Mark Rutherford

School

Revision Tips for

Parents & Students

2

CONTENTS

Examination Timetable 3-4

Top Tips for Parents and Students 5-9

Applied Business Studies 11

Child Development 12

Computing 13

Catering 14

Dance 15

Drama 16

English Language 17

English Literature 18

Geography 19

Graphics 20

History 21

ICT 22

Modern Foreign Languages 23-24

Mathematics 25

Media Studies 26

Music 27-28

Physical Education 29

Religious Education 30

Resistant Materials 31

Science 32

3

MARK RUTHERFORD SCHOOL YEAR 11

EXAMINATION TIMETABLE

From Monday 11 May to Friday 22 May: Students attend all lessons as normal unless they have an exam in the afternoon when they can stay at home in the morning to revise.

From Monday 1 June:

All students continue to attend all lessons in subjects they still have an exam or coursework to complete.

PLEASE NOTE:

After a morning exam all students continue with normal lessons 3, 4 and 5 - unless preparing for an exam that afternoon.

Students must meet on the tennis courts 15 minutes prior to the start time of the exam.

DATE AM PM

Mon 11 May

Religious Studies: Christianity

Tues 12 May

French: Listening & Reading

Weds 13 May

IT: Living in a Digital World

Thurs 14 May

Fri 15 May

Spanish: Listening & Reading Construction: Technology (BTEC) Science: Principles of Science (BTEC)

PE: Theory of PE Turkish: Reading & Written Astronomy: Paper 1

Mon 18 May

English Literature: Unit 1, Exploring Modern Texts Business Studies: Intro to Business Written

Travel & Tourism: The UK Travel & Tourism Sector (BTEC)

Tues 19 May

Drama: Written paper

Geography: Skills & Challenges

Weds 20 May

Business: Financial Records Turkish: Listening & Written

Science: Core Biology

Thurs 21 May

Fri 22 May

English Literature: Unit 2, Poetry Across Time

Travel & Tourism: Business Environment (BTEC)

4

DATE AM PM

HALF TERM Mon 1 June

History: Aspects of International Relations: Germany

Tues 2 June

English Language: Unit 1, Understanding and Producing Non-fiction Texts Religious Studies: Islam

Weds 3 June

Maths: Additional Maths (FSMQ) paper 1 Computing

Geography: Natural Environment

Thurs 4 June

Maths: Non Calculator

Fri 5 June

Music: Unit 1

Turkish: Writing Written Paper

Science: Core Chemistry

Mon 8 June

Maths: Calculator

Catering D & T: Resistant Materials Unit 1

Tues 9 June

Geography: Human Environment Home Economics: Child Development

Science: Additional Physics

Weds 10 June

History: British Society Urdu: Unit 1 & 2

Thurs 11 June

Religious Studies: Mark’s Gospel Polish: Unit 1

Fri 12 June

Dance: Unit 1

Science: Additional Science Biology

Mon 15 June

Chemistry Science: Further Additional Science

Media Studies: Unit 1

Tues 16 June

Polish: Unit 2 & 4

Weds 17 June

Physics Science: Further Additional Science

D & T: Graphic Products Unit 1

Thurs 18 June

Fri 19 June

Mon 22 June

Italian: Unit 1 & 2

5

Top Tips for Parents

How to help your child prepare for exam success

1. Talk to your child about how you can support them, and what they would find helpful.

2. Help to plan your child’s revision timetable. If you know that they are not at their best in the morning, then encourage them to rest then and work when they are livelier.

3. Provide a dedicated quiet space with good natural light for studying and if you have other children in the house, remind them about the importance of revision time.

4. The internet can be a valuable tool for revision or… a huge distraction! Make sure your child is using on line resources responsibly!

5. Ensure that your child takes regular breaks from studying to relax, take exercise and socialise with family and friends.

6. Encourage them to tell you about what they are studying and offer to help with testing them, and reassure your child that their welfare is your concern more than their results.

7. Ensure that your child has a healthy diet while revising and taking exams – they may need to be reminded to eat proper meals regularly, and avoid too many sugary drinks and snack food.

8. Know the times, dates and locations of your child’s exams – incorporate this into revision planning and ensure that your child will be properly equipped for each exam (they may need calculators, rulers, etc).

