Year 11 Information Evening

1. Year 11 Information Evening Welcome and thank you for dedicating your time tonight Please complete your Learning Styles Questionnaire before we start

2. Review of Options pathways available post 16 • Reflection on progress towards these pathways; student’s latest Traffic Light Reports • Grade Boundary challenges • What the College will do • What parents can do • What students should do • Advice and guidance from English and Maths leaders • Revision Guides Agenda

3. Mock and Jan March dates etc Exams, exams, exams….

4. Mock Results Day follows these exams on Thursday 17th January • Thursday 17th January is also Parents Evening – plenty to discuss • January exams for many students e.g. Geography is Monday 23rd Jan • March exams for some • Summer 2013 exams begin from May 13th • Controlled Assessments will be on-going throughout the year • BTEC and OCR National assignments; 99% completion = no qualification, only 100% • NO HOLIDAYS in term time Exams, exams, exams….

5. Options post 16

6. Why is attaining the most C grades ( and above) necessary? • How achieving a C grade in 5 subjects became harder last year, including any exams sat in Year 10 • These was highlighted for English in the media but was a factor in many subjects, e.g. Geography boundary for a C had varied but on average was 54%. This rose to 60% and is most likely to remain around this level. • Aiming to scrape a C grade is not an option! Grade boundary challenges

7. Extra curriculum time for target groups • Time afterschool, revision & catch-up sessions & period 6 • AFL and students’ response • HW – independent study habits • Mock Exams – last fortnight this term-tiering • Exam paper practise and regular assessments • Tracking and reporting progress e.g. check your child’s business studies tracker via their school email address Newmarket College

8. Close collaboration with MCT our partner sixth form provider • Aspiration – Alumni and Employer presentations in assembly • Maths Workshop on 7th December Newmarket College

9. “Parental support is eight times more important in determining a child’s academic success than any other factor. The campaign for learning found that parental involvement in a child’s education can mean the difference between an A* and an “also-ran” at GCSE” Parents

10. The most common frustrations of parents….

11. You don’t have to be an expert • You don’t have to be a “super-parent” And the good news for parents ……

12. Provider of the tools Project manager Go between Information provider Question asker Encourager Getter out of bedder Knower of key dates Check in Resource gatherer Social life monitorer A keeper tracker of the excuses A structurer of the revision tasks A bag emptier A rewarder A feeder A stress manager What can parents do?Some practical suggestions

13. http://www.thesource.me.uk/ • http://www.fasttomato.com/ • www.parentscentre.gov.uk • www.connexions-direct.com/parentcarer • www.projecteducation.co.uk • www.parentslineplus.org.uk – also confidential helpline 0808 800 2222 • www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/supportforyou Useful Websites

15. Year 11 Success CHECKLIST • 100% attendance • Start revising now • Revise in 15 minute bursts, taking breaks in between • Active revision, not just reading your exercise book – posters, recording, flash cards, notes, parents & friends (set up your own study group) • Plan revision, make a weekly timetable, know your exam topics, times, lengths, equipment needed • Past Papers – use websites in your planner to download, practise and show to your teachers • Revision guides – ask your teacher if they have one or sell one, show them the one you’ve bought • Time afterschool – ask your teachers for some help with topics you’re unsure on • Research next year & your future – Where are you going? What will you need from school? • Essential equipment – fully stocked pencil case and calculator, use our school library stationary shop • Meet all deadlines for controlled assessments and vocational course assignments Students

16. You will only remember 8-10% of this slide if you read it only once • Only 10% of most people’s brains are active • You will have forgotten 80% of what you learn today within one week • The brain needs exercise and food to work effectively • Stress is the biggest barrier to effective functioning of the brain How do we learn?

17. Pictures to remember numbers • Rhymes – zero = hero, one = gun • Mnemonics – My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets • Collective memories • Mind Mapping • Bullet Points • Summarising • Musical association • Walk the story • Acronyms Memory Techniques

18. Prefer to learn by seeing. • Prefer communicating by pictures, graphs, visual effects – flow diagrams, brain maps, key word cards and displays • 29% of students • Tend to visualise things when trying to remember them – may for instance use pictures when trying to remember things Visual Learners

19. Walk about reading your study notes as you learn • Do practical experiments • Build models • Highlight your notes • Use the walk to school method/virtual tour of your house Learning Techniques: Lookers

