Presentation from the Power to Perform evening at Countesthorpe Leysland Community College on Wednesday 13th February 2019

2. Purpose of the evening
To find out
about the
next few
months
To gain
some advice
on revising
particular
subjects
To find out
ways you
can help
To collect
free
revision
packs

3. First November Mock First March Mock First proper GCSE
12th November 2018 4th March 2019 7th May 2019

4. What are we doing to help students prepare?
Mock exams
(round 2)
Period 6
sessions
(Core)
After school
revision
Boys
mentoring
programme
Re-organising
registration
time
Programme of
assemblies
Revision
rooms
Revision
programme
Exam
Preparation
Programme
Easter
Revision
Programme
Providing the
right
resources

5. Year 11:
Key Dates
2018-2019
10th September Anti-regression testing for Y11 this week
8th October Latest performance and effort sent to parents this week (1)
29th October Sixth Form Taster Sessions
1st November Sixth Form Open Evening
12th November Mock examinations (two weeks)
13th December Y11 Mock Examination Results Day
13th December Y11 Parents' Evening - results and latest effort given out at the evening (2)
13th December Post mock intervention cycle begins
29th January Sixth Form Interviews
13th February
Parents' Workshop evening: Power to Perform: PiXL Endurance strategies to support the final
straight!
4th March Y11 March Mocks in English, Maths, Science +
18th March Y11 Tutor Groups altered. Extra Revision time created
1st April Latest performance and effort sent to parents this week (3)
15th, 16th, 17th April Easter Revison sessions at College
2nd May Y11 Rewards Evening
April, May, June
Walking Talking Mocks, Intensive Revision Days, Hot Tips before exams. Students have
personalised support timetables. Sessions are compulsory.
7th May Written Public Examinations begin (until end of June)
24th May Leaving Assembly (following last exam before half term)
27th June Y11 Prom
22nd August GCSE Results Day

6. English
Language
English
Literature
GCSE PE Maths
Science Geography History
Business
Studies
Media
Studies
Further
Maths
Drama

7. PiXL Independence & Endurance
Resources
• Link: https://students.pixl.org.uk
PiXL School Number: 205216
Password: Indep73

10. 15th – 17th April 2019
Details to follow….

11. Useful information
Exam Timetable Exam Conduct Booklet

12. Exam Preparation Programme Information

14. How can you help your child
and prepare them to
perform?
1. Being a role model
2. Help them set goals
3. Keep them active
4. Healthy eating
5. Time out
6. Sleep patterns
7. Unplugging
8. Staying cool & calm
9. Belief
10.Be supportive
Each day you can
support your child to
make choices which can
impact how they
perform during the exam
period

15. Work at home is key …
Students spend:
• 15% of their time at school
• 85% of their time at home
• Revision needs to be done at home.

16. Preferred
Revision
Techniques

17. Don’t forget to collect
your stationery pack
after your last
workshop.

19. Penelope
Yr 12 Student studying Geography, English Literature,
Psychology and EPQ.

20. GCSEs
• English Literature 8
• English Language 8
• Maths 7
• Double Science 76
• REP 8
• Geography 8
• History 7
• Music 7
• French 7

21. What helped me the most?
• Maths: After school sessions and practice papers.
• French: Duolingo and after school sessions.
• Science: Primrose Kitten and practice papers.

22. Walking Talking Mocks
• Your son/daughter will have the opportunity to go
to WTMs in many of their subjects.
• During a WTM, you are in exam based conditions
whilst a teacher goes through a practice paper.
• Through this, you learn how to structure exam
questions and makes you feel more comfortable in
the exam room.
• MAKE SURE YOUR SON/DAUGHTER ATTENDS
THESE! THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT!

23. Things I wish I had known earlier:
• It is not just about the knowledge – it’s learning
what the examiner wants you to put.
• Maths and Science - put down any working out or
an equation as it may get you a mark.
• Plan your answers for essays in the first 5 minutes
of the exam e.g English Literature and History.