9. Know that students are not allowed to take mobile phones into any exam – they must be handed in to invigilators.

10. If your child has a medical condition, i.e. hay fever or diabetes, make sure that the school knows about it. There are special considerations for some conditions.

11. If there is a family crisis or emergency, make sure the school knows about it, since the additional stress can affect your child’s exam performance.

12. Ensure your child gets plenty of sleep during the exam period, and reassure them that you are proud of them for working so hard… and that you will love regardless of their exam results!

Your child will get the best results from their revision if they

develop good revision habits.

6

Revision Tips for Students

1. Revision plan

The top tip for successful revision is to make a plan, otherwise it is easy to waste your precious

revision time. We recommend that you start your revision at least six weeks before your exams

begin. It is helpful to look at your exam dates and work backwards to the first date you intend to

start revising.

List all your exam subjects and the amount of time you think you will need for each one. It is unlikely that the amounts will be equal. Many people find it advisable to allocate more time to the subject or topics they find the most difficult

Draw up a revision plan for each week

Fill in any regular commitments you have first and the dates of your examinations

Use Revision Checklists or Specifications for each subject as a starting point. Look at what you need to know and try to identify any gaps in your knowledge. (A good way of doing this is to look at the results of past papers or tests you have worked through)

Revise often; try to do a little every day

Plan in time off, including time for activities which can be done out in the fresh air. Take a 5 or 10 minute break every hour and do some stretching exercises, go for a short walk or make a drink

You may find it helpful to change from one subject to another at ‘break’ time, for example doing one or two sessions of maths and then changing to Geography, or alternating a favourite subject with a more difficult one. It helps to build in some variety

Write up your plan and display it somewhere visible

Don’t panic; think about what you can achieve, not what you can’t. Positive thinking is important!

2. Where to study:

Creating good conditions to study in can help you make the most of the time you spend

revising. Here are some suggestions:

Find a quiet place to study and make sure you are sitting comfortably

Make sure your desk is well lit

Keep background noise to a minimum and avoid distractions (including television and social networking!)

Have everything you need to do your revision to hand before you start

7

3. How to study:

There is no ‘right way’ to revise, as long as the method you choose enables you to gain a solid

grasp of key facts and concepts and consolidate your knowledge. Some students are happy to

read their classroom notes from start to finish, others prefer to simplify the information as much

as possible, turning everything into skeleton notes, diagrams or mnemonics. In practice, most

students find that mixing techniques suits the varied nature of the subjects being revised, and

provides essential variety when studying.

Turn your notes into revision tools; write ideas and facts on to cards to use as ‘prompts’,

create memory aids such as diagrams or mnemonics (e.g. initial letters to make a word you

need to remember or SMART objectives: Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic;

Targets). These will help you remember key facts, write key facts/notes out and display

these around the house where you will see them, record yourself reading notes and listen

to them instead of reading

Study with a friend and test each other’s knowledge, but remember you are meeting to

revise rather than to chat!

Work through past question papers – and use a watch to time them so that you can practise

timing your answers

Choose study and revision guides sensibly. It’s not hard to find help with revision – as well

as established published revision guides, there are hundreds of websites offering help and

advice. The problem is not how to find such help, but how to judge which is the best source

for your needs. Save valuable time and get recommendations from your teachers

Keep yourself more alert by changing revision methods during a session. For instance, try

switching from note taking to memorising; from reading to asking someone to test you

Attend any revision classes that your teachers may be running at school and get their

advice on revision methods

Look after yourself – sometimes revision can become a competition – who stayed up

latest, who worked longest, who’s worrying the most. But the more tired you are the less

efficiently you’ll work. You need to rest as well as study, eat well, drink lots of water and

make sure you pace yourself. Don’t rush, and equally don’t over-revise by doing too much

too soon

Allow time to relax between finishing your revision and going to bed. Aim for 8 hours of

sleep a night

8

4. Last-minute revision tips:

Although time may be short, you can still make a difference to your grade. Try and prioritise; do

what you can.

Use your revision tools (prompts, diagrams etc) to check final facts

Keep calm and consolidate your existing knowledge rather than trying to learn new topics

Don’t stay up all night revising; being overtired will not help you to do your best

5. Dealing with exam nerves:

It is natural to feel nervous before an examination. The more prepared you feel, the easier it

will be to conquer your fears.

