To ensure your child achieves the best results, we need your support leading up to and during GCSE exams.  Please read the information provided or get in touch with a member of the Year 11 team.   We are here for you every step of the way!

Who can I speak to?

Gareth Barratt, Academic Head of Year 11 and Director of Key Stage 4.

gareth.barratt@rrca.org.uk

Fiona Sheridan, Pastoral Head of Year 11

fiona.sheridan@rrca.org.uk
 

What can I do to help my child revise?

• Ensure your child attends school every day and is on time.
• Ensure your child is attending Elevate, Masterclass and holiday interventions.
• Create a quiet space for your child to revise at home.
• Check your child is doing their home learning (homework).
• Keep in close contact with us.
• Talk to us about any concerns.

Guidance from past Students

1. Create a revision timetable

Creating a revision timetable can add shape to your revision and help you identify which GCSE subjects you need to prioritise to get better marks. Producing a revision timetable is a great way to organise your time, plus it also helps boost your motivation to revise for your exams.

2. Take regular breaks

Exams can make you feel stressed and tired. Don’t force yourself to study for hours upon hours as this will not result in success. Taking regular study breaks and exercising is proven to engage your brain in studying and improve your exam performance in the long-run.

3. Use mind maps to connect ideas

If you find it difficult to remember lots of new study notes, Mind Maps may be the key to improving your memory. Making associations by connecting ideas helps you to memorise information easier and quicker. 

4. Understand your learning style

Every person is different. Once you understand whether you are a visual, auditory, reading/writing or kinaesthetic learner, then remembering and recalling new information will become much easier.

5. Practice, practice, practice

Practising past papers will help you get familiar with the exam format, question style, time pressure. Completing past papers will also improve your ability to retrieve information quicker.

6. Speak to your friends

Don’t study alone all the time. Plan revision meetings with your friends and add them to you timetable. Speak to each other about the current topics you are revising and test one another as often as possible.

7. Adapt for different subjects

Flash cards may work for German but might not work for English. Using the same revision techniques for all your subjects is not recommended. Work out what is best for you!

8. Mix it all up

Mix up your study habits and methods by listening to podcasts, watching videos or documentaries, moving to new study area or even something as simple as using different colours for your study notes. Sometimes, your brain will remember where you were when you revised certain information, and this will be a great prompt during the exam itself.