GCSE Exam Timetables

I have uploaded the overview of the GCSE exam timetable as it stands at the moment, you can download it from Megaupload by clicking here .

What students should be doing this week (w/b March 28th)

This week i have asked the students I am coaching to use their revision planners to plan out exactly what they will be revising and when, and to fill in the "Revision Subject and Topic" column of the diary section of their planner. In order to help with this I have asked each subject to provide a topic list so that students can plan between 10 and 20 sessions on each GCSE subject that they have an exam in. Obviously, students should focus more on subjects where they need to make the biggest improvement, and less on subjects where they have already completed much of the course through modular exams or coursework.

There are topic lists available for download in Business Studies , Drama, Geography, Health and Social Care, History, Maths (Foundation) , Maths (Higher) , French and German , PE , RE , Science (Single, Double and Triple) .

What students should be doing this week (w/b March 21st)

This week students should decide which of the remaining boosters they should be attending at lunchtimes and afterschool. They have all the details in their planners and they can highlight the relevant sessions in there to assist with their planning. Alternatively, you can download a summary sheet of boosters from here and highlight the ones they wish to attend and display it somewhere prominent in case they "forget". I will be meeting with the students I am coaching to make sure they have done this. They can also start to think about their revision planning (which will be next week's focus) by completing the revision cards activity in the planner and finding out topic lists from the VLE and from their teachers.

Resources from the Parents / Carers Revision Evening

Here are some of the materials used at last night's Parents / Carers Revision Evening. I will add more as they appear. You can download them by clicking on the link, which will take you to the Megaupload site, wait 45 seconds for "Regular Download" to appear then click that button. So far, there are Powerpoints available for DT (see post below), Drama, Maths and the Aiming for an A* session.

Prepare It! Learn It! Test It!

We encourage the students to create a three phase revision session each time they revise, based around the sequence of preparation, learning and testing. The short film above was created by our Sixth Formers to show how they use the three phases to structure their revision.

Resources from DT and RE

Click here for the resources that Mrs Jackson used on the Revision Parents Evening for Design Technology. The link will take you to the Mega upload site where, after waiting the usual 45 seconds or so, you can select "regular download" to get the resources. Mrs Dickinson has provided a checklist for RE which you can download here. Students can access lots more stuff like this by accessing the school's VLE using the username and password they will be given tomorrow.

Revision Planner 2011

Last week students were given their Revision Planner. This contains guidance on how to revise using our tried and tested "Revise It!" method. It also contains information on using the VLE and the Take Five website, coping with exam stress and information about how to get study leave (if they want it). The main part of the planner is a diary that students should fill in outlining what they will revise, when they will revise and more importantly how they will revise.

Those students who are being coached by me or by Heads of Houses or Learning Mentors will expected to follow the guidance in the planner very closely. Other students may or not wish to follow this method but we strongly recommend that they do.

Students have two Values in Practice lessons on revision in Year 11 which should help them to understand what to do. If they need additional guidance they can book an appointment to see Mr Taylor.

Extra copies of the planner can be downloaded from Megaupload by clicking here. Remember to wait 45 seconds for the "Regular Download" link to appear.

Student Guide to Exam Stress

Mrs Dury, our Attendance Officer has prepared a PDF file of guidance for students about exam stress. To download this file click on this link. You will then be taken to a site called Megaupload, wait for about 45 seconds as instructed on the screen, then select "Regular Download" (don't click on "Premium Download" unless you have an account with the site.)

Parents/Carers Revision Evening

Parents/Carers Revision Evening is tonight at 7pm at St Mary Redcliffe School. The evening starts with a very brief overview of the support available to students and the way we encourage students to revise. This is followed by a series of workshops on a range of different subjects, which go into detail about how parents and carers can assist in the revision process as well as top tips for student success at GCSE.