SIMON BALLE SCHOOL
C r e a t i n g To m o r r o w ’ s C i t i z e n s To d a y
Y11 LEARNING GUIDE 2014 2014--2015
Contents
Welcome letter – Mike Moss, Deputy Head Stages/ Parent’s guide to surviving Y11 Key Dates Subject information
You make the difference……
Dear Parent/Carer, Your involvement as a parent during this crucial year can make all the difference between success and failure. Parental/carer support can be up to eight times more important in determining a child’s academic success than anything else. You do not have to be an expert in the GCSE subjects and exams that your child will be sitting to be able to make a real difference. You just need to know how best to spend your time at each stage of the GCSE process to support their learning. The hardest demand on our Year 11 students is that of understanding the long term importance of achieving the best they possibly can. Some short term sacrifices may need to be made to ensure they are truly successful. The aim of this booklet is to provide you – the parents/carers – with key dates for the year and to support the GCSE revision process, alongside information on guided revision sessions and try to aid you in forward planning. If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact the school for further information.
Mr Moss Deputy Headteacher
A successful year and good exam results….. Good exam results are not based on what happens on the day of the exam. Many feelings will go through the minds of yourselves and the students alike. Are they in the right frame of mind? Will they remember what they have revised? Will they get the right questions? The results of your child’s exams are generally determined before they sit the final exam. There are 3 broad stages in the process of achieving good exam results. Exam success is about STAGE 1: Learning the subject content first time round The process of revision (looking at something again) makes the assumption that the learning of each subject has taken place already – every lesson does count! STAGE 2: Revision Even a student who has attended every lesson of the course and paid attention needs to revise to achieve their full potential. Everyone needs to complete revision using techniques that are effective for them. STAGE 3: The exam Even if a student has learnt the subject content and revised thoroughly things can still go wrong on the day of the exam. There are several skills that need to be used during the exam: o Knowing the subject matter o Organisational skills o Exam technique o Time management Nearer the time each student will be issued with a guide to revision and exam tips. Do go through this with your child during the time they have at home.
practise these skills at home.
A Parent/Carer’s guide to surviving Year 11 How can you help now? Encourage your child to complete coursework on time Make sure s/he is at school every day and on time Ensure the balance of work and play is right If your child is struggling in any way- let us know right away. Encourage your child to attend all revision and study support sessions
Revision Devise a revision timetable with your child
Help keep his/her books and notes organised Ensure your child keeps revision sessions to no longer than half an hour or an hour at
most, and then takes a short break before starting another subject Help your child to revise specific topics in each subject, not everything at once Ask your child to start each session by tackling the most difficult bits first Ensure they revisit each subject several times Encourage your child to use different revision methods such as mind maps, notes,
pictures and spider diagrams Allow them to work with a friend on occasion to test each other and talk about the work
Check your child is using revision guides from school or bookshops. Some are available online, such as BBC Bitesize at www.bbc.co.uk/education/revision
Please ensure that your child: Has somewhere to study Eats properly and drinks plenty of water Doesn’t listen to television and loud music when revising Is supported by parents/carers who are positive and reassuring to build confidence Is not distracted by mobile phones, Facebook, Twitter, emails etc.
When the actual exams arrive Give your child time, space and peace while s/he works before and between exams Emphasise the need for plenty of sleep, especially the night before an exam Don’t let him/her work themselves into a state of exhaustion – encourage them to take
regular breaks Ask him/her to put their social life on hold
On the day of an exam Ensure s/he gets up on time and is in school at least 15 minutes before the exam is due
to start Ask if s/he has everything they need Tell him/her to switch off their mobile phone and leave it off until after the exam, or better
still, leave it at home Wish him/her good luck as they leave!
Key Dates 14/10/2014 Mid November TBC 20/11/2014 04/12/2014 – 19/12/2014 09/01/2015 15/01/2015 Feb 2015 TBC End of March 2015
March 2015 (TBC)
th
th
11 May – 24 June th
th
29 and 30 June 2015
Expectation Evening Current Grade - Report to parents HOY Parents Evening (Invite only) Sixth Form Open evening 6.15pm Year 11 Mock exams Year 11 Mock Exam Results Year 11 Parents Evening th
6 Form Interviews commence Core Learning Evening Year 11 Reports to be issued to parents before Easter break Year 11 Mock Exams in core subjects GCSE Summer exams begins Sixth Form Induction days
Mock Exams Mocks are a vital indicator in how students are likely to perform in the final examinations. They should be prepared for in the same manner as any external examination. Performance below expectation will trigger further investigation and may result in extra study sessions. There will be two mock periods December 4th-19th and March TBC.
Science Controlled Assessments Triples - Physics - 17th October Additional; Science (Physics - same as Triples) - 11th November
English – key dates, support and advice Exam Dates English (Single GCSE) 2 hrs 15 mins 2nd June 2015 English Language 2 hrs 15 mins 2nd June 2015 English Literature Paper 1 1hr 30 mins 18th May 2015 English Literature Paper 2 1hr 15 mins 22nd May 2015 Mock Exams 4th Dec - 19th Dec English Language / English Only (Non-fiction reading and writing) English Literature Paper 1 ('Of Mice and Men' and 'An Inspector Calls') A ‘Walking Talking’ Mock and further Mock Exams (all papers) will also be held in March 2015 to build students’ familiarity with the exams and provide specific feedback. Revision Thorough, planned revision and practising past exam questions is essential for success in English. We will be running exam revision sessions / booster sessions and drop-in help sessions on Wednesdays after school from January. Revision notes and a revision booklet for independent learning will be provided by the department but some additional recommended websites and books are listed below:
Exam board – past papers and mark schemes http://www.aqa.org.uk Revision Help http://www.bbc.co.uk/education Workbook Collins GCSE Revision - GCSE English & English Language for AQA: Higher: Revision Guide and Exam Practice Workbook (£3.99 from Collins Website) English Literature Of Mice and Men: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen/
An Inspector Calls: http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/drama/inspectorcalls.htm Moon on the Tides AQA Poetry Anthology (Relationships collection): http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/poetryrelationshi ps/ Controlled Assessments All controlled assessments for both English GCSEs must be completed by the 19th December. Controlled Assessment catch-up and help for Y11s: Every Wednesday 3.30 - 4.30 in E1 until 19th December Top Tips Watch the news, read newspapers and a range of non-fiction such as autobiographies. Re-read your set texts: ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘An Inspector Calls’ Practise analysing unseen poems Start revision early and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Sports Studies November 30th - 6 week training programme completion Feb 2015 - Analysis of performance exam March - Practical exam March 20th - All video evidence & log books to be handed May - PE Theory exam
in
Study sessions HC delivering Revision support in G2 - Monday lunchtime Art Club - Wednesday – (Lunchtimes also available) Textiles - Thursday 3:30- 4:30 Resistant Materials Controlled Assessment - after school sessions Weds and Thursday 3:30 to 4:30pm every week until Spring HT. Maths – Wednesday after school