Alleyn’s
Year 10 Study Skills Booklet - Contents
Year 10 Revision Guide
Page 2
Introduction
Page 6
Art
Page 7
Biology
Page 8
Chemistry
Page 12
Computing
Page 17
Design and Technology
Page 18
Drama
Page 19
English Language and English Literature
Page 20
Food Technology
Page 22
Geography
Page 23
History
Page 26
Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation
Page 30
Mathematics
Page 32
Modern Languages
Page 33
Music
Page 34
Physics
Page 35
Religious Studies
Page 37
Powerpoint Presentations
Page 38 onwards
1
Alleyn’s School – Year 10 Revision Guide – March/April 2014
Preparation and Planning
Establish what you need to learn
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List the subjects in which you will be taking exams
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Subject teachers will provide an outline of what you need to learn for the exam
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Make a list of topics within a subject
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Make a rough estimate of how much time you will need to learn each topic. Then
make a total for each subject.
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Try making an overview wheel. Produce this like a pie-chart and put each topic in
the segments around the wheel. You can then see the entire syllabus at a glance
and can highlight them as you learn.
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Think about how you might approach different subjects:
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The best way to learn maths is to DO it. Use practice questions.
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Use apps like Quizlet, make a list, or create a word document for:
 Essential vocabulary in languages – French, Spanish, Latin etc
 Essential scientific vocabulary – spelling and meaning need to be accurately known for Biology,
Chemistry and Physics
Is anything missing? Use the Easter holiday to check if you have any gaps. Check with a friend when the Summer term begins
and get complete notes.
Is anything not understood? Make a note and be prepared to ask your teacher during revision periods.
Decide where to work
Put timetables up on the wall
Get organised – marker pens, files, dividers, index cards, labels, audio tapes and access to a computer screen.
Preparation and Planning = less effort and better results!
Focus on goals = more time for fun!!!
2
Revision & Learning
Revision has four stages
Active Learning
1. Read and understand
read and
understand
You won’t be able to memorise what you don’t
thoroughly understand. When you are reading you can
concentrate for longer periods than when you memorise.
This is a vital first stage which makes the information
fluent, before you can memorise it. BUT if we just read
something, we only remember 10% the next day!!!
test
shrink
memorise
through
active
learning
So, don’t stop here – the information won’t flood back to
you in the exam UNLESS you do the following.
2. Shrink the information
You need to “shrink” the information to make it easier to memorise.
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Prioritise the key facts, reasons, transactions, formulae.
You will need to select only 20% of works from your reading or your notes.
Now, when you memorise these, as long as you have fully understood (see Step 1 above), you will be able to work more
efficiently (see Step 3 below) and recall the whole in your exam.
3. Actively do something
You need to help your brain retain the knowledge by:
Making a mind map
Developing or invent your own diagrams
Making a flow chart
Using your computer
Highlight key words
Make a recording of a summary
Make revision cards to arrange in sequence
Devise your own questions for parents or friends to ask you. Self-test.
Mind maps are particularly good for memorising. The right hand side of your brain can readily remember the key
points on the branches and the details come flooding back. Use colour and key words.
Actively keep your mind alert and make what you want to learn individual and memorable to you!
4.
Keep testing yourself
The more you keep testing yourself the better. Where possible use parents or a
friend.
 Aim to spend some time in each revision session reviewing earlier learning.
 Spend 5 minutes testing yourself / looking over what you learned LAST time
you revised.
 Spend 3 minutes testing yourself / looking over what you have learned the
time before that.
 There is no need to keep learning what you have already understood, go
back to it at a later date.
Frequent, brief reviews = fluent learning
3
Countdown
1. Easter Holiday
Make a start over Easter. Choose one week and set aside a couple of hours, every day to begin
your revision with planning, reading and understanding.
2. First half of Trinity Term
There are four full weeks plus Half Term before Study Leave begins. Using your list of what’s to
be revised, work through some key topics in each subject:
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If you have some time left over after your homework
When you have revision for homework
For 2 hours at the weekend
Subject teachers will explain the exam format – sections, compulsory questions, short answers, multiple choice, essays and
diagrams. Make sure you are clear about this before Half Term.
3. Half Term
Complete your planning, preparation and reading. You should be able to do this in longer bursts, eg 30-40 minutes, but you
will soon need to move on to the memorising stage.
Make a daily timetable (please see overleaf for an example you may wish to follow and use). Remember that you memorise
best in 20 minute bursts of effort. Work for 20 minutes, then take a 5 minute break (do something that does not require too
much concentration or something which is physical in order to get more oxygen to your brain). After three sessions, take a
longer break of an hour or so. While you take a break, your brain processes what you’ve just learned and has time to shuttle it
into long-term memory. An average of 3 hours, in this concentrated way, is enough revision for each day.
Use the rest of your time to relax, take energetic exercise, eat healthy food and get lots of sleep. You will learn efficiently this
way. If you undertake long sessions of revision, what you cover in the middle of the session may be forgotten and lost very
easily.
If you can, make one/some of your sessions buddy revision. Find a friend, chose a topic each, meet and teach each other.
Laying out facts and asking questions is a good way to learn.
BE PREPARED and then you’ll do yourself justice!
4. Exam Weeks
All your learning should make you alert, confident and fluent, so that you can think clearly; answer relevantly AND superintelligently in the exam.
Remember to ALWAYS
Read the questions carefully and answer them relevantly
4
Revision Timetable
You can make copies of this timetable, or devise your own. Make one for each day and fill in the subjects you are going to learn
over Easter and Half Term.
Be realistic about what time of day you are going to be wide awake enough to start your revision. It may suit you to begin at
10.30am and have a break before lunch. Alternatively, you may prefer to work an hour in the morning and undertake the rest of
your revision later in the afternoon, or in fact all afternoon! You know the best time when your concentration is at its fullest.
Remember to plan the other things you enjoy doing during the holidays; fitting these around your revision study periods.
If you organise your revision, then you’ll know you’ll be working effectively. You can then really enjoy your time off from
studies!
Day of the week:
Time
Action
3 mins
Review/test
5 mins
Review
5 mins
Break
20 mins
Learning
5 mins
Break
20 mins
Learning
5 mins
Break
20 mins
Learning
Subject
Long Break
5
Topics
INTRODUCTION
Your brain is more powerful than you think – you just have to trick it into remembering ideas.
Learning styles
• Visual – I like to look at diagrams, watch videos, draw pictures, use colours, draw maps.
• Auditory – I like to listen to other people, repeat ideas in my head, say ‘that rings a bell’, make up silly
rhymes, learn song lyrics
• Kinaesthetic – I can’t bear standing still, I want to be ‘hands on’, I want to grab stuff and look at it closer
• Reading – I like order, structure, calm and re-assurance. I am happy to sit for hours and concentrate on
one book.
• www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire
Preferred methods of intaking material:
AURAL (LISTENERS)
• enjoy revision discussion classes
• discuss topics with others and teachers
• speak out loud as you revise
• explain new ideas to other people, eg
parents/brother/sister
• get a friend round for revision tests twice a week
• record revision notes verbally
• play back notes on Ipod/phone
READERS
• Lists, definitions
• headings
• dictionaries, glossaries
• handouts, textbooks
• readings - library
• notes (often verbatim), essays
VISUAL
 Videos, posters
 Graphs, diagrams, maps
 Underlining, highlighting
 Flow charts, mind maps
KINAESTHETIC (DOERS)
• make up stories of key ideas and say them aloud
• talk with someone else, don’t always revise alone
• learn real-life examples
• hands-on approaches (eg bouncing tennis ball..)
• walk around your room while revising
• scrap book of revision: exhibits, samples, photographs...
4 well known techniques:
• Song lyrics – be creative
• Mnemonics and rhymes – trick your brain
• Use colours – tag your words
• Revision cards – regular revision refreshes retention
Mnemonics examples:
• Never Eat Shredded Wheat
• Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.
• SOH CAH TOA
• Sine = Opposite over Hypotenuse
• Cosine = Adjacent over Hypotenuse
• Tangent = Opposite over Adjacent
10 best ideas for successful revision
• Identify your motivation
• Re-revise regularly
• Bite size chunks – honest 20 mins
• Start with worst
• Use highlighter: Read The Question – (2 min test)
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Use revision guides
Avoid distractions
Ask your teacher – work smart, not hard
Don’t let others get you down
Don’t admit defeat easily
ART
For advice and guidance for Year 10 Art exam see your Art GCSE Student Guide which was issued at the
beginning of the year. It explains how to do well in the 4 assessment criteria and gives advice on how to
annotate your sketchbook. If you have lost yours, another copy can be collected from Jackie in the Art
Department Office.
7
BIOLOGY
To prepare for your AQA Level 1 / 2 Certificate in BIOLOGY (iGCSE)
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Use your notes, textbook, specification and the checklist below as well as the Biology GCSE section on
the intranet to help with your revision
Check if you have missed anything on a particular section and if you have to photocopy any extra notes
you need from someone else in the class
