1. A practical guide for supporting your son at home
Y11 Information Evening
A practical guide for supporting your son at home
Thursday 9th February 2017

2. Contents Parental Support Support in place
Work life balance – managing stress
Screen Time
Advice from previous students

3. 56% were feeling the pressure from parents
The Childline ‘National Exam Stress Survey’ carried in 2014 revealed that
64% said that they have never received any support with dealing with exams
96% of the 1300 students who completed the survey felt anxious about exams and revision
56% were feeling the pressure from parents

4. Common parent frustrations
56% were feeling the pressure from parents
I didn’t even do GCSEs so how can I help?
Surely he shouldn’t be going out again, when he has exams coming up?
He always leaves everything to the last minute
Common parent frustrations
I can’t stand the arguments and stress when I tell him exams are important – he just ends up saying ‘its his life’ and slams the door
He always has an excuse – I don’t know what to believe

5. 56% were feeling the pressure from parents
I’m revising, I’m reading my notes
I don’t have any homework
I got a B in my test so I should be ok
Common teenage myths
Others:
My work is on the school computer
I’m doing that with a friend and he’s got the book
Mr X never gives us homework
We didn’t get homework because there was a supply teacher
I’m going to the revision session so don’t need to revise
Stop NAGGING, its too early, I’ll just forget it all

6. How can you make a difference?
56% were feeling the pressure from parents
How can you make a difference?
The 2011 DfE research report showed that parental involvement is one of the key factors is securing higher student achievement
Get them to school
One lesson missed may be an entire topic missed
You don’t have to be an expert in any subject your child chooses because you are an expert on your child
You are the project manager (finance, tools, testing and logistics)
Information provider
Get them to school - 95% attendance = half a day of lessons missed every two weeks, and two weeks of lessons missed each year
One lesson may be one topic-so learning it right first time round is key
Information provider-– website, films, documentaries, apps
Regular ‘check ins’ discuss expectations

7. Do’s and don’ts X Make comparisons X Expect them to study all the time
X Continually mention exams
Provide the necessary environment
Praise, encourage and support-stay calm
Encourage them to take breaks
Encourage morning revision when the brain is more receptive and discourage revising right up until bedtime

8. 64% said that they have never received any support with dealing with exams
Homework piling up? Talk to HOY/Tutor and we can make arrangements
Timeline of support
Revision sessions and study leave
Revision week (8-12th May)
Easter revision clinics (10 & 11th April)
Active school counsellor who works with individuals and groups e.g. in L2L
Maximise Day
Proactive and supportive teachers

9. General revision
The best investment of your time is to make a revision plan and stick to it
Get one good revision aid for each subject
Start early
‘workbox’
Discuss what goals are to be set
‘at the end of this two hours, I will be able to label the heart and answer a question on it’ then test them
Be flexible
Revision plan-avoid the impulse to clean your room in the first time in three years
Revision aid-flash cards, quizzes, apps-not sure? Ask your teacher for the best one.
Start early-the sooner you start the less you have to do each day and the less stressed out you will be. Don’t be influenced by friends who talk about how little work they are doing, get your head down, your results don’t matter to them
Work box-paper, pens, calculator, flash cards and post-it notes and LOTS of spares. Quietly top it up and try not to argue when things get lost-its inevitable
Set goals-have a start and finish time and stick to it. Power hour, power half an hour or power 10 minutes
Praise-be sensitive to the pressure they are feeling, they might not be doing things the way you want them to be doing them, or as often as you would like but they are doing the best they can in the way that works for them at the stage they are at.
Flexibility-if they want to go out and socialise on a revision night, agree when they will make the time up
Exam boards past papers.

10. Diet
Research shows that pupils and students who eat breakfast perform better in exams.
Eating a balanced diet can help you focus and avoid illness. No single food is nutritionally complete, so you need variety. Try not to skip meals or your blood-sugar level will drop.
Research shows-Slow release carbs are best on exam day (porridge, low sugar muesli or whole grain bread) add protein to help keep you fuller for longer such as milk, yoghurt or eggs.

11. Work-life balance
Attention spans are getting shorter so your son should plan in regular breaks
Exercise
Bed-time routine
Talk things through
Rewards
Keep things in perspective
96% of the 1300 students who completed the survey felt anxious about exams and revision

12. Work-life balance – Managing stress
Stress is a natural part of being human
Look out for signs of stress
Help them develop a positive mind set, maintain a ‘can do attitude’ – visualise the grades you want
Allow them to see the exams as a task to be completed e.g. in 137 days
It is an opportunity for your son to show what he can do
Stress is a natural part-, it is your bodies response to changes in the world around you. Stress about your exams is normal
Signs = feeling tired, sad or tearful, stomach upset, headaches, feeling of panic or being run down (picking up coughs and colds)
96% of the 1300 students who completed the survey felt anxious about exams and revision

13. Work-life balance – Anxiety
When we become anxious we get ‘negative thoughts’
“I can’t do anything”…“I can’t answer any of these questions”
“I’m going to fail everything” …“Everyone is cleverer than me”
STOP AND RE-FOCUS (4 - 6 technique and mindfulness)
‘I’m having an anxious thought that I can’t complete this Maths question’
When asked how students cope with these feelings of anxiety:
53% Talk to friends ∗ 29% Talk to family ∗ 29% Exercise ∗ 17% Talk to a teacher
96% of the 1300 students who completed the survey felt anxious about exams and revision

14. Screen Time
Research from Cambridge University showed that those spending an extra hour a day on screens saw a fall in GCSE results equivalent to two grades overall.
Parents find it easier to get children to do homework, go to bed or have a bath than turn off their phones, laptops and TVs
We are seeing an increasing amount of lack of focus and engagement due to tiredness
The Charity Action for Children suggest:
Creating a weekly schedule based on the idea of one hour of technology use equalling one hour on other activities
Parents turning off their devices at the same time as children
Planning activities that do not include technology
Research -The researchers recorded the activities of more than year-olds and analysed their GCSE results at 16.
Technology is an often necessary part of the lives of children and parents alike, but it's important to maintain a balance with other activities and quality family time.

15. Useful Links Summer 2017 Exam Timetable
summer-timetable-2017.pdf
Exam Boards and Past Paper Links
topics/exams/past-papers.html
past-papers-and-mark-schemes

16. Useful Links
teenage-brain
iend
addiction.html
and-college/school-and-college/exam-stress/beat-exam-stress.pdf

17. Communication
Student
Teachers
Parents

18. Any Questions? . Thank you for you time.