Countesthorpe Community College

How to help your child revise

Monday 16th March 2015 Angela Howe

Kat Russell

Recent research suggests …

•  Effective revision occurs when students revise, then test themselves

•  Spreading revision over time •  Revision is a habit •  Little and often is the key

Work at home is key … Students  spend:  •  15%  of  their  4me  at  school  •  85%  of  their  ,me  at  home  

•  Revision  needs  to  be  done  at  home  

•  Easter  holidays  and  half  term  are  an  ideal  revision  opportunity  

“Sometimes I don’t think he/she works hard

enough.”

It’s about working SMART

now!

Top Tips for Parents … •  Everyday – Make revision a habit for each day •  Organised – Plan revision time with them and get

them to stick to it •  Display the plan - Tick off what’s been done to

motivate •  Motivation – WIIFM. Think rewards! •  Be interested - Look at work. Ask questions. Test

them •  Be informed - Know exam dates etc. •  Contact – Contact subject staff if you have questions •  Equipped – Ensure students have revision materials

for all subjects including, highlighters, cards, pens etc.

How can they revise? These are the ideas we have given students.

These are just some of the hundreds of ways you could revise. •  Practise past papers under timed conditions – get them marked by your teacher •  Read your books and create summaries on cards, mind maps or post its •  Highlight key information in your exercise book •  Read a section, cover it up and see how much you can recall. Go back and check it! •  Create a display on topics at home •  Write yourself or a friend a quiz on a topic •  Timed activities – e.g. length of a piece of music to write all you know about ... •  Get up and move during revision to get oxygen flowing •  Walk and talk about topics with parents or friends •  Each day or week give yourself a reward to aid motivation •  Check you know what’s on which paper •  Draw and label key points •  Create a 7 point fact file on key topics •  Writing frames – Find out how to use these in your exams •  Talk through key ideas before writing to avoid re-writing due to mistakes •  Make sure you have a clear ideas of how much to write •  Answer questions after time to think •  Spiders – 8 legs = 8 points e.g. for exam question •  Avoid unnecessary lengthy writing

And more ideas …

•  Use grids and tables •  Create a list of features and phrases to help with extended writing •  Multiple choice – who wants to be a millionaire – design your own •  Create a file for each subject of your best work •  Use websites to support revision and add variety – be sure you revise what your

syllabus will test you on •  Evaluations – Practice how to write an evaluation well. Your views with reasons •  Use support sheets to boost confidence •  Get hold of all the resources the departments offer. These will be the best help you

can get •  Catch up on any work missed to ensure you don’t get caught out in the exam •  Use the Learning Link, there’s more on there to aid revision than ever before •  Attend after school booster sessions. •  Converse with your subject teachers – what do they say you need to focus on •  Be clear about exactly what you have to do in the exam e.g. how many questions do

you need to answer •  Use mnemonics to remember key words and orders •  Use colour, pictures and symbols in notes and on mind maps to aid memory •  Link items together to remember them •  Use rhymes and tunes to remember key points e.g. to the tune of Big Ben •  Get people at home to test you

Other important features of

learning at home •  Encourage students to use every opportunity to

revise e.g. on journeys •  Try to boost self esteem •  Create a productive learning environment •  Encourage students to drink plenty of water, eat

well and get plenty of sleep •  Control brothers and sisters to give space for

revision •  Try recording TV programmes that might be

useful •  Encourage them when things get bad •  Let your son/daughter try to teach you the topic •  Spend time with them •  Encourage them to visualise success

The Exams – When are they?

•  Planning a revision timetable based around this should help

•  We have provided a revision timetable to help with this

Equipment – What do they need for the exams?

