Welcome Managing the challenges of Year 11 · 2020-01-15 · Welcome Managing the challenges of Year 11 Dr Smith Headteacher Mr Coggins Head of Year 11 ... positive visualisation)

WelcomeManaging the challenges

of Year 11

Dr Smith Headteacher

Mr Coggins Head of Year 11

Mrs Thompson Deputy Head

Mrs Fellows Head of English

Mrs Blake Head of Maths

Mrs Hanson Head of Science

‘inspiring students to be the best they can be ‘

2020 GCSE pressures

• High expectations• Linear examinations• Relatively new specifications• Rigorous curriculum content• The new grading system

• Grade 5 is a good pass, higher than grade C• Grade 9

• Tiers of entry


What are the key factors that will affect your child’s success

• Work Ethic – consistently working hard • Active, regular, focussed revision • Developing exam technique• Excellent attendance • Good organisation – planning, use of

time • Confidence, resilience and attitude• Parental support


Parental Support

• Monitor and support

• Create a suitable home learning environment

• Ensure students have appropriate equipment

• Help students remain organised

• Help produce and monitor a revision timetable

• Offer help during revision

• Ensure students have a balanced approach


Mrs Thompson



The good news/bad news about stress


What’s the problem ?

‘inspiring students to be the best they can be ‘‘inspiring students to be the best they can be ‘

How come?

• Everyone needs some “stress” to get going and to perform at their best – in the “zone”

• But if stress increases beyond that point, performance starts decreasing until “distress” and burn out.


The Goldilocks theory of parental help

• It’s not easy to get it “just right”

• Too much – you are accused of “interfering” or “nagging”

• Too little – you are accused of being too busy or not caring

• What to do??


Physical – the body

Mental - the mind

Emotional - feelings

Actions - behaviour

4 areas to think about…


Body – what you might become aware of….

•Headaches/stomach aches

•Muscle ache•Tiredness

•Skin irritation

•Breathlessness•Feeling sick

•Feeling “jumpy” , on edge, panicky


Mind – what you might become aware of ..

•Worrying•Confusion•Poor judgement•Nightmares•Indecision•Doom and gloom/negativity•Difficulty concentrating•Memory loss•Catastrophising


Emotions/feelings – what you might become aware of ….

•Sad/upset/depressed•Argumentative•Irritable/angry•Apathy/bored•Apprehension•Anxiety/worry•Self doubt•Fear•Lack of confidence•Panic


Behaviour – what you might become aware of …

•More accident prone

•Changes in eating and sleeping habits

•Feeling restless/lethargic

•More smoking/drinking/energy drinks

•Being impulsive

•Withdrawal/isolating themselves


The facts of the matter

• ES IS normal and common• ES is NOT genetic. • ES IS learned and can be un-learned.• ES IS infectious!


ThemselvesYou(!)

TeachersFriends

Media reportsVolume of work

Not to mention being a teenager…

Where does the stress come from?


Aarrgghhh!!!


Someone in a high state of anxiety

is orientated towards survival

(“fight or flight”)…

not a calm consideration of the

square root of 594 or what Lady

Macbeth meant when she said

“out, out damn spot!”


Why does it matter?

Optimum stress better health

better relationships

better atmosphere

happier young people (and you!)

better results!!!‘inspiring students to be the best they can be ‘

When stress is NOT Exam Stress


What was happening?

His own diagnosis:

“I must be so stressed about the exam, that I can’t concentrate”.

The actual problem…?

caffeine overdose, lack of sleep, too much screen time and not revising till the last minute.


Stress Management –Getting into “the zone”

• Physical health – we are what we eat/do

• Mental health - what we think is what we get (roughly speaking)

• Emotional health – think good, feel good

• Behaviour - Learn, Revise, Practice,


What you can do to help keep their minds and bodies in good working order


Body stuff

Ensure plentiful supplies of “mood food” (inc protein for breakfast)

Encourage them to get outside for exercise and fresh air (with you?)

