Parent/Student Information Booklet
2017-2018
A Top Tip: Get them there!
The single most effective thing you can do to ensure good GCSE results is this………….
GET THEM TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY, ON TIME……
Attendanceduring one
School Year / Equivalent
Day / Equivalent
Sessions / Equivalent
Weeks / Equivalent
Lessons
Missed / Equivalent
Lessons missed
over 5 Years
95 / 9 days / 18 sessions / 2 weeks / 60 / 300 lessons
90 / 19 days / 38 sessions / 4 weeks / 120 / 600 lesson
85 / 29 days / 58 sessions / 6 weeks / 180 / 900 lesson
80 / 38 days / 72 sessions / 8 weeks / 240 / 1,200 lessons
Lateness -A student who arrives between 8.40am and 8.55am will be classed as late and will be recorded as ‘L’ on the register.
If the student arrives between 8.55am and 9.25am thenthey will still be recorded as an unauthorised late. ('U')
Absence - If a student is ill then please contact the absence line 01384 816108 (24 hour line) and advise of the exact illness. If they have a cold/cough/headache please encourage them to attend.
‘Leave of absence – Under the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 the Headteacher MAY NOT authorise a leave of absence in term time for a holiday. The Headteacher MAY (at his or her own discretion) authorise absence for exceptional circumstances. An application for a leave of absence must be made in writing to the school.
Dudley Local Authorities Code of Conduct states that Penalty Notices can be issued where a pupil’s absence has not been authorised by the school. This includes: a number of unauthorised absences, within a running academic year; one off instances of irregular attendance; and where an excluded pupil is found in a public place during school hours.
Penalty Notices are imposed upon each parent per child and are fines of £60 if paid within 21 days of receipt, rising to £120 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days. The parents can be prosecuted if 28 days have expired and full payment has not been made and under S444 (i) Education Act 1996 where there is sufficient evidence. There is no right to appeal against the penalty notices’.
Tips for Parents
· As always, please encourage and praise your child. Show an interest by talking to them about their work in different subjects.
· It is vital your child attends lessons if not they may miss out on key information or the introduction to a topic. This may result in a lack of understanding, falling further behind and giving up.
· Encourage your child to see the relevance every lesson has to their end result.
· Make sure there is a suitable work and revision space.
· Put key dates and deadlines in your diary.
· Take the opportunity to discuss how they are getting on in each subject and if there are any difficulties you can help with.
· Check your child’s doing homework and ask questions if they are not getting any homework in a subject.
· Let your child’s Form Tutor or other key teachers know if your child is experiencing any difficulties in their home circumstances or personal lives where appropriate.
· Agree the balance between work and social life and stick to the agreement. Also agree on how much Xbox or snap chat time and use these as a reward.
· All students will fall behind, feel overwhelmed and struggle with social, work & school demands at times. Help them prioritise and if necessary talk to teachers about rescheduling deadline where possible.
· If your child becomes anxious or withdrawn, encourage them to talk to you or a trusted adult.
· Encourage your child to attend revision catch-up sessions both at lunch time and after school.
Tips for Students
· If you are having difficulties in lessons, don’t stop going to them, or working in them. There is always a solution!
· Stick to a homework and revision schedule even when you don’t feel like it.
· If things are getting out of hand, talk to your parents, tutor of subject teacher.
· Don’t get side tracked by friends. You are working for an easier life for you, now and later.
· Start revision early. The more you do the less stressed you will be later.
· Make a realistic revision timetable and plan that you will stick to.
· Get a good revision aid for each subject. There is a page in this booklet with suggested guides, apps and websites.
· Take advantage of revision and catch-up sessions put on by subject staff. Especially for subjects you don’t like or find harder. Make the most of their knowledge about the subject, revision and exam techniques.
· Find out which revision techniques work for you. The key is to reduce the notes your work from.
· Get sample or previous papers from school or the internet. Make sure the papers reflect the current exam specification.