•  For all examinations they will need a BLACK pen.  We would suggest them bringing a pencil, pencil sharpener, ruler, rubber and calculator for all exams, as unless otherwise stated they can use this equipment for all exams.  If the students have pencil cases they will need to be transparent for all the exams.  Please see below for the more specialised equipment they will need to bring to certain exams as well as the normal things:

•  Maths – Calculator, Compass, Protractor, Ruler •  Design – Coloured pencils, Sharpener, rubber,

Ruler (Set Square also for Graphics) •  Media – Coloured pencils, Pens, Ruler, Pencil,

Rubber, Sharpener •  Science – Black pen, Ruler, Calculator •  IT and Business Studies – Black pen, ruler,

calculator

Countesthorpe Community College

Subject specific info

The parent area of the website has a wealth of information:

http://www.countesthorpe.cc/

Science

Additional science revision and help session Tuesday 3-4 Triple science revision and help session Thursday 3-4 Tutor time interventions for targeted students

English

Reading paper Bootcamp – Tuesday 3-4 until Easter Writing paper Bootcamp – Thursday 3-4 between Easter and May half term Wed and Fri registration interventions on SPG Target group sessions once a fortnight in class

Maths GCSE Level 2 Further Maths – WJA in M06 B to A class – JLA in MO8 Monday 3-4 Key Stage 4 Clinics in M08 on Tuesday 3-4 – SBA/JLA Thursday 3-4 – TIO Key Stage 4 in M08 4 LOP Intervention group – DCU in MO2 – Tuesday 3-4 Soon to start SBA – 3 LOP Intervention group – Thursday 3-4 Thursday and Friday registration intervention with support from 6th formers

Business DATE  W/C   MONDAY   TUESDAY   THURSDAY   OTHER  

23.2.15   X  Business  enterprise  Group  KCH   X      

2.3.15   X  Business  enterprise  Group  MLE   1.1  SPOTTING  A  BUS  OPP  KCH      

9.3.15   X  Business  enterprise  Group  KCH   1.2  ENTERPRISE  KCH      

16.3.15   X  Business  enterprise  Group  MLE   1.3  &  3.3  FINANCE  KCH      

23.3.15   16+  WORKSHOP  KCH  Business  enterprise  Group  KCH   1.4  &  3.1  MARKETING  KCH      

30.3.15   EASTER  HOLIDAYS   EASTER  HOLIDAYS   EASTER  HOLIDAYS   EASTER  HOLIDAYS  6.4.15   EASTER  HOLIDAYS   EASTER  HOLIDAYS   EASTER  HOLIDAYS   EASTER  HOLIDAYS  13.4.15   X       16+  WORKSHOP      

20.4.15   X   16+  WORKSHOP  3.2  CUSTOMER  NEEDS  /  PRODUCTION      

27.4.15   16+  WORKSHOP   16+  WORKSHOP   3.4  PEOPLE  MANAGEMENT      

4.5.15   X   16+  WORKSHOP  1.5  &  3.5  EXTERNAL  ENVIRONMENT      

11.5.15   X   16+  WORKSHOP   GCSE  WORKSHOP      

18.5.15   16+  WORKSHOP   16+  WORKSHOP   GCSE  EXAM  TECHNIQUE  MON  18/5  AS  HOT  TIPS  AM    WEDS  20/5  GCSE  HOT  TIPS  AM  

25.5.15   HALF  TERM   HALF  TERM   HALF  TERM   HALF  TERM  

Geography

Revision and help sessions Tuesday or Wednesday after Easter – to be confirmed Revision session one day during Easter

ICT

Easter revision session with Tony 9th April

Healthy body, healthy mind … -  Research suggests short bursts of revision work best -  Also it is nice and beneficial to have regular breaks from revision

so consider a bit of exercise -  Getting the blood flowing round the body and increasing the

amount of oxygen getting to the brain will increase performance -  Energy drinks are bad -  Water is good. Stay hydrated -  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – on exam days

bacon bap, fruit and porridge etc.

Countesthorpe Community College

Easter Revision opportunity

Details TBA

E-shop on the school website

Any problems …

•  Call us 0116 277 1555. •  There are also a whole host of useful

websites as well as all the information on the learning link:

•  www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/

Countesthorpe Community College

Any questions?

Date for the diary – Year 11 Prom 25th June 2015

£28