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Dear Parents,
Examinations can be stressful, so it is important that you know how to
support your child so they feel able to cope over the exam period.
You can’t do the revision, but there is plenty that you can do to help
your child get organised, stay calm and keep motivated. Work with
your child. Set goals you both think are realistic in a particular time,
and try to keep up to date with how he or she is getting on.
A student friendly version of this guide will be given to them during an
assembly. Included in their guide will be tips on how to revise.
The results of the examinations will be given to the students in their
lesson, and will be reflected in their current levels in their next
Progress Tracker.
Gayle Raybould
Assistant Headteacher
graybould@tring.herts.sch.uk
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Contents
Page
4
What are Year 7 Examinations and why do we have them?
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Revision timetables
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Creating the right environment
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Getting them motivated
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Staying calm
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Do’s and Don’ts
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On the morning of the exams
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What happens before and during the exams?
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What happens to the Year 7 Examination results?
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Exam timetable
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What should my child revise?
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What are Year 7 Examinations and why do we have them?
It is important that students are prepared fully for their examinations
that take place at the end of Key Stage 4. They will already have taken
exams at the end of Key Stage 2, but they will not have had a period
where they are revising for a number of exams in one go. The more
practice they get at taking examinations, the better prepared they will
be for their GCSEs.
Part of the preparation is planning revision programmes, knowing
what they have to do when they enter the exam hall, and knowing
what equipment they need and the revision they have to do. The Year
7 examinations are a reflection of how they will be examined at the
end of their courses in Year 11.
As well as preparing the students for their examinations, it also gives
our KS3 teachers the chance to check on your child’s progress.
Although our KS3 teachers are checking their progress continually, this
is an opportunity to see how they perform in each subject in more
formal conditions.
Revision timetables
Your child needs to plan the free time that they
have for revision. However, it is also important
that they plan into this some breaks and other
activities in order to relax and wind down.
Planning revision and having some down time will
help control stress, which this guide deals with
later on.
Students who do not plan revision often end up spending time
covering areas that they already know well. A proper revision plan will
help focus them on the subject areas they really need to cover.
A really good website is www.getrevising.co.uk
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This website creates a colourful revision timetable that is easy to read
and only requires you to input when the exams are, plus any other
commitments that your child may have.
They need to allocate more time to the exams that they feel less
confident about. Doing this will have a big impact on their eventual
results.
The timetable needs to be somewhere prominent, and the rest of the
family need to know about it to help your child stick to their plan.
Creating the right environment
Creating the right environment without
distractions can be hard in these times
of mobile communication.
However, it is important that the area
that they revise in is distraction free
and conducive to learning.
Give them space to revise. They will need a room or an area that they
can store books, equipment and if necessary, a computer to work on.
Wherever they work, it needs to be a quiet area, although some
students do work better if there is light noise such as quiet music in
the background. Ensure they are away from the TV, Facebook, mobile
phones or siblings that may take their attention elsewhere. Don’t let
them study with the TV on. They will continually be distracted.
Natural light is better, but they will need somewhere that is well lit
and quiet. And make sure they have everything they need beforehand.
They may use any excuse to procrastinate!
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Getting them motivated
Getting started is probably the most difficult
thing to do, which is why a revision timetable
can be helpful in planning their time. But once
they begin their revision keeping that
momentum up will be important.
Short term and long term goals are really
important in helping to motivate them.
Students sometimes feel that Year 7
examinations are not important, but they are
(later in this guide it explains how the results are used), and it is
important that the exams are used as practice for GCSE examinations.
Praise and rewards work really well (obviously!). Use the revision
timetable to plan out small rewards when a certain number of targets
have been met. These might include watching a favourite TV
programme, going for an evening out with friends, or having access to
a website.
Reassure your child that you value their efforts more than perfect
results.
Help your child see beyond the revision too. Remind him/her what
they will get out of good results with a long term vision. A bigger final
reward can also help, such as a pair of trainers, a short break, or a visit
to a local amusement that they have wanted to go to. It will give them
something to look forward to when it’s all over.
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Staying Calm
The best way to support your child through the
exam period is to make home life as calm and
pleasant as possible. It helps if other members
of the household are aware that your child
may be under pressure and that allowances
should be made for this.
