Summer Year 8 Exams

Parental Guidance and Advice

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This guide had been put together to show you how you can help your son/daughter revise and prepare thoroughly for their end of year exams. Each subject that they will sit an exam is included in this booklet. Subjects such as PE, D&T and Music will not be examined in a written form due to the nature of the subject but instead are being assessed through practical lesson based tasks. To revise effectively pupils should try to do an activity rather than just reading the information. By processing the information and re-interpreting it in some way the content is more likely to be remembered. Examples of how this might be done include:

Read and re-draft Condense notes onto cue cards or Post-it notes Highlight notes Be tested by a family member Use example questions Record, rewind, replay Mind Maps - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wZ5wV5dPZc Lists Storyboards

To make something memorable your child should be encouraged to use HAIR - Humour, Association, Imagination and Repetition e.g. To remember the colours of the light spectrum we might use the mnemonic Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain or to remem-ber how to spell the word rhythm we might make up a silly rhyme like Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move. This graph highlights the importance of taking regular breaks. Our concentration span in the course of 2hours dips and follows the bottom line but if we break for 10 mins every 20 mins our concentration levels are heightened so our brain function follows the top line. Parents can help in a number of ways:

Ensuring that your child starts to revise early, a little and often. Help them to plan out what will be done when to ensure that all topics are covered by the

exam. Discuss the progress of the revision regularly with your son/daughter to make sure that they

stay on track throughout the revision period. ‘Milestones’ and small rewards can be very effective in helping them through what can be an onerous experience.

Getting involved in the revision. Asking your child to answer questions or explain what they have revised. Get your son/daughter to write themselves questions, then test them on the answer two nights later. Create lists of facts to remember and test them on it.

Encourage your son/daughter to switch off their mobile phone, TV and other electrical devices so they can concen-trate fully on revising and nothing else. This graph highlights the importance of revisiting topics as often as possible in order to commit the information to our long term memory. Without going back over a topic after it is originally studied, 80% of the information is forgotten.

We hope you find this guide useful and informative. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the subject contact teacher or myself.

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Subject English

Contact Teacher Mrs Raku: rakuc@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied English is a skills based subject and we will therefore be assessing the

skills of reading and writing.

Useful Revision Strategies

and Activities

Reading – the pupil can read any book / article and discuss it or write

about it. When reading any text, ask and then answer, the following

questions:

What is the purpose of the text?

Who is this text written for (audience)?

What is the format?

What type of language has been used and why?

Writing – the pupil can practise writing skills by keeping a diary or writing

letters to friends or family. More formal letters could be written to a local

newspaper. Key writing skills include:

Variety and accuracy of punctuation

Precise and ambitious use of vocabulary

Variety of sentence construction

Effective use of paragraphing

Try the following tasks:

Describe walking around a spooky house without using the words

‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’ or ‘then’.

Write a conversation between two friends after a terrible day at

school without using the word ‘said’. For example,

‘It was awful today,’ whined Sophie.

‘It was worse for me,’ moaned Dawn, ‘An hour of Dr Jekyll for science and

then Mr Hyde in History!’

Choose ten random words from a dictionary and write an opening

paragraph for a story making sure you include all the chosen words.

Useful websites www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/english

www.educationquizzes.com/ks3/english

Useful books CGP produce a useful range of books

‘KS3 English Scary Bits’ - This book bridges that scary gap (hence the name) between primary and secondary school English. It covers the basic reading, writing and grammatical skills.

KS3 English Complete Revision & Practice - Complete Revision & Practice — just what it says. This book combines all the key topics from the KS3 National Curriculum in plain, simple English with loads of

practice tasks.

Advice to parents on

helping their child prepare

for the exam

As English doesn’t test a ‘topic’ pupils get very anxious about what to

revise. Please reassure them that if they have worked hard throughout

the year, they will be fine. Encourage children to look at the websites listed

above and try some of the activities.

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Subject Mathematics

Contact Teacher Mr Marston: marstonj@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied The four main areas of Mathematics are assessed:

Number

Algebra

Handling Data

Shape

Students will sit an exam paper based on their ability, although in gen-

eral:

Set 1 will sit a level 6 – 8 paper

Set 2 will sit a level 5 – 7 paper

Set 3 will sit a level 4 – 6 paper

Set 4 will sit a level 3 – 5 paper

Useful Revision Strategies

and Activities

Mathswatch video clips and the supporting worksheets, which can be

accessed through our VLE (Frog), are an excellent form of revision for

maths.

Reading textbooks and revision guides does not generally help students

in Maths. Instead, students are encouraged to complete questions and

practise the skills learned in class.

Your child has completed a levelled test every half term this year. From

these tests, a list of strengths and weaknesses is available. Working on

the weaknesses would benefit your child the most. The list should be in

your child’s maths book. Please contact your child’s teacher for another

copy if required.

