do more, be more! contact details - wilmslow high school
TRANSCRIPT
Contact Details
Reception:01625 526191
Attendance:01625 441089
Sixth FormAttendance:01625 441070
Second handuniform shop:07807 070468
Community Liaison:01625 444159
School lettings:01625 441053
High Noteshighnotes@wilmslow high.cheshire.sch.uk
@wilmslowhigh
wilmslowhigh.com
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Thursday 28th April 2016
Do More, Be More!
As the examination season approaches, students in Year 11, 12 and 13 will be thinking about how they can best use their time in order to maximise performance.
This examination special issue of High Notes: ‘High Performance’, has been put together as an additional source of reference, advice and guidance for students and parents.
We have taken the opportunity to collate relevant information for external examinations; hopefully this issue will reinforce the messages that have been given by staff in lessons and assemblies over the past few months.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATIONTHURSDAY 26TH MAY IS YOUR LAST ‘SCHOOL’ DAY
Year 11 study leaveAs you may be aware, Year 11 students are no longer granted formal study leave in line with new statutory guidance. However, a significant number of GCSE examinations will be taking
place before the half term break. For further details, and the full GCSE examination timetable, please see the school website www.wilmslowhigh.com
Students will therefore be expected to attend school until Thursday 26th May and will continue with normal timetabled lessons until this date. We are unable to grant permission for study leave before this time. After half term (week commencing 6th June) students can revise at
home and are only required to attend school to sit examinations or organised revision sessions.
Introducing Exam ThursdaysWe know that for some of our students exam nerves, or poor exam technique, can get in the way of their performance on the day. Therefore, in the run up to the exam season we are putting on Exam Thursdays.
These are an opportunity for Year 11, 12 and 13 students who want it, to get more exam practice before the real thing by booking themselves in for an extra exam. Students can do this on as few or as many of the Exam Thursdays as they wish.
If your son or daughter is interested in using Exam Thursdays in any of their subjects, they need to speak to their subject teacher.
Exam Thursday dates available:
Wednesday 4th MayThursday 12th MayThursday 19th MayThursday 26th May
DO YOU NEED SOME EXAM PRACTICE?
Page 1 Do More, Be More!Page 2 Exam practice sessionsPage 3 Do’s and Don’ts on the dayPage 4 Clinics/ Exam preparation sessionsPage 6 PrintWorks
Page 7 The Importance of PracticePage 8 There is no ‘right’ way to revisePage 9 Free study toolsPage 10 Revision tipsPage 13 Maximise your revision timePage 14 What the research says
WHAT’S INSIDE..
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✓ read the letter that came with your exam timetable and make sure your parents/ carers get to see it as well. Click here to see the letter: http://tinyurl.com/hs89tjf
✓ put all your exams into the calendar on your phone/ computer/ fridge/ noticeboard - make absolutely certain that you know when your exams are
✓ plan to sleep well before exams (some ideas here http://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/exam-blog-7-sleep-exams/ )
✓ allow plenty of time for getting to school in the morning; being stuck in traffic is not a good start to a difficult day
✓ leave your bag with your form tutor and leave your phone and other valuables at home; we’re sorry but we have no secure way of storing them
✓ use the toilet before the exam; it will not be easy to go during an exam
✓ bring an unmarked copy of your exam timetable to each exam in your well stocked, transparent pencil case
✓ take off your watch and put it on the desk; otherwise we may have to stop you so that we can check you are not using a smart watch
✓ listen carefully to the instructions given by the lead invigilator
✓ check the front of the paper carefully to make sure it is the paper you are entered for, and the correct tier of entry (higher/ foundation)
✓ get in touch with school by phone if you are going to be late or you are not well enough to take the exam
✓ refer to the useful information about exams on the school website at http://www. wilmslowhigh.com/examinations/
IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER
DO...
take a phone or smart watch or similar into the exam venue, even if it is switched off and stays in your pocket: the consequences would be serious
take any notes or reference material in the exam in any form
write anything on your paper until told to do so
try to communicate with anyone in the exam hall other than an invigilator
do anything which puts off other candidates or gives you an unfair advantage
DON’T...