Try the summary questions at the end of each textbook page and work through the exam questions at the
end of each section
Look at the feedback given on your tests throughout the year and see what exam technique mistakes you
were making in order to avoid them in the future.
Biology contains a lot of key terms and therefore it would be useful to produce a glossary of the key
terminology for each topic
For the investigative questions use the practical booklet to help you identify different variables, use the
terms valid, precise, accurate and reliable.
Check you understand when you should draw a graph and why
Go over the experiments you have completed in class and ensure you would be happy to plan the
experiment, form a graph, analyse the data and evaluate the experiment
Then if you still have problems …
 Arrange to see your teacher for extra help on particular points of difficulty at lunch time
 Make a collection of all your old tests with correct answers
 Work with a friend going over old test papers to test yourselves
 Make a list of things that you need help with
 Try the end of chapter summary questions in the textbook
 Study for sensible periods of time but take some breaks
Topics in Biology for Year 10 to revise
Some of these topics were covered in Year 9. The first section shows the topics that all students should revise.
The second section is the additional topics that only triple science students should revise. The last section
is the additional topic that doubles science students should revise are for Triple Science students only.
All:
Topic
1.Cell activity
Cell structure
Movement of
substances into
and out of cells
Content
 Animal cell structure and function
 Plant (and algal) cell structure and function
 Bacterial cell structure
 Fungi cell structure
 How specialised cells are adapted for their function
 Diffusion
 Factors that increase the rate of diffusion
 Osmosis
 Movement of water into and out of plant cells including terms: isotonic,
hypotonic, hypertonic, turgor, plasmolysis
 Active transport including examples
 How single-celled organisms are adapted for exchanging materials, including
large surface area to volume ratio
 How multicellular organisms are adapted for exchanging materials e.g. small
intestine and lungs in humans; roots and leaves in plants
8
2 Tissues, organs
& organ systems
Organisation,
Animal tissues,
organs & systems
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Plant tissues,
organs and
systems
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3 Carbohydrates,
lipids, proteins
and enzymes
Carbohydrates,
lipids and proteins
Enzymes
4 Human Biology
Breathing
Respiration
Digestion
6 Plants as
organisms
Photosynthesis
Plant response
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Definition of cell, tissue, organ, organ system
Explain how the following animal tissues work: muscular, glandular and
epithelial
Explain how the stomach (an organ) works using the tissues named above
Explain how the different organs in the digestive system works in order to
perform its function
Identify the plant organs
Identify the position of the xylem and phloem in a root and stem
Label a cross section of a leaf
Outline the role of the tissues in the leaf
Simple and complex carbohydrates
The molecules which make up lipids
Molecules which make up proteins
Examples of proteins in the body
What enzymes are
Explain how the enzymes shape affects it function
Factors affecting enzymes including temperature and pH
Enzymes working outside the body cells e.g. digestive enzymes
Biological and non-biological detergents, including advantages and
disadvantages for biological
How enzymes are used in industry: Protease, carbohydrase, isomerase
Identify the different areas of the respiratory system
Stages of inhalation and exhalation
How alveoli are adapted for efficient rate of diffusion
Mechanical ventilators
Definition of aerobic respiration and where it takes place
Word and symbol equation for aerobic respiration
How energy that is released by respiration is used in the body
How the body reacts during exercise to increase the demand for energy
Definition of anaerobic respiration
Word and symbol equation for anaerobic respiration
Removal of lactic acid and oxygen debt
Anaerobic respiration in plants and other microorganism, including products
How carbohydrates, proteins and lipids digested and absorbed
Identify the different areas of the digestive system
Functions of the digestive enzymes, where they are produced and where they
act in the digestive system
Bile
Photosynthesis equation
Role of chloroplasts and chlorophyll
Limiting Factors
Fate of glucose produced during photosynthesis
Proteins require nitrates
How a venous fly traps are adapted
Phototropism, Hydrotropism, gravitropism
Hormone Auxin
Plant growth hormones usage in agriculture and horticulture
9
7 Variation and
inheritance
Genetic variation
Genetic disorders
7.3 Genetic
manipulation
8 Adaptation and
interdependence
8.1 Adaptation
8.2 Environmental
change and
distribution of
organisms
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Role of genes (passed on from parents via gametes) with definitions of DNA,
Chromosome, allele, gene, dominant, recessive, homozygous, heterozygous
Genes code for a combination of amino acids to make up protein
Mendel
Interpret genetic diagrams (Predict/explain outcome of crosses)
Construct genetic diagrams
Sexual/Asexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction-gives rise to variation
Inherited disorders, including what they are and how they get passes on:
Polydactyly-dominant
Cystic fibrosis-recessive
Sickle-cell anaemia-recessive (and link with malaria)
Down’s syndrome- extra chromosome
Embryo screening
Concerns about embryo screening
Cloning (tissue culture/embryo transplants/fusion cell
Genetic engineering
Concerns about genetic engineering and cloning including GM crops
Adaptation including structural, behavioural and functional
Competition of plants and animals
Extremophiles
Living or non-living factors environmental factors
Changes in the environment that affect the distribution of living organism e.g.
some bird species and the disappearance of pollinating insects, including bees.
Living organisms can be used as indicators e.g. lichen and invertebrates
Environmental changes can be measured using non-living indicators
Quantitative data on the distribution using random sampling with quadrats or
sampling along a transect
Terms mean, median and mode
Sample size is related to validity, reproducibility and repeatability
Suggest reasons for the distribution of living organisms in a particular habitat
Evaluate methods used to collect environmental data, and consider the validity,
reproducibility and repeatability as evidence for environmental change
Triple science students only:
4 Human Biology
 Function of the circulatory system
4.3 Circulation
 Structure of the heart, including function of valves (names of valves not required)
 Problems and solutions for heart disease including artificial pacemakers, stents,
biological and mechanical valves
 Artificial hearts and organ transplantation
 Adaptations of blood vessels
 Function and composition of blood
 Blood clotting
 Haemoglobin/oxyhaemoglobin)
 Blood groups
6 Plants as
 Gas exchange in the leaf
organisms
 Role of root hairs and stomata
6.2 Exchange and
 Transpiration
transport
 Structure and function of xylem and phloem
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6.4 Sexual
reproduction in
plants
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Identify of anthers, pollen grains, stigma, carpel, ovule
Outline the processes involved in sexual reproduction in plants
7 Variation and
inheritance
Genetic disorders
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Sickle-cell anaemia-recessive (and link with malaria)
Embryo screening
Double science students only:
10 Energy and
 Sun as an energy source
Biomass in Food
 Biomass
chains
 Pyramids of biomass (in relation to how much energy gets passed to the next
trophic level)
11 Decay and the
 Optimum conditions for decay
Carbon cycle
 The carbon cycle
11
CHEMISTRY
To prepare for your AQA Level 1 / 2 Certificate in CHEMISTRY (iGCSE)
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First organise your notes into a sensible order ie the order shown in the actual AQA Level 1 / 2 Certificate
in Chemistry or Double Science (iGCSE) specification which you already have copies of (also easily
found on the AQA website)
Buy some coloured card dividers for your Chemistry file and use them to separate different topics
Use headings to show the start of a section
Use mind maps to consolidate the whole topic and confirm what you have covered
Check if you have missed anything on a particular section
Photocopy any extra notes you need from someone else in the set
Start to consult and read sections of your AQA Certificate in Chemistry (iGCSE) text book and make extra
notes if necessary. Start at the beginning page 2 (States of matter) and skim over the easy stuff that you
already know from Y9…then spend longer on the harder sections which you do not know as well.
Learn the Key points and try the AQA Summary questions given at the end of each double page spread
of your text book.
Then try the AQA EXAM Style questions at the end of each section of your text book
List and tick off the sections you have mastered to make yourself feel confident and knowledgeable
Make use of the section called TESTS and TUTORS on our CHEMISTRY INTRANET site
Work through the iGCSE Chemistry questions provided on the main Chemistry Intra net page
Make a list of all the different types of experiments that you have done in class with key words and quick
sketches of apparatus. Practical chemistry including improvements and sources of error will be tested
Make use of the section called PRACTICAL CHEMISTRY on our CHEMISTRY INTRANET site
Then if you still have problems …
 Arrange to see your teacher or a Sixth Form chemist for extra help on particular points of difficulty at
lunch time
 Make a collection of all your old tests with correct answers
 Work with a friend going over old test papers to test yourselves
 Make a list of things that you need help with
 Buy your own revision book such as AQA Certificate in Chemistry (IGCSE) Level1/ 2 ISBN978-1-40851711-6 published by Nelson Thornes and work through the book ….don’t just leave it on the shelf!
 Study for sensible periods of time but take some breaks
 A top grade in Chemistry at the end of the year will make your efforts all worthwhile!!
Suggested Topics in GCSE Chemistry for Year 10 to revise using text book.
Some of these topics were covered in Year 9; refer to your own Chemistry text book if you have blanks
Atomic structure and the periodic table  Atomic structure of first 20 atoms in periodic table
 Noble gases structure and properties