24. Why I chose to go to the 6th
Form at CLCC?
• Small class size
• Support from all staff
• The teachers already know you and
your ability
• Lots of resources e.g laptops
• Different facilities to do your work
• Local

25. Georgia: Revision Strategies Leaflet
At GCSE:
English Language: 9
English Literature: 9
Maths: 9
RE: 9
Combined Science: 9
History: 9
Computer Science: 9
Art: 9
Textiles: A*
Further Maths: B
Now Taking:
Psychology
English Literature
Maths
Why I stayed:
- Familiar with the teachers
- Excellent pastoral support
- Standard of A-Level results
- Small cohort so teachers know you

26. Revise in a place away from your phone so you aren’t
distracted by it. Then when you have breaks from revision:
move rooms, use your phone and have a snack to clearly
distinguish between revising and having a break. This makes
your actual revision periods more productive
For science and maths: the YouTube channels
‘Science and Maths by Primrose Kitten’, ‘free science
lessons’ and ‘exam solutions’ are useful for explaining
things you do not understand. Past papers and mark
schemes are essential revision: do several, find common
mistakes you make and then use revision guides to
revise these areas
For remembering poetry: Don’t try and remember the whole poem.
Print a fresh version of each poem (or rewrite it to aid memory),
annotate it from your anthology, your own notes and from YouTube
videos (Mr Bruff is amazing). Then pick a few lines or phrases which
you have the most to talk about and put them on a cue card to revise
them.
Avoid distractions: at the start of the day get all your papers,
laptop, pens, highlighters, snacks and drinks ready so you can
have periods of uninterrupted revision.
For science subjects: write cue cards from your revision guide
and ask your family to run through the whole set with you, first
in order and then in random orders (so you avoid remembering
the order rather than the actual information on them). Keep any
cards that you have struggled with to one side and run over
them again until you recall them right. Come back to these
repeatedly. This is also good night-before revision.
Have your evenings off- wake up at 8 or 9 and spend the day
revising (with breaks!) then allow at least an hour in the
evening before you go to bed to wind down- this will prevent
stressing as you try to go to sleep.
Use half terms and weekends effectively- don’t delay revision
(but still have some days off!). Set yourself a daily target of
what you want to cover
Mind map techniques (for history/ geography/ REP/
computer science/ IT etc.): make A2 mind maps that fit
everything from one topic on them (e.g. 1 mind map for
Crime and Punishment, another for Nazi Germany).
Highlight dates in one colour, key names in another and
details in a third.
Fill the mind map by running through the revision guide
a page at a time. Make sure each new subtitle of the
mind map is a separate section/ page in the revision
guide so when you get into the exam, and you see a
topic come up in a question you can visualise that area
of the mind map.
Nearer the exam: reduce each section of the mind map
down to an A4 page, keeping key details/dates. Closer to
the exam, reduce this to one cue card with only the most
important points on.
For English Literature: For those wanting to achieve higher levels,
create a cue card of terminology which sounds fancy (and that you
know the meaning of!) and try to use these in essays.
For English books/ plays: create mind maps for key themes and
characters. Highlight your quotes in different colours. Create cue
cards with one quote per side on them- test yourself/ get others to
test you
Have a list of all the equations you need for physics or maths and
ask your family to test you over and over until you get them right.
Formula triangles and weird mnemonics work well. The weirder= the
more memorable.
It has been shown that listening to music with lyrics can have a
negative effect on memory for word- based subjects (but for maths it
is ok) If you still want to listen to music choose instrumentals
Don’t set yourself time targets (e.g by 11:00 I will have my break).
Instead set yourself content targets (‘when I have finished this mind
map I will break’) This way you can’t dilly-dally and avoid revision
For parents: be there to support, motivate and comfort
in equal measure.
Take a step back: try your absolute hardest but understand
that ultimately this doesn’t determine your life Teach people/ talk about the topics you have covered. This will aid
your memory of them
REVISION TIPS

27. Luke
Year 13 student currently
studying PE, Biology and
Psychology at A-level

28. My Grades:
GCSE
• English literature: 7
• English language: 5
• Maths: 5
• Media: B
• PE: B
• Biology: B
• Physics: B
• Chemistry: C
• History: D
• Religious Studies: E
A-level (mock results)
• Biology: D
• PE: C
• Psychology: C

29. My Aspirations
• Reaching my target grades of three C’s (hopefully
exceed them)
• Then continue my education to university studying
sports therapy

30. Why I stayed on at A-level at CLCC
• High standard
• Great teaching staff
• Close to home
• Familiar

31. My strategies for
revision

32. Subject Workshops
6.30pm Subject workshop 1
English
Ms Lancini
G5C
Maths
Mrs Wiles
G6C
Science
Mrs Fox & Mrs
Hayes
G4C
Geography
Mr Knight
G1C
History
Mrs Fullthorpe
G2C
Business Studies
Mr Lee
G3C
6.55pm Subject workshop 2
7.20pm Subject workshop 3
7.40pm
Evening finishes.
Don’t forget to collect your child’s stationery pack.

