Dear Parents/Guardians, Now that Pre-Public examinations have passed the A level examinations are just around the corner. All our Year students are going to feel the normal pressures, as a result it is, therefore, important that the Academy and parents work in partnership to help combat pressures and support our students. This parental revision guide provides you with advice and suggestions concerning different areas that can support our students, through their revision process. We hope you will find this useful to help your son/daughter prepare their revision carefully. The students have also been given a similar booklet so that they can develop an understanding of, and therefore the skills in, effective revision. The sections that this booklet covers are: 1. Revision Strategies 2. What healthy revision is 3. Exam Stress and coping strategies 4. Essential Exam Information 5. Useful Resources Being consistent in revision is key. One essential element of this is on a clear revision timetable: this will put the revision work, ahead, in prospective. As a team, we feel this message is vital and summarises our belief (based on success of previous students) that as long as they try their best they will succeed. If you do have any concerns then please do contact the school and speak to your daughter s/son s tutor, who will be happy to help in the first instance. Yours sincerely, Miss B Nunley Head of Sixth Form Page 2 of 10
REVISION Revision can be daunting for some students where as others do not appear to see the importance of it. So let s understand the facts and fiction of revision Facts Those who know, and do, more do much better in exams Those who revise know more than others Those that know how to revise and know what techniques are effective revise more effectively. Fiction It is far too early to start revising It is too late to start revising You cannot revise for. I can revise and watch TV/ be on social media/on my phone etc. at the same time Timetables for revision do not work Others have not started revising yet I don t need to revise; that s not my style of learning At school, during tutor times, students will be introduced to study skills with their tutors. The sessions will explore the importance of understanding revision techniques as well as completing a revision timetable (see example, attached to this booklet). Students have access to a revision guide and the VLE which has resources to support them. Subjects will also have extra revision sessions, from subject areas to help improve confidence, within the subject areas. Page 3 of 10
REVISION PLANNING When it comes to revision, a revision plan is vital and should not get confused with just writing up an exam timetable. It s about having a method of study also. A plan and a method of student will allow the student to be in control of their study. There are a few things that your son/daughter must think of when planning to revise: WHERE, WHEN and for HOW LONG. Where is the right space for your son/daughter to work in? Comfortable chair and desk Good light, comfortable temperature Complete revision kit of: pens, coloured pencils, highlighter pens, paper, dividers and folders, post its, dictionary, thesaurus, text books and revision guides Revision timetable planner Storage to keep your space tidy A quiet place (so that they become accustomed fully to working and being successful in) exam conditions. All of our students will have preferred, personalised learning styles and will therefore find it easier to revise at certain times of the day. This is not always possible, however, unfortunately revision needs to be completed by all students. Finding the optimum time is, therefore, of most importance. Students must set realistic time scales for revision and celebrate when they have completed each section. The general advice is for 20-30minute sessions and is called chunking; this is when most of the vital pieces of information will be retained. Page 4 of 10
This is a good resource for revision. It will provide a clear picture of the content/skills to be revised and for when. However, realistic time scales must be set and if this is managed well then it will help to reduce anxiety of students. At the back of this book there is an example revision timetable that students will be completing during their tutor sessions. Suggestions for a Revision Timetable: Working through these points will help your son/daughter to reproduce an effective revision timetable: - List all the subjects and break them down into their topic areas link to specific exam papers - Decide what areas need more time and which will need less. (Based on their weighting in the exam and your daughter/son s confidence with this area) - Work out priorities for example which exam is first etc. - Complete a fortnightly timetable - Never organise revision priorities based on the exam dates. - Put the revision plan up where you and your son/daughter can see it, along with the exam timetable. - Cross out the revision/exams when they are completed so it feels like a clear sense of achievement. Healthy revision consists of exercise, sleep and diet. Students must ensure they have exercise to help kick start the brain and help to release anxiety/stress. Sacrificing sleep for revision is not a good idea and performance will be impeded. Please aim to support your son/daughter to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night. Also a healthy diet helps to keep the functioning fully and maintains the levels of concentration needed to revise, know the information and apply it in the context of an exam. Page 5 of 10
