1. Welcome to The GCSE Support Parent Evening

2. Welcome to the GCSE Support Parent Evening
On entry, you will have received either a gold or a blue plan for the evening.
Gold is Group A:
You will be in the Main Hall first for English & Maths and then move around to other subjects.
Blue is Group B:
You will visit other subjects first, then move to the Main Hall for English & Maths at 6.10 p.m.
Groupings are to ease movement around C block across the course of the evening, we kindly ask that you stick to your allocated group.

3. Why Have We Asked You Here This Evening?
We are hoping that we will be able to provide you with:
An understanding of how best to help your son/daughter with revision in key subjects
A brief insight into some key revision strategies that you could encourage your son/daughter to try
An idea about the way in which the GCSE exam season works and some key advice for navigating it successfully

4. How Do I Help My Son/Daughter with Revision in Key Subjects?
The lead teachers in key subjects are here tonight to offer you advice and guidance
The revision booklets are a good source of information
Individual subjects produce subject revision guides
Subject teachers will recommend the best revision guides

5. Which Revision Strategies Should I Encourage My Son/Daughter to Try?

6. GCSE Revision for Parents
Revision Planning
Memory
Psychological research suggests that:
When we learn something, we rapidly forget much of it.
When we re-visit something we’ve learned repeatedly, we remember it better.
An Example of Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve
SMS to present
Effective revision of the knowledge and skills covered in lessons is, therefore, crucial to exam success.

7. GCSE Revision for Parents
Revision Planning
Which revision strategies work best?
SMS to present
Learning Techniques and their Effectiveness: Dunlosky (2013)
Research has identified that some revision strategies are more effective than others. We need to ensure students are using the most effective methods when they sit down to revise.

8. GCSE Revision for Parents
Distributed Practice [Practice over Time]
Vs.
Mass Practice [Cramming]
Cramming the week or night before an exam is not effective
Regular revision sessions, spaced out over a long period of time, are the most successful.
The more detailed or complex the information you are trying to remember, the longer the period of time needed.
It does not matter which of the revision techniques are used - distributed practice works well for them all.
SMS to present

9. GCSE Revision for Parents
Interleaved Practice [Revising several topics in chunks]
Vs.
Block Practice[Revising one topic at a time]
Rather than revising in ‘topic blocks’ it’s better to chunk these topics up in your revision programme and interleave them.
Block Practice
SMS to present
Interleaved
Practice

10. GCSE Revision for Parents
Revision Techniques
There are a range of techniques students can use when revising – some are effective and others less so.
Techniques to avoid:
Highlighting text
Re-reading notes
Summarising
These are not effective because:
Challenge is low
Little thinking is required
Gives a false sense of achievement
SMS to present

11. GCSE Revision for Parents
Revision Techniques
The most effective techniques students can use to aid their revision are:
Flashcards
Mnemonics
Interrogation [asking why?]
Floria [hooks]
Mind Maps
PQRST [Preview, Question, Read, Say, Test]
Past Papers
Study buddying
SMS to present but MHJ to talk about ‘Study Buddying’
You will have an opportunity to try some of these techniques this evening by attending
Mrs Bellers session in C2.

12. How Does the Exam Season Work?
Students will be issued with an individual statement of entry a few weeks before the exams begin – this needs to be checked carefully.

13. Checking the Statement of Entry
It is crucial to check:
Your child’s name is spelt correctly
The exams they have been entered for are correct
You and your child know exactly what day each exam is on and when they start . . . . .

14. Y11 Pre-Public Exams [PPEs]
GCSE Revision for Parents
Y11 Pre-Public Exams [PPEs]
These run from Monday 5th November – Friday 16th November 2018.
They are a practice run for the final GCSE exams in May & June 2019.
They mimic the actual GCSE exam period as far as possible.
This means that:
Students will sit for GCSE past papers in most subjects
The exam timetable will resemble the summer exam timetable
Students will sit all of the PPE exams under formal exam conditions
They will have study leave and will not be expected to be in school unless they have an exam
The exams may extend beyond the normal school day
The results matter – they will be used, or will influence, the likely results we give on any reference request we receive prior to publication of the final exam results

15. GCSE Revision for Parents
GCSE Exams – Summer 2019
The examination period for the practical elements of GCSE exams begins in March 2019 and runs through to May 2019.
Scheduled to date:
GCSE Art Exam Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th May
GCSE Languages Speaking Exams – the window for the summer 2019 series is Monday1st April – Friday17th May 2019
Students will be advised of the exact timings of these exams, and any other practical exams, by their class teachers.
The examination period for the written elements of GCSE exams begin on the 13th May and runs through until the end of June 2019.
Contingency Day – Wednesday 26th June 2019
This day has been set aside by JCQ (Joint Qualifications Council) for all centres as a contingency measure should an exam been disrupted by a national incident such the tragic events of last summer at Manchester Arena & Grenfell Tower.

16. GCSE Revision for Parents
The Countdown to GCSEs
How many weeks to go?
PPEs
There is 1 school week until the PPE exams [2 including the half-term holiday].
GCSEs
There are 23 school weeks until the first written exams [29 weeks including the school holidays]
MHJ to refer to the Y11 GCSE Examination Programme 2016 Booklet
Revision needs to begin now

17. GCSE Revision for Parents
The Countdown to GCSEs
How do we know what they should be revising?
Exam Booklets
There is an exam booklet for PPEs and there will be another one for GCSEs.
Students have the PPE one already and there is a copy on the website.
The booklets contain subject information, the exam timetable, revision tips and revision planners.
MHJ to refer to the Y11 GCSE Examination Programme 2016 Booklet

18. Extra Revision and Interventions
GCSE Revision for Parents
Extra Revision and Interventions
Timetabled and directed ‘topic-based’ sessions
Monday – Humanities/Science
Wednesday – Maths
Thursday – English
Friday - Languages
Not the only sessions.
Breakfast/Lunchtime clubs.
Staff giving up their own time.
This needs to be remembered by students attending.
MHJ to refer to the Y11 GCSE Examination Programme 2016 Booklet