Revision Support
Outwood Academy Freeston - Revision Festival 2023
Wednesday 22nd February 2023
All Y11 students will be involved during P4 and P5 during the school day.
Parents are then invited to join students in the academy from 3pm for a short revision tips session, as well as the chance to collect resources from each department!
All students will learn, study and revise in different ways. Use the information in this section to find the way that works best for you! We will aim to guide you through a whole range of different revision techniques designed to help you retain knowledge in your long term memory and prepare effectively for assessments and exams.
To help our students revise we have made available some general tips.
EXAM ADVICE - TIPS FOR STUDENTS
DURING THE EXAM
Remember that nervousness is normal and will give your brain extra adrenalin which will help you make that final effort.
If your mind goes blank at any stage, do not panic! Turn the paper over and take a couple of deep breaths. There will be some of the paper that you can do, so re-read it again – slowly and calmly!
Remind yourself of the exam structure. READ the instructions and skim through the paper before you start to write!
If appropriate, spend 5 minutes at the start of the exam writing down any key formulae, facts or quotes that you are going to need so that you will not forget them or leave them out.
Make and keep to a timescale for each question depending on the number of marks awarded. DO NOT spend too long on one question – you can come back to it if you have time.
Allow a few minutes at the end of the exam to check through your work and make any changes.
EXAM ADVICE - TIPS FOR PARENTS
Many parents feel at a loss when their children enter their examination years, but your involvement during Year 11 can make an enormous difference, the difference between success and failure.
Our role may include some or all of the following:
Making sure your child understands the importance of making the most of lesson times.
Providing the tools for homework and revision; a quiet space to work and a “workbox” of pens, paper and other necessities.
Showing a positive interest in your son / daughter’s school work and helping with homework (but not doing it for them), testing them when they ask you etc.
Advising your child on how they can break tasks down so that they are manageable, keeping a subtle eye on progress and celebrating achievements, and seeing a positive way forward when things go badly!
Agree the rules for homework, coursework and revision.
Helping make a realistic timetable, balancing work against the “fun things” and revising the plans where necessary.
Acting as a go-between for your child and the School when necessary. Make sure problems are spoken about and ask the questions that your child can not or will not.
Revising Alone
Ideas for revising alone • Dictate your notes into a recording device and listen to them • Write notes and diagrams on post-its and have them on something you see everyday • Mind map your topic • Memory challenge - look at the labelled version of a drawing or a piece of text for 30 seconds. Cover it up and try and draw or write what you saw. Compare the two pictures or notes. Whatever you didn’t include is what you need to revise more • Cheat Cards- Put the key points of a topic on a piece of paper you can hide in your pencil case. Limited space means you can only write the most important things (Don’t use this in the real exam!) • Concept Map – Write key words onto A3 paper, link them with arrows, write over the arrows how the two words are linked • Invent a Mnemonic or Acrostic for remembering difficult concepts • Read the revision guide/your notes – small chunks • Make bullet points from revision guide/ notes • Create an exam paper include questions and a mark scheme. If working with others, swap and answer. Then swap back and mark. • Draw diagrams/pictures from your notes • Write descriptions of diagrams • Answer questions from the revision guide
Revising in a Pair or Group
Put key words and definitions on to separate cards, turn them all over and mix them up. Then try to find the pairs by turning them over, if you get a pair you get another go. The person with the most pairs wins. Play a few times and keep adding more key words and definitions • Get pieces of A4 paper with key topics written on the top. Each person writes something about that topic on the paper and pass it to another. Keep passing the paper until it is full. Afterwards, check you understand everything on the paper, what you don’t know you need to revise further. • Talk-Listen-repeat - Face a partner and talk on a subject for 30 seconds (they might want to write it down first). Now swap. Repeat trying to get more key words into the 30 seconds without looking at their notes. • Using the criteria, give an answer to a question that will give you an 4. Next person moves this up to a 5 and so on... can you work as a team to push to the higher grades • Each person writes a list of 10 questions on the topics you find the hardest (include the answers) then ask you questions to each other and score each other. • Pictionary / speed Pictionary – draw pictures which represent key words, team members or partners guess what they are • Paper in a bucket – Write topic key words on scraps of paper, put them all in a bucket, each person picks one out and has to describe the key word without saying the word. Person with the most wins that round. Then put them all back. Round 2 – same thing but only say one or two words. Round 3 – same thing but act out the word