REVISION TECHNIQUES Please see below a list of revision techniques that students may like to adopt. Most students will know what works for them. If they do not, please encourage them and discuss this with their tutor. Page 6 of 10
EXAM STRESS AND MANAGING IT. It would be very unusual for students not to feel stressed during the exam period. Some students, however, feel so stressed that it can be unhealthy for them; it will vary between individuals, and times. It is important that all students understand that to feel stressed is normal; equally important is to know the symptoms and ways to manage this. Below are some indicates of stress: STRESS WARNING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: Cognitive Symptoms Memory problems Inability to concentrate Poor judgment Seeing only the negative Anxious or racing thoughts Constant worrying Physical Symptoms Aches and pains Diarrhoea or constipation Nausea, dizziness Chest pain, rapid heartbeat Frequent colds Emotional Symptoms Moodiness Behavioural Symptoms Eating more or less Irritability or short temper Sleeping too much or too little Agitation, inability to relax Isolating yourself from others Feeling overwhelmed Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities Sense of loneliness and isolation Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax Depression or general unhappiness Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing) (Taken from: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-causes-and-effects.htm ) Around exam time students will need support to help manage their stress and anxiety. Below are some suggestions of ways that you can further help your son/daughter manage stress: - Ensure they know they can talk to you about how they are feeling - You should be the voice of reason by being objective around exams - Ensure that you are able to provide them a suitable place for revision - Ensure bedtimes, revision timetables, breaks are maintained - Reducing household chores and ensure working hours are reduced around the exam period - Give praise for work completed - Provide space and time to relax - Test your daughter/son on topic areas Page 7 of 10
ESSENTIAL EXAM INFORMATION The process for exams in Sixth Form is exactly the same as for GCSEs. Every student should be aware of their unique Candidate Number. This number is written on the front of every exam answer booklet and is used by the exam boards to recognise the student. Around February time, students will receive their statement of entry. In this document it outlines which exams the students have been entered for and at what level. If some of the information is incorrect then they must see our exams officer (Mrs Loakes) as soon as possible to rectify the problem. A copy of exact exam times, dates and venue will be published in April and any clashes of exams will be rescheduled and students will be informed of this. Morning exams start at 9am and afternoon exams start at 1:30pm! Students must be ready 20 minutes before the exam is due to start. Exams usually take place in the main hall, gym or sixth form rooms (S5a/b, S4, S6, S7). For those students who have access arrangements they will be informed of their rooms separately. Students must attend exams dressed in the Sixth Form Dress Code and they must ensure they have all the equipment that is needed, in a clear pencil case. The equipment should include calculators etc. when required. All exams must be completed in BLACK ink. Water is permitted into exams as long as there are no labels on the bottles. Mobile phones /electronic devices should be switched off and left in bags outside of the exam room. If a student is found to have a phone or electronic device on their person, then the exam boards will disqualify them. If a student is too ill to attend an exam then you need to contact the exams officer Mrs Loakes, as soon as possible. You will also need to obtain a doctor s certificate dated for the day of the exam. Full details of the examination process can be found on the Academy s website. Page 8 of 10
USEFUL RESOURCES Awarding Bodies (examination boards) AQA: http://www.aqa.org.uk/ OCR: http://www.ocr.org.uk/ EDEXCEL: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/home.html Exam Stress and How to Beat it (NHS Website): http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/childhealth6-15/pages/examstress.aspx Exam Stress and Anxiety (Anxiety UK Website): https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/get-help-now/anxietyinformation/young-people-andanxiety/exam-stressanxiety/ Helping Your Child Through Exams (BBC Website): http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/helping_with_exams/ Page 9 of 10
REVISION TIMETABLE TEMPLATE 5 hours per subject per week: Time/ Period Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 9.10-10.10 2 10.10-11.10 3 11.30-12.30 4 12:30-13:30 5 14:10-15:20 4-5pm 5-6pm 6-7pm 7-8pm 8-9pm Page 10 of 10