Giving your child the Edge Mitchell Allsopp Vice Principal Tuesday 21 st November 2017
The Journey so far.. What have we done? Weekly assemblies that focus on stress management Weekly targeted intervention Sound Training to address language acquisition for Y11 Re-directed tutor time to be used for intervention
Revision Expectations How much revision? 3 hours per school evening until Easter can include homework, then 4 hours, finishing no later than 9 o'clock. Between 4 and 6 hours on one day of the weekend. One day is needed for relaxation.
When to start? Now! Most successful students: Start revision 6-12 weeks before the examination period. Aim to revise 15-30 hours per subject.
What does an effective revision timetable look like?
Revision Myths? I already know how to revise I don't need to revise for English or Maths If I don't know it now I never will! I've done alright so far without revising I'll start after Easter, I'll be ok I need my phone with me I can do it on my own, I don't need any help I'll revise later I don't care! I don t need any help.
Ineffective Revision? Reading from notes, textbooks or computer screen Making notes direct from textbooks
Effective revision requires thinking and active learning Reading then making notes from memory Use bright colours to help memorise words Practicing timed exam questions then checking the answers Rehearse answers verbally with family Use computerised packages such as GCSE Bitesize or PiXL Maths List the topics you need to study and practise them in small chunks Getting questions wrong, flash card them and practise the answer until you become competent Takeaway One: Useful Revision Websites booklet add it to the fridge!
English Mrs Sharon Parkes Head of KS4 English
What to revise English Language Reading skills and practice papers Descriptive writing Writing in different formats (article, speech, letter) Spelling, punctuation and grammar English Literature A Christmas Carol Shakespeare s Macbeth Poetry anthology Blood Brothers Unfamiliar (unseen) poems
Where can I get revision materials? Exercise books Recommended revision guides Attend period 6 (Thursdays) Revision packs given out by English teachers (poetry, language)
What can be done to help at home? Test quotations from memory (literature) Use revision materials to ask questions Explore words and meanings Use timers to help your child practise a question within the recommended time frame
Explore words and meanings
Science Mr Andrew Robinson Head of Science
How to Revise Science WRONG! You do not learn stuff from just reading a book. Look at this student revising! She has coffee, books and is really reading Doing well, right? You have to find ways to get it into your head ready for the day of the exam!
How to Revise Science STEP 1: Find something to learn STEP 3: Test Yourself STEP 2: Write it down The whole point of revising is so you have the right key words/diagrams/explanati ons in your brain on the day of the exam!
1. Find Something to Learn Where? Your Exercise Book Revision Guide Internet (BBC Bitesize is great) KERBOODLE What? Key words and their exact meaning. Important Diagrams Difficult explanations Now Set 1 goal I am going to learn these 10 key words from the C2 topic I am going to know the Fractional Distillation diagram and remember the fractions in order. I am going to remember the explanation for how Natural Selection works.
Kerboodle Every student has access. Works on laptops/tablets etc. Digital copies of text books AND lots of questions
Kerboodle
2. Write it Down A Perfect Revision Book Buy a really nice exercise book and pens, colours etc. Write what you are trying to learn really neatly in book. By taking your time and making it colourful you might remember that page you made in the exam! Revision Cards A Poster Finding something hard to learn/ remember? Make a colourful poster Stick it next to your TV or somewhere you will see it daily Make a set of cards with key words/diagrams/explanations broken down. Take your time, make them look good. Read them in random places (in car/nan s house/bus)
Internet Get Past paper questions, mini tests, mobile apps that ask you lots of questions. 3. Test Yourself Cover and Copy After writing the 10 key words/diagram/explanation down close your book and walk away for 5mins Take a fresh piece of paper and write it down again from memory. Check against your notes! Keep repeating this until you get it right every time! Friends and Family Get them to test you on key words etc. When your Dad keeps going on about the one word you got wrong all week you will remember it in the exam
Summary 1. Find info (kerboodle) 2. Set a goal 3. Write it down 4. Test it has worked. 20 30 minute cycles 3-4 times a week
History Mr Jamie Andrews Head of Faculty Miss Sian Turley Head of History
