Eastbrook School – Year 11 Exams – summer 2022 – Advance topic information
Dear Parent / Carer
As your child approaches the final stage of their study and the exam season, I am writing to provide guidance and support for this busy time. Sometimes it can feel as if the whole family are taking the exams as this can be a very challenging time for our students.
The exams can be very hard and are increasingly demanding. As you know we have a wide range of revision and support classes after school and in the holidays. We will be posting to you a range of information and providing guidance in stages for all of the students. This will include the exact timetable for your child’s exams.
Study Leave
We do not leave our students to revise alone and school continues throughout the exam season. Y11 Students are expected to attend full time according to their personalised timetable until the end of June and their last exam. Where your child has taken an exam in one subject, this lesson time is transferred to additional preparation time for their remaining subjects. It is important that each student maintains 100% attendance wherever possible to reap the benefits of these classes. Each student will receive the programme for each day during this time, please ask them to show it to you and talk it through to ensure that they understand the importance.
Illness or unexpected events
If your child becomes ill, has an accident or if there is any event that may affect their performance in their exams, please contact us immediately. We will provide all the support that we can and inform the exam board where relevant.
Attendance at exams
It is essential that all students attend every exam where they are entered. You will receive an Entry Record Sheet with dates and times. If a student does not attend an exam for which they are entered, we will ask for the payment for that entry as our Exam Policy states. This is highly unlikely, but please be aware.
Students must be on time for exams. We know that a number of our students have a tricky journey to school. They must leave early enough to not be delayed by traffic or transport issues. We will be putting on Breakfast Revision sessions and providing cereal bars and juice.
We will always endeavour to support your child should they require any additional equipment during their exam, for example should a calculator suddenly malfunction or a pencil needing sharpening, these disruptions can sometimes be unsettling for students and having to wait is not ideal. It is essential that all students are fully equipped for exams with at least a pen, calculator, pencil, eraser, sharpener, ruler, protractor & compass. Also a clear bottle with water is a good idea.
Responsibilities at Home
We are aware that many of our students have important roles within their family, sometimes caring for others and carrying out substantial levels of family duties. Please review this, if you can, for the period of the exams as they will need to be spending a great deal of time revising and preparing for their large number of exams.
How else can you help?
Each student will be supported in compiling a Personal Revision Timetable. Students took part in a workshop on study skills earlier this year. They learnt how they will divide up their time to cover all of their subjects. We also encourage them to build in breaks and relaxing activities; seeing friends, shopping, football, swimming etc. Please look at your child’s Personal Revision Timetable, and make sure that they display it publicly in the home. This can help you to know what they should be doing and when and encourage them not to let the ‘break’ extend too long. Equally, please discourage them from trying to spend marathon lengths of time on revision only, as this is not productive and will raise their stress levels.
Make sure that your child continues to eat well and keep themselves healthy during this time. Maybe get in some of their favourite healthy foods as snacks to keep them going.
Ask them to show you what they are doing and react positively even if it seems strange to you. Some revision is done on line and believe it or not, via their phones these days and it may not look to you as if they are revising. Ask them to show you if you are not sure as this can prevent unnecessary arguments or bad feeling if they do not feel that you understand how hard they are working.
Keep in touch with us. If you are worried about how much (or how little) revision they are doing, let us know. We will work with you and make sure that they understand how to get the best results this summer.
May I take this opportunity to wish all our Y11 families well and if in doubt please contact us immediately.
Yours faithfully
Paul Frith
Headteacher