GCSE Preparation

Have the right Mindset

Believe that you can be successful.

Intelligence is not fixed. Studies have shown that the brain can grow and learn new things throughout life. You are part of a generation of life-long learners.

Have a GROWTH mindset.

Anybody can get better at almost anything if they have the right ATTITUDE and devote enough TIME & EFFORT to it. Think of something that you have improved your skill level in - from Sport to FIFA.

Take responsibility for your own learning.

There is no getting away from it - you need to use time outside of school hours to learn.

Aim for YOUR personal best.

Based on your past performance in exams the school has set you a challenging target grade which we believe you can achieve. Have YOU devoted enough TIME & EFFORT to achieve it?

What do you need to do NOW?

Know when YOUR exams are.

All the exam timetables can be found on our website.

Know what you have to learn.

Ask your teacher for a checklist of what you need to learn and/or find the specifications on the exam board website.

Get copies of past exam papers.

Ask your teacher or use the exam board websites (OCR, AQA, EDEXEL or WJEC) or on Google Apps.

Identify what you do and do not know.

through the checklist and decide if each topic is RED (don’t know it), AMBER (know some of it) or GREEN (know it).

Organise your time.

Work out how much time you have before the exam to learn the RED and AMBER topics and complete practice exam papers.

Don’t forget the GREEN topics!

Create a revision timetable.

Your Head of Year will be able to help you with this.

Create revision resources and memory aids to help you to learn.

This is best done 24 hours after you have first reviewed the information. Use them to regularly revise the information.

Use the revision resources that your teacher has shared with you.

Google Apps for Education
You Tube
MS Teams
EDUCAKE

Get and act on FEEDBACK from your teachers.

Why have you lost marks in previous exams? It is like losing water from a bucket. If you don’t fix the holes, the water in your bucket will only get to a certain level.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

Former GCSE students suggest that the best way to improve is by doing as many GCSE past papers as you can. It will help you get familiar with the exam format, question style, time pressure and to retrieve information quicker. You should aim to complete between 3-6 papers for each subject.

Your teacher is central to your success.

Go to the revision sessions. Your teachers will give you feedback and help you overcome your areas of concern.

Reflect on your study habits.

Do you:
Have enough sleep? The NHS website suggests 9- 10 hours for 16 year olds. Turn off all distractions e.g. social media and games? Exercise, eat and drink all the right things?