The Elizabethan Age, 1558-1603. Units: Elizabethan government, Lifestyles of the rich and poor, Popular entertainment, The problem of religion, The Catholic threat, The Spanish Armada, The Puritan threat. Date: 4 th June 2018 Length of exam: one hour Total marks: 53 marks Assessment Objectives: AO1 - knowledge and understanding: You must be able to describe historical concepts. AO2 - change and continuity: You must be able to explain and analyse historical periods. AO3 - sources: You must be able to use and evaluate source material. AO4 - views and opinions: You must be able to understand and agree/disagree with an interpretation. Question 1 will ask you to It will test you on AO3. gain knowledge/ discover What can be learnt from sources A and B about the English attack on the Armada at Calais? (4 marks) Paragraph one: Paragraph two: Discuss what you can learn from the first source. Two points minimum. Discuss what you can learn from the second source. Two points minimum. WAGOLL: Source A comments that the English have kept their distance whilst the Armada has sailed through the English channel, firing their cannon at the Spanish fleet from a distance and avoiding direct fighting. When the Armada anchored off Calais the English sent in fireships which caused the Spanish to cut their anchor cables in an attempt to escape. Source B shows the attack of the fireships in more detail. The artist has painted the fireships fully ablaze and drifting towards the Armada. The Spanish ships are anchored close together for protection but this has now caused them a serious problem. The painting shows the English ships sailing towards the Armada immediately behind the fireships, ready to attack. NOW YOU TRY! 1) What can be learnt from Sources A and B about cruel sports during the Elizabethan times? Source B: in 1598. Paul Hentzner, a German visiting England, reported seeing a blinded bull being attacked by a group of six men for popular entertainment. The bear cannot escape from them because of the chain; he defends himself with all his force and skill, throwing down all who come within his reach.. And tearing the whips out of their hands and breaking them.
Question 2 will ask you to It will test you on AO1 and AO3. To what extent does Source G accurately reflect the threat the new theatres posed to maintaining law and order during Elizabethan times? (8 marks) Paragraph one: Paragraph two: Paragraph three: reliable/correct could cause a problem for Elizabeth Identify three key points/issues and discuss, using quotes. Support the source with what you know about the feature in the question. Evaluate the accuracy using the content, author and purpose of the source. WAGOLL: The source shows how the new theatres were seen as a considerable threat to the maintenance of law and order during the 1590s. The Lord Mayor identifies a number of specific problems. He says that the theatre attracts people from the poorest classes, especially those not respectful of law and order. He quotes examples of vagrants, thieves, swindlers and cheats, all of whom he believes can be the cause of lawlessness, especially when they mix with the large crowds which the theatre attracts. The Lord Mayor also makes the point that the theatre acts like a magnet, drawing people away from their work and Sunday worship. He believes such large crowds can cause the spread of disease. The source highlights the chief concerns of the Lord Mayor, some of which are justified and can be confirmed by an examination of the historical context. The gathering of large crowds did attract a lawless element, who intended to use the vent to engage in crimes such as pickpocketing, the stealing of horses and swindling the audience out of their money. It also helps confirm that the coming together of such large crowds of people in the city of London helped to spread disease. However, the Lord Mayor is writing from a particular standpoint and as the man responsible for maintain law and order within the city of London he is bound to be concerned about the potential problems the gathering of such crowds at the new theatres could have on civil unrest. As the theatres were built outside the city walls he had no control over them. He is obviously going to be biased in his view, painting a negative picture and possibly exaggerating the degree to which lawlessness was a problem. While some do comment on the increase of crime at such venues, the Lord Mayor seems to be exaggerating the depth of the problem. NOW YOU TRY: 1) To what extent does Source E accurately reflect attitudes towards rough sports during this period? Source E: A description of the game of football written by a Tudor clergyman, the Archdeacon Philip Stubbes, in his book The Anatomy of Abuses (1583) Football is more a fight than a game.. Sometimes their necks are broken, sometimes their backs, sometimes their legs Football encourages envy and hatred.. Sometimes fighting, murder and a great loss of blood. 2) To what extent does Source C accurately reflect the seriousness of the threat posed by Mary, Queen of Scots to Elizabeth in 1568? Source C: Letter written by Sir William Cecil to Elizabeth on 16 th October 1569. The Queen of Scots is and shall always be a dangerous person to your estate. Yet there are degrees of danger. If she is kept a prisoner it will be less, if at liberty, greater.
