Following on from the success of last year’s inaugural Revision Day, the workshop-filled day returned for a second time on Friday 11 November. In an off-timetabled day, pupils explored various revision techniques in their tutor groups and attended a workshop in their year groups run by revision experts, Positively You.
With exams soon to return in full swing, it is crucial that pupils are equipped with the skills and techniques to revise effectively. On Friday, all pupils spent the day in their tutor groups building revision timetables for the forthcoming assessment week starting on Monday 28 November, learning new techniques to revise, as well as having the opportunity to devote time in the day to independent revision.
Interspersed throughout the day were presentations from Positively You. The workshops were delivered in the Lecture Theatre and were presented in an age-appropriate way by Positively You’s revision expert, Jay. Using his wit and humour, Jay was successful in engaging with the pupils during his workshops. Below is a summary of what each year focussed on:
- Year 7/8 – Super Speedy Revision
- Year 9 – Super Speedy revision
- Year 10 – Mind Mapping
- Year 11 – Secondary Education Exam buster
- Year 12 – Mind Mapping
- Year 13 – Further Education Exam Buster
In his workshops, Jay was quick to emphasise that in revision, the key information within a sentence to be retained is often four or five words – despite the sentence length being 15-20 words. To emphasise this point, Jay demonstrated how a text, specifically the biography of legendary heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali, can be broken down into a minimalistic mind map, and then memorised within 10 minutes. A stark contrast to the hours pupils had suggested when asked how long it would take for them to learn the text.
Speaking after Revision Day, Mr Shaw said of the event, “Every year, students up and down the country moan, 'I don't know how to revise' and I do think parents, and teachers alike, can think of revision as something to figure out for yourself. Here at Shiplake however, we know that learning to revise, and self-regulated learning, is a skill that can be honed and refined - thus the annual revision day.
Like the inaugural event last year, this was a fantastic day where pupils built revision timetables, learned new techniques, heard from an experienced outside voice, and had time to revise. Hopefully, this has set our pupils on the right path ahead of the examination beginning on Monday 28 November and beyond!"
The day was not just for pupils however! Positively You ran a revision workshop for parents of Year 11 and 13 students in the evening. This was subsequently followed by a 30-minute presentation from Deputy Head (Academic), Mr Paul Jones; Assistant Head (Learning and Enrichment), Mr Sam Shaw; and Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Emma Farrell.
This provided a fantastic opportunity for parents to get some hands-on advice on how to help their or daughter prepare for their examinations.
If you are a parent of a pupil in Years 11 or 13 and were unable to attend the talk, please check the Weekly Bulletin.
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