PARENT POWER
YEAR 11
NOVEMBER 2014
TOM DORE
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
PAUL JACKSON
HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL
JEREMY MASSON
HEAD OF YEAR 11
POINT NORTH
WHAT IS TONIGHT ALL ABOUT?
 Understanding the Year 11 Vision
 Revision Matters (How to Revise Effectively)
 Mindset Matters (How are you approaching your
revision)
 Setting achievable goals
 Taking the next step
YEAR 11 VISION
THE 4 CORE VALUES
 Motto
“If we aim for success, we hit excellence”
 Slogan
“REACH (respond, engage, achieve and climb higher)”
 Steps to Success
 Targets
50% A*-C including English and Maths
100% A*-G passes
THE PLEDGE…..
Staff Pledge:
Student Pledge:
All academy staff have made a
pledge to Year 11 stating how they
intend to support them in these last
few important months.
Students will tomorrow make their
own pledge to both themselves and
the year group as a whole stating
what they will do to achieve their
own personal success.
Read what your teachers have pledged to your
son/daughters…..
GUESS THE NUMBER…..
16
28
43
REACHING THE SUMMIT
What will it take to
reach the
summit?
What got you
here (base camp)
might not get you
to the summit
REVISION MATTERS
•
•
With regular, well planned revision starting now,
your son or daughter will achieve and exceed their
target grades this summer.
Without regularly revisiting their work, they will not
perform to the best of their abilities.
Key to successful revision:
•
•
•
•
Right conditions – Quiet? Music? Water? No TV &
No FB!
Well planned revision timetable – no last minute
panics.
Regular breaks – still plan time for hobbies.
Incentives – rewards are allowed.
REVISION TECHNIQUES

Different revision techniques work for different people. The student
must find the strategies that work best for them. Simply reading over
their notes is not revising. They need to do something with the
information.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prompt cards
Mind maps
Post it notes
Summary tables & grids
Practise using command words – describe, explain, analyse, discuss
Teach someone else
Memory games
Using Mind Maps will help you to revise
a whole topic. The mind map below not
only is a great example but it gives you
details of what makes an effective
revision mind map.
Key Ideas:
•Lots of colour and no straight lines
•Landscape not portrait, it’s how your
brain really works
Ideal for:
Remembering details and links
between topics
Using Prompt Cards will allow you to turn
all of your written work into handy pocket
sized notes. The key to this is to keep the
relevant information on one card.
Key Ideas:
•Make notes, not whole sentences
•Use colour and highlighters for
important bits
Ideal for:
Remembering details
•Group all the similar information
together
The ‘Iceberg’ Approach (not the lettuce)
When you are writing your revision cards, remember
that one piece of information can link to a whole lot
more- like an iceberg. Only a tiny part is above the
surface, while there is lots and lots below. Make sure
that you are able to remember all of the other
information as well as the key facts.
REVISION TIMETABLE
•
•
A revision timetable will help your son or daughter
plan their time and achieve the most - avoid last
minute panics and cramming.
Be honest & realistic – do they work best in the
mornings, afternoons or evenings?.
•Plan in breaks for
regular hobbies.
•Incentivise & reward.
•Keep each session
between 45 – 60
minutes max
REVISION MATERIALS/BOOKS
Each student has been issued with a
‘GCSE Study Skills’ book which
contains a range of different revision
strategies including for each subject
area.
Subject specific revision guides are
available – the heads of each
department can advise you which
ones to buy.
WEEKLY EXAM REVISION TIPS….
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER.
Practicing past exam questions are a priority when doing your own
revision.
Mr Moloney
Geography
REACHING THE SUMMIT
What will it take to
reach the
summit?
What got you
here (base camp)
might not get you
to the summit
MINDSET MATTERS
BE OPEN MINDED……
Students with open mindsets are likely to……
 Embrace Challenge (rather than avoid)
 Persist in the face of setbacks (not give up easily)
 See effort as the path to success
 Learn from criticism (rather than ignore useful feedback)
 Find lessons and inspiration in the success of others.
MINDSET MATTERS
BE OPEN MINDED……
Encouraging positive mindsets at home is crucial……
 Turn a negative ‘rant’ into a learning opportunity
 Actively question your son/daughter about their learning
 Help students to reflect on how they can move forward
 Praise the thinking/learning process
KEY DATES
THIS TERM









11th November – 1st Football Studies (Boys) Trials 5.45pm -8pm
12th November 5pm – 7.30pm – Open event at Reading College
25th November 6pm – 8pm – 2nd Football Studies (Boys) Trials
26th November 5.30-6.30 - Parents Forum
1st December 6pm – 8pm– 1st Football Studies (Girls) Trials
W/C 1st December Year 11 Mock Exam week
3rd December 6.30pm - 8pm– Academy Aspire Awards Evening
W/C 8th December – Mock Exam catch up week
19th December – End of Term
POST 16 PATHWAYS
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NEXT?
POST 16 – WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?
Full-time academic or
vocational courses at a
school/academy sixth form, FE
or sixth form college, or training
provider
An apprenticeship or
other work based learning
route
Employment (self’ or
‘employed’) or
Volunteering with Training.
POST 16 PATHWAYS
POST 16 CHOICES FOR UNIVERSITY COURSES
ACCOUNTANCY
• Applied
Business
• Maths
MEDICINE
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Maths
ART & DESIGN
• Art
• Product Design
• IT / Media
NURSING
• Biology
• Health & Social
Care
• Sociology
DRAMA
• English
• Drama
PSYCHOLOGY
• Biology /
Science
• Psychology
• Sociology
EDUCATION
(Teacher Training)
• Specific A Level
relevant to
subject for
Primary or
Secondary
SPORT SCIENCE
/ PE
•
•
•
•
Biology
Chemistry
PE
Psychology
HISTORY
• History
• English
• Government &
Politics
• Sociology
SOCIOLOGY
• Sociology
• Psychology
• Geography
THE JOHN MADEJSKI ACADEMY
POST 16 ENTRY CRITERIA

4 x A levels
7+ GCSE A* - B (inc Eng & Maths)

3 x A levels
5+ GCSE A* - B (inc Eng & Maths)
(also depends on achievement in separate units)

BTEC Level 3
5+ GCSE A* - C (inc Eng and / or Maths)

BTEC Level 2
7+ GCSE A* - E

GCSE English & Maths resit compulsory if you
achieve less than a C GCSE
Important Dates
Post 16 Subject Presentation Assemblies
December 2014
Students are introduced to Post 16 options through a series of presentations in Year 11 assemblies.
Post 16 Open Evening
January 2015
Information and guidance evening including a Sixth Form Course Fayre and visiting external
organisations. A presentation about Post 16 Choices. For both JMA and external students
Post 16 Taster Day
January 2015
This day is dedicated to Year 11 pupils choosing their potential Post 16 subjects and work with
numerous external agencies to prepare for employment and training
Sixth form application form deadline
Sixth form application form to be submitted through the JMA website
February 2015
JMA Sixth Form Guidance Meetings
March 2015
Parents and students have the opportunity to discuss the Post 16 choices in context of student
aspirations with Academy staff. Specific sixth form application support also available.