Try not to nag or make too many demands on
your child during exam time. Arguments are
counter-productive and will only add
unnecessary stress, as well as distracting your child from revision.
As far as possible, try to make sure that revision time is quiet time. A
healthy diet and regular exercise are also especially important when
your child is under pressure.
If your child is highly motivated, it is important to make sure that he
or she doesn’t overwork. Breaks are essential. Remind your child that
even a short 15-20 minute break every 90 minutes will refresh his or
her mind. Making a drink, playing some sport, listening to some music
or watching TV are all good ways to help relax before the next revision
session.
It’s a good idea to set an alarm to remind them to stop and take a
break, particularly if they haven’t had anything to eat or drink.
Studying in a group can be helpful as they can bounce ideas off each
other, but it’s a good idea to supervise them from a distance if you can
so as to keep them on task. Children can pick up new ideas, talk about
exam stress and help each other with areas that they find difficult.
If your child is completely stuck on a topic, remember to tell us at
school. Their teacher will be able to offer extra help and advice.
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 Encourage your child to get plenty of sleep and take regular
breaks when they are revising. The brain will work better when
rested
 Trying to cram in last-minute revision the night before the exam
is a bad idea. This can cause panic, and might even affect his/her
performance the following day. It is much better to do some
revision but to make plenty of time to have a relaxing evening so
he/she can do their best the following day.
 Exercise, even a walk to the shops, will
help your child to concentrate when
he/she gets back to work. It can also
help him/her to sleep better.
 Discourage your child from drinking
caffeine-rich drinks like tea, coffee or
coke the evening before. It can disturb
sleep.
 Make sure you set an alarm for the next morning. Waking up in
a panic or even arriving late for an exam only makes things
stressful.
 It is important to eat a healthy diet all the time, but during exam
times this is vital. Eating well will help your child to focus and do
his/her best. Try to discourage your child from eating lots of
sugary snacks, as these can actually stop him/her from
concentrating.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do
 Ask your child what areas/subjects that he or she wants help
with
 Make your child feel you are there for them physically and
mentally
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 Organise some non-study activities for him/her
 Encourage them with praise and rewards
 Make their environment revision-friendly
Don’t
 Force them to revise in the way that you think best
 Put extra pressure on them
 Keep telling your child how much better organised you were
about revision when you were that age!
On the morning of the examination
 Set an alarm clock and make sure that they are ready in plenty
of time
 Try to ensure that the household is as calm as possible.
 Make sure that your child eats something. They may not feel like
it because of nerves, but having something to eat will help kick
start their brains.
 Check that they have all of the equipment that they need for the
exams that day. For example, do they need compasses or a
calculator?
 Check that they know what time their exams are and which ones
they are doing
What happens before and during the exams?
Before the exam, students will line up outside the
Desborough Hall where they will take place. If the
students are doing their exam elsewhere they will be
told beforehand or collected by a member of staff
from the hall.
They will be asked to leave their bags outside (so please ask them not to
bring in anything valuable during this period). Whilst in the hall they will
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be asked to place any mobile phones under their table (turned off) and
then given instructions for the exam. At the end papers will be collected
in and returned to the class teacher to mark.
Whilst in the examination hall, they should remain silent.
What happens to the Year 7 Examination results?
Although students understand the purpose of the
examinations, some feel that they aren’t as important
as GCSE examinations.
This is an incorrect assumption for a number of reasons,
and this will be highlighted to the students over the
coming weeks:
 The more practice that students get in preparing
for the exams, the better they will be at revising, and
they will therefore be better prepared for their GCSEs
 Year 7 exams are used in order to make sure that students are in the
correct ability set and pathway, it is therefore really important that
they try their best for all of the exams.
Exam Timetable
On the next page you will find the timetable and what they need to revise for
the Year 7 examinations. Students should attend school at the normal times,
and attend tutor time in the mornings. This is important as notices may be
given out about the exams during these sessions.
Where students do not have an exam, they are expected to attend lessons.
