Strive to Attain Exam Preparation for Parents · 2019-11-14 · Lady Manners School Strive to Attain Dates •External exams start on Mon 11 May • Most will have RE that afternoon

Lady Manners SchoolStrive to Attain

Exam Preparationfor Parents


Welcome

Mr Johnson Head of Upper School

Mrs Goodwin Assistant Head

Mr Moore Deputy Head

Mr Palmer Assistant Head of Upper School

Other important people

Mrs Sandover Pastoral Support Assistant

Mrs Hetherington Librarian


Structure

• Designated workshops throughout the week

• Each form working on a certain aspect of revision in a carousel style approach

• Workshops across all form times 9:00 – 9:25

• 6 sessions = 2 and ½ hours worth of revision support for each student


Form Wednesday

6 November

Thursday

7 November

Friday

8 November

Tuesday

12 November

Wednesday

13 November

Thursday

14 November

11A Introduction and

barriers to revision

Quizlet Quizlet Memory Methods Mind Maps Revision top

tips and

planning

11B Introduction and



tips and

planning

11C Introduction and



tips and

planning

11D Introduction and



tips and

planning

11E Introduction and


Memory Methods Mind Maps Quizlet Quizlet Revision top

tips and

planning

11F Introduction and



tips and

planning

11G Introduction and



tips and

planning

11H Introduction and



tips and

planning


Revision Workshops


Workshop:Introduction and Barriers to Revision

• Extensive research is pretty conclusive about this - most students use ineffective revision methods

• Students are not good at knowing which strategies are effective

• Students think revision means hours and hours of poring over their books or revision guides


Revision is necessary, in fact it is crucial. Look how easily we forget things:


Look at the impact revision has on the information we first learnt:


Top 10 Techniques and Impact on Progress

• Summarising - writing summaries of texts - LOW

• Highlighting/underlining - LOW

• Re-reading - LOW

• Keyword mnemonics - choosing a word to associate with information -LOW

• Imagery - forming mental pictures while reading or listening - LOW


Top 10 Techniques and Impact on Progress• Elaborative interrogation: being able to explain a

point or fact - MODERATE

• Self-explanation: how a problem was solved -MODERATE

• Interleaved practice: switching between different kinds of problems – MODERATE

• Practice testing: self-testing to check knowledge - especially using flash cards - HIGH

• Distributed practice: spreading out study over time - HIGH



Workshop:Quizlet

• Students logged into Quizlet to create an account – to access click here: quizlet

• Online flash cards for all subject areas

• The facility to create your own flash cards

• Can download an app to test themselves regularly, e.g. on the bus

https://quizlet.com/en-gb


Workshop: Mind Maps• A highly effective way of getting information in

and out of your brain

• It’s creative and logical

• It’s good for visual and kinaesthetic learners. Read it aloud to help auditory learners.

• It literally "maps out" your thoughts

• It works like your brain so information is stored


3. Key facts or image

Christian Black Man

Equality for all

Non-violent protest

Help all / no matter relig / race

Parable from Jesus

Learn more

Know more

Don’t fear others

Equality - housing / educ / emp / goods & services

RacismGood Samaritan

Education

1976 Race Relations Act

Martin Luther King


Workshop: Memory Methods

• Demonstrating how revision works

• Interactive game - KIMS Game

• Simple aim: to remember all the items that are presented to you


Levels of Processing

• Recency effect – short-term memory

• Primacy effect = long-term memory

• For revision to be most effective students need to go through a process of semantic encoding

Semantic encoding

Elaboration Organisation Distinctiveness


Workshop: Revision Top Tips and Planning

This session allows students to plan (or add to a current plan) their revision for the Mock Exams.

It will also show Top Tips to bear in mind whilst revising.

Let’s look at some generic revision tips…


Don’t

spend ages

making

your notes

look pretty.

Take short

breaks.

Use revision

guides.

Create a

well

planned

revision

timetable.

Test

revision

flash cards

with

friends.

Get

yourself

snacks and

drinks.

Switch off

your

mobile.

Don’t put it

off.

Don’t just

read your

notes.

Don’t turn

yourself into

a revision

zombie.

Do lots of

practice

exam

papers.

Read the

exam

timetable

properly.

Find the

right

environment

to revise.

Start

revising

early.