 Mass number of elements in periodic table
 Atomic number of elements in periodic table
 Relative atomic mass of elements
 Relative molecular mass of compounds
 Reactions of elements in group 1 - alkali metals
 Reactions of elements in group 7 - halogens
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Limestone Cycle and Products from limestone
 Limestone Cycle and balancing equations
 Experiments on thermal decomposition of carbonates and corresponding equations
 Test for carbon dioxide gas
 Know that limestone is used to make cement, mortar, concrete, reinforced concrete and glass
 Know experimental set up when reacting copper carbonate (malachite ore) with Hydrochloric acid
 Pros and cons of quarrying
Metals, Alloys and how metals are obtained from metal ores
 The reactivity series of metals and how it is linked to the extraction of metals
 Iron and steel and the mining of metals is essential – it creates wealth and jobs
 Rusting of iron and corrosion of other metals – what causes it and speeds it up?
 How to prevent corrosion by painting, oiling, electroplating or by using a sacrificial anode
 Alloys are mixtures which are stronger than pure metals
 Oxidation and reduction – adding on or removing oxygen
 Displacement reactions can be used to obtain metals
 Iron is extracted from haematite ore - iron oxide using a blast furnace and carbon
 Aluminium is extracted from bauxite ore – aluminium oxide using electrolysis
 Titanium is a useful transition metal used to make metal hip joints and bicycles
 Mining with plants – phytomining is used to obtain copper, nickel and others
 Smart metals also known as shape memory alloys - used in medicine/dentistry
Products from crude oil
 Fractional Distillation is used to separate the mixture crude oil into more useful fractions. This is called
refining of crude oil
 Cracking of longer chain hydrocarbons is necessary to get more of the shorter molecules we want to use
as petrol and to make plastics
 Alkanes all burn cleanly and make good fuels - methane ethane propane butane
 Alkenes burn with a sooty flame and decolourise bromine water, ethene, propene
 Polymers chains make up plastics such as polyethene and PVC
 Problems of re-using and recycling plastics
 Saving resources and saving energy
 Global warming and global dimming
 Acid rain
 Polymerisation of alkenes eg ethane is polymerised to polyethene
 What polymers can be used for eg polyethene is used to make cling film and plastic sandwich bags,
polypropene is used for carpets
 Thermo-softening and thermo-setting polymers
 Biodegradeable polymers
 Making ethanol by fermentation
 Bio fuels and bio-alcohol burn more cleanly
 What are carbon neutral fuels?
 Making ethanol from ethene industrially and how fossil fuels will run out
 Alkanes have all single bonds and are saturated
 Alkenes have a carbon to carbon double bond and are unsaturated
 Alkenes such as ethene can join together to give polymers such as polyethene
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Isotopes
 Isotopes of chlorine
 Isotopes of hydrogen
 Isotopes of carbon
Air and Water
 Oxidation and reduction
 Fractional distillation of air
 Composition of the air
 Elements burning in air to give oxides
 Water and how drinking water is obtained and treated
Rusting
 Experiments to investigate rusting
 Methods of preventing rusting
Formulae and equations  Working out the formula of a substance using valency numbers
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 Balancing equations using large numbers placed in front
Working out the formula of a substance from its % composition  Using data to find % composition of a compound
 Calculation of % of an element in a compound eg what is the % by mass of sodium in NaCl?
 Law of constant composition
Calculations and how much?  Using the mole to predict how much of a substance we can get in a chemical reaction
 Law of conservation of mass - all atoms must be accounted for
Covalent Bonding
 Non metal and non metal atoms join by covalent bonds
 Dot and cross diagrams show electrons in each atom
 Simple discrete covalent molecules are those like water and methane
 Ethane and ethane are covalent small molecules
 Polymer chains like polyethene (a hydrocarbon) also have covalent bonds
 Electron sharing every atom wants to get a full outer energy level
 A covalent bond is one pair of shared electrons (one dot and one cross)
 Properties of small covalent molecules include low melting point and they do not conduct electricity
 Some molecules can be covalent giant molecules eg diamond, graphite, sand (silicon dioxide)
 Structure and bonding in diamond
 Structure and bonding in graphite
 The Buckyball, Bucky tubes and fullerenes
 Properties of giant covalent molecules include high melting points and they do not usually conduct
electricity (except graphite)
Metals and Metallic Bonding  Metals have close packed atoms arranged in layers and are dense
 Copper, sodium, calcium and iron are metals
 Most elements in the periodic table are metals
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Some metals are transition metals
Reactivity series of metals
Displacement reactions
Extracting metals less reactive than carbon
Extracting metals more reactive than carbon
Extracting metals from low grade ores
Uses of metals
Metals have delocalised electrons which are free to move
Metals in Group 1 have 1 delocalised electron per atom
Metals in Group 2 have 2 delocalised electrons per atom
Group 2 metals are stronger than Group 1 metals
Pure metals are made up of atoms in layers which can slip over each other
Alloys are mixtures of metals and are stronger because the layers can not slip
Metals conduct electricity because they have delocalised electrons which can move
Ionic Bonding  When a metal joins onto a non metal it does so by forming ionic bonds
 Sodium chloride, lead oxide and magnesium sulphide have ionic bonding
 Ionic bonding involves the transfer of electrons
 The metal always loses its outer electrons and forms a positive ion (as does hydrogen - H+)
 The non metal always gains electrons and forms a negative ion (except hydrogen)
 Ions are charged particles
 Ionic solids have ions held in fixed positions in the crystal lattice
Structure and properties related to bonding type
 Comparison of different bond types
 Practical linking properties of solid to bonding assessment of skills
 Can you tell which substance will have ionic bonding?
 Which will be covalent?
 Or which metallic?
 How do the melting points alter for these different types of substances?
 Which will conduct electricity?
 Which will be strong?
 Which will be malleable?
Nanoparticles – nanoscience and nanotechnology
 What size are the nanoparticles? (remember the Bucky ball is a nano particle)
 Why are they useful?
 Special properties and uses eg large surface area to mass ratio
Energy changes in chemical reactions
 Delta H and enthalpy changes
 Exothermic and endothermic reactions
 Reversible reactions
Salts, Acids, Bases, % Yield, % Atom Economy
 Making salts from acid and metal oxide
 Making salts from acids and metal carbonates
 Writing and balancing equations
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Calculating % yield of crystals from experiment
Making salts by titration
Strong and weak acids
pH scale
Indicators
Writing formulae
Writing equations,
Making Salts by precipitation (include filtering off, washing and drying the salts)
% atom economy calculations
What is sustainable development?
Assessment of experimental skills
You will be encouraged to learn new practical skills in the laboratory during every practical session. Always
make good use of your time in the lab and keep a note of what you do in your experiments. Your AQA iGCSE
exam at the end of Year 11 will examine you on these skills and the apparatus used during your experimental
work in Chemistry.
Good Luck!
16
COMPUTING
Key topics for Year 10 exams
Topics
1.
Section 1 Theory of Computer Science
1.1. Data representation
1.1.1. Binary Systems
1.1.2. Hexadecimal
1.1.3. Data storage
1.2. Communication and Internet technologies
1.2.1. Serial and parallel data transmission
1.2.2. Security aspects
1.2.3. Internet principles of operation
1.3. Hardware and software
1.3.1. Logic gates
1.3.2. Computer architecture and the fetch-execute cycle
1.3.3. Input devices
1.3.4. Output devices
1.3.5. Memory, storage devices and media
1.3.6. Operating systems
1.3.7. High and low-level languages and their translators
1.4. Security
1.5. Ethics
2.
Section 2 Practical Problem-Solving and Programming
2.1. Algorithm design and problem-solving
2.1.1. Problem-solving and design
2.1.2. Pseudo-code
2.2. Programming
2.2.1. Programming concepts
2.2.2. Data structures; arrays
2.3. Databases
You will find past papers and other resources on the exam board site Google – Cambridge International
Examboard IGCSE Computer Science (0478)
Exam practice
Work through past papers, these will be given out electronically. Work through the questions and then use the
mark scheme to mark. Pay close attention to what is acceptable as an answer and what is not acceptable and
why, this will help with exam technique and understanding what the examiners are looking for.
17
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
Pupils should revise:
MATERIALS
 Wood
 Metal
 Plastics
 Smart Materials
All the different sub groups, examples, their strengths / weaknesses and their appropriate ‘finishes’
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
 To understand how these materials can be manufactured, cut, drill, bent, shaped, formed and fixed
together in the workshop.
ERGONOMICS and ANTHROPOMETRICS
 What are they?
 Be able to analyse the ergonomics of a variety of products eg: a hand power drill
CAD / CAM / CNC
 To understand what each one is / stands for and how they work together
 To be able to list the strengths and weaknesses of each one
FLAT PACK FURNITURE
 To be able to list and understand a range of Knock Down Fittings
 Understand the advantages and disadvantages of Flat Pack Furniture to both the Manufacturer and to
the Buyer.
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN & SUSTAINABILITY
 To be able to understand the impact of ‘Design’ and ‘Manufacturing’ on the Environment
 Understand Environmental and Sustainability issues
 Understand Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
18
DRAMA
In Year 10, instead of doing a formal exam in the traditional style, you will be taking part in 6 hours of Drama
workshops. This is a crucial part of the Drama Controlled Assessments and will be followed up by writing up a
portfolio of notes on the workshops. There will be two 3 hour sessions, exploring a particular theme or idea
which we will explore through a variety of forms of stimuli, using explorative strategies, elements of drama and
the drama medium.
You will be assessed in the practical workshops on:





Understanding of the dramatic potential of the theme/topic/issue
Response to at least four strategies, two medium, and appropriate elements
Collaborative involvement
Commitment and focus
Communication of ideas
The assessed workshop will include some of the following:
Explorative strategies








The elements of drama








Still image
Thought-tracking
Narrating
Hot-seating
Role play
Cross-cutting
Forum theatre
Marking the moment
The drama medium








Action/plot/content
Forms
Climax/anti-climax
Rhythm/pace/tempo
Contrasts
Characterisation
Conventions
Symbols
Forms of stimuli


The use of costume
The use of masks and/or make-up
The use of sound and/or music
The use of lighting
The use of space and/or levels
The use of set and/or props
The use of movement, mime and gesture
The use of voice








Poetry
Artefacts: photographs, pictures, masks,
props, costume, sculpture,
objet d’art
Music
Play scripts
Live theatre performance
Television, films, DVDs and videos
Newspaper and magazine articles
Extracts from literary fiction and non-fiction
The use of spoken language
You could have anything thrown at you in these workshops, so come with an open mind and a willingness to
focus and work creatively and collaboratively. You should arrive for the assessment well-rested, relaxed and
wearing loose fitting trousers (not jeans) and a t-shirt to work in. This will be intensely practical and physical
work. You are advised to bring a bottle of water.
19
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
In your end of Year 10 end of year examinations you will sit two of the three English GCSE papers:
Cambridge IGCSE, English language, extended paper (2 hours)
Cambridge IGCSE, English literature (0486), Drama or Prose and Poetry (1hr, 30mins)
Cambridge IGCSE English Language Paper (2 hours)
You will be given two unseen texts to read. You then have to answer the following questions:
Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 -
A writing task based on information and ideas given in Text 1 (45 mins + 5 mins of planning)
15 marks for reading and 5 marks for writing.
A reading task based on Text 1, focusing on the writer’s use of language (20 mins)
10 marks for reading
A writing summary task based on Texts 1 and (45 mins + 5 mins of planning)
15 marks for reading and 5 marks for writing
How can I revise for this?
As a general rule, the best way to revise for this exam is to practise exam-style questions, which your teacher
will provide you with. This is a skills-based exam, so it’s testing your ability to read and write, rather than your
ability to memorise facts and information.
Question 1 -
Question 2 -
Question 3 -
You need to be able to transform non-fiction writing e.g. a diary entry or news report, into a
different register (more or less formal), and for a different audience.
Ensure you are aware of the conventions of different forms of writing: consider audience,
purpose, genre, text type, language choices, structure and layout.
Practise writing different kinds of texts e.g. newspaper, formal letter, dialogue transcript,
brochure, instructional leaflet…
Practise spelling, punctuation and grammar: for top marks, SPG needs to be flawless!
This question will require you to select powerful words and images in a passage and explain
their effectiveness.
Read non-fiction texts and practise analysing writers’ use of imagery and vocabulary.
Consider connotations, why the word is effective within the context of the whole passage,
make links and connections between similar language choices.
This question will require you to select key information/ points/ arguments from an unseen
passage, then summarise in your own words.
Practise selecting information from non-fiction texts and then attempt to summarise in your
own words.
Higher level candidates will be able to read between the lines and consider what is inferred,
as well as stated, so ensure you practise these two levels of reading.
20
ENGLISH LITERATURE
You will be allowed to bring a clean copy of your drama/prose text into the exam. The poems will be re-printed
in the exam paper.


