How can you help your child to achieve? Research shows: Students with support from home achieve 80% more success at GCSE LF

Can you make a difference? “Parental support is 8 times more important in determining a child’s academic success than social class.” TES “Parents have the greatest influence on the achievement of young people through supporting their learning in the home (parental engagement) rather than supporting activities in the school (parental involvement).  It is their support of learning in the home environment that makes the maximum difference to achievement.”  Professor Alma Harris and Dr Janet Goodall LF

Demands on your child Being more self motivated - taking responsibility for their own learning Asking if they do not understand Developing abilities to overcome frustrations and strategies for persisting when the going gets tough Organising themselves, notes, handouts, different subject topics Completing more work at home independently Organising and planning their time over longer periods, to complete major projects Understanding the exam structure Planning and carrying out revision – exam technique LF

Your role as a Parent Your role will depend on the needs of your child Lots you can help with and keep them motivated Attendance officer Going to parents evenings – asking each subject questions on how you can help Providing “a quiet space” for them to work at home Banker – paying for equipment, books, paper etc Study buddy – Showing an interest in the subjects they are studying Entertainments officer – finding out about TV programmes, exhibitions, museums, plays films etc. that may be relevant to their courses LF

Your role as a Parent Sounding board and adviser – Helping your child to break down tasks, discuss their work, keeping a subtle eye on progress Project manager – agreeing the rules for homework, revision, realistic timetables etc. – AND then enforcing them. Go-Between – Between the school and your child to make sure things are nipped in the bud Information Provider and Interpreter - Being there to answer questions, help, and make something make sense LF

The Secret to Exams Learning the content the first time around Revision does assume you have looked at it in the first place! Revision You need to revise as no one can remember 2 year’s work. There are lots of different ways to do it but make sure you do The exam itself Even if the first 2 stages go well the exam can still be an issue. LF

Diet Sleep Poor diets have a significant effect on a child’s- Behaviour Concentration Mood Learning ability Children with diets lacking in essential vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids tend to perform worse academically, cannot concentrate and are more aggressive. Sleep Important to help child get the necessary amount of sleep. 25% of teenagers report being too tired to exercise. Teenagers are under a lot of pressure to be increasingly alert in the evening owing to their social activities. Most teenagers sleep in at the weekend to catch up on sleep. Lack of sleep in teenagers leads to irritability, anxiety, depression, poor concentration and poor learning LF

Partnership with the School Know the names of all relevant staff – Form tutor, Head of Year, Subject Teachers, Exams Officer etc Try to attend all parents evenings Find out when you should receive information Meet/Phone/Write with staff as soon as something happens so it can be dealt with quickly Don’t expect teachers to be able to talk straight away – they are probably teaching Let each teacher know that you want to work with them from the beginning LF

Other Ways to Help Rewards Time off No nagging Equipment Comparison to older brothers/sisters Check their timetable – PE kit etc. Helping to find the balance Stay strong – it will all be over in less than a year!!! LF

LF

Turn negatives into positives Why are you so disorganised? Why can’t you be like your sister? Why do you fail at everything? Try these more positive comments: LF You make me so proud! You deserve to do well! You are a credit to the family! You’re a star!

Useful strategies to avoid confrontation Social Greetings - always say “hello”, talk about their day and their interests such as sport or music Broken Record -repeat instruction with calm tone of voice until action is done The Passing Technique – acknowledge fact but state you will deal with it later e.g. not washed up Not Saying “Please” – replace please with “thank you”, this gives assumption the action will be done LF

Three truths Students who know more do better in exams Students who revise know more than those who don’t. Students who know how to revise do it more effectively AK

And some lies ... It’s too early to start yet It’s too late to start now No-one else has started revising You can’t revise for …. You don’t need to do well in ……. Revision is boring. It’s just staring at a book I can revise and listen to music/watch the TV All you can do is your best AK

Knowing how to revise Being ready to learn Knowing how you learn AK

Being ready to learn • It’s time for a test… AK

So, being in the right frame of mind is vital As a parent, you can help this to happen by… Being relentlessly optimistic Using positive presuppositions Emphasising the positives; don’t dwell on errors Picking your battles – let them listen to music! Not joining in the anxiety – be a model of calm confidence Not continually referring to how you revised at school, or to how siblings revised etc AK

