as possible.

• Reward your child’s efforts to revise.

• Reduce the number of chores that they have to do when exams

start.

• Make sure that the whole family respects the importance of • Make sure that the whole family respects the importance of

keeping disturbances to a minimum.

• Be sensitive to the pressure and stress that your teenager may be

experiencing. Encourage them to speak to you about it.

• Make sure that time is built in for exercise and recreation.

• Respect their growing independence. Ask them how you can best

support them.

• Help them to keep things in perspective.