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Date Morning Afternoon After SchoolTuesday 3rd May GCSE drama practical
rehearsals/support sessions 12.45-13.15
Period 5 - 6 Business & Communications
GCSE drama practical rehearsals/support sessions 15.20-17.30GCSE English (higher) targetted questions Room 35 15.20-15.50
Wednesday 4th May GCSE drama practical rehearsals/support sessions 12.45-13.15
EXAM WEDNESDAYGCSE drama practical rehearsals/support sessions 15.20-17.30
Thursday 5th May GCSE drama practical rehearsals/support sessions 12.45-13.15
Period 5 - 6 11B Core PEPeriod 4 Mock maths exam (paper 1)
GCSE drama practical rehearsals/support sessions 15.20-17.30Media Studies drop-in sessions 15.20-17.00(Room 114)
Friday 6th May Period 5 - 611A Core PEPeriod 4 Mock maths exam (paper 1)
Monday 9th May GCSE English (higher) targetted questions Room 35 15.20-15.50
Tuesday 10th May GCSE English (higher) targetted questions Room 35 15.20-15.50
Thursday 12th May Period 5 - 611B Core PE Mock maths exam (paper 2)
EXAM THURSDAYMedia Studies drop-in sessions 15.20-17.00(Room 114)
Friday 13th Period 5 - 611A Core PEPeriod 4 Mock maths exam (paper 2)
Monday 16th May Period 5 - 6 French GCSE English (higher) targetted questions Room 35 15.20-15.50
Tuesday 17th May GCSE English (higher) targetted questions Room 35 15.20-15.50
Thursday 19th May Period 5 - 6 Spanish EXAM THURSDAYFriday 20th May PE Period 3 - 4 English LiteratureMonday 23rd May GCSE English (higher) targetted
questions Room 35 15.20-15.50Tuesday 24th May Period 3 - 4
GeographyYears 10 & 11Business Studies
GCSE English (higher) targetted questions Room 35 15.20-15.50
Wednesday 25th MathsThursday 26th May English Literature EXAM THURSDAY30th May to 3rd June (HALF TERM)
Science revision and mock exam
Monday 6th June English LanguageWednesday 8th June Maths preparationThursday 9th Biology RevisionWednesday 15th June Chemistry RevisionFriday 17th June Physics Revision
DON’T MISS THE EXAM PREPARATION SESSIONS
The following subjects are offering exam preparation sessions for students before their GCSEs
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� e PrintWorks shop and o� ce is conveniently situated next to the General O� ce, just near Reception and has been providing competitively priced high quality stationery to our students for 14 years.
We use our knowledge of the academic year, curriculum and student time table to create an extensive range of products which will assist our students achieve their potential and meet the high standards that Wilmslow High School expects.
Exam time can be especially stressful for our students and their parents. To help, PrintWorks o� ers an extensive range of discounted revision guides and many bespoke ‘teacher prepared’ revision packs.For a full price list please click here:http://www.wilmslowhigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Pricelist-12.4.16-1.jpg
Please nd below GCSE revision guides currently available from our shop:
Additional Science £4.00 Add. Science workbook £4.00 Chemistry £7.50Physics £7.50Biology £7.50History £4.00 Business Studies £4.00 Geography £4.75Geog. case study £0.75English (Higher/Foundation) £4.00 Spelling/punctuation/grammar £4.00 PE £6.00
Prepare to pass!
EXAM BUSTERS!
Clear Pencil Case
Compass
Eraser
ProtractorPen, pencil and ruler
Pencil sharpener
supersize for an extra 75P.includes a large clear pencil case, pen, pencil,
30cm ruler, sharpener, compass, eraser, glue and protractor
only £2.50 and includes all the following items:
Whether it’s GCSEs, mocks or internal assessments, everything you need in one pencil case!