Why was the Puritan movement seen as a significant threat to the Religious Settlement of 1559? (12 marks) Paragraph one: Paragraph two: Paragraph three: Paragraph four: Question 3 will test you on AO1 and AO2. could cause a problem for Elizabeth s religious reformation very important Describe the threat as a whole. PEE paragraph on what the threat was and why. PEE paragraph on what the greater threat was and why. Make a judgement on which was the greatest threat and why NOW YOU TRY! 1) Why was Mary, Queen of Scots, significant in the Catholic threat to Elizabeth? 2) Why was poverty seen as a significant threat to law and order during the reign of Elizabeth I? WAGOLL: The threat posed by the Puritans increased as Elizabeth s reign progressed. This was largely due to how the Puritan movement itself developed. Initially many Puritans hoped that the Religious Settlement of 1559 would be the start of a reform package that would ultimately wipe out the last traces of the Catholic faith from the new Elizabethan Church. Elizabeth, however, saw the Settlement as permanent and refused to allow any further changes. This caused some Puritan MP s to attempt reform through Parliament but their efforts were largely unsuccessful. While the main body of Puritans did not pose a threat to the Religious Settlement, the emergence of more radical branches within the Puritan movement did come to pose a more significant threat. lack of progress with calls for reform helped the Presbyterian movement to develop; the key part of their belief being the abandonment of a church structure based upon archbishops and bishops. While this represented little real threat, the emergence of the Prophesying meetings in the 1570 s. this alarmed the government. To deal with his threat Archbishop Whitgift introduced measures to enforce conformity amongst the clergy. A more worrying challenge to the Religious Settlement came from developments within Puritanism during the 1580s which saw the emergence of the separatist movement. Fist established in Norwich in 1580 by Browne, the movement wanted its members to break away and leave the Church to set up a separate, voluntary gatherings, which would impose strict discipline. The beliefs of the separatists posed a significant threat to Elizabeth as they undermined her position as supreme governor. The movement was supported through the publication of the Marprelate Tracts which bitterly attacked the organisation of the church and its bishops. Elizabeth saw this as a serious challenge and the governments response was the passing of the Act Against Seditious Sectaries in 1593. this together with the arrest of some of its leaders, killed of the separatist movement. Of all the branches of the Puritan faith this was by far the most radical, and one which posed the greatest threat. However, the main branch of the Puritan Movement, while it continued to push for religious reform, posed little threat and its members remained loyal and faithful to the Religious Settlement of 1559.
Question 4 will test you on AO1 and AO2. link/to do with one another Explain the connections between TWO of the following that are to do with the reasons for the increase in poverty during the late sixteenth century. (10 marks) Paragraph one: Paragraph two: OR Paragraph one: Paragraph two: Paragraph three: Describe feature one and explain a link to the second feature. Describe feature two and explain a link to the first feature. Describe feature one. Describe feature two. Explain two links between the features. NOW YOU TRY! 1) Explain the connections between TWO of the following which explain the popularity of Elizabeth I: Portraits, royal progresses, patronage, the queens character 2) Explain the connection between TWO of the following that are to do with popular entertainment during Elizabethan times: theatres, bear and bull-baiting pits, cockfighting, large crowds WAGOLL: The reign of Elizabeth witnessed a sharp rise in poverty. During the mid sixteenth century farming practices when through a period of change. Farmers began to switch from growing crops which was labour intensive to keeping sheep which was much less labour intensive. These changes meant that less employment of workers was needed and it took less workers to tend to a flock of sheep than it did to plough the land and harvest the crops. This meant that some labourers were now out of work and were unable to pay their rents so became homeless and were forced to leave their rural area and migrate to towns in search of employment. Other changes such as enclosure of common land contributed to rural depopulation as rights to graze cattle and sheep on common land was taken away. This meant that tenant farmers and labourers lost an important part of their income and food supply. As they could not afford to rent land for their animals to graze, they had to give up their animals thus led to the loss of income. Many became homeless and poverty stricken and were forced to migrate to towns to find work, accommodation and poor relief.