Planning Revision

• Start early

• Don’t procrastinate

• Find out what you need to do

• Create a revision space

• Plan

• Build up towards exams

• Revise before relaxing


Planning Revision

• Put aside distractions

• Manageable chunks

• 20-30 minute sessions

• Reward yourself

• Change topic/subject

• Avoid burn out


Your turn…Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

11-Nov 12-Nov 13-Nov 14-Nov 15-Nov 16-Nov 17-Nov

18-Nov 19-Nov 20-Nov 21-Nov 22-Nov 23-Nov 24-Nov

25-Nov 26-Nov 27-Nov 28-Nov 29-Nov 30-Nov 01-Dec

02-Dec 03-Dec 04-Dec 05-Dec 06-Dec 07-Dec 08-Dec

09-Dec 10-Dec 11-Dec 12-Dec 13-Dec 14-Dec 15-Dec

16-Dec 17-Dec 18-Dec 19-Dec 20-Dec Holiday Holiday


Dates and Details


Dates

• External exams start on Mon 11 May• Most will have RE that afternoon• All with have a Biology or Combined Science

exam on Tues 12 May

• Our last exam is currently on Wed 17 June

• Contingency day on Wed 24 June

• Two weeks of structured exam preparation or drop-in sessions up to May half-term

• Before then there are Non-Examination Assessments (NEAs) in a number of subjects


Details

• Student timetables• Given out in April

• Unmissable – bright yellow!

• The timetables will contain:• Centre and candidate number

• Date and time of exam

• Room – check this carefully!

• Duration of exam

• In March students will be given a list of the exams they have been entered for to check


Practicalities and Arrangements for Exams


Practicalities

• Running an exam session is a large-scale operation

• Exams take place in different parts of the school

• Mostly in the Sports Hall or Rutland Studio• Can be in the Vocational Centre or even Offices

• Organised by our Exams Officer, Mrs Vere

• External invigilators employed for the exam period

• Each exam is overseen by a Senior Invigilator


Arrangements

• Exams start at either 9:15 am or 1:30 pm

• Before the exam• Arrive early – 15 minutes before the start time• Have equipment and yellow timetable ready • If late – don’t panic!

• During the exam• Have water in a clear, unlabelled, bottle • Do not have mobiles or other devices on you• If you need to go to the toilet – don’t panic!

• After the exam• Go home, to the library or to a room in school• If you have a clash you will be supervised • Take time to relax and refresh


Exam Worries


Health and Wellbeing

• GCSEs are a cause of worry and anxiety• A small amount of anxiety is normal and not harmful

• Talk to your child about what is worrying him/her:• getting stuck

• a particular topic

• forgetting what he/she has learnt

• running out of time

• not getting the grade he/she wants

• Address the worry• encourage your child to talk to a teacher for help and advice


It is normal to worry or feel anxious

• But exams should not:

• significantly affect a child’s appetite or their ability to sleep

• alter a child’s personality or affect their relationships

• induce panic attacks

• cause a child to avoid lessons or not want to attend school

• If these happen seek additional support

• Speak to theUpper School Team

• Speak to your GP


Top Tips for Parents

• Encourage and praise at every opportunity

• Ensure full attendance - 95% attendance sounds good but what does it actually mean?

• ½ day of lessons missed each week

• 2 weeks of lessons missed each year

• Put key dates in your own diary

• Put up the exam timetable somewhere prominent and cross off each exam when completed

• Stick to routines



• Be aware of the revision/additional sessions on offer at school

• Create a revision plan with your child well in advance of any examination period.

• Put in place if not already ‘rules for homework/revision’

• Agree balance between work and social time

• Regular reviews of how your child is getting on but ask for evidence

• Encourage regular breaks particularly outdoors



• Become ‘au fait’ with what support is available on the Internet (BBC Bitesize, YouTube etc.)

• Use a reward structure to motivate

• Provide coloured pens/post-it notes/ coloured card/ paper clips etc.

• Provide favourite snacks as ‘carrots’

• Become a ‘revision buddie’

• After an exam ask how it went (respect your child’s wishes to deal with feelings in their own way but remember ‘tomorrow is another day’)


Thank you for coming!

Exam Preparationfor Parents

Documents

Strive to Attain Exam Preparation for Parents · 2019-11-14 · Lady Manners School Strive to Attain Dates •External exams start on Mon 11 May • Most will have RE that afternoon