Revision planning & techniques Exam preparation Revision planning & techniques

Tonight we will consider: Revision planning Online revision Revision support Revision techniques

School weeks until the first written exam: 12

Months remaining that students will be in school full time: 4

Work to a system 40-10

Take forty minutes working time. After the first forty minutes, break for ten minutes. Plan how to use the ten minutes break: A cup of tea? A snack? Look at your phone?

Stick rigidly to a ten minute break By setting an alarm. Re-set that alarm for another forty minutes and then take another ten minute break. Here’s the clever bit. Once you’re on a roll, can you can store your breaks up. Work for two session of forty minutes solid (i.e. one hour and twenty minutes) and have a twenty minute break, do three and take thirty.

Plan revision around the week Attempt at least two forty-tens on a working day during the week and as the exams become closer, increase this. If students need a guiding hand, parents could manage the system by helping plan when to work or to be free. If you need Saturdays to be free of study, plan to do a minimum of four forty-tens on Sunday.

DO: Plan ahead. Get used to the idea that you HAVE to revise. Make lists of what needs doing and stick to them. Talk to your teachers and tutors. Get advice from the experts. Get Mum/Dad/family/friends involved- you’ll be surprised at how much they can support you. Remind yourself that this is a crucial time and it will be over in a matter of months. Put your phone and all distractions out of the way. Look after yourself; eat, exercise and sleep well.

Don’t: Fall into the trap of thinking life over the next few months can carry on as normal X Believe that revision will somehow do itself X Think that leaving things to the last minute is the way forward X That just a bit of revision is enough X Believe that examinations aren’t that important X Believe that mock results will be improved upon without hard work and a lot of revision. X

Revise online with: Drama Quizzes and content for all subjects Science Geography Music Computer Science code: y9ilfr1 Science Quizzes and content for all subjects

Other online tools: Modern foreign languages Physical Education

Other online tools: Online quizzes and exam board specific content for all subjects. Create online mind maps Create flashcards and share those made by other people.

Other online tools: Create your own online: Revision planner Flashcards Revision cards Notes Quizzes A tool to aid language acquisition in foreign languages

Revision support in school Lunch and after school revision classes After school revision Year 11 only lunch revision in the LRC (Thurs) Mentoring Morning booster registration Easter and May half term school Scott?

Targeted topic and grade based sessions visible on the website Scott?

Revision support in school Lunch and after school revision classes Year 11 only lunch revision in the LRC (Thurs) Mentoring Morning booster registration Easter and May half term school Scott?

Revision support at home • Find a suitable revision place where study can be done and notes kept safe • Be positive. If things are going wrong talk to your child and avoid at all costs losing your temper. • Avoid negatives. Self esteem will be brittle. • Be the banker. Provide all the equipment for your children, pens, paper, folders etc • Download all the information that your child needs from the internet yourself. This will remove one administrative task that could side track them from revision • Appreciate that children will get stressed • Show an interest in their revision • Join in the revision process • Reduce chores around the house • Cook their favourite meals • Reward for effort (not bribery)

Revision techniques Mr Holder

Revision Cards Great for revising questions and answers Consolidate and key facts List of definitions Summarise a key topic in your own words Colour code, linked to your level of confidence Ask someone at home to test you Test yourself Highlight keywords Re-write the information Read and read again, and again, and again Stick them around the room.

Revision Cards Clear text Summary of key facts Bullet points Space Use of colour Diagrams

Mind Mapping Start in the centre with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colours. Use images, symbols, codes and dimensions throughout your Mind Map. Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters. Each word/image must be alone and sitting on its own line. The lines must be connected, starting from the central image. The central lines are thicker, organic and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate out from the centre. Use colours – your own code – throughout the Mind Map. Use emphasis and show associations in your Mind Map. Keep the Mind Map clear by using radial hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches.

Creating a concise summary of your studies does two useful things: it forces you to understand the subject matter you are summarising, and it creates condensed versions of the subject matter that you can then review repeatedly before you exam. Try creating a table / graphic organiser / flow summaries of an overarching topic by following the steps below. Summarise your notes on the topic from the various sources you have collected together. Draw together the main points from these notes, using headings and key points. Try to reduce these notes further to one side of A4 paper, using only the main headings and a few associated key words.

Deliberate Practice - Complete lots of practice exam papers