Section A (45 mins) Answer one of two questions on EITHER your set drama text (‘An Inspector Calls’)
OR your studied novel (‘Jekyll and Hyde’ OR ‘Northanger Abbey’). One question will be based on a
passage from the text and the other will be on the text as whole. (marked out of 25)
Section B (45 mins) Choice of two questions set by your teacher on your studied poetry – ask your
teacher for further guidance. (marked out of 25)
How can I revise for this?
For drama or prose
 Re-read your set-texts in your own time and without distraction
 Note down key moments/sections/ quotations from the play/novel
 Summarise in your own words what happens in each act/chapter
 Select and copy four key extracts for practising the passage based question, then annotate carefully to
show how the writer makes them significant or effective
 Research the writers and their texts to increase your understanding
 Go through class notes and then add to them
 Use lists, table and mind maps as strategies for revising key themes, techniques and characters
 For each major character, use quotation and comment tables to list key quotations
 Write essay plans
 Practise timed essays
 Ensure you are familiar with the literary terminology for the texts studied e.g. narrative techniques,
structure, dramatic devices etc.
For poetry





Organise and read through existing notes
Re-read through each poem several times
Highlight poetic devices, using colour for different types (e.g. simile, alliteration).
Annotate the key words, commenting concisely on the effects created
Attempt essay questions
What are the examiners looking for?
For you to:







Answer the question set: read it carefully and highlight the key words
Engage with details and quotations selected from the text
Embed lots of brief quotations smoothly into your writing
Comment in detail on the effects of the words and phrases chosen by the writer
Analyse the writer’s use of structure and form
Give an informed and personal response; the examiner is interested in your ideas
Think critically and creatively
21
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
40% of GCSE marks come from the exam paper
The exam follows the procedure of a preparation sheet given on 1 st March where a topic and context is given.
Section A:
A design question based on the context supplied before the exam, which is worth 30 marks
Section B:
Covers all aspect of the specification content (the syllabus), which is worth 90 marks
All questions are compulsory
For your exam in the summer:
Research Context: Food products for consumers with special dietary needs
Design Theme: Sweet and savoury biscuit products
To help you further I have drawn up a revision list of work that you need to know fully to answer the rest of the
paper, most of which we have covered (or will do) in lessons this academic year.
Revision list:















Special diets and how items can be adapted to meet the needs of consumers
Quality control checks whilst making products
Design Criteria
Product developments
Importance of evaluating products
Nutrition, all aspects
Legal requirements for labelling food
Functions of ingredients in different food products
Standard components
Food Hygiene, all aspects
How to make a quality food product
Gelling agents, how they work and what they are
Environmentally friendly and Sustainable food products
Fair trade products
Advantages and disadvantages of various pieces of catering equipment
22
GEOGRAPHY
Study skills for GCSE
Before you begin revising:
 Ensure you have a bullet-pointed list of what to learn
 Your textbook and a full set of notes
Year 10 Summer exams:
1. “Contemporary Themes in Geography”
EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS – hot deserts and mountains
SETTLEMENT and POPULATION – London and Mumbai
Written paper
1 hour – answer all questions
2.
“Geographical Skills”
Includes Ordnance Survey Map Skills, data response and interpretation (graphs/maps/tables)
Written paper
1 hour – answer all questions
EXAM TECHNIQUE and HOW YOUR EXAM WILL BE MARKED…
•
•
Write in sentences unless it is a one mark question or the question asks you to list. Use bullet points
only if you are running out of time.
Think about your timing!
Short answer questions are “point marked.”
This means that for each point you make, you will earn one mark. Here are some examples:
Q: Identify Landforms A and B (2)
A: A wadi 
B: A rock pedestal 
Q: List two reasons that
deserts may be considered
‘extreme environments.’(2)
1. Very arid 
2. Extreme heat 
Q: For a mountain area which you
have studied, describe three different
ways in which it is used by people. (3)
1. mountain climbing 
2. settlements 
3. agriculture/farming 
Longer answer questions are “levels marked.”
This means that the level of your understanding is marked, not just how many simple points you make.
In order to maximise your chances of getting full marks you must always EXTEND your answer.
So, for a 6 mark question, this is how the levels are marked:
LEVEL 1 (simple statement)
1-2 marks
LEVEL 2 (statement + explanation
or correct example)
3-4 marks
LEVEL 3 (statement + explanation
+ correct example)
5-6 marks
1x L1 = 1 mark
2 x L1 = 2 marks.
Several L1 = 2 marks max.
1 x L2 = 3 marks
2 x L2 = 4 marks
1 x L3 only = 4 marks.
1 x L2 + 1 x L3 = 5 marks
2 x L3 = 6 marks.
23
To help you to hit Level 3 you must always remember to “PEE”
P – point
E – explain
E – example
Here are some actual GCSE answers from Alleyn’s pupils with the marks they received for the question. Use
the table above to consider why one was worth Level 3 and one was only Level 2. This is the question:
Explain how Physical Processes have created this landform? (6)
(It was a Rock Pedestal!)
Answer 1 (Level 3, 5-6 Marks)
Abrasion causes the unusual shape of the rock pedestal because the wind carries the sand near
the ground and therefore maximum levels of erosion happen at the base. The base is also eroded
more easily because it is softer rock. The rock nearer the top has eroded less because it’s more
resistant and it is more difficult for the wind to carry sand particles up that thigh. The whole
Rock pedestal will be weathered by exfoliation and freeze thaw. Overall the rate of erosion at the
base is faster than at the top, hence the top heavy shape. 6 marks.
Answer 2 (Level 2, 3-4 marks)
Rock pedestals are formed when the wind blasts the rock with sand. The base wears away faster
than the top and so a mushroom shape is created. The rock on the bottom is weaker than the rock
on the top. Weathering might also affect the rock pedestal. Eventually the top of the pedestal
might fall off if the base gets too thin and cannot support the top. 4 marks.
REVISION IDEAS
When revising your Extreme Environments be sure to make the link between the landscape and the processes
that have created it. You could do that by making mind maps around images or by using flow charts.
Colour is a very useful tool for revision. For example you could colour code positive and negative impacts,
cost and benefits of tourism or climate change, the ways people use their environment etc.
Write exam questions on revision cards and the key points of the answers on the back. Use the mark
schemes to help you.
Produce an A4 sheet for each case study jam pack with notes and diagrams: you could get everything to do
with Machu Piccu, the Bedouin or Desertec on one side of A4. Remember to include a sketch map and some
well-chosen facts and figures that you can learn to support your answers.
Practice drawing sketch maps from memory (like we do in class).
Draw blank diagrams and practise labelling them, such as a destructive plate boundary, and write out all
the labels onto little post it notes. Make sure you can put them in the correct place. Then test yourself by
drawing it from scratch.
Make key word lists and know the definitions.
24
All of the past papers and mark schemes are available on the OCR website. Remember that you are studying
‘Geography A’ and taking the ‘Higher Tier’ papers.
SKILLS
Make sure you can do all of the following, they just might come up in the exam!
Geographical
words
Learn geographical words and definitions – make a glossary for each topic.
You must use these in your answers.
Maps
Describing the location …….
Describing the distribution ………
Locating places – learn where main deserts and mountains are and where your case studies
are. (as well as extreme environments in the UK and recognising a variety of different
landscapes)
Ordnance survey map skills – distance, direction, 6 and 4 figure grid references, contours etc.
Extract data
Describe trends, identify anomalies.
Draw a best fit line / complete a graph using data given.
Identify features on a photograph.
Use photographic evidence to describe features.
Relate your own knowledge to a photograph.
Draw and annotate diagrams to explain how landforms were created.
Use technical terms such as the names of processes: abrasion, plucking, deflation etc.
Be aware that ANY can be used in Geography to portray extreme environments.
E.g. film, expedition reports, stories, paintings and poetry. Make sure you can refer to
some!
On graphs (line,
proportional,
bar, pie, bars )
On photos
Draw diagrams
Other resources
Useful Mnemonics
TEA for
graphs
T trends
E examples
A anomalies
PDA for 'describe the distribution'
PST for 'explain how x formed'
(i.e. a physical feature)
P = (general) pattern [so much
clearer for marking when students
pick this out first!]
D = detail (e.g. place names,
numbers in a particular area, etc.)
A = anomalies that don't fit the
pattern described
P = processes (i.e. make sure you include as many as are
relevant - erosion and weathering (specific types), and
deposition
S = sequence - best done with a series of diagrams, with
glacial features tends to be (1) = before, (2) = during, (3) =
now
T = technical terms - check through your answer and make
sure you have used all the relevant proper geographical terms
(some covered in P, but also landform names, etc.)
…and the most important one of all
RTQ - read the question!
(i.e. do what the Q is asking you to do and make sure you ANSWER it! )
25
HISTORY
How can I remember it all?
Outline
You are sitting two internal papers this summer – Unit 2B (Russia), Unit 1 (Cold War). Your teachers should
provide you with the technique advice needed for both of the papers.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Know your stuff – yes understand technique, but firstly you must have knowledge. Use the colour blob
sheets.
Know what individual questions require (see below) – do not write at too great a length on low tariff
questions. Do not write outside the specified dates or topic in the question.
Know how to shape your answer to match the mark schemes.
Know what terms to use in your answer.
Be aware of timings for each question
Always answer the question directly. Don’t write general ‘stuff’ to do with the topic.
Other tips
a) Make a revision plan and stick to it – start your revision early, aim for smaller regular spells – much better
than panicky six hour slogs until 2am!
b) Revise actively – do not be passive! E.g. for the 16m (Unit 2 Russia) ensure you are comparing directly
the relative merits of each factor not just writing four mini and separate essays.
c) History teacher should provide you with past questions. They can also be found on the School Intranet.
Unit 1: The Era of the Cold War, 1943-91
Unit 1 Exam
Q1: Using the source (2 marks)