33. Mind maps
• Mind Mapping has helped students across the
world change the way they make notes, improve
their memory and prioritise information.

34. Why are mind maps better than
just taking notes?
• Writing notes in list form
forces you to isolate pieces of
information and so you are
less able to make connections
between ideas.
• Creativity is not excited by
linear lines of text. Ideas
written in this way are hard to
read, and you don’t look
forward to reviewing your
notes.

35. What is Mind Mapping?
• A Mind Map is
visual map of ideas
laid out in a radial
format around a
central thought.
• To use Mind
Mapping for study,
simply take the
central subject and
then organise
notes around this
point.

36. What are the benefits of mind mapping while studying?
• They appeal to our senses with visual elements – images,
colours and curved branches all help in remembering notes.
• By noting only key words vital study time is saved. This
ensures recall of the most important information.
• Ideas are generated simply by making the mind map. The
brain actively makes links between ideas, adds connections,
puts thoughts in order and generates further creative ideas.
• Our brain responds to mind mapping as it replicates the
natural thinking process.

37. Cue cards
A revision tool that fits snugly into your
pocket - the humble cue card.

38. Why are cue cards useful?
• They may just be a
rectangular square of
card but they can work
wonders for revision.
• This revision tool is
ideal to help students
remember vocabulary,
specific terminology,
statistics or short facts.

39. Keep It Short and Sweet!
• When learning vocabulary or terminology simply write one word
clearly on each card. More information needs to be kept as
simple and as clear as possible.
• It might be that one word can represent a whole sentence. This
will save time and helps build connections in the brain.
• Details should be kept to a minimum.
• The card is a visual aid. Learners who consult the cards
frequently in the run up to the exam find they are able to
visualise the card in the exam and recall the information.

40. They can be transformed into card
games or testing aids.
• To learn vocabulary or terminology write the word that is to
be learnt on one side of a card and a translation or
explanation of it on the reverse. Thus, the meaning is
understood and the word itself is remembered.
• In trying to remember longer facts, statistics and arguments,
look at the card, then hide it away. Try to recall all that was
written on it. Afterwards, it can be used to check recall.
• Cards can be given to a friend or family member and asking
them to devise test questions. Being put on the spot before
the exam will exercise the mind and prepare for the big day.

41. Cue cards are small and simple
but can be incredibly useful.
• They are the perfect
way to massage the
memory and can also
inspire confidence.
• Flicking through a few
very simple flash cards
in the moments before
an exam means
entering the exam hall
feeling positive and
prepared.

42. Using past papers and mark
schemes
Past Papers are great because they give guideline
of what to expect. It is unlikely that the exact
same question will ever come up twice they help
to prepare the student for how questions are
phrased.

43. Questions can be intimidating
• Sometimes it can seem as though
examiners are trying to catch
candidates out. But really they
aren’t.
• It is important to de-construct the
question, make a list of key and
command words that come up. For
example in some subjects students
will be asked to compare, contrast,
explain or evaluate. It is essential
to go into the exam knowing what
this means.

45. Using past papers …
• Students may not feel like they want to actually answer any of the past paper
questions. With so many actual exams around the corner they may feel a bit
stifled by the idea.
• But there is use in sitting a practice mock exam and using the mark scheme as a
learning tool.
• This helps iron out common mistakes, consolidate learning and learn key terms
and the way questions are asked.

47. Don’t break the chain
• Jerry Seinfeld, who created the hit
US show ‘Seinfeld’, used to use the
‘Seinfeld Strategy’ (also known as
the ‘don’t break the chain’ strategy)
to form effective habits.
• This strategy is all about deliberately
practising a skill each day until it
becomes a habit.

48. How could this help
even if you don’t want
to write a hit TV series?
Simple - complete a
DTT form for one area
of weakness each day,
every day and mark it
on your calendar and
keep the evidence in a
folder.