Where they are absent this will be followed up by their Head of House as
normal. Some lessons will provide the opportunity to revise for an exam,
however students shouldn’t assume that they will get the chance to do this,
and should do their revision at home.
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If your child is ill on the day of the exam, please telephone the school as soon
as possible and let us know. In most cases arrangements will be made for
them to take the examination at another time.
All subjects that are not examined formally in the Desborough Hall (such as
practical subjects) will be tested in lessons.
Subject
Topics to revise
Maths
Space, shape and measure, handling data, algebra, the Group 1
number system and making calculations will be tested at Tuesday
21 April
an appropriate level for each student.
11.00-12.30pm
The MyMaths booster packs are an excellent resource
for revising a wide range of topics and practising using Group 2
different methods
Wednesday
English
Science
Date
exam
of
22 April
11.00-12.30pm
Reading and interpretation: reading a range of non- Tuesday
fiction
texts
to
familiarise
yourself
with 21 April
conventions/features of style; identifying devices used 8.40-10.40am
in a text; using quotes to support analysis; explaining
how and why and writer has used a particular device to
create an effect on the reader; exploring and explaining
the writer’s viewpoints/opinions.
Creative writing in a style suited to the task: familiarise
yourself with a range of fiction and non-fiction texts
and their features, write short stories, persuasive
speeches, letters and other types of text, practise
paragraphing; structuring work carefully and for effect,
experiment with having an engaging opening, a
detailed middle and effective ending;
control and vary your sentences; develop your
vocabulary and choose ambitious words carefully;
practise punctuating sentences; revise key spellings.
Students will need to make sure that they learn the
Thursday
following things:
23 April
What are acids?
8.40-9.40am
What are alkalis?
What happens when you add an alkali and acid
together? What reaction is it called?
When do magnets attract? When do magnets repel?
What is the relationship between surface area and
heat loss?
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Why data loggers are better than thermometers?
What is a balanced diet?
What are muscles?
What is blood made up of?
History
Geography
PRS
French
Students need to practice the following skills:
Analysing graphs
Drawing lines of best fit and curves of best fit
Recognising Independent/Dependent variables and
Control Variables
Writing a conclusion from a set of data
Planning an experiment
History skills i.e. primary & secondary sources, why
people were pushed & pulled to England, 1066; include
the 3 contenders for the throne and the Battle of
Hastings.
William the Conqueror and how he
controlled England i.e. castles, Domesday book, Feudal
system.
Geographical skills, the world, weather and climate,
Fair Trade
Thursday
23 April
2.20-3.05pm
Wednesday
22 April
2.20-3.20pm
Tuesday
21 April
2.20-3.05pm
What are the six main world religions?
What are symbols?
What do different people believe God is like?
Why do some people not believe in God? (e.g.
evolution, evil and suffering)?
How and why do believers worship?
How and why do believers treat Holy books with
respect?
What are places of Worship like?
Greetings
Wednesday
Items in your bag
22 April
Colours
8.40-9.40am
The alphabet
Age
Dates
Months
Days of the week
Numbers 0-100
Classroom instructions
Countries
Nationalities
Family members
Physical descriptions
personality
pets
School subjects
Opinions
Time
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German
Spanish
D&T
Greetings
Items in your bag
Colours
The alphabet
Age
Dates
Months
Days of the week
Numbers 0-60
Classroom instructions
Countries
Family members
Physical descriptions
personality
pets
School subjects
Opinions
Time
Food and drink
Greetings
Items in your bag
Colours
The alphabet
Age
Dates
Months
Days of the week
Numbers 0-31
School subjects
Opinions
Items in a classroom
Classroom instructions
What you do in class
Family members
Physical descriptions
personality
pets
Countries
This will be a designing question based on the theme
of ‘Easter Products’.
Students will need to come to the exam prepared to
create design ideas based on the theme, so should
think of a range of different products associated with
Easter. Students should make sure they know how to
annotate their ideas to achieve higher levels of
designing.
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Thursday
23 April
11.00-12 noon
Friday
24 April
8.40-9.40am
Friday
24 April
11.00-12 noon
Students will need a range of drawing equipment,
including coloured and graphite pencils, an eraser,
ruler and a pen for the annotation.
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