1 mark for each reason identified

Use the material in the source to answer but do not quote.

Instead, paraphrase reasons.

2 simple statements that directly answer the question.

Timing: 3 minutes
Q2: Knowledge recall (4 marks)

Answer the question directly

Up to 2 marks for each point made

Must be a developed answer, so aim for 2 sentences per point.

Timing: 6 minutes
Q3: Utility (10 marks)

Paragraph 1: focus on Source B
• Useful because…….(use source content, own knowledge, and NOP)
• However, it is limited because…..(use content, own knowledge and NOP)

Paragraph 2: focus on Source C
• Repeat process as above.

Paragraph 3: conclusion
• Summary of argument and small judgement. Which source is more useful and why?
• You must COMPARE the sources to score well.
26
•


Tip: Not every source will be useful and limited for both content and NOP but you must cover
CONTENT and NOP for each source, whether + or -.
Tip 2: the important thing is to show own knowledge in each paragraph. The examiner rewards this the
most to get into L3 (7-10)
Timing: 16 minutes
Q4: Key features (6 marks)

Like in Unit 2 Russia

2 or more developed statements required. (simple statement supported by factual detail)

4-5 marks for one developed statement

5-6 marks for two or more developed statements.

Timing: 8 minutes
Q5: Explain the importance of three…. (15 marks)

Choice: Pick 3 out of the 4 you are most comfortable with. Do NOT do 4.

3 paragraphs in TOTAL: 1 for each event you are analysing.

5 marks for each event. 3 x 5 = 15 marks

Do NOT simply describe the event or action (L2)

Do NOT simply state the events’ importance (L2)

Instead, EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN the significance on international relations (L3)

Keep linking each paragraph back to how this event impacted on relations and explain using specific
factual knowledge.

You must show specific knowledge: dates, names, places to get into the top level in each paragraph.

Time: 22 mins
Q6: Explain why……(16 marks)

Note: Maximum 9 marks if only use the stimulus material in the question.

Level 3:
• 7-8 marks for one explained cause
• 8-9 marks for two explained cause
• 9-10 marks for three or more explained causes

Level 4 (11-13 marks): prioritises causes and/or explains links between them.

Paragraph 1: Explain one cause given, showing specific knowledge.

Paragraph 2: Explains the second cause given, showing specific knowledge and attempting to link to the
first cause.

Paragraph 3: Explains a third relevant cause- ONE YOU HAVE THOUGHT OF- showing specific
knowledge and attempting to link to the other causes.
• TIP: You can bring this factor in earlier if it makes chronological sense!!

Conclusion: prioritise factors in terms of importance in making the outcome happen and/or explaining
links between factors to explain the outcome in the question.