Useful websites www.mymaths.co.uk (Login: hatton and Password: ratio)

Mathswatch clips are also available through the VLE (Frog). These are

video tutorials based on a maths topic which poses questions for your

child to answer. It also provides the answers which means instant feed-

back is given. There are also worksheets available for each clip for fur-

ther questions if needed.

Useful books Any maths textbook can be a good source of practice questions.

The style of the exam will be similar to those sat at the end of Year 6.

Advice to parents on helping

their child prepare for the ex-

am

Maths is often learned through repetition. Spending a short amount of

time every day can really help students make rapid progress.

Mathswatch clips are very useful for setting tasks or twenty questions on

basic number skills such as multiplication and division

Identify maths in a real life environment from simple money related

tasks.

Discuss mathematics with your child. Ask them to explain topics / skills

to you.

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Subject Science Contact Teacher Mr Salisbury: salisburyn@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks – their formation and characteristics, weathering and erosion of rocks. Volcanoes and earthquakes, including basic plate tectonics Carbon cycle and global warming, sustainability Measuring temperature changes, thermal conduction and insulation, the movement of heat, cooling curves Fossil fuels, renewable energy sources Energy changes, energy flow and Sankey diagrams Series and Parallel circuits Animal and plant classification, food chains and webs; pyramids of number and biomass Plant organs and organ systems, Photosynthesis, plant nutrition, plant cells and specialised cells Respiration, Excretion Skeletal systems The brain and behaviour Phototropism Metal identification through flame testing, Reactivity of metals Atoms, elements, mixtures and compounds Combustion Chemical word and symbol equations Reflection and refraction of light, colour The structure of the eye, properties of sound, hearing range, sound waves, structure of the ear

Useful Revision Strategies and Activities

Students make notes in lessons throughout the year which form the basis of their revision at exam time. Just reading through books is not ‘active revision’. Students should try to make revision cards or mind maps, create lists of things to remember or try look, cover, draw for important diagrams.

Useful websites www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/ www.docbrown.info/ks3science.htm www.educationquizzes.com/ks3/science/ (requires a £5 subscription) Past paper questions are available here but be careful to ensure that they are of the correct topic: http://www.mathsmadeeasy.co.uk/scienceks3.htm

Useful books There are many key stage three revision guides available, mostly very cheaply from high street and online suppliers. As these books cover the entire key stage three science course, use the list above to make certain that students only revise material that they have studied this year.

Advice to parents on helping their child prepare for the exam

In science, there are always a number of facts to remember then ideas that need explaining. The more able your child is, the more they will need to explain themselves to reach their expected level. Make sure that they use the scientific language in their explanations – often these words are what the assessor is looking for. A broad rule of thumb for difficulty in science is described by DEAL. Level 4 - Describe – the students describe scientific ideas but don’t explain them or say ‘because’. They are likely to accurately say what happens in an experiment but not be able to tell you why. Level 5 - Explain – the students can now use scientific ideas to explain why things happen Level 6 - Analyse – the students can look for patterns in complicated data or reach conclusions by weighing up opposing arguments. They enrich their explanations by explaining why other ideas are wrong, based on the evidence. Level 7 - Link – the students draw together broader areas of study to show a more thorough theoretical understanding. Their explanations will show depth and a grounding in accepted theory.

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Subject Art

Contact Teacher Mrs Swain: swainj@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied Pencil observed drawing

Pop Art - Patrick Caulfield

Kandinsky expressive paintings of music

Media – oil pastel, powder paint, watercolours, collage, biro, wash, card

manipulation, lettering, using paint with even tone.

Design idea and development using the skills taught.

Useful Revision Strategies and Activities

Pupils should practice the core skill of drawing from observation. This is an essential skill. They can draw anything, but it is best that they look at what they are drawing and it is in front of them and they do not copy from photographs or draw cartoons/manga. They also need to know how to mix primary, secondary and tertiary colours.

Useful websites The Tate Gallery website is interesting and pupils can interact if they enter the tate kids section – kids.tate.org.uk www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/art The National Gallery – www.nga.gov/kids

Useful books ‘How to Draw ….’ books are helpful and any Art reference books broaden their understanding of the subject as a whole and will give them ideas about how to tackle their own work.

Advice to parents on help-ing their child prepare for the exam

You cannot beat actually GOING to a gallery or museum, for example, Leicester and Birmingham museums are both worth a visit. Northampton Derngate Shoe museum is interesting and Abington Park Museum, Northampton both have a wide range of ‘things’ to interest, but not too big as to be overwhelming. A trip to the free museums and galleries in London is definitely a brilliant family activity. Pupils will be guided through a series of lessons during class time, with a final piece of their designing being produced under exam conditions. They can discuss their ideas at home and practice outside of class time. It is essential that students bring a pencil (preferably 2B, available from Colemans/W.H. Smith), a rubber and a biro pen.

