Year 11 Parents Exam Preparatio n Information Evening

1. Year 11 Parents Exam Preparation Information Evening

2. The Aims of the evening… • To share the examination strategy for learning and revision with parents. • To look at the year 11 timetable for the next few months. • To enable parents to experience the revision support materials available in core subjects. • To explain how parents can support their child.

3. The strategy • Based on research into learning and brain science. • Last year tripled the amount of progress students made. • Has led to years of excellent outcomes in the Sixth Form. • Allowed students to make +0.8 of a grade progress on average which is significant nationally

4. How we learn & remember • When we initially learn something an ENGRAM or memory trace is created. • At first this is weak and, unless re-strengthened, is likely to die. • We learn & remember by repeatedly re-visiting the learning to strengthen the ENGRAM so we can recall it in the future. • We learn something when it moves from working memory into long term. In other words when the ENGRAM is strong.

5. If the engram is weak and the learning not re-visited regularly… Within 4 days 80% of learning that is not re-visited is lost in the “forgetting curve”

6. What creates poor ENGRAMS is likely to lead to poor performance… avoid • Revising by reading a book and doing nothing else. • Revising by making notes. • Distractions and a lack of attention on learning. • Only learning something once • and not re-visiting the knowledge • within 4 days. • Last minute cramming. • Poor sleep.

7. What creates effective ENGRAMS which improves performance… • Learning knowledge by memorising, writing out, drawing out, explaining. • Re-visiting and re-testing the knowledge learnt more than once and definitely within 4 days. • Avoiding distractions. • Drawing symbols/pictures to explain • the information. • Spaced revision practiceand • learning over a long period of time.

8. LEARN THE KNOWLEDGE (now and re-visit regularly) to make powerful ENGRAMS… • KNOWLEDGE ORGANISATION – PHASE 1 • Learn the knowledge organisers in detail. • THE REASON? • Knowledge builds on knowledge. • Without mastery of knowledge you cannot answer questions fully enough to achieve high grades. • Learning knowledge makes more neurological connections so you are growing intelligence. • You cannot understand the questions in the examination unless you have the basic knowledge. • WEBSITE>>>>KNOWLEDGE ORGANISERS

14. WHY DO WE NEED TO DO BRAIN TRAINING USING COGNITIVE CARDS? These strengthen the ENGRAM and ensure everything moves to long term memory.

15. Past paper completion Cognitive question cards Knowledge mastery

16. How can parents help? • Your son/daughter should be learning knowledge now. Help them to download the organisers. • Ensure they have their cognitive cards organised. You can test them using these at home. • Encourage them to avoid learning by reading/making notes alone. Instead ask them to draw out their knowledge (use symbols), explain it or write it without any aids. • Encourage them to work without distractions. • Ensure they re-learn and re-test the old knowledge every couple of days before building new knowledge. • Make sure they revise steadily from now. Cramming from March onwards will not help and causes more stress

17. Timetable to the exams • November 21st– Exam parents meeting. • January 9th – Year 11 mock examinations start. • February – Year 11 mock results day. • February 28th– Parents evening. • April 11th/12th– GCSE PE examinations. • April 15th– Easter Revision sessions. • April 26th– Coursework deadline. • May 10th– Year 11 leavers’ Mass • May 13th– GCSE examinations start. • June 17th– GCSE examinations cease. • June 21st– Year 11 Prom. 6 weeks to mock examinations. 25 weeks to GCSE examinations. We can avoid this!!!