Why you are about to become the most important people in the school

What happens two weeks from now? GCSEs start for the year 11s… …which means that it will be exactly one year until your GCSEs start

How will we help you to prepare for GCSEs? Mock exams in the hall in December Walking-talking mocks Workshops and assemblies on how to revise Period 6 Silent study Mentors Resources on class charts and the school website Year 10 exams

Year 10 exams – an opportunity to be grasped Give you the opportunity to become familiar with doing exams in the hall Give you the opportunity to find out if you are currently doing enough work to get the grades you want Give you the opportunity to find out which revision techniques work best for you Give you the opportunity to commit to long term memory the first half of your GCSE course

Year 10 exams – when do they happen? Run in the hall from Tuesday the 12th of June to Thursday the 28th of June Art exam: Wednesday 23rd May MFL speaking exams: 7th and 8th of June

Year 10 exams – what is expected? Always have 2 black pens, a pencil, ruler, rubber Do I need a calculator? maths, science, business studies, geography, others? Morning exams: find your seat on the plan, wait in the canteen Afternoon exams: find your seat on the plan, line up in the maths/RE corridor for a 2 o’clock start Most exams are in the hall. Some groups will use the drama studio or a classroom Enter in silence: clear pencil case, no phones or electronic devices, no labels on bottles, no watches, no lids on calculators

Year 10 exams – how do I prepare? Later this term, you will receive your exam timetable from your form tutor – but it is already on the school website Find out from your teachers: What will be assessed in each paper? What sort of questions will there be? Do I need a calculator or other special equipment? What are the most important areas to learn or revise? What resources are available to me?

Year 10 exams – how do I plan my revision? Your exams start 7 weeks tomorrow That gives 42 days, if you work 6 days each week Most of you do 9 subjects If you spent just half an hour per day on revision, that would give you 2 hours revision time for each exam plus an additional 3 hours to give to the subjects that are most important for you …if you start now

Year 10 exams – keys to successful revision Find somewhere quiet to work (computer rooms in school) Find a regular time to work Choose how to revise: Use the specification – highlight the bits you don’t know Make mindmaps, or revision cards, or bullet point notes Keep reviewing your notes – or get someone to test you on them Always aim to reduce your notes Practise on past papers or questions from a workbook Get started

Year 10 exams – what to avoid Time stealers Revising in front of the tv or where people distract you Revising the bits I already know Copying out the revision guide Leaving it to the last minute and then trying to cram Thinking “I’ll see how well I do without any revision”