GCSE Revision

Evening

Key dates

How to look after yourself ( parent and child!)

Top revision tips

The exam protocol – what you need to do

Key dates 2019

• Monday 13 May - GCSE exam timetable kicks in

(All coursework /portfolios/ practicals/ language

orals and Art exams are already done and dusted!)

• Tuesday 25 June – GCSE exams officially over

• Friday 28 June – the year 11 Prom

• Thursday 22 August - GCSE Results day

How to Survive

• The next 12 weeks will be fraught

• Remember - the person at home

with you isn’t your child……it is a

GCSE exam stressed MONSTER!

And your parents aren’t the loving, caring, chilled parents they used to be…

• …they are adults out

of control, desperate

to help you and

ensure you get the

grades you want and

deserve!

Agree a plan /

schedule

Allocate “study” time and “down” time.

Both parties must stick to the plan.

Ensure you have a good place to

work – free from distractions

• All electronic hand-held

devices are distractors!

• As are fizzy drinks that

promise great things!

• Good things include:

A quiet and light place

A fully loaded revision

kit!

Look after your mental health

• Drink plenty of water

• Have a healthy diet

• Get some fresh air and exercise

• Create a healthy work/life balance*

*Remember you have 2 months of summer holiday

ahead of you, so the current balance will be work

heavy!

Avoid the bad stuff

• Late nights

• Unhealthy eating

• Unnecessary stress (don’t go looking for dramas!)

• Alcohol

• Germs

Revision tipsThe key principles of effective learning & revision.

Apply them today and use them forever!

Group 1:

Read Read Read Test

Group 2:

Read Test Test Test

Test Test Test

Principle One:

• We remember things:

• In CAPITALS

• In colour

• Underlined

• Pictorial

• Unusual

Principle Two

• Work smarter not harder

• Active Revision is far more effective than staring a book for hours

• We all learn in different ways – experiment with different techniques to develop your most effective approach. It is likely to vary from subject to subject

Principle Three

• Enjoy the process & be organised(it will seriously reduce your stress in the long term)

• Create your own “revision resource” as you go along.

• (Creating is revising, but make sure the tail isn’t wagging the dog!)

• Revise by topic not by subject(“I’m going to revise Surds” is more achievable than “I’m going to revise Maths”)

Here are 10 revision & learning techniques – Consider how you can

use them in different subjects

• Memorise it!

• Map it!

• Index it!

• Journey / Story it!

• Flip it!

• Post it it!

• Record it!

• Practise it!

• Mnemonic it!

• Sing it!

Memorise it!

• Create a list of up to 40 key words.

• Write them up in a range of different fonts, colours, styles but in a grid shape

• Focus on the words for 1 minute

• Remove the words - how many can you remember?

• Think: how do learn / remember the words?

• The more you do this the better you get.

• belles

• la sable

• fin

• le climat doux

• le TGV

• partir

• l’ anchois

• les coquillages

• la pêche

• la plaisance

• le terrain de sport

• 45 trous

• la voile

• la galette

• une crêpe salée

• les huîtres

How well did you do?

• belles

• la sable

• fin

• le climat doux

• le TGV

• partir

• l’ anchois

• les coquillages

• la pêche

• la plaisance

• le terrain de sport

• 45 trous

• la voile

• la galette

• une crêpe salée

• les huîtres

Summarise it!

• Take a paragraph or topic and turn it into an index card

• Use single words in CAPITALS, in colour, lots of pictures and symbols.

• Less is more - you aren’t writing up a topic you are summarising it!

• Quite useful for case studies or historical facts

Journey it! / Story it!

• Think about a journey or routine you do regularly and make links to key facts you need to

learn.

• Turn some key information into a story!

• You need a creative imagination for this one.

Memorising detailCreate a story

with ‘hooks’

that help you

remember the

names of the

noble gases

x

Mnemonic it!

• Big Elephants Can’t Always Use Small Entrances! It’s useful & fun!

• Every one loves a good mnemonic – Science is particularly good for this!

• Remember your OIL RIG

Click it! / Record it!

• Make a ppt or quizlet set online.

• Or record facts / information on your phone –listen to it on the bus whilst nodding your head rhythmically so you look cool!

Map it!

• Create mind maps – always follow the rules from principle 1

• Write in CAPITALS / use colour / underline all words/ use pictures and unusual words

• Mind maps can also be very structured in lines rather than “organic”!

Practise it!

• Do past / sample questions – Get feedback from your teacher

• Use online revision guides

• Buy revision books

(Ensure you have the right exam board)

• Practice makes perfect!

Flip it!

• Make some mini flashcards, double sided; join them together with a key ring or treasury tag. Pocket size – use anytime anywhere!

• Great for languages or any subject that has key vocab with a definition

Post-it it!

• Write key facts / information on post it notes (remember Principle One how to design your post it)

• Post them around the house or up the stairs (one post it on each step)

• Read and memorise the fact

• File and recreate another post it once the fact is embedded!

Sing it! Try it!

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSAaiYKF0cs – Daniel Radcliffe sings the elements!

The Exam Protocol

• The Exam timetable – only use Mrs Oakley’s version

• Turn up on time, nourished, with a bottle of water, a fully loaded clear pencil case and no mobile phone or fit bit!

• Don’t be ill – if you absolutely can not make it in for an exam you will need to call the school and get a doctor’s letter.

• You will not get a grade for the exam you miss

The Exam Period

• You will be expected to be in lessons up until the exam

• Once the exam is over, you may use that lesson to

revise independently, or a subject teacher may put on a

targeted revision session during that time.

• After half term, if you do not have an exam or a

lesson first thing in the morning or in the afternoon,

you may come in late or leave early – No yoyo-ing in &

out.

There are no “revision hacks”

It’s all about hard

work!

GCSE Results day

Thursday 22 August

Make it a day you

are proud of!

You know what you

need to do!

We are here, at hand, to constantly remind you and nag you, and encourage you!

Because we care!

And we want you to be successful for you!