Your revision plan will have helped you to feel in control of the process.

You know that you have planned your work carefully around the topics you needed to focus on.

You have filled the gaps in your knowledge and you know what to expect from exams in each

subject.

Make sure you are confident about:

where and when each exam will take place

how much time is allowed

how many questions you need to answer

Think positively and keep the exam in context – even if you do badly, there will be other options

open to you.

Allow yourself some fun-time each day to relax and remember to eat sensibly – your brain cells

need energy to function well. Make sure you drink plenty of water to avoid becoming dehydrated.

Dehydration makes you tired and reduces concentration.

Ensure that you have a good breakfast before morning exams, and a hearty lunch to prepare you

for afternoon exams!

9

6. Exam tips – sitting the exam:

Check you have the correct equipment with you before you leave the house (pens pencils, ruler, scientific calculator, etc.)

Take a watch or clock so that you can time your answers

Leave home so that you arrive for the exam in plenty of time

Listen carefully to instructions given in the exam hall

Read the instructions on the front of the exam paper, and at the beginning of any sections in the exam paper (e.g. to show all workings, time limits, word limits etc.)

Look through the paper first and mark difficult questions/initial thoughts

If there is a choice of questions, select the questions that will best enable you to demonstrate your knowledge to the examiner

Look at the marks available

Pace yourself and allow enough time to answer all the required questions

Write as neatly as possible to help the examiner to mark your work. Marking untidy writing is difficult

For longer answers, take a few minutes before you begin to produce a structured plan of what you are going to include in each section

Allow yourself ten minutes at the end to read through your answers and correct any mistakes. Cross out anything you do not want the examiner to read (e.g. an earlier answer to a question)

7. Exam tips – after the exam

It is easy to fall in to the trap of wondering how well you performed and to discuss this with your fellow students. Your time would be better spent looking ahead to your next examination. Don’t panic – you won’t be the only student who is anxious about their answers

Don’t compare your answers with those of other students – this can create negative feelings

Have some fresh air and food and take time to relax before you start revising again!

Don’t rush to your textbooks to check your answers – there is no point at this stage

Focus on the next exam and how you might improve your exam technique

Have a quick look at your revision plan. Do you need to adjust it?

10

Subject Specific

Revision Tips

11

Applied Business Studies

Unit 2: Financial Records

This unit is assessed via a one hour exam, worth 40% of the GCSE.

There are four sections that make up the unit:

2.1: Investigating the flow of financial documents used in business

trading

2.2: Investigating business payment methods and costs

2.3: Investigating the nature of financial statements in business

2.4: Investigating the importance of financial statements to business

The questions will be asked in three different ways: multiple choice,

short-answer and extended-answer.

“Make the Grade” revision pages are in the textbook, from p.116-p.121.

They include a revision checklist, common mistakes and practice and

advice on answering the different styles of questions. These pages

have also been photocopied and made available to students, along

with copies of past exam papers.

Students also have their class folder, which contains class notes,

handouts, practice questions and other revision material.

Revision classes will be held after school in the weeks leading up to

the exam.

The textbook ISBN is: 9781846903779

12

Child Development

There are a number of revision guides available and they are useful as a starting point:

ISBN 1847622968

ISBN-139781906415617

Useful websites: www.babycenter.com ;www.mothercare.co.uk; www.smanutrition.co.uk

www.pampers.co.uk; www.kinderstart.com;www.bbc.co.uk

CORE TOPICS: There are always questions on:

Development: Make sure you understand each type of

development and know how this can be encouraged.

Play: Types of play and toys

Nutrition

Safety in the home and out and about as well as hygiene

Make sure you also have a copy of the revision

list from your teacher and go through it

carefully and identify any topics that you need

help with.

Read each question twice and make sure you understand it. Start by planning the long

answer questions then leave it and go back later, you will then have time to think about how

to structure your response.

Plan essay or long answers before you start writing them out.

Be specific with answers – do not be vague or waffle.

Try to answer every single question.

Check how many marks there are for each question and remember that you need to explain your answers not just state facts. Remember- use link words –“AS”, “BECAUSE” Also be aware that children are people – he or she NOT “it”! They are individuals so talk about what they “generally” “usually” “typically” do e.g. “Generally twins develop their speech more slowly”. When talking about children always use the words “child” or “children” never kid.