20. 34% of students • Prefer to communicate by sound – speaking • Preferred learning styles are: discussion, tapes, debates, spoken language exercises, raps, music. • Tend to remember things by sound – chunk things into memorable patterns of sounds Auditory Learners

21. Repeat things to yourself • Record your notes on tape/Ipodetc • Discuss topics with friends • Use mnemonics to remember lists • Create raps, rhymes, chants to remember facts • If you really need to concentrate, close your eyes so that your listening is emphasised Learning Techniques: Listeners

22. 37% of students • Prefer to engage with the task physically – by doing it or something which we associate with the task • Tend to be much more physical – preferring to move hands and body • Learn through experience, movement, modelling, visits • Don’t like sitting still Kinaesthetic Learners

23. Walk about reading your study notes as you learn • Do practical experiments • Build models • Highlight your notes • Use the walk to school method/virtual tour of your house Learning Techniques: Doers

24. Tell a story – the more ridiculous the better • Rhymes • Words to remember numbers – 3.14159 – “Yes I have a super technique” Memory Techniques

25. A Pen A toddler A Ferrari A data projector A lighthouse A water filter Mr Weston Two carrots A warhammer figure A daffodil A football The invention of the flushing toilet Memory Techniques

26. Short spurts of revision (20-25 minutes) with 5 – 10 minute breaks (+rewards) Peace and quiet Revise all your subjects – not just your favourite! Make your own revision notes – we remember nearly 30% of what we write Re-write your notes – summarise them – say them out loud Top Revision Tips

27. Use a variety of techniques • Practice past papers • Ask/phone a friend. Get parents to test you. • Eat properly • Be positive More top revision techniques

28. Make it fun • Make it SMART • Start now • Website will have this PPT and resources such as Revision Plans and Key Words Summary

29. From All the Staff at the College Good Luck We have never had a group of students who deserve success more than your sons and daughters.

30. ENGLISH on INFORMATION EVENING

31. English x 2 • English Language is English. Along with maths, this is the one that matters more than any other subject. • English Literature needs to be taken seriously because it can easily be one of your 5 GCSEs. • But it’s not quite as important as English Language and maths.

32. THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS: • In English Language there is nothing to revise.

33. The bad news is this: • In English Language, there is nothing to revise.

34. RESPONSIBILITY and URGENCY IN LESSONS • Daniela Ferreira • Zak Ollington

35. What can I do to help my son/daughter? • Later, I’ll gave you a special, DIY pack ……

36. WRITING • Students to do a 25 minute writing task 2-3 times per week. • Follow the guidelines that we will be working on in class • And which are listed in the pack • PARENTS TO EVALUATE IT ……

37. PARENTS: MANY of the TARGETS don’t REQUIRE SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE • 1. Evidence that they have tried to generate a list of possible topics • 2. Evidence that they have tried to turn this list into a clear plan with at least 3 main topics • 3. That they written a brief introduction and a brief conclusion • 4. The first sentence of each main paragraph / section should indicate clearly what that paragraph will be about (topic sentence)

38. READING: find an article (newspaper or internet) • In the headline, the word “……” suggests …………. • The introduction is engaging. In the phrase “ ……………………….,” the word “……” suggests ………………….. • Another interesting use of language is where it says “………………..,” because the word “……..” suggests ……………………. • In the picture, one detail I can pick out is ………………….. and this links to the article because ………………………………..

39. In short • We will be giving the students a clear consistent method to follow for each task. • We will be practising these processes in lessons. • You can help them to practise at home. • BUT IF THE STUDENT IS TRULY MOTIVATED FROM WITHIN, EVERYTHING BECOMES SO MUCH EASIER.

40. Maths on INFORMATION EVENING

41. Where are we? • Modular v Linear the political landscape

42. How can you help?

43. Past papers • Do not be afraid to show your child your ways, you can not break them! • Write down everything (points mean prizes)

44. My Maths • The entire syllabus has a lesson http://www.mymaths.co.uk/indexLog.asp?h=92950

45. Functional Skills • Show them the electricity meter!

46. Calculator • They must buy their own SCIENTIFIC calculator • We have them here for £3.75 • The longer they have their calculator the better they become at using them and they are all slightly different

47. enjoy • Enjoy supporting them, have a snack, drink, chat whilst you are helping them. Make it as positive an experience as you can for both of you. • They will appreciate your time (on the inside).