What can you do to help them remember? It’s no co-incidence that the BBC revision website is called “Bitesize” ! Break work down into small sections – they’re easier to handle AK Study skills

Knowing how you learn Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic AK

AK

AK

AK

Key revision methods Spend some time each day on rote learning. AK

Revision Methods Reduce everything you know on a topic to 500 words, then to 200, then to 50, then to 10. Write those ten on a card for the morning of the exam AK

Highlighting key information Revision Methods Highlighting key information Encourage your child to: Do something with their revision material other than just reading it Highlight key points that they can re-read Use colours and create a set of notes to make revision more focused AK

Revision Methods Creating notes Get them to do something with their highlighted notes e.g. Create revision cards/posters AK

They could even build a REVISION WALL ! Revision Methods Be Imaginative They could even build a REVISION WALL ! AK

Revision Methods Do exam questions from past papers (for an hour or ten minutes or …) AK

Revision methods Make podcasts and then listen to them repeatedly AK

Revision methods At the end of each day, write everything you have learned in very quick bullet points. And then read them first thing in the morning. AK

Revision methods Make flow charts, diagrams, graphs, drawings as well as notes. AK

Revision Methods Remembering lists Get them to use different memory techniques to remember key words/lists Mnemonics: 30 days has September, April, June and November… Mnemonic: n. A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering. AK

Size to show importance Revision Methods Size Shape Shape Size Size Size to show importance Shape Shape Use Spider Diagrams Easy to read And for emphasis use…. AY Colour

Revision Methods Using the computer Creating power points for revision Key websites e.g. MyMaths, SAM learning, GCSE bitesize Podcasts TAKE CARE – Are they revising or social networking? AY

Revision Methods What else can they do? Record themselves reading their notes out loud Get together with 3 or 4 friends Play it back whilst relaxing or doing other things Each create a PowerPoint on a different topic Get together on MSN with 3 or 4 friends AY One asks questions on a topic – the others see who can answer first Swap Power Points

What else do you need to consider? Being organised can reduce stress and lead to higher production AY

Study areas AY

The learning environment The place The time The calm Food and drink Built in rest time Physical activity AY

How long? AY

How long? AY

How long? AY

How often? AY

How often? AY

How often? AY

How often? AY

Revision Timetable Subject 1 Subject 2 Sunday 1st April Science B7 PM English Monday 2nd April Triple Science B7 9.00 – 1.00 In school Unit 3 Maths - Angles Tuesday 3rd April Triple Science C7 and P7 9.00-1.00 English literature Wednesday 4th April RE Ethics AM RE Philosophy Thursday 5th April Maths D&T Friday 6th April Urdu Saturday 7th April AY

Your support with revision What can you do to help? Ask questions Know their timetable Offer rewards and incentives Engage with their revision Show an interest AY

Before exams - preparation Good diet e.g. Healthy breakfast before the exam Good nights sleep Structured revision Right equipment for each exam Attendance at revision sessions Make sure that they are on time Know what exams they have and when AY

In school support Intervention e.g. Intervention booklets, catch up controlled assessment sessions, extra lessons etc. Revision/support classes during the week Moodle Teachers! RO

We will intervene if: Grades are dropping Results are below expectation Behaviour is a worry Classwork is below standard Controlled assessments are disappointing Target grades are not being met RO

Pupils will have: High quality teaching Regular homework Regular in class assessments Mock exams Module tests Controlled conditions assessments Coursework RO

Types of support/intervention Revision classes Holiday school ‘One to One’ tuition Small group withdrawal Additional external lessons Course changes Access arrangements GCSE revision guides On line revision materials – GCSE pod, My Maths, Adapted timetable RO

To help your child succeed: Talk to us about any worries Attend parents’ evenings Discuss the Report and Grades card with your child Buy revision guides, support books and tests Give a clear message that you are in full support of the school in supporting your child to get the best possible results RO

Summary Know how your son/daughter learns best Know when they learn best Know where they learn best Give them space and opportunities Be positive & encouraging; don’t dwell on errors Get involved Don’t join in the anxiety; be a model of serene confidence If in doubt, contact the school… RO