REVISION CARDS

How do you revise?

We can help you with

some revision cards.

Please speak to your

Child Development

teacher.

13

Computing

The exam board used for GCSE Computing is OCR. The Computer Systems and Programming

exam lasts for 1½ hours and is worth 40% of the final mark. You will have completed 60% of the

course through the Controlled Assessments. The website for the Computing GCSE is

http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse-computing-j275-from-2012/.

On its Learning (https://bb.itslearning.com/) there is a Computer Science

class with access to all of the revision booklets, created in house, that

summarise the key topics. There is also access to the GCSE Computing

textbook. You will also find quizzes on there to test your knowledge.

The key areas to revise are:

Fundamentals of computer systems

Computer hardware

Software

Representation of data in computer systems

Databases

Computer communications and networking

Programming

The Dynamic Learning site is an invaluable resource for revising for this exam. There are lots of

practice questions and it is interactive. The web address for this site is: http://my.dynamic-

learning.co.uk/. Remember the centre ID is 108223. If you can’t remember your username and

password, please speak to your Computing teacher.

Other useful websites include:

http://www.teach-ict.com/gcse_computing.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/computing/

https://www.youtube.com/ (lots of fantastic videos on computing topics)

In addition, there is an OCR Revision Guide that you can purchase. There are

copies in the school shop.

14

Catering

The Industry Types of establishments that provide food & drink; contract caterers.

Health, Safety and Hygiene Personal hygiene – hand washing, general body hygiene, reporting sickness, protective clothing. Food

safety – cleanliness, temperature control, cooking, monitoring and storage. The main points of the Food

Safety Act. Common causes of food contamination. Common types of food poisoning. Health and Safety

– common health and safety signs, fire precautions, safe use of equipment. The main points of the Health

and Safety at Work Act. Simple first aid procedures. Risk Assessment – identification and control of

hazards (HACCP).

Food Preparation, Cooking and Presentation The importance of colour, texture, flavour, shape, temperature and time. A wide range of culinary

skills. Appropriate methods of cooking. Appropriate methods of presentation.

Nutrition and Menu Planning Functions and sources of the main nutrients. Current healthy eating guidelines. Vegetarian

choices, nut allergies, wheat intolerance, lactose intolerance. Types of menu - table d'hôte, à la

carte and themed.

Job Roles Chefs – Head, Second (Sous), Pastry, Larder, Sauce, Vegetable, Assistant (Commis). Food and Drink Service – Restaurant Manager, Waiting Staff

Costing and Portion Control Costing raw materials for a range of food items using standard recipes. The appropriate methods

of portion control and their significance.

Specialist Equipment Small and large scale catering equipment - hand equipment- powered equipment. Small and large scale food service equipment hand equipment. The safe use, care and cleaning of food preparation and service equipment.

Communication and Record Keeping Types of communication used, e.g. verbal, written, telephones, fax, ICT The need for accurate,

appropriate record keeping. Different methods of record keeping used in – stock control, data

logging and restaurant bookings.

Environmental Considerations Conservation of energy and water, when preparing food. Reduce, re-use and recycle waste in the preparing and serving of meals. Why it is important for the industry to address these areas e.g. sustainability. A range of disposable products and materials used for packaging and assess their fitness for purpose – appeal, temperature control, recycling, biodegradable, hygiene, cost, ease of storage and handling.

This revision guide with notes is

available to download or buy as a

book from any bookseller

Available from the

school shop.

15

Dance

The exam board used for GCSE Dance is AQA. This will be a valuable revision aid for the written

paper: www.aqa.org.uk/

On this website you will find past papers and their marks schemes. You can find these by typing

GCSE Dance into the search engine and then clicking the fourth link down (AQA GCSE Dance) in

there you will find past papers. I would suggest you try these under the supervised time of an hour

as this is how long the paper will be.

You can view 2 of the three sets works on: www.youtube.com, you can view BIRDSONG by

Siobhan Davies and NUTCRACKER! by Matthew Bourne on this website.

Miss Caddick will provide you with a GCSE Dance Revision booklet that will give you with relevant

information on:

Choreographic structures

Choreographic devices

Performance skills

Physical Setting and Lighting

Accompaniment

Costume

Nutcracker!