· Set yourself goals for the end of each revision period.
· Have a start and finish time.
· Set yourself an aim for the session – ignore the impulse to suddenly tidy up your room.
· STOP and take a break if you are becoming overwhelmed. Note down what you are finding difficult and ask your teacher for help.
Good Revision – if you read nothing else, READ THIS!
What is revision? It means literally ‘re-looking’ at information you have previously learnt. The goal is to know the information you will be tested on and remember it for the exam. Knowing something depends on your understanding of it.
The aim of revision. To reduce the amount of information relating to a subject to key points, any of which can be expanded on in an exam answer. A key point, phrase or word prompts the brain to retrieve information stored. At the end of a revision session you should aim to have a card or an A4 sheet with the key points for that section.
The structure of revision sessions – Good techniques should include:
· Setting a Goal e.g. ‘By the end of this session I will understand and be able to answer questions on the heart’.
· Identify what you need to spend more time on. You can do this by some sort of self-testing.
· Break your revision session down into ‘do-able’ chunks. Revise each section – don’t just read the information but do something with it.
· Make notes – key points, phases or words.
· Test yourself to see what you have learnt by revisiting your notes after one day, one week and one month, as well as just before your exam – THIS REALLY WORKS!
· Revision involves doing something with the information you are trying to learn. This is essential to allow your brain to learn, make connections and remember. You need to use a revision technique that works for you.
Ø Spider Maps.
Ø Make posters with key points and put them up in your bedroom.
Ø Record yourself making 10 key points on a particular topic, then play it back when you’re travelling, running etc.
Ø Highlight key words, phrases, important points and summaries in your revision guide.
Ø Listen to podcasts of books and discuss them with a friend.
Ø Use apps and watch recommended video clips on YouTube and make notes.
Ø Use your revision guide. Read a page then shut the book and see what you can remember.
Ø Ask someone in your family to test you.
Memory techniques. Find out what helps you remember things.
Acronyms – using the first letter of each word to make a word to prompt your memory e.g WINDOWS (‘Wholly Inadequate Needless Demand Outrageous Waste of Space’).
Picture Stories – Think of a strong visual image to associate with each word and link them together in an unlikely way. e.g ‘The Great Plague struck London in 1665, followed by the fire of London in 1666, which was started in bakers shop in Pudding Lane’. Now try this for example picture in your head a large rat (the plague) running around before being burnt (plague the year before the fire) in a bread oven (baker’s shop) with the flames curling up around it like the curls of the numbers 666(1666), and then being put into a pudding. Go through the pictures a couple of times and see if you can remember facts in the sentence. Ask someone to test you.
Mnemonics – Make up a silly sentence to help you remember the order of something e.g. Never Eat Shredded Wheat (North, South, East, West)
Review – Take time to see if your revision techniques are working for you, check how much you have covered, have you stuck to your timetable and are you producing notes that are helping you. Change how you are doing things and ask for help if necessary.
Later on – Have a go at some sample exam questions, do them under exam conditions. Show your teacher so they can go over them with you.
Quick tips for revising
· Start revising, however much you don’t want to – the hardest bit is over with then!
· Make sure you give yourself short breaks.
· Drink plenty of water and eat ‘brain food’ (avoid sugar), keep it healthy and have plenty of snacks around – eat little and often.
· Remember to take some time off and go and do something completely different.
· Don’t leave difficult things to the end.
· Do something relaxing before going to bed.
· If you start to feel frustrated, angry or overwhelmed STOP make a note of the problem and take it to your next lesson, and move onto something else.
· Focus on what you have done, not what you haven’t – every little helps.
· Reward yourself after each revision session – going out with friends, watching a film or playing a computer game.
· At the end of your revision session, put away your notes and tidy your work space ready for the next one.