BUSTERS!CRAM
Pack of p
rompt c
ards
2 docum
ent wallet
s
2 highli
ghters
NOW ONLY £2.50
YEAR 11 DISCOUNT VOUCHER!
PLEASE PRINT AND PRESENT THIS VOUCHER TO RECEIVE A 20%
DISCOUNT WHEN YOU SPEND OVER £5.00 ON STATIONERY OR REVISION
GUIDES ATPRINTWORKS
20% OFFValid until 13th May 2016
(offer open to Year 11 only)
OPENING TIMES:
8.30am - 4.30pmMonday to Friday
Term-time only
Parents welcome!
EQUIPMENT, REVISION GUIDES, REVISION PACKS ... GO TO PRINTWORKS!
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Prac%ce Makes Perfect
Year 11 @ Wilmslow High School
Strategy 1: Take Action
1. Have a revision 7metable 2. Review it every week – is it working? 3. Find out what interven7on sessions and
clinics are available 4. Go to them 5. Think hard in lessons and while you are
revising Don’t just talk about it
Strategy 2: Use the best strategies Top 3 Bo>om 3
Self Tes7ng Spreading out study
Elabora7ve interroga7on
Highligh7ng Re-‐reading work
Last minute cramming
Find out more
Strategy 3: The Testing Effect “Short, frequent exams are most effective, especially when test takers receive feedback on the correct answers.” John Dunlosky, What works, what doesn’t (no. 1 method) Find out more
Strategy 4: The Practice Effect
“Memory in either the short- or long-term requires ongoing practice.” Daniel Willingham, Practice makes perfect Willingham recommends over-learning by 20% Find out more
Strategy 5: Use Exam Thursdays
• Voluntary opportuni7es to prac7ce exam papers • Great opportunity to get beNer at: i. Exam technique or 7ming ii. Exam nerves • Speak to your class teacher if you’re interested • Bookings need to be made by the end of a
Tuesday
Strategy 6: Be positive What have you got to lose?
The broaden-‐and-‐build theory of posi7ve emo7ons Fredrickson’s studies found that posi7ve emo7ons broaden your sense of possibili7es, which in turn allows you to build new skills and resources.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICE - MS. POWLEY
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Take out an exercise book or revision guide and turn to a topic you need to learn. Create a mind map to help you learn the information again. Start by adding a bold title in the middle. Mind Mapping
• Vary the Colour. • Structure = clear and radiant. • Include images and drawings. • Wording – key words, SIZE & style of writing (BIG, smaller etc...) • Lines = Thick to thin / length = length of word or image • 1 word per line = spark your memory into life / association • Paper = A1 TO A5 = landscape, blank, colour – you decide.
Make it PERSONAL!!
Using the revision timetable opposite insert a minimum of 2 hours revision per day (6 x 20 minute sessions). Each hour block is split into 3x 20 minute sessions in which you should allocate time evenly for all of your subjects. Remember to build in adequate rest periods as this is important time in which you will reflect on the previous sessions learning. Pin this timetable up in a convenient location in your home so that your parents are aware of the time you are allocating to revision – this may save arguments in the long run! Also, don’t forget to sign up to afterschool study support/revision sessions with your teachers, every little bit extra you put in helps – we call this marginal gains. Here is a list of revision strategies you could use but remember not every method suits everybody and more revision techniques do exist so it’s important to find the right method for you!
Post-it Notes Write facts and information on to post it notes. Stick them on your desk in random order. Turn away – how many can you memorise? Now put them in rank order- which is most
important. Now arrange them in a pattern on your desk. Now draw pictures on your post-it notes. Turn away – write down as many facts as you
can remember. How successful were you at remembering these
facts? Try sticking them on your fridge or next to light switches at home.