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Subject Drama

Contact Teacher Miss Brennan: brennans@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied Theatre Skills including:

Characterisation, Multi Role, Freeze Frame, Thought Tracking, Mime, Nar-

ration, Split Stage, Angel and Devil.

Theatre styles,

Script work,

Stage Forms,

Using sound and lighting,

Shakespeare – Gang warfare.

Useful Revision Strategies

and Activities

Writing definitions of the theatre skills;

Learning key words and terminology;

Design your own set for a performance that uses one of the following ti-

tles:

At the Hospital;

Lost in the City;

Revenge.

Or one of your own choices.

Within your set you must also consider what lighting you are going to use

at different times within your performance. What effect are you trying to

create? What atmosphere do you want to have on the audience? If you

have one – use a shoebox as your set and make the props and furniture

that would be used.

Use BBC Bitesize to research gangs within Shakespeare. Especially

‘Romeo and Juliet’. Create character profiles for 2 opposing family mem-

bers – one from the Montagues and one from the Capulets. How would

you use the Magic 7 to create both?

Completing a review of the year – what went well? What was difficult?

How have you progressed? What do you need to work on to improve? Useful websites www.hattondrama7.blogspot.co.uk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/

dramaromeojuliet /

Useful books None as this is a practical subject

Advice to parents on help-

ing their child prepare for

the exam

Question your child about what the different skills are and how they are

used. Also ask them what they think went well in their performance work

and how they could make it better.

Test your child on the key terms and definitions that can be found on the

drama blog.

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Subject Geography

Contact Teacher Mr Poulton: poultonc@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied During the course of the year the students have studied the following topics:

Ecosystems including Brazil and the Amazon rainforest

Farming

Rivers (except one class who have not studied this topic)

Globalisation

Useful Revision Strategies and Activities

There are a number of ways students can revise: Use their books Be able to locate places using an atlas, they can use an atlas to

practice this skill Use some of the websites identified below Learn the key words and their meaning this can be practiced through

memory games Watch a documentary on the rainforest, there are some fantastic

examples of youtube with Bruce Parry. Visit the River Nene by the embankment and look at the processes

of erosion and deposition, the students could do a field sketch of the Nene identifying the key features of the river channel.

Useful websites http://www.slideshare.net/TonyCassidy/pop-river-basin?type=powerpoint - a range of video clips and activities on Rivers www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/geography/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Tcd0TnthE – Bruce Parry rainforest clip

Useful books Atlas Connections KS3 Geography textbook in school—good for framing and rivers

Advice to parents on helping their child prepare for the exam

Ensure that they have access to a range of resources as suggested. They can use the tick list to work out which areas are their key weaknesses and prioritise these.

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Subject History

Contact Teacher Mr Green: greenp@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied Students study the Tudors, Stuarts and the English Civil Wars. Your child

will need to revise the life and times of Henry VIII, his changes to the

church and the consequences of this decision. Revision should also focus

on the reigns of his children (Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I). An in

depth study of the Civil Wars is also necessary and your child should

examine the causes, course and consequences of this conflict (with

particular attention to the roles of Charles I and Oliver Cromwell).

Your child should also focus on their source skills and attempt to revise

source interpretation/analysis.

Useful Revision Strategies and Activities

Read through your exercise books and ensure you are comfortable with

the subject material. Make mind maps or flash cards to help you revise

the different topics.

Check out the YouTube channel for audio visual resources and complete

the interactive activities on the BBC Bitesize website to test your

knowledge.

Consult the recommended KS3 revision guides for further assistance or

borrow a textbook from the History Department.

If you are struggling with any aspect of the material please remember to talk to your class teacher.

Useful websites

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/

www.schoolhistory.co.uk

www.youtube.com/mrgreen1066

http://www.tudorsandstuarts.com/

Useful books KS3 History Study Guide: The Study Guide by Richard Parsons.

Letts Revise Key Stage 3 - History by Christopher Lane.

The Terrible Tudors/The Slimy Stuarts (Horrible Histories) by Terry Deary

and Martin Brown.

Advice to parents on helping their child prepare for the exam

Encourage your child to talk to you for 5 minutes a day about the topics, try and challenge them to reveal a new fact every day. Check that your child is revising properly by working through the interactive games and puzzles on the recommended websites.

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Subject ICT

Contact Teacher Mr McMorrow: mcmorrowa@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied Pupils in year 8 learn how to use many of the basic tools that they will re-

quire to master, later in their school careers. They follow a number of topics

in which they will explore and experience different types of software.