Birdsong

Ghost Dances

Faultline

There will also be exam style questions for you to answer and practise with.

Others ideas for revision in dance are:

Make Flash cards: Key words on one side and their definition on the other. (E.g. Action, canon)

Create power point presentations with a picture from a dance works on one slide and an area to

describe on the next (E.g. Costume, set, movement)

MAKE SURE! You have full descriptions of Costume, set Design, Lighting and Accompaniment for TWO of the three Dance works we have studied.

16

Drama

To ensure your success in the written paper, read and re-read the set text ‘Confusions’ as you will

not know what section they will give you to write about. There are two sections to the written

paper – don’t forget the second section! This is the part where they ask you to evaluate your

scripted performance for the examiner (Unit 2). It is worth taking the time at home to practice this

part – give yourself 20 minutes to write a full evaluation.

Past papers can be found here: www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/drama/drama-gcse/

They will not be relevant to our script ‘Confusions’ so just use them as a guide as to what you

might be asked.

To practice I would suggest you do this activity 3 times a week. Spend one hour every

time.

Choose a short section from the play – say a couple of pages. Familiarise yourself with the

section and think about what is happening between the characters.

Thinking like a director and actor answer the following questions and pay attention to the

suggestions in italics:

1. How would the actor playing __________ move at the beginning of this section? You

should refer to the character’s movements and facial expressions giving reasons for your

answer.

2. Describe a suitable costume for that same character in this section. In your answer refer

to the period, garments, colour and how costume choice, hair and make-up would

emphasise elements of the character.

3. As an actor how would you play the role of ___________ (another character from this

section) in this section?

In your answer you should refer to: Character motivation, Voice, Movement and gesture,

Interactions with other characters

Give reasons for your answers.

Now thinking like a stage designer answer the following questions again paying attention to the

italics:

1. Draw a basic labelled ground plan of your chosen stage showing only entrances, exits and

audience position. Write the name of the type of stage as a title.

2. Give a full written explanation of your design ideas for this section.

In your answer you should refer to:

• your chosen production style and how it is linked to your choice of stage;

• your choice of set;

• how you would use colour to create atmosphere;

• any other ideas you might like to include.

Further research would help you to describe the material, colour and style of the costumes

these characters would wear particularly if you choose to keep the play set in the 1970’s.

The examiner will know if you have done this through your answer.

17

English Language

Unit 1 Section A – Reading

1. Read through a magazine or newspaper article and identify all the presentational devices and write 2 PEE paragraphs commenting on their overall effect and contribution to the text

2. Create a poster to put up on your bedroom wall of all the key terms needed for Section A with their definitions and effects created

3. Find a leaflet and explain in detail who you think is the intended audience and what the intended purpose is. Provide evidence from the text to support your opinion

4. Read a newspaper or magazine article and summarise in your own words what the main point of the article is

5. Find a copy of an advertisement. List all of the persuasive devices used in the advert and then write a PEE paragraph explaining how the advertisement persuades the reader to buy the product

6. Identify facts and opinions in articles or leaflets. How do these work together to engage or influence the reader?

7. Read newspaper or magazine articles and highlight WHERE the story is taking place, and WHAT happens

8. Read extracts from non-fiction books, such as biographies, and consider how language is used to achieve effects

9. Refer to the past papers and practise responding to the questions, using the mark scheme to assess your answers

Section B – Writing

1. Complete posters of each of the writing styles (inform, explain, describe, argue, persuade) and put them up on your bedroom wall

2. Describe a person who inspires you 3. Write a speech for Year 11 students informing them of the importance of exam revision 4. Write an article arguing for or against 16 year olds being given the vote 5. Write a letter to Mr Peacey persuading him to build a swimming pool at the school 6. Explain what your dreams and ambitions are for the future 7. Learn three new words every day to use in your writing 8. Experiment with using a variety of punctuation to enhance your written style 9. Practise planning written responses – use spider diagrams to plan at least 5 paragraphs

18

English Literature Of Mice and Men 1. Write a 200 word summary of the story, identifying the key events 2. Create a chart in which you identify the key themes in the novel. Under each theme write

down key events and quotations that relate to each theme 3. Create character profiles of the key characters in the novel. Include features of their

personality, key events/chapters, quotations, and how they ‘drive’ events in the text 4. Consider the author’s message. What is Steinbeck trying to say? Is the story moral? 5. Research and revise the social and historical context of the novel 6. Brainstorm ways in which the context of the novel is evident in the story 7. Complete a timed essay at home; give yourself 45 minutes to complete the task

