Supporting your child with GCSE examinations A parent and carer’s guide to GCSE examinations.

Help your child to… Get the most out of revision. Get better results. Avoid panic or stress during exams.

Where to find support? In order to help your child do their very best in their exams, you might like to consider the following. All of these are explained on our revision website Click on “useful links” “Study skills”

Do they know what to revise? Each pupil has a copy of the exam timetable Have you seen it? Each pupil has individual entry forms highlighting the day and time of exam Each pupil has a planner. The topics they find most difficult should be revised first.See example They need to plan revision to time with day of examination. Eg. Psychology last examination, concentrate that revision later in your programme

Revision Primary and recency The Brain works best around 30minutes active revision followed by a break Pupils will remember facts at the start of session and at the end but forget large chunks in the middle. So 3 sessions for 30 minutes are better than one long session. The Brain

Make revision Active Encourage them to mind map High light key words Make up rhymes Make up Mnemonics Test them Mind maps Use the school revision site Make use of different learning styles SEA Statement Evidence Analysis

Are they practising past exam questions? Help them prepare to answer past exam questions Agree appropriate time per question Start and end the session Completing full, well structures answers is a key to positive examination success. Exams will always be stressful but doing small timed tasks at home gets the brain use to this type of stress.

Help them Manage their health Eat healthy brain food (e.g. bananas) Drink water Have a cut off point in the evening to allow rest and recovery! Build in relaxation time Begin revision early to avoid build up of stress.

If your child is nervous during examination period Talk over trigger points Plan sensible revision programme with breaks and rewards Change their routine before the examination. Avoid discussing exam that morning Check they have the correct equipment Try meditation, or listening to calming music

Are they attending extra classes? Every department offers a comprehensive revision programme after school and some Saturday mornings Ask to see this timetable and agree sensible timetable to support their needs Click “Revision programme”

Good questions to ask How?What if?Why? How was this similar to…? What else might happen if…? Why did this happen? Can you predict…? Could this have happened another way…? Is it right to…? Is it wrong to? What is a possible solution to…? Can you give me another example of…? How would you feel if…?

By asking the right kind of questions… You can get your child to think about a topic in more depth You can get them to teach you something new You can boost their self esteem

The learning environment at home Provide a quiet, comfortable, well-lit place to study, with a dictionary, pens and paper Feed them nutricious food and drink Make sure they get enough sleep Get them outside for fresh air and exercise Help them get the balance right between work and play