Model good coping skills (relaxation, mindfulness, positive visualisation)

Create environment for good sleep routine

…every day!


Try to incorporate these into their diet


• Encourage/allow the expression of feelings (within reason)

• Keep channels of communication open

• Acknowledge, accept, validate

• Identify distorted thinking

• Help them to problem solve

• Identify distractions that help

Managing feelings


• Regular bed time and getting up time

• Dark, cool, quiet room

• Turn off all screens at least one hour before sleeping (agree a time with other parents)

• Provide an alarm clock

• Follow the same wind down, calm down routine

• Avoid “sugar” and stimulants after 4pm

• Buzzfeed – 27 things to do before bed instead of Netflix

Encourage good sleep habits


and…


Behaviour - Learn, Revise, Practice

They cannot revise or practice something that they have not learned in the first place

They need to study and learn the material

• then revise it

• then practice answering different types of questions


Don’t leave it to the last minute

Help them to plan ahead so they have it all covered incl R & R – using a timetable / chart

Agree time in/out with parents of their friends


Facilitate practicing under “exam conditions”

• Use past papers

• Keep to time

• In silence

• No breaks/snacks – only water

What you can do


• Avoid exam “post-mortems”

• what is done is done – move on –encourage them to focus on what lies ahead, not behind

Comparisons are odious


Reinforce positive reminders

e.g… “you may not be able to answer all the

questions, but you can start with the ones you

do know then move on to the harder ones

and do the best you can.”

Or …“you may get some things wrong, but you

can still do your best.


Encourage them to talk about their worries


• Don’t let your worries become their worries

• Listen to them, then listen again before you speak

• Don’t live your hopes and dreams through them –value them for who they are

• Stick to what you know (which may not be trigonometry or the past participle for the verb to sing in Spanish)

• Keep things in perspective

• Be available – make time for them

Some thoughts


• Family and friends

• Websites

• School staff

• Helplines

• In school support services

• Other support services

• (e.g. Base 25, Camhs,

• Young Minds)

Make use of…


• Treats/ Surprise gifts

• Healthy snacks

• Supportive text messages

• Respect their privacy

• Get to know the signs of more serious problems

• Maintain boundaries re behaviour

• Reward what they can control, not what they cannot

What else can help?


• It’s great to have goals, dreams and ambitions but it’s not the end of the world if they don’t achieve them all now.

• Not doing as well as you (or they) hoped, or even failing exams does not mean that your son or daughter cannot have a successful life/career/future – they can always try again, or rethink their plans.

And remember...


Many (most?) successful and famous people experienced “failure” – it’s often what contributed to

their later success…it’s all about mind-set

Finally from me …



Making Revision Productive

Mr Coggins

Know Your Techniques

• Revision looks different for every pupil

• All students have been given a specific revision workshop outlining techniques to use

• All students will be focussing on using four techniques they have identified as effective for them.



Map It

HOW IT LOOKS

• Pupils may be constructing a mind map of key points in a topic with explanations of the links between the points

WHAT THEY NEED

• Paper/Card, Pens, access to course content


Mnemonic It

HOW IT LOOKS

• A series of key words to create a sentence that helps them to remember bits of information

WHAT THEY NEED

• Small pieces of paper, Pens, access to course content


Teach It

HOW IT LOOKS

• A presentation (powerpoint or rehearsed speech) delivered to a participant

WHAT THEY NEED

• Computer access (for powerpoint) or a flip chart, small cards


Flip It

HOW IT LOOKS

• A series of small cards with short questions on one side and detailed answers on the reverse

WHAT THEY NEED

• Small regular sized pieces of card. Could be laminated, could be held together with a tag or similar


Timeline It

HOW IT LOOKS

• Bits of information in order of when they happen. Could be historical events, but could easily be steps in a process

