final preparation for exams

YEAR 11 PARENT INVITATION EVENING
FINAL PREPARATION FOR EXAMS
“Doesn’t it feel much better when you’ve had a
better day than yesterday?”
Lady Sovereign 2009
“Doesn’t it feel much better when you’ve had a better day than yesterday?”
Lady Sovereign 2009
The Archbishop’s School
“This is an environment where success is inevitable”
Adrian Moorcroft
The Archbishop’s School
Year 11 = Olympic Athlete
Going for the highest
possible grade possible.
Set a training (revision
plan) to prepare for
success.
Making sacrifices in
order to achieve.
What can a Y11
learn from an
Olympian?
Staying committed. Not
giving up.
Celebrating success.
Learning from mistakes –
nothing is a failure just
part of the journey.
LEARNING FROM THOSE WHO HAVE
DONE IT
IS REVISION IMPORTANT?
Memory is short term. You forget things all of
the time. However, through reviewing work you
can help maximise your chances of not
forgetting key information.
HOW CAN PARENTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
• Research and experience shows that students whose
parents/guardians frequently take an interest in their
child’s studies will outperform those where there is
minimal parent input.
• You may feel like its difficult to support (especially at
this time of year) – but just regularly communicating
with them about their studies will help significantly.
• You don't have to be an expert. In fact, allowing them
to become the ‘expert’ and teach you about their
learning is judged to be one of the most effective ways
of supporting learning.
The Archbishop’s School
WHAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE TOLD US
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“Being asked if there is anything they can do to help was really useful. It meant that I knew
they were there if I needed them”.
“I know I get distracted. Having a quiet place to study was really helpful”
“I wasn’t very organised. Sitting down and going through my books and folders, getting them
into order and ensuring that I was able to use them helped enormously!”
“I kept making revision plans and never stuck to them. My mum helped me make a revision
plan and we stuck it on the fridge. Showing her that I had completed my work meant that
she knew what I was doing and was much happier and meant that I had to stick to my plan!”
“My dad always made sure that if I’d worked hard he’d say ‘Well Done!’ This really helped
motivate me as it made me feel that he was proud of me”.
“Gran used to buy me healthy snacks for revision. This meant I could keep my energy levels
up. If I’d worked really hard she’d treat me to chocolate!”
“My parents tried really hard to show me what being flexible was like. They showed that if I
missed a session I had to catch it up at another time. They told me that by missing work the
only person who suffered was me”
“My mum was really good at taking an interest and being supportive but not being too
‘naggy’. When she saw something I did worked for me – she trusted me. When she was
worried she never told me not to do something, just helped me question what I was doing
so it felt like it was my decision”
The Archbishop’s School
STUDENT CASE STUDIES
• Ellie – Hard working but was anxious about
her exams.
• Jez – Confident that he would do well.
• Luke – Realised after Y11 Mocks that he
needed to work harder to achieve his target
grades.
• Hattie – Struggled with the ‘mechanics’ of
exams, such as timing.
WHAT IF THEY SAY THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO
REVISE?!?
• This tends to be the common query. However, students have been given a
number of suggestions throughout Years 10 and 11.
• The complaint tends to be more through ‘fear’ than not knowing.
• Each student is different but the school feels the following are very
effective ways to revise:
• Posters
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Flash Cards
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‘Mini’ Tests/Quizzes
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Chatting with parents/friends
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Completing past paper questions
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Mind Maps
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School revision sessions/Extra
lessons
The Archbishop’s School
SOME IDEAS FOR SUPPORTING BEFORE EXAMS
• Sit down and make a revision plan together. Don’t cram every
hour of every day with work, but spread out topics evenly
throughout the day. Research suggests that 30-45 minutes is
the optimum time for revising a topic.
• Modelling good behaviour is very effective. For example,
making some flash cards that bullet point notes, quizzes,
revision posters together help you understand what they’re
doing and also ensure that they then use those as ideas to
make other ones.
• Letting them know we care is so important during this
stressful time. Perhaps writing your child a letter before they
start their exams letting them know you are proud of them
would help ease their fears.
The Archbishop’s School
SOME IDEAS FOR SUPPORTING DURING EXAMS
• The exam period will be very stressful for both students
and their parents. Try and help your child by keeping
everything in perspective.
• Ensure your child is ready for each exam and talk through
with them when and where it is (they will have a
timetable), what they need to take (i.e. pencils, calculators
etc.) Make sure they have a watch, water supply (clear
bottle), and that equipment is carried in a clear pencil case
Make sure that they get to school in plenty of time for the
exam.
• Try and get into a good routine (healthy breakfast, drinking
plenty of water). Banana’s are good snack foods as they
provide plenty of energy.
• After each exam – ask them how it went but don’t go into
too much detail. Keep your child positive and ready for
their next exam.
The Archbishop’s School
Useful Websites
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/ Website gives useful help and support with
different aspects of a child’s schooling.
• http://revisioncentre.co.uk/parents/helping
_with_school_work.html - Website gives
hints and tips to help students complete
their work.
• http://www.support4learning.org.uk/ Good resources for parents and students.
The Archbishop’s School
Thank you for coming
The Archbishop’s School