Year 12 Parents’ Information Evening 18 th March 2014

1. Year 12 Parents’ Information Evening18th March 2014 Katherine Anderson: Head of Year 12 Kiersten Best: Director of Post-16

2. Preparing for Examinations Take yourselves back to when you were preparing for your driving test. What steps did you have to take to ensure that you would pass .....

3. Here are some of the things we thought about: • Lots of practice – with professionals but also with others (family members, friends, etc). • It’s okay to make mistakes while support is in place. Learn from mistakes. • Not reliant on the “never mind, I can take it again .....” mentality because it’s too costly. • Seeing the goal increases intrinsic motivation. • Breaking things into blocks and building up. • Working hardest on the things that are most challenging. • Know what you can do and then what you need to do next. • Support to get better – all environments. • Vary ways to build confidence. • Manage circumstances – cope with the stress of the test. • Share and unpick the criteria for passing.

4. Examinations • An examination is only an opportunity to “show what you know”. • Study leave date: Friday 9th May 2013 • Only 26 school days to go! • Preparing for exams needs to be focused and SMART.

5. Make a revision timetable There are now less than 9 weeks until your exams. How ready are you? • Make a checklist of topics and subtopics • Traffic light the topics NO IDEA, OK, CONFIDENT • Use a revision timetable to identify when you can revise. Remember to mark on lessons, work/voluntary commitments, relaxation time. • You could use a paper revision guide like the one provided or you could produce one online and keep it on your phone etc! • Divide up the content you need to revise into the time available. Spread out NO IDEA, OK, CONFIDENT wisely. • Remember you have more time in the Easter holiday/half term to cover more content. • Give yourself time to REVISIT each topic during the revision programme. • You should spend 20 hours per subject

6. Plan

7. Make sure you are ‘actively’ revising – don’t just re-read your notes There are many different revision activities you can use and some will suit different learners. Think about how you best learn and you may find that a good starting point for identifying how best to revise. Of course it goes without saying that if your revision strategies made you successful at GCSE you don’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel – just make sure they are appropriate for the subjects being studied now!

8. If you learn best by talking, discussing or listening try … • Discussing topics with others • Taking verbal quizzes from others • Teaching others challenging topics • Listening to relevant radio /TV programmes • Recording material onto phone/MP3 player and listen to it instead of music!

9. If you learn best by doing, moving or exploring try … • Tracing important words and diagrams in the air • Using revision cards and stick post-it notes around the house • Remember facts by thinking about where you learnt them • Explore the web.

10. If you learn best by looking, drawing reading and writing try … • Reading books and notes • Using mind-maps • Watching appropriate TV shows and videos • Use PowerPoint presentations (you could ask your teachers for ones used in class) • Learn diagrammatical explanations.

11. Prepare GET information. SHAPE it to make it memorable. PLACE it somewhere familiar. REVIEW it regularly.

12. PHYSICS / GEOGRAPHY ENERGY SOLAR POWER Solar Power Advantages: No Pollution Disadvantages: Expensive initially limited sunshine limited energy GET SHAPE What are the advantages of solar power? What are the disadvantages of solar power? PLACE REVIEW

13. ‘Champions are not born, they are made’. Past-papers Working with past papers: • check which exam board and paper you will sit. • plan your answers to questions. • unpick the questions – identify the trigger words and ‘translate’ them. • look at the past papers against mark schemes and examiner reports. • practice under examination conditions. • get feedback from teachers.

14. Reports • Year 12 reports have just been written and will be with you in time for Pupil Mentoring Day on Thursday 3rd April. • The attainment grade is not the mock exam but the mock combined with other assessments. • Attainment grades should be close to ALPS targets or could be higher! • A higher performance at the end of Year 12 could lead to higher predictions in Year 13.

15. Research shows that we remember …

16. Looking forward... • All AS grades will have to be recorded e.g. UCAS forms. • UCAS is the central body through which all students make applications to British Universities. • Achievement at the end of Year 12 in all courses will shape your future. • Year 13 Parents information evening – applying to university Wed 25th June 7pm • Parent and student surgery – writing personal statement. Mon 7th July 5pm

17. Making Yourself Marketable • How are you shining above everyone else? • What proof do you have of an interest in or passion for something? • What experiences? • What voluntary work? • How do you plan to use your summer holiday?

18. Contacts katherine.anderson@st-pauls.org.uk Head of Year 12 kiersten.best@st-pauls.org.uk Director of Post-16 learning and progress Arianne.mcintyre@st-pauls.org.uk Learning Mentor and Chaplaincy support