Time: 20 mins
Unit 2 – Depth paper (Russia 1917-39)
Unit 2 Exam
1 a)
•
•
•
Inference question – 4 marks – 4 minutes
Need to infer – ie ‘what can we learn’
Should aim for TWO inferences supported by a quote
Style – Source A suggests…..
27
1 b)
•
•
•
•
•
Describe question – key features – 6 marks – 9 minutes
Not asking you to work out which statements are ‘key’
It is about making statements & then supporting them with factual details
Perhaps if it works – Cause, Event, Consequence e.g. one key feature …..
Stick to chronological sequence of events
2-3 small paragraphs
1 c) Explain effects – 8 marks – 12 minutes
•
This is a consequence/impact question, NOT a key features question
•
The focus is on the impact of the event – 3 supported consequences
•
Try to step back and ask ‘Can I see the big picture’ – i.e. an overview – LINK points together,
prioritise effects
•
3 paragraphs then a conclusion with the links and prioritisation
1 d) Explain – causation question – 8 marks – 12 minutes
Focus not on what happened but why it happened
•
Ensure you have explained why the cause you have identified actually made the event happen, each
cause must be linked to the OUTCOME
•
Linkage or prioritisation – you must explain how they worked together (causal web) or how one feeds off
the other
•
3 paragraphs + a conclusion
2 a or b) Explain how –change 8 marks – 13 minutes
•
Note for this question, you actually have a choice – don’t spend too long deciding.
•
A process question – explanation of how things happened (similar to advice for 1c)
•
Again a sense of overview is helpful here
•
2 paragraphs and then a conclusion (linking/prioritising)
3 a or b) Factors analysis – causation/consequence – 16 marks – 25 minutes
•
Again a choice – don’t spend too long deciding.
•
4 bullet points given – of which one might be in the question itself
•
Try to use all the bullet points (if struggling, 3 of them may be enough)
•
L1 – just writing about the bullet points
•
L2 – explaining the bullet points – many students get stuck at this level
•
L3/L4 – actually comparing against each other the different factors – reward for comparison and
prioritisation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Brief introduction is useful
Introduce and discuss relevance of first factor
Introduce 2nd factor and compare and contrast with previous reason – which is most important?
Repeat exercise for 3rd and 4th factors.
Conclusion – This is a vital part of the answer where lots of marks are lost or gained:
INTERLINK/prioritise at same time for top end answers
And in prioritising – MUST NOT dismiss other factors as irrelevant ie need proper analysis not just ‘X
was most important because…’ without reference to other factors/issues
28
Unit 2: Time allowed one and a quarter hours (75 minutes)
Question
number
1a)
1b)
1c)
1d)
Number of marks
Paragraphs
Time
4 (inference)
6 (key features)
8 (effects)
8 (causes)
4
9
12
12
2a or 2b)
3a or 3b)
8 (explain how)
16
2 supported inferences
2 or 3 developed statements
3 explained factors with links
3 developed causes with links and
prioritisation
2 factors with links/prioritisation
5/6 paragraphs– judgement, interrelationship, prioritisation of different factors
29
13
25
LATIN, GREEK and CLASSICAL CIVILISATION
Key topics for Year 10 exams
LATIN
Language
1.
Revision of accidence particularly deponent verbs, the passive voice, gerundives and gerunds,
subjunctives.
2.
Revision of syntax especially Ablative Absolutes and participles, Indirect Statement, Fearing Clauses.
Literature
1.
Divide the verse literature into short sections and peruse the translation and notes to each section
slowly and carefully.
2.
Improve your abilities as a literary critic, focus on your interpretative skills and respond sensitively to the
nuances of the language as well as work on spotting stylistic features in the Latin.
3.
Look at the marks available for each question. If there are 6 marks and reference to the Latin is
required, give 3 quotations from the Latin and explain each quotation to gain the 6 marks.
GREEK
Language
1.
Revise vocabulary checklists from Stages 1 – 8.
2.
Revision of accidence: Definite Article, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Declension Nouns; Active Present, Imperfect,
Aorist (weak), Aorist (strong) tenses, the Present, Future, Imperfect and Aorist Middle and Passive
tenses and irregular verbs.
3.
Revision of syntax: Genitive sandwich, Possessive Dative, personal pronouns and adjectives, temporal
clauses, prepositions, participles, Relative Clauses, Result Clauses.
4.
Hone your unseen translation skills by practising passages from Taylor.
5.
Accuracy and precision are key, and the way to obtain flawless translations without basic technical error
is by learning all the above so you are confident with your vocabulary, noun and tense endings and
constructions.
CLASSICAL CIVILSATION
Paper 1: City Life, Athens
Topics for context questions and essays

The gods, temples and sacrifice

Festivals: The Panathenaia, City Dionysia

Tragedy and Comedy: the actors and theatre

The oikos – the house, kyrios, role of women, symposia, slavery

Education
Paper 2: Epic and Myth, Homer The Odyssey
For Context Questions

Book 5 – Calypso

Book 6 – Nausicaa

Book 7 – The Palace of Alcinous

Book 9 – The Cyclops

Book 10 – Circe

Book 12 – Scylla and Charybdis
30
Essay topics
Draw up essay plans on the following topics:

Odysseus as a hero

The role and characterisation of Odysseus, Calypso, Nausicaa, Alcinous, Arete, Polyphemus, the
Cyclopes, Circe and Athene

The presentation of the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis

The role of the gods e.g. Do they enhance or detract from the story? Do you think they are believable?

The role of women (including Calypso and Circe, as well as the mortal women);

Xenia (the guest–host relationship) in the Odyssey

Civilisation and barbarism

Homer’s narrative and descriptive techniques e.g. How does he make the Odyssey vivid? Think about
plot, dramatic action, variety – direct speech, similes etc

Homer as a story-teller and the idea of epic.
31
MATHEMATICS
Revision:
Maths can be the most difficult and easiest topic to revise. Difficult, because you can never be sure how to
revise and easy, because once you know, it is just a case of practice makes perfect.
Apart from the usual, general methods of revision, such as setting out a timetable and planning when and
where you’ll revise, what can you do specifically for revision in maths? Well, here’s a checklist.
1) Organise notes
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Seems obvious but is very important.
All that mess in your book or file needs sorting!
Chronological or by topic e.g. Algebra/Number/Shape/Data?
Revision list at the front – tick off what notes you have and what you have revised
Try to compare your notes with the revision lists given to you.
Check for any gaps in your notes.
Compare with friends also. You may be missing a crucial point that they picked up.
Copy up notes from friends or if struggling, see your teacher.
Sometimes you may not have notes on a topic as maths is very example based. Can you make your
own? If you can explain it to yourself or a friend, you will understand better.
2)
Condensed notes over the page is a typical example of Year 10 notes on trigonometry and the
condensed version of this on a cue card. Notice that you should:
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
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pick out crucial points, methods and formulae
examples are not necessary in this form
use acronyms, mnemonics, bullet points and numbers
you can add to it if the point is important to remember
keep diagrams as concise as possible, don’t overload it with information as it will become impossible to
understand.
3) Practice
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



This is the most important part of your maths revision.
Once you are happy with a method, practise some questions.
You have lots of resources: Text book revision exercises and end of chapter tests; www.mymaths.co.uk;
progress tests and there is plenty of revision material available at all good book stores.
Repetition is a good thing. Try a few similar questions. If you get three in a row correct and then move to
some different ones. Don’t forget to come back to it and try again.
Practise with your maths equipment. Calculator, compasses, protractor. It is important that you are
proficient at using them. Practise drawing graphs, pie charts, loci. Don’t just practise the basic questions
that don’t take as long to complete.
Mark and correct your work. It’s no good if you are getting the practice wrong. Correcting yourself is a
great way to learn from your mistakes and understand the topics better.
32
MODERN LANGUAGES
The end of year examinations for Modern Languages (French/Spanish/German) do not involve coursework or
controlled assessments as we are preparing you for the Edexcel IGCSE which is tested by a final examination at
the end of Year 11. Your Year 10 school exam will be similar in format to those final exams but based on the
work you have covered so far.
You will have a listening examination during the week before Half Term in May, a reading and writing paper
during exam week and an oral examination with your teacher, on a one to one basis on another day.
To prepare for them it is essential you do the following:

Get your folder in order. Have you filed your grammar notes and tense worksheets where you can easily
find them and revise from them? Have you put your written homeworks together so you can see what
mistakes you have made in the language so you won’t make them again? What are the mistakes you
often make? Verbs? Agreement of adjectives? Word order? Make a list of the errors you often make so
that you will know what to check for in the exam.

You should have put together all the vocabulary sheets and work related to specific topic areas such as
‘holidays’, ‘school’, ‘home’ ‘free time’ etc, (the individual topics and chapter headings will differ from
language to language.) You should also find most relevant vocabulary and useful phrases at the end of
each unit in the GCSE Higher text book to help with your revision.

Look through the pages of your text book to find the helpful exam hints throughout the chapters.

Keep any revision sheets your teacher gives you and put them in your file.

For the listening and reading comprehension tests you need to learn as much vocabulary as possible
especially from the foreign language into English. Go through the vocab pages in your text book for the
units you have studied and see how many you can remember by covering up the English first. Get
someone to test you! Make a note of the ones you find hard to remember and try again the next day.
You don’t have to know every word, but the more you know the easier the exam will be!