WHAT THEY NEED



Sing It

HOW IT LOOKS

• Key information written into lyrics and set to different bits of music

WHAT THEY NEED

• Paper/Card, Pens, access to course content, music playing device


Record It

HOW IT LOOKS

• Video or voice recordings of themselves explaining key points. These are regularly played back

WHAT THEY NEED

• Recording device (phone/webcam/Dictaphone)


Post It

HOW IT LOOKS

• Key words and definitions written on post it notes stuck around a room/the house

WHAT THEY NEED

• Post it notes, pens, any surface at home to stick them


Comic It

HOW IT LOOKS

• A series of images with captions that lay out the key ideas of events or steps in a process

WHAT THEY NEED



Journey It

HOW IT LOOKS

• A story about a journey including landmarks and place names. Done to remember lists of info in a specific order

WHAT THEY NEED



Index It

HOW IT LOOKS• A series of small cards where the

student has condensed information from a revision guide or course book onto a single side

WHAT THEY NEED• Small regular sized pieces of card. Could

be laminated, could be held together with a tag or similar


Story It

HOW IT LOOKS

• A vivid memorable story that contains all of the key points about a specific idea

WHAT THEY NEED


Creating a space/routine for revision

• Have a set time at home when revision happens (to avoid procrastination)

• Private space that can be closed off

• A supply of stationary, pens, pencils, paper etc

• Good level of lighting (natural light is best)

• A table or desk to sit at

• No electronic distractions, TV unplugged, Phone off (ideally in a different room)

• Checks and rewards from parents when revision goals are met


Sleep and Diet Routines

• Don’t skip sleep to revise• Do a relaxing activity before bed• Keep their mobile away from their bed (charging

station in the living room instead?)• Encourage them to eat fruit and veg• Don’t skip meals• Eat protein rich foods• Sweets and chocolate only eaten as occasional

treats• Drink lots of water



Top Tips to helpyour child in ENGLISH

Mrs Fellows


How can you help your child revise English Literature?

Paper 1 – 13th May 2020 Shakespeare and An Inspector Calls 1 hour 45minutes

2 questions on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ or ‘Macbeth’ – one extract based, one on text in its entirety1 question on ‘An Inspector Calls’

Paper 2 – 21st May 2020 19th Century and Poetry 2 hours 15 minutes.

2 questions on ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ or ‘A Christmas Carol’ – one extract based, one on text in its entirety 1 question on poetry studied from EDEXCEL anthology on theme of conflict1 question analysing 2 unseen poems


How can you help your child revise English Literature?

If possible read the set texts yourselves so you can discuss them/test them on the plot lines, the order of events and the characters.

Ensure that your child is re-reading set texts – they should all be re-read at least once between now and the exams.

Encourage your child to create a revision resource for each character, theme within each text using the maximising success revision strategies.

Check that homework is being done because practise questions will be set regularly.


Paper 1 – 2nd June 2020 –Fiction and Imaginative writing 1 hour 45 minutes.• Read and answer questions on 19th century fiction extract. • Write an imaginative story

Paper 2 5th June 2020- Non Fiction and Transactional writing 2 hours 5 minutes• Read and answer questions on two 20th/21st century non-fiction extracts• Transactional writing task (letter, newspaper article etc)

How can you help your child revise English Language?


How can you help your child revise English Language?

Reading is of paramount importance – fiction 19th century and non fiction. Talk to your children about

what they are reading, encourage them to read extracts from a good quality newspaper – find things

you think might interest them.

Look at their written work – encourage them to check it for technical accuracy (spelling, punctuation,

grammar). Is it written in the correct style – if it’s a letter does it look like one, is it formal/informal

enough, does it persuade or advise or inform depending on the question.

Check that your child is revising the different questions they are expected to answer in the reading

section and what is required of them in each answer.

Check they are revising different styles of writing and doing work set – the most effective revision

for English Language is practise and much of their homework will be exam style questions.