The Crucible or An Inspector Calls 1. Write a 200 word summary of the play, identifying the key events 2. Write a PEE paragraph explaining what the main themes and ideas are within the play 3. Create character profiles of key characters in the play. Include features of their personality,

how they change (or not) over the course of the play, and include key quotations for each character

4. Revise each Act separately – where does it take place? What do we learn about the characters in each Act?

5. Create a tension graph to show changes over the course of the play 6. Complete a time essay at home; give yourself 45 mins to complete the task

Literature Poetry 1. Create a detailed chart demonstrating the links between the poems 2. Write a 100 word summary of each poem including how the poem portrays/explores the theme

of conflict or relationships (depending on which cluster you have studied!) 3. Look at the poems written in first person. How does this affect the way the poem is

understood? 4. Create a poster for your bedroom wall that has a list of connectives and connective phrases

that you can use in your comparison essays 5. Select on key quotation for each poem that you have studied and explain what the reader

learns from this. Look at key words specifically in your explanation and try to provide an alternative interpretation of the quotation

6. Complete a timed essay at home – give yourself 30 mins 7. Practise responding to unseen poems – identify language features, themes and ideas

Useful Revision Websites

www.aqa.org.uk (exam board – syllabus information and past papers) www.universalteacher.org.uk http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature www.sparknotes.com www.englishbiz.co.uk www.s-cool.co.uk www.revisioncentre.co.uk www.samlearning.com (useful for practising spelling, punctuation and grammar) www.litcharts.com www.shmoop.com www.cliffnotes.com

19

Geography

Exam board – Edexcel, Geography A.

Revision guides – Revise Edexcel GCSE – Geography A – Geographical Foundations for the

linear spec – Revision Guide.

My revision notes – Tomorrow’s Geography for Edexcel GCSE spec A – Steph Warren.

3 examinations in total -

1 - Unit 1 – Geographical skills and Challenges - 1 hour

2 – Unit 2 – The Natural Environment – 1 hour 15 minutes

3 – Unit 3 – The Human Environment – 1 hour 15 minutes

Topics to revise – Remember case studies are vital!

Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3

Geographical skills Challenges to the planet

Coasts Tectonics Rivers Watery World

Population Change A Tourists World Settlement Change Economic Change

Top Tips for revising Geography –

- Revise in short bursts 20-30 minutes at a time, split up the topics so you are revising a

different element every time, not just going over the same topic – make a timetable!

- Case study cards including key specific facts

- Glossaries

- Annotated diagrams

- Writing notes in red pen (it’s meant to make you recall facts you can’t remember!)

- Practise exam questions and mark them using the mark scheme

- Thought showers for each topic

- Useful websites - School, bitesize, coolgeography, Edexcel website – past papers

20

Graphics

Exam theme is... Promoting Firework Safety for Children

Main Topics to Revise and Cover

Design Process (Brief, Research, Specification etc.) Printing Processes Charts and Graphs- Bar, Pictographs, Flowcharts, Pie sequential,

schematic Printing Effect Typography, logos, icons and signs

Drawing Techniques Materials- Modelling, Smart, Packaging, thermoplastics & actual

product

Key Designers- R.Sabuda, W.Ollins, A.Alessi, M.Calvert, J.Kinnier, H.Beck

Card and Paper- Sizes, types, how is it is made CAD/CAM and ICT Quality Control/ Quality Assurance, risk assessment, health and

safety

Production methods (continuous, mass, batch, one off) Mechanisms and paper engineering Moral, Social, Environmental, Sustainable and Economical Issues Tools, equipment, and machine used for modelling in school Tips Read each question carefully, particularly as it may give you a

clue to a future question Make sure you have the correct equipment (see equipment list) Look at the mark allocation per question and give sufficient time

for this (a general rule 1 minute per mark) Put an answer for every question

Read through the whole exam paper before answering, to get an idea of the whole exam (you may get tips/ answers for previous questions)

USEFUL WEBSITES: http://www.technologystudent.com/ http://www.mr-dt.com/graphics/main.htm http://www.mr-d-n-t.co.uk/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/graphics/ And of course the “its learning” wesbite that is accessible from the MRUS website, has more brilliant information, links, your revision list/topics and also past exam papers which you must download and attempt!!!