For the oral you will probably have to discuss a picture that you bring in as well as discuss a topic area
you have studied. Choose a picture that you can say a lot about and practise talking about it at home. If
you can, record yourself and play it back. Add interesting facts to help make it more memorable and fun.
Prepare the possible topic areas for discussion well. The more you can say the better it will sound.
33
MUSIC
The key topics covered in Year 10 are:
Area of Study 1
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Mozart, Symphony 40 (1st Movement)
Handel, And The Glory Of The Lord from Messiah
Chopin, Prelude in Db (‘Raindrop’)
Area of Study 2
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Steve Reich, Electric Counterpoint (3rd Movement)
Schoenberg, Peripetie
Area of Study 3
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Moby, Why Does My Heart Feel So Good
Jeff Buckley, Grace
Miles Davis, All Blues
On each of these pieces you will need to know both SPECIFIC FACTS and more GENERAL MUSICAL
FEATURES.
We therefore suggest that as part of your revision you make a summary sheet out for each piece with bullet
point facts at the top:

Composer
o
Date
o
Period

What are the general features of this period?
o
Contemporaries
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Is this piece part of a larger whole?
o
What is the larger piece?
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Any other salient points NOT under any of the ‘Musical Features’ headings
We think it is then best to make a table for each piece in which you have a row for each musical feature:
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Structure
Harmony
Melody
Rhythm
Timbre
Dynamics
Texture
and enough room next to each heading to make some neat points (3 on each would be a good benchmark).
Remember you will have shorter listening-based questions (it is therefore important to get onto
Spotify/GrooveShark etc. and to listen to all of these pieces in your revision) and a longer essay-type question.
Practise both in your revision!
34
PHYSICS
Year 10 iGCSE Revision Tips
In the run up to the exams, you might find the following notes helpful to guide your preparation. We hope your
exams go really well!
1.
•
•
•
•
Ensure that you know exactly which parts of the course you need to revise
Syllabus
Read through the syllabus for the topics that will be examined on this summer. This can be found on the
intranet: Pupils / GCSE / Year 10 / ‘Revision for tests and exams’, and will be provided by your teacher.
You may also like to read the syllabus as published by AQA. This can also be found on the intranet
‘Pupils / GCSE / New GCSE information.’
Vocabulary
Read through the sheet Experimental Vocabulary, which can also be found on the intranet. This
includes types of errors and variables.
You may also like to read the AQA Glossary of terms. This can also be found on the intranet ‘Pupils /
GCSE / New GCSE information.’
Please remember whether you are
studying towards ‘Physics’ or ‘Double
Science’ and chose the specification
accordingly.
Remember also that a good deal of the
material in the specification won’t be taught
to you until next year!
The broad topic areas covered are:
•
•
Double Science: Heat transfer, Radioactivity, Waves, Forces (Work, Power and Momentum)
Triple Science: As above, along with part of the Electricity topic (up to Ohm’s Law)
Do bear in mind that as well as recalling and communicating your knowledge and understanding of Physics
you will also need to do so in the context of practical work. This will feature heavily in the second exam paper.
You will also be asked to show that you can analyse and evaluate evidence, make reasoned judgements and
draw conclusions based on evidence. In other words, Physics is not just about learning the topic!
2.

Make notes on everything in the course
You will know the method that best suits you, but whatever method you use, don’t blindly copy text.
Read it as you are writing the notes (and be honest, sometimes you can write pages of notes without
actually reading a thing … nothing actually goes in!), and if you don’t understand it, read it again, and
then read it from another book or source to see it from a different angle (see sources below).
35


Don’t make your notes too long winded, and aim to reduce and reduce what you don’t know, so that by
the time you are a couple of days from the exam, you can fit the material that you don’t know on to one
side of A4.
As you do this, learn definitions for words and know units well.
Sources of information

Class notes

AQA Certificate in Physics (iGCSE) text book or Complete Physics for Cambridge iGCSE text book

A large selection of revision notes and Powerpoint slides specifically for our course.. Log into intranet,
and go to: Pupils/GCSE/Revision Notes PowerPoints

CGP AQA Certificate Revision guide, available to buy from the Physics technicians’ office.

Schoolphysics.co.uk. A superb resource with revision notes and practise questions, but do bear in mind
that this covers all specfications, not just the AQA Certificate.

BBC Bitesize at http://tinyurl.com/cuxzt2 [Remember you are doing AQA Certificate Physics] as a break
from looking at books
[Don’t get bogged down in information. You don’t need to have read every book there is on iGCSE Physics.
Pick a couple you like and stick with them!]
3.
•
•
•
•
•
Practice questions
No exam preparation is complete without trying past paper questions and comparing your answers with
those of the examiner. We recommend you complete past papers under exam conditions and mark
them honestly, reading the mark scheme carefully. If there are areas you are struggling with go back to
the sources in Section 2 above and learn them!
Practise using equations using full methods, including your working and answers with units.
Practise units (you will lose simple marks by not using these!)
All past AQA papers and mark schemes can be found by searching for ‘a qa physics gcse past papers.’
Please note that these are old syllabus papers and care must be taken when reviewing them. Just
check the syllabus to see if the question topic you are doing is still included.
Have a look in the Revision folder labelled 'Old GCSE'.
Remember that you can’t just learn Physics; you have to practise applying your knowledge in different
situations. Look back at past tests and homeworks to see where you went wrong and use the question papers
(and the end of chapter questions in the textbook) to put your revision into context.
4. Make use of each other
As long as you use the time well, it can be really helpful to meet up, ask each other questions and run through
topics you are struggling with. But don’t just chat!
5. Make use of your teacher
Do feel free to pop into school during your study leave if you are struggling with any topics.
6. Remember what’s at the end of it all!
Think of the fantastic, long holiday you’ve got in just a few weeks’ time and work hard for it! What could be
better than reaching the start of July knowing you’ve tried your best, worked hard and really deserve the break.
36
RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Tips for answering exam style questions:
Question A:

You don’t have to write in a full sentence.

Learn the key word definitions you have been given!
Question B:

They are looking for REASONS for your beliefs and ideas, not descriptions of what you think.

You need to give TWO DEVELOPED REASONS for your views – so you should include the word
“because” twice.
(e.g. “I think that there is life after death. My first reason for this is because….. My second reason for
this is because…”)
Question C:

Read the question carefully!

Most of the part c questions begin with the words “Explain why…” – so the examiner is looking for you to
give REASONS.
(e.g. “Explain why Christians have different views about life after death”).

The examiner wants to see that you know what the different Christian beliefs are and, crucially, WHY
these different beliefs are held. If you only describe the beliefs, without giving reasons for them you will
never get more than 2 marks out of 8!

As the examiner is looking for REASONS you should use the word “because”. You should aim to
include FOUR developed points – so aim for four “becauses” in your answer.

Signpost your answer to make it easier for the examiner to see that you have included all the necessary
ideas:
(e.g. “Christians have different views firstly because…. Secondly, they have different views because…
Thirdly…because… Finally, because…”)
Question D:

Don’t sit on the fence!

Give THREE BRIEF POINTS or TWO DEVELOPED POINTS.

Again, the examiner is looking for REASONS for your view (and reasons why someone would oppose
your view) – so the word “because” should feature in your answer.

TAKE CARE: don’t just describe what you think – you need to explain the reasons (use the word
“because”)

DO NOT merge part i) and part ii) together – answer them separately.

Don’t forget to refer to Christianity if the questions ask you to!
37