Question 5 will ask you It will test you on AO1 and AO4 How far do you agree with this interpretation of the Catholic threat to Elizabeth? opinion/point of view (16 marks and 3 SPaG marks) Paragraph one: Paragraph two: Paragraph three: Paragraph four: Paragraph five: What does the interpretation say? Support the interpretation with your own knowledge on this topic. Discuss the author, reliability and specialism. PEE paragraph on opposite argument, include what types of historians/authors may have different views and why (religious/social/political etc). Conclusion to what extent do you agree with the interpretation and why. NOW YOU TRY! 1) How far do you agree with Interpretation 1 that Mary, Queen of Scots, was a major threat to Protestant England? Interpretation: The view of the wrier Barbara Mervyn who was commissioned to write a school history textbook The Reign of Elizabeth: England 1558-1603, published in 2001. Mary Stuart was a problem for Elizabeth because her claim to the English throne and the fact that, as she was both half- French and Catholic, recognition of her claim might jeopardise England s future political independence and its official Protestant religion. As her reign progressed, Elizabeth s failure to marry or name a successor encouraged Mary to try to win the recognition she saw as rightfully hers. WAGOLL: The interpretation clearly states that the threat posed by English Catholics both to the country and to Elizabeth s position as queen was exaggerated. The author, Susan Doran, makes the point that the majority of the population were to their queen and country and di not engage in activities that could be classed as treasonable. Most people accepted the Religious Settlement of 1559 and saw it as a workable compromise, a middle way with elements of the Catholic faith still being allowed to continue (such as wearing vestments and marking the sign of the cross during baptism). Few people were fined for recusancy and the vast majority accepted the Elizabethan Church without protest. It is true that Elizabeth faced a number od Catholic plots designed to overthrow her and replace her with a Catholic monarch, Mary, Queen of Scots, which would be followed by the reinstalment of the Catholic faith as the official religion. However in reality these plots were supported by only a small number of individuals and they were easily dealt with by Walsingham. In many respects the Catholic threat was exaggerated, especially by the likes of Walsingham who wanted evidence to enable him to act against the Catholics. The author is a professional historian who lectures in history at a university. She is an expert in Tutor History and would have detailed knowledge of this period based upon many years of academic research. She is writing with the benefit of hindsight, and would have reached a judgement based on extensive evidence. However, there are other interpretations of this issue. Puritans believed that the Religious Settlement had not gone far enough to eradicate the Catholic practices and therefore saw any Catholic challenges as a serious threat. Their view has been taken by historians with a Protestant leaning, some of whom have accepted the government propaganda saying that the threat posed by several Catholic plots such as the Ridolfi and Babington Plots posed a real and serious threat to Elizabeth and country. Catholic interpretations would also differ from Doran s as they would argue that a large percentage of the population was Catholic at heart and only accepted the Settlement to avoid the consequences of not doing so. The view of Susan Doran's that of a specialist historian who has written a very detailed study about the reign of Elizabeth. However the quotation provided is rather short and the content is generalised, therefore lacking full context. The view would be challenged by historians from a different perspective. Susan Doran s interpretation should therefore be viewed as part of a wider historical debate which includes a range of differing viewpoints.
Ways to Revise Flash Cards Past Papers Pixl App Revision Clocks Mind Maps
French Ms Sue Mays Head of MFL
Be prepared for all 4 skills Listening25% Speaking 25% Reading 25% Writing 25% Be prepared for all 3 themes Identity and culture Local, national and international areas of interest Current and future school and employment If you find one skill more difficult, practise it more! Don t avoid it.
Repetition is the key! Students can t learn a language the night before the exam On average they need exposure to a word 15-20 times before they know it and can use it.
Resources: Their French books they have covered most of the topics already, written essays, prepared speaking questions, done listening and reading tasks.
Resources: Model answers: students have possible answers to all of the topic questions for the speaking exam they need to learn them!
Resources: Their revision guide they have all the vocab they need and go through each topic with guidance and examples.
Resources: Their vocab book the words are in topic order. They need to learn them! (2000 words / 100 days = 20 per day, every day )
Useful websites:
Geography Miss Sarah Randle Head of Geography
GCSE Geography Smart phone revision apps for revision on the go!! Revision buddies Memrise Pixl Geography app. Some of these need a login code as we have already paid for the app. See Miss Randle or Mr. Andrews for the password. Attend ALL intervention sessions offered this term they are on a Tuesday from 3 4pm.
Tuesday 13 th February 2018 6pm 7pm Check Point Two is your child on track?