Mnemonics
Mnemonics help you to remember by using short words that stand for something to help you. Here is a Mnemonic for remembering the colours of the rainbow.
Chunking is breaking up a big piece of information into smaller chunks rather like steps in a ladder. It can be used for numbers and words. Often students use bullet points to break up information. Try to remember this by breaking it up into chunks:
The average person can take in four numbers or words at a time, can concentrate on revision for a maximum of 45 minutes at a time and remembers information best shortly before bedtime.
THERE IS NO ‘RIGHT’ WAY TO REVISE ... JUST WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU
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BBC Brain SmartNeed a quick study break? Why not stay productive and wake up your brain by playing a game from BBC Brain Smart. There are fun games to help you boost your memory, remember chains of numbers, get motivated and manage stress. And all without feeling like you are doing any real work (we promise)...
Flashcard apps and Quizzlet Save paper and the pain of trying to decipher your handwriting with a flashcard app. Look for a version like Flashcards+ (iOS), which lets you create your own cards or import existing sets through Quizlet, a brilliant community site for students to share study notes.
Revision App is another great free option for iPhone, Android and desktop users with over five million flashcards available to download.
BBC Bitesize BBC Bitesize breaks down subjects into handy smaller chunks (there’s a clue in the name here..) and lets you revise topics, watch video summaries, complete activities and test yourself as you go. The site covers subjects from Key Stage One to GCSE.
Revision planning apps A big part of revision is getting organised and keeping track of your study. The Revision Ace app lets you make a revision plan, record your time spent on each subject and track your progress as you go. Alternatively, you can create a colourful PDF timetable with the help of getrevising.co.uk, which will even suggest a schedule for you to follow.
Khan Academy The Khan academy is a not-for-profit learning tool that aims to provide a world-class education to anyone with Internet access. The site includes video tutorials and tests in Maths, Science, Economics, Computer Programming and History. The site keeps track of your progress and gives you awards for achievement. This is a great tool for getting to grips with the basics or taking on advanced study for extra credit.
Spark Notes Explore English Literature texts, watch video summaries and study a host of other subjects
with popular study notes site Spark Notes. Try out No Fear Shakespeare, which puts the original text side by side with a modern translation to help you pick up the story and translate new words as you go.
S-Cool Revise GCSE and A-level subjects, test yourself, make a revision timetable for free and download apps from this comprehensive revision website.
Free study tools to help you get the most out of your revision
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Use visual aidsVisual aids can help you learn subconsciouslyWhether you’re a visual learner or not, visual aids can act as a great reminder of what you need to know for your exams. Using visual aids is also a great way of remembering important information at work. If you develop the habit of using visual aids, you’ll be able to use the same strategy when it comes to learning new information in your future workplace.
Record yourself reading notes“Really?”“Yes, really”We all hate the sound of our own voices when we hear them back on record, but taking a break from reading and switching to listening can be a great way to help you remember coursework.
All you need to record yourself reading is your notes and mobile phone. And the best part about this revision technique is that you can do it anywhere with a set of headphones. Some students swear by listening to their own recording last thing at night.
Study past exam papersA great revision technique (whatever your learning style), is to look over past exam
papers. This helps in two ways:
✓ It gets you used to the layout of the exam✓ It familiarises you with the wording of the questions
One of the most common reasons students give for skipping questions in an exam is ‘I didn’t understand the question’. In almost all of these situations, the issue isn’t that you don’t have the knowledge but that you’re not used to being asked for information in this way. By taking the time to look over past exam and specimen papers, you’ll be able to read between the lines better understand what it being asked.
Simply pinning up keywords, formulas and facts around your study area can help you remember things subconsciously. On the day of your exam, when you’re trying to think of a specific formula and that yellow post-it note from your bedroom wall pops into your head, you’ll be glad you did this.
