PARENT POWER YEAR 11 NOVEMBER 2014 TOM DORE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL PAUL JACKSONJEREMY MASSON HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOLHEAD OF YEAR 11

POINT NORTH

WHAT IS TONIGHT ALL ABOUT?  Understanding the Year 11 Vision  Revision Matters (How to Revise Effectively)  Mindset Matters (How are you approaching your revision)  Setting achievable goals  Taking the next step

YEAR 11 VISION THE 4 CORE VALUES  Motto “If we aim for success, we hit excellence”  Slogan “REACH (respond, engage, achieve and climb higher)”  Steps to Success  Targets 50% A*-C including English and Maths 100% A*-G passes

THE PLEDGE….. Staff Pledge: All academy staff have made a pledge to Year 11 stating how they intend to support them in these last few important months. Student Pledge: Students will tomorrow make their own pledge to both themselves and the year group as a whole stating what they will do to achieve their own personal success. Read what your teachers have pledged to your son/daughters…..

GUESS THE NUMBER…

REACHING THE SUMMIT What will it take to reach the summit? What got you here (base camp) might not get you to the summit

Key to successful revision: Right conditions – Quiet? Music? Water? No TV & No FB! Well planned revision timetable – no last minute panics. Regular breaks – still plan time for hobbies. Incentives – rewards are allowed. REVISION MATTERS With regular, well planned revision starting now, your son or daughter will achieve and exceed their target grades this summer. Without regularly revisiting their work, they will not perform to the best of their abilities.

REVISION TECHNIQUES  Different revision techniques work for different people. The student must find the strategies that work best for them. Simply reading over their notes is not revising. They need to do something with the information. Prompt cards Mind maps Post it notes Summary tables & grids Practise using command words – describe, explain, analyse, discuss Teach someone else Memory games

Ideal for: Remembering details and links between topics Using Mind Maps will help you to revise a whole topic. The mind map below not only is a great example but it gives you details of what makes an effective revision mind map. Key Ideas: Lots of colour and no straight lines Landscape not portrait, it’s how your brain really works

The ‘Iceberg’ Approach (not the lettuce) When you are writing your revision cards, remember that one piece of information can link to a whole lot more- like an iceberg. Only a tiny part is above the surface, while there is lots and lots below. Make sure that you are able to remember all of the other information as well as the key facts. Ideal for: Remembering details Using Prompt Cards will allow you to turn all of your written work into handy pocket sized notes. The key to this is to keep the relevant information on one card. Key Ideas: Make notes, not whole sentences Use colour and highlighters for important bits Group all the similar information together

REVISION TIMETABLE A revision timetable will help your son or daughter plan their time and achieve the most - avoid last minute panics and cramming. Be honest & realistic – do they work best in the mornings, afternoons or evenings?. Plan in breaks for regular hobbies. Incentivise & reward. Keep each session between 45 – 60 minutes max

REVISION MATERIALS/BOOKS Each student has been issued with a ‘GCSE Study Skills’ book which contains a range of different revision strategies including for each subject area. Subject specific revision guides are available – the heads of each department can advise you which ones to buy.

WEEKLY EXAM REVISION TIPS…. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER. Practicing past exam questions are a priority when doing your own revision. Mr Moloney Geography

REACHING THE SUMMIT What will it take to reach the summit? What got you here (base camp) might not get you to the summit

MINDSET MATTERS BE OPEN MINDED…… Students with open mindsets are likely to…… Embrace Challenge (rather than avoid) Persist in the face of setbacks (not give up easily) See effort as the path to success Learn from criticism (rather than ignore useful feedback) Find lessons and inspiration in the success of others.

MINDSET MATTERS BE OPEN MINDED…… Encouraging positive mindsets at home is crucial…… Turn a negative ‘rant’ into a learning opportunity Actively question your son/daughter about their learning Help students to reflect on how they can move forward Praise the thinking/learning process

KEY DATES THIS TERM  11 th November – 1 st Football Studies (Boys) Trials 5.45pm -8pm  12 th November 5pm – 7.30pm – Open event at Reading College  25 th November 6pm – 8pm – 2 nd Football Studies (Boys) Trials  26 th November Parents Forum  1 st December 6pm – 8pm– 1 st Football Studies (Girls) Trials  W/C 1 st December Year 11 Mock Exam week  3 rd December 6.30pm - 8pm– Academy Aspire Awards Evening  W/C 8 th December – Mock Exam catch up week  19 th December – End of Term

POST 16 PATHWAYS WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NEXT?

POST 16 – WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? Full-time academic or vocational courses at a school/academy sixth form, FE or sixth form college, or training provider An apprenticeship or other work based learning route Employment (self’ or ‘employed’) or Volunteering with Training.

POST 16 PATHWAYS

POST 16 CHOICES FOR UNIVERSITY COURSES ACCOUNTANCY Applied Business Maths ART & DESIGN Art Product Design IT / Media DRAMA English Drama EDUCATION (Teacher Training) Specific A Level relevant to subject for Primary or Secondary HISTORY History English Government & Politics Sociology MEDICINE Biology Chemistry Maths NURSING Biology Health & Social Care Sociology PSYCHOLOGY Biology / Science Psychology Sociology SPORT SCIENCE / PE Biology Chemistry PE Psychology SOCIOLOGY Sociology Psychology Geography

THE JOHN MADEJSKI ACADEMY POST 16 ENTRY CRITERIA  4 x A levels7+ GCSE A* - B (inc Eng & Maths)  3 x A levels 5+ GCSE A* - B (inc Eng & Maths) (also depends on achievement in separate units)  BTEC Level 35+ GCSE A* - C(inc Eng and / or Maths)  BTEC Level 27+ GCSE A* - E  GCSE English & Maths resit compulsory if you achieve less than a C GCSE

Important Dates Post 16 Subject Presentation AssembliesDecember 2014 Students are introduced to Post 16 options through a series of presentations in Year 11 assemblies. Post 16 Open EveningJanuary 2015 Information and guidance evening including a Sixth Form Course Fayre and visiting external organisations. A presentation about Post 16 Choices. For both JMA and external students Post 16 Taster Day January 2015 This day is dedicated to Year 11 pupils choosing their potential Post 16 subjects and work with numerous external agencies to prepare for employment and training Sixth form application form deadlineFebruary 2015 Sixth form application form to be submitted through the JMA website JMA Sixth Form Guidance Meetings March 2015 Parents and students have the opportunity to discuss the Post 16 choices in context of student aspirations with Academy staff. Specific sixth form application support also available.