Revision Guides & Apps
GCSE Maths
CGP Revision Guide AQA GCSE Maths (new specification)
CGP AQA Maths Exam Practice Work Book
CGP AQA Maths Work Book
Websites
Vle.mathswatch.co.uk
www.corbettmaths.com
www.mrbartonmaths.co.uk
Apps: Diagnostics Questions for AQA GCSE Maths
GCSE Science
Collins Combined Science Revision Guide available through school at £9.00
GCSE Triple Science
Collins Triple Science Revision Guide available through school at £12.00
GCSE Textiles
CGP GCSE Design and Technology Textiles AQA specification ISBN 9781847623515
GCSE Food & Nutrition
CGP Revision Guide for Food Preparation and Nutrition for Eduqas (Grades 9 – 1)
Link for illuminate digital textbook GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (Eduqas)
http://www.illuminate.digital/eduqasfood/
User Name: SEARLS4
Password: STUDENT4
GCSE Resistant Materials
Collins GXS Resistant Materials Essentials
GCSE Product Design
Collins GCSE D&T Product Design Essentials
GCSE Drama
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse-drama-j316-from-2016/
Scroll to the bottom to exemplar written exam answers that have been marked, exemplar portfolios that have been marked and revision/support resources based on the set text, ‘Blood Brothers’.
GCSE PE
Revise Edexcel GCSE 1 – 9
Physical Education Revision Guide (Pearson ISBN: 978-1-292-13512-0)
GCSE French
Revise Edexcel GCSE (9-1) French Revision Guide at approx. £7
ISBN-10:1292132086
Revise Edexcel GCSE (9-1) French Revision Workbook at
Approx. £6
ISBN-10:1292132019
Websites
www.vocabexpress.com – Students have individual username and passwords and can access all vocabulary provided by EDEXCEL
www.languagesonline.org.uk - French: grammar, topics and vocabulary practice
www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/curriculum/modlang/ - A Surrey secondary school’s website with games and listening activities.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ - Excellent website provided by the BBC, organized by skill (e.g. Reading or Listening) and then by topic
www.language-gym.com – verb conjugation practice
www.tv5.org/index.php - watch French TV
www.atantot-extra.co.uk – Vocabulary builder
Apps: Duolingo – Quizlet – Voice Record Pro
GCSE German
Revise Edexcel GCSE (9-1) German Revision Guide at approx. £7 (ISBN 9781292132099)
Revise EDEXCEL GCSE (9-1) German Revision Workbook at approx. £6 (ISBN-10:1292132043
Websites
www.vocabexpress.com Complete quizzes on the vocabulary lists set by the exam board. Your teacher will issue your username and password.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/german/Website provided by the BBC, organised by skill and then by topic.
www.languagesonline.org.uk.German grammar, topics and vocabulary practice.
http://gut.languageskills.co.uk/intermediate/year10.html German GCSE revision practice available after 4pm for free.
http://www.einslive.de/einslive/index.html Listen to German radio.
http://www.daserste.de/German TV Station and on demand service.
Apps: Duolingo – Quizlet – Voice Record Pro
GCSE Spanish
Revise Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Spanish Revision Guide at approx. £7 ISBN 9781292132105
Revise Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Spanish Revision Workbook at Approx. £6 ISBN 1292132078
Websites
www.vocabexpress.com – Students have individual username and passwords and can access all vocabulary provided by EDEXCEL
www.espanol-extra.co.uk Username: earls1 Password: earlsmfl1
www.languagesonline.org.uk - Spanish: grammar, topics and vocabulary practice
www.spanishrevision.co.uk - Spanish GCSE general revision site
www.notesinspanish.com - Spanish learning podcasts
www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/curriculum/modlang/ - A Surrey secondary school’s website with games and listening activities.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ - Excellent website provided by the BBC, organized by skill (e.g. Reading or Listening) and then by topic
www.language-gym.com – verb conjugation practice
Apps: Duolingo – Quizlet – Voice Record Pro
GCSE Music
Edexcel GCSE Music Revision by Paul Terry
GCSE History
CGP History Revision Guide