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NINE REVISION TIPS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE
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Don’t spend hours revising without a breakAlthough it can be tempting to revise for long hours when
you’re on a roll, it’s important that you take regular breaks, at least every hour. The average adult can concentrate for around
20 minutes before their performance starts to decline and recent research suggests that with the rise in mobile technology, this figure might now be much lower. Bearing this in mind, you shouldn’t force yourself to concentrate if you don’t feel fully focused.
Take a break. Go for a walk. Phone a friend. Have a glass of water. Do something for at least five minutes that doesn’t involve sitting at your desk studying and when you come back to face the books, you’ll find yourself refreshed and ready to go again.
When you start your first job, it can be tempting to stay longer than everyone else to show your enthusiasm. Although this might sound like a good idea, you still need to take regular breaks to recharge your batteries. Sometimes staying late at work or taking on extra projects can have the opposite effect on your productivity.
Get some physical exercisePhysical exercise doesn’t need to mean running a marathon (unless you want to)
“But what does this have to do with revising?”“Everything!”
As the saying goes, ‘healthy body; healthy mind’. Not only does physical exercise give you a break from the books but it helps you focus better. When you do physical exercise, you brain releases serotonin, known as the ‘happy chemical’, which increases positivity and reduces stress levels. If you’re relaxed when you’re studying, you’re far more likely to process information effectively.
Set yourself small goals and rewardsWhen it comes to revision tips, one of the best out there is to set yourself targets and rewards. There’s no better feeling than reaching a milestone in your schedule. Perhaps you’ve just reached the half way mark in study calendar, or maybe you’ve just completed a full hour without being distracted? Whatever you see as an achievement when you’re revising, make sure you take the time to reward yourself for it.Take regular study breaks
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Eat healthy foodsBlueberries: a.k.a ‘brain food’Our diets have a huge impact on how we perform in life in general. By eating
a healthy, balanced diet and trying to cut out artificial sugars (like those found in energy drinks), you’ll experience well-being, which puts you in the right frame of mind for revising. There are actually some so-called ‘brain foods’ that can help improve your intelligence, such as: • Wholegrains • Fish • Blueberries • Tomatoes • Pumpkin seeds • Brocolli • Sage • Nuts
Give yourself varietyIt can be easy to fall into the trap of only adopting one revision technique. For example, if you’re a visual learner, it can be tempting to only revise using visual aids.
Although this might be effective for a short while, eventually your brain will get used to this way of learning and it won’t be as effective.
Instead, set yourself more of a challenge by studying using a different method.
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Think positive thoughtsThis may be easier said than done but positive thinking is one of the best revision tips there is.
Looking on the bright side and having a ‘glass half-full attitude’ can really help you get through your exams. Although we can’t always ‘magic up’ positive thoughts, we can do things that make us feel better (like exercising, giving ourselves rewards and eating healthily), which in turn makes us see things more positively.
For an extra boost of positivity, why not try taking a meditation class or listening to music that makes you feel good?
Practice, Practice, PracticeGive yourself enough time to study what you need to knowWe’ve left this one to last because it’s actually the most important revision tips on the list. No amount of physical exercise or brain food will help you pass your exams without practice.
And this means giving yourself enough time to revise what you need to know.The earlier you start your study routine, the more time you’ll have to fill in gaps in your knowledge, seek help and learn good revision techniques.
https://successatschool.org/
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With exam time fast approaching, students, teachers and parents up and down the country are quickly feeling the strain and stress of it all. There is no doubt that for many, last minute cramming and after school revision sessions will be the strategy of choice. But is there a better way? What does the research say are the best ways to maximise student revision time?
1. Space Out Your Learning and ...
2. Test YourselfA recent review into the science of memory and revision examined what are the most popular and effective revision strategies employed by students? Unfortunately, some of the most commonly used techniques are actually the least effective (for this, read using highlighter and simply re-reading key passages).