Equipment List Needed for Exam

2 HB Pencils

Range of colour pencils

Sharpener

Rubber

30cm Ruler

Set Square (60x30x90)

Set Square (45x45x90)

Compass

Black biro

Black outliner

USEFUL BOOKS:

CGP, GCSE D&T Graphic Products AQA Specification, The revision Guide (ISBN ISBN 978 1 84762 356 0) AQA Design and Technology,Graphic Products (ISBN ISBN 978 1 4085-0274-7) Both books available from Amazon and other websites

21

History

We are doing the OCR exam board for history.

The following website has useful podcasts for students to download:

http://www.mrallsophistory.com/revision.html

Other web sites for revision:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/germany/

This covers:

The Treaty of Versailles

The League of Nations

The Road to war

The Weimar Republic

Nazi Germany

Useful Revision guides:

22

ICT

The exam board used for GCSE ICT is Edexcel. The exam, Living in a Digital World, lasts for 1½

hours and is worth 40% of the final mark. You will have completed 60% of the course through the

Controlled Assessment task. The website for the GCSE ICT is

http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/ict-2010.html.

Your teacher will issue you with lots of revision materials that you can use. These will include

practice papers.

The topics that you need to revise are:

Personal digital devices

Connectivity

Operating online

Online goods and services

Online communities

Issues

Other useful websites include:

http://www.teach-ict.com/gcse_new.html

On YouTube https://www.youtube.com/ search for GCSE ICT Edexcel. This will bring you to a

whole range of revision videos. Some examples are listed below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om-z-QBpAsw (ICT GCSE Speed Revision Topics 1-3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MW8rag7ed0 – Topic 1 Computer Systems and Mobile

Technologies – GCSE ICT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCEJOysFQws&list=PL1_BC3C6QlMkthfmpyQcoX1oCjA9phm

yY –Uses of Digital Devices (from here you can find a number of lectures on Digital Devices).

In addition, there is an Edexcel GCSE ICT revision guide that you can purchase. Copies are available in the school shop.

23

Modern Foreign Languages

French

AQA website - Past papers and mark schemes

http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gcse/french_a_assess.php

French teacher.net - More complex resources and grammar exercises

http://www.frenchteacher.net/sheets.htm

French index - Vocabulary and very useful grammar exercises

http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/rgshiwyc/school/curric/hotpotatoes/frenchindex.htm

MFL Sunderland - Very good for vocabulary

http://www.sunderlandschools.org/mfl-sunderland/resources-fr-ks4-wks.htm#pd

Useful tips for A/A*

http://www.myfrenchresources.com/%5CResources%5CKS4%20FRENCH%20RESOURCES%5C

EXAM%20AND%20REVISION%20SUPPORT%5CInstructions%20to%20succeed%20the%20writi

ng%20exam.pdf

Extremely good for revisions for GCSE type questions

http://www.myfrenchresources.com/%5CResources%5CKS4%20FRENCH%20RESOURCES%5C

EXAM%20AND%20REVISION%20SUPPORT%5CInstructions%20to%20succeed%20the%20writi

ng%20exam.pdf

Good GCSE video, good for listening

http://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/modlang/french/index_fr_video.htm

KS3, 4 and 5 resources

http://www.myfrenchresources.com/

Reading Higher and Foundation exercises:

http://www.wildfrench.co.uk/

24

Italian

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian/ Audio and video resources

http://italian.about.com/ Pronunciation tips, grammar, audio

http://www.atantot.com/Ks2it.htm Basic vocab free access after 4pm

http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/rgshiwyc/school/curric/HotPotatoes/italianindex.htm Basic vocab

and key verbs

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/italian/italian.htm Basic vocab and easy games

http://www.oneworlditaliano.com/english/italian/italian-exercises-free-online.htm Grammar

revision and practice

Spanish

http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/rgshiwyc/school/curric/hotpotatoes/spanishindex.htm

AQA website for practice papers.

http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcses/languages/new/spanish_materials.php?id=08&prev=11

http://atantot.co.uk

There is also the following website for all 3 languages:

www.linguascope.co.uk

Login: Rutherford

Password: homework13

25

Mathematics

Revision Guides/Resources

CGP GCSE Maths Edexcel Linear Revision Guide (available from the school shop)

Maths Watch CD Rom (available from the school shop)

Maths Watch Online (available on the school website under learning centre)

Practice papers and solutions available on “Its Learning”

www.mymaths.co.uk

www.mangahigh.com

Revision Tips for Mathematics

Work hard in all lessons and produce all home works to at least your target grade.