What online resources are useful?

1) Seneca learning





1) Seneca learning 2) Mr Bruff





1) Seneca learning 2) Mr Bruff3) BBC Bitesize GCSE



Top Tips to helpyour child in MATHS

Mrs Blake


How can you help your child revise Maths?

Paper 1: 21st May 2019 (non calculator) 1 hour 30 minutesPaper 2: 6th June 2019 (calculator) 1 hour 30 minutesPaper 3: 11th June 2019 (calculator) 1 hour 30 minutes


Every two to three weeks, students will take a practice Maths paper.

STRENGTHS

TARGETS

3 Areas to focus on


Ensuring your child thrives at home with their maths…


2) Look at your building blocks.These are the lessons that will helpyou with your current homework. Ifthese are not at 100% or less thanthe HegartyMaths avg. then youshould redo those them as it will helpon your current work.

In the picture, the student willstruggle with homework 547 as theyhave only 10% on lesson 546.

What to do if your child is stuck on their homework or revision?

1) Watch the video again reallycarefully ensuring all examples arecopied and see if hearing andwriting it down a second time helps.


There will always be an example in video that will cover an almost identical question to the one they are stuck on.They can also pull the video up in the quiz and scrub the video to the place that will help them on the one they’re stuck on.


Why should your child watch the video?

1) Ensures your child will be successful: Watching the video will ensure your child will do well in the quiz andfeel good about their homework and maths. We don’t want your child to feel like they are on their own athome and the videos will give you the support they need to guarantee that they have a successful homework.

2) Helps improve their memory: Copying down modelled examples helps your child remember their mathsand get it into their long term memory.

3) Method marks: Copying down modelled examples helps your child practise how to lay out their mathsproperly to help them get questions correct and get extra method marks in exams even when they makemistakes.

4) Good revision: This is revision. When revising one sometimes has to look over material one already knows –that’s just as important as learning new things as making old learning solid helps prevent students fromforgetting things

5) We thinks it’s important as it helps your child be indepdenent: Doing maths at home with these good habitsand methods will help your child become more independent and be able to learn on their own (a vital lifelesson).


Where can my child find revision resources?


What other online resources are useful?

1) On Maths



1) On Maths



1) On Maths2) Corbett Maths






1) On Maths2) Corbett Maths3) Mr Barton Maths





And remember with revision for Maths our motto is







https://wise.invictus.education/folder.aspx?folderid=12010






Top tips for revision ….

Variables, errors,and risks

Don’t forget the maths

Follow thecommand word

Expect theunexpected

Diagrams

Cover topics you

don’t like!

Practice makes perfect

Revise little and often

Use a range ofrevision sources


Know Your Required PracticalsThe Required Practical's exam questions account for 15% of your final GCSE grades. Make sure you’re prepared!

Biology• Microscopy• Microbiology• Osmosis• Food tests• Enzymes• Photosynthesis• Reaction time• Plant responses• Field investigations• Decay

Chemistry• Making salts• Neutralisation• Electrolysis• Temperature

changes• Rates of reaction• Chromatography• Identifying ions• Water purification

Physics• Specific heat

capacity• Thermal insulation• Resistance• I–V characteristics• Density• Force and

extension• Acceleration• Waves• Light• Radiation andabsorption

Combined Science (Trilogy)Biology• Microscopy• Osmosis• Food tests• Enzymes• Photosynthesis• Reaction time• Field investigationsChemistry• Making salts• Electrolysis• Temperature changes• Rates of reaction• Chromatography• Water purificationPhysics• Specific heat capacity• Resistance• I–V characteristics• Density• Force and extension• Acceleration• Waves• Radiation and absorption

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Welcome Managing the challenges of Year 11 · 2020-01-15 · Welcome Managing the challenges of Year 11 Dr Smith Headteacher Mr Coggins Head of Year 11 ... positive visualisation)