The two most consistently effective techniques are arguably the least glamorous. They may not be fun, but they sure are effective. The first is to space out your learning. Actors don’t leave all their rehearsals until the day before the opening night of a play. Athletes don’t only train the day before the match. To commit something to memory, it takes time.
Starting early and revisiting topics regularly helps commit it to your long term memory. By giving yourself enough time to forget it and then re-learn it, it ingrains and cements the knowledge deep in your brain.
Likewise, testing yourself is a good revision strategy. It forces you to think about what you do and don’t know.
The act of retrieving information is powerful. As stated in the excellent ‘What Makes Great Teaching’, “having to generate an answer or procedure, or having to retrieve information – even if no feedback is given – leads to better long term recall than simply studying”.
As well as this, it can be used to prepare students for exam conditions. By replicating the format of the exams, this will help normalise exam pressure and help students develop exam strategies that work best for them.
5 Ways to Maximise Revision Time
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3. Teach It To Someone ElseTeaching the material to someone else has been found to boost students’ memory and recall. This is known as ‘The Protégé Effect’. As author Annie-Murphy Paul explains in this article, teaching someone can help improve your learning in two ways.
Firstly, by preparing to teach someone else, it prompts you to categorise the information clearly in your own brain, ensuring you have made full sense of it.
Secondly, by knowing that you have to answer someone else’s questions on the topic, it ‘compels users to think and explain the material in different ways’. Their questions can also expose any gaps in your knowledge, forcing you to go back and re-learn the material in more depth and detail.
4. Create a Sense of PurposeThe three tips above: spacing out learning; testing yourself; and teaching the material to someone else, all relate to improving your memory. But what about increasing the motivation to want to revise. What does the research say about that?
You could try to enhance motivation with rewards (i.e. “I will give you £20 for each ‘A’ you get in your exams”). This sort of approach
is becoming ever-popular amongst parents.
The Sutton Trust investigated the effect of incentives on pupil attainment. In a randomised control trial involving over 10,000
pupils in 63 schools, they found that rewards such as an end of year trip had some impact on classroom behaviour and effort, but not on actual GCSE grades.
The problem with rewards is that they can hinder intrinsic motivation. It also takes a BIG reward to change daily behaviour.
A recent study found that there may be a better way. Participants in the study were taught a new language in a very boring way.
They were divided into four groups:
1. Some students were not given any reason as to why they should do
the task.
2. Some students were told they should try hard as it was expected of them (in this group, words such as ‘should, must’ and ‘have to’ were emphasised).
3. Some participants were told to pay attention as they would have to take a test at the end.
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5 Ways to Maximise Revision Time
WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?
4. The fourth group was told that learning a new language would help them in their future career (and thus created a ‘sense of purpose’ in them).
The results? Those who had the explanation as to why this skill would be useful to them put in much more effort and learnt more than the other groups.
If we can help students identify:
a) why their revision is important; and
b) how this will help them in both the short and the long-term, it may help them fuel their motivation during their revision sessions.
5. Get a Good Night’s Sleep Sleep is an important and often overlooked area during the revision session. For those dedicated students, the temptation may be to sacrifice some sleep in order to stay up and revise more. This would be a mistake.
Sleep plays a major role in how you feel and
also how much you remember. It is linked to your health, your concentration and your ability to make good decisions. We have previously blogged about the 9 Common Sleep Mistakes students make. As well as avoiding these, having regular bedtime routines and regular wake-up routines should help.
Final ThoughtRevision and exam time can be a tense affair. There are no magic cures or silver bullets. The best we can do is to equip students in a way that maximises their memory, boosts their concentration and fans the fire of their motivation.
Research suggests that spacing out their learning, testing themselves, teaching it to someone else, creating a sense of purpose and getting a good amount of sleep are some of the best ways to do this.
http://www.innerdrive.co.uk/Release_Your_Inner_Drive/maximise_revision/
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5 Ways to Maximise Revision Time