Attend the maths surgery after school each Thursday to receive help with current classwork, homework or difficulties you have with a particular topic.

Know your tier of entry (Higher or Foundation).

Use a download of the specification or the “Graded Skills Booklet”, provided by your teacher, so that you know what topics you need to cover.

Highlight your strengths and weaknesses so you know the topics you need to revise.

Spread the topics you need to revise over your revision timetable between now and the exam.

Use the revision guide / maths watch CD / mymaths website to revise the how to do. Worked examples are really useful so you know what has to be done and why.

Try practice questions – available on maths watch CD and the mymaths website.

If you don’t understand re-watch the mathswatch CD or work through the mymaths lesson.

Use the 6 week revision programme linked to the maths watch CD which requires about 20 minutes per night watching the video clips in order to cover the whole course.

Work through practice papers (available on “Its Learning”) and past exam papers. The best way to revise maths is to practise.

Do one past paper under proper exam conditions – get someone to supervise you.

Work with friends, asking each other questions and teach each other difficult topics. Make revision enjoyable!

Learn the formulae triangles.

Put the formulae you need to learn off by heart on posters around your bedroom.

Learn how best to use your calculator – sort out the basics, then the fancier buttons which make life easier.

Make sure you have the correct equipment for the exam

2 pens (black ink), 2 pencils, ruler (with scale visible), eraser, sharpener, compasses, protractor

Calculator (with new or spare batteries) for the calculator paper

26

Media Studies – Revision Tips!

The exam is 1 hour and 30 minutes long. It will be based on the pre-release material (the brief).

There are four tasks to complete, one of which is a creative piece (storyboard, website

homepage etc.). All tasks are worth 15 marks, therefore you should aim to spend an equal

amount of time on each (around 22 minutes).

When you receive the pre-release material:

Use the four weeks before the exam to plan effectively – lesson time will be spent only on

this.

Ensure you know what the brief (pre-release material) is asking of you.

Pay particular attention to WHAT you are creating, and WHO you are creating it for.

Practice writing in role – you are responding to the ‘company’ who have set the task.

Ensure you practice creating a range of practical artefacts – you could be asked to

storyboard the opening credits or design the website homepage, for example.

Your exam topic - Television News

Be familiar with:

Codes and conventions of TV news programmes

How news stories are chosen an ordered in the programme

How the newsreader/other presenters speak and behave

How news programmes differ depending on time of day and channel

How news programmes have developed historically and how they make use of new

technology (including social media)

How audiences respond to different news programmes

Ensure you continue to WATCH and ANALYSE news programmes as you approach the

exam!

Don’t forget the four key concepts. You will be expected to cover these through your exam

responses, whether talking about existing products or analysing your own:

Language (media terminology and analysis)

Audience (who has been targeted, how audiences influence media products)

Representation (how people, places and things are presented in the media – stereotyping)

Institution (who creates media products, how they are regulated)

Useful websites:

BBC Bitesize - http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/ztnygk7

Media Knowall (good for key concepts)

http://www.mediaknowall.com/gcse/keyconceptsgcse/keycon.php?pageID=keyterms

Media Knowall (TV News pages) http://mediaknowall.com/gcse/news/news.php?pageID=tvnews

How to construct a storyboard: http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource/

Glossary of key film terms: http://community.dur.ac.uk/m.p.thompson/filmterms.htm

27

Music GCSE Questions – If in Doubt!

What is the Dynamic mark used?

Piano – for if the music is quiet

Forte - for if the music is loud

Describe the timbral (timbre) effect used Brass instruments – Mute String instruments – Arco (Bowing) Pizzicato (Plucking) Drums - Using brushes Using sticks Guitars - Distortion Delay Reverb

Describe the Rhythms used Syncopation