While they work they should consider the target audience and purpose of

what they are trying to make.

The topics they will look at are designing, implementing and evaluating pro-

jects in the following areas:

Spreadsheets

Presentation Software

Interactive multimedia presentations

Programming (scratch)

Desktop Publishing

Databases

Useful Revision Strategies

and Activities

All the questions and activities are on the ICT VLE and Frog at

ict.hattonschool.org.uk/vle

We have access to a resource within the school called “I am learning”,

which can be accessed through the school Frog VLE. Students that are

struggling with a topic can search I am Learning for the topic and answer

the questions and activities on the site. When they have completed the ac-

tivities, they can see their teacher to ask to help them with any problem ar-

eas, as I am Learning can highlight any questions that were not answered

correctly.

While in school we tend to use the Microsoft suite of programs, there are a

whole host of other, free offerings available. Google Docs is a free service,

offered by Google that enables you to create documents, presentations,

and spreadsheets at no cost. If pupils want to learn how to write code, a

great website to use is the Code Academy, which is a great site that re-

wards you for completing exercises. Another great website is Teach-ICT,

we have used many of their resources, and find that we can get a great

deal from them. If there is an area a pupil is not happy with, this website

may have another angle on it that a pupil can engage with.

Useful websites http://ict.hattonschool.org.uk/vle

http://scratch.mit.edu/

http://www.codecademy.com/

I am Learning (Via Frog)

http://teach-ict.com

Useful books In ICT especially in year 8 books are of limited value, as by the time many

have been printed, the software has been changed.

Advice to parents on

helping their child prepare

for the exam

All the courses we study as part of ICT in years 8 are held on the ICT VLE.

Each lesson has resources, extension material and any homework set. If a

child is finding a topic difficult, then revisiting the lesson, or going back to

the previous lesson to look in any areas that they did not understand would

be a first step.

They should also use “I am Learning” as a tool for revision.

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Subject MFL: German or Spanish

Contact Teacher Miss Sherred: sherreds@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied Written test on describing what you have done in the past tense over a

weekend.

Pupils will need to write over 100 words describing what they have done,

where they have been and what they thought of it.

They will need to include opinions, time phrases and justifications.

This will all be done from memory.

Useful Revision Strategies

and Activities

Practice saying what you intend to write

Mind maps

Practice writing out from memory.

Colour coding sentences to learn.

Copy, cover, write, check to help learn key vocabulary.

Useful websites www.linguascope.com (Username: hatton Password: harry or henry)

www.languagesonline.org.uk

www.zut.org.uk - you need to pay a fee and register to this site between

9am – 4pm, however it is free at any other times Useful books German or Spanish dictionary

Exercise books - as all topics covered will be in these books to revise

from

Advice to parents on

helping their child prepare

for the exam

Ask your son/daughter to speak to you in the language

They should be able to tell you about themselves & their weekend.

Test them on key vocabulary. Can they spell words correctly?

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Subject RE

Contact Teacher Miss Morton: mortonh@hattonacademy.org.uk

Topics Studied Christian Ways of Life

Students study how Christianity shapes the way people live in the modern

world, including the importance of the Christian message to historical

figures, such as Martin Luther King Jr.

Islam

Students look at the history of Islam and the way it is practiced in the

modern day.

Buddhism

Students look at the philosophy behind Buddhism, and how their unique

thinking on the purpose of life shapes the way they view how we should

live.

Origins, Purpose and Destiny

Students ask the big questions; how did life begin? What is the meaning of life? A unit designed to prepare them for the thinking skills required during GCSE Philosophy and Ethics.

Useful Revision Strategies and Activities

All students will receive, prior to the exam, information on what the questions will be structured like and how best to go about accessing the questions. Other useful strategies include:

Mind-maps on the various topics Flash cards of the key words or quotes (available from PB) Paired learning or study groups Cover, write, check Revision by redaction Creating visual revision aids

Useful websites http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

http://www.educationquizzes.com/ks3/religious-education/

http://www.rsrevision.com/contents/ks3ks4ks5.htm

Useful books Additional materials, including books, are available from the RE department on request. There are various books in the library that can help with this process, including books on the big questions in life that will be relevant in the examination.

Advice to parents on helping their child prepare for the exam

Help students to allocate set times when they will undergo revision in the

subjects they are due to be examined in. If need be, a revision timetable

can be made. Make sure to include breaks at appropriate times and en-

sure that it becomes part of their routine.

It is also important that students discuss the topics at home and can go

through ideas and concepts from the course with someone else. Also en-

sure that you are encouraging students to think more deeply about the is-

sue.

Finally, ensure that pupils get a good night’s sleep before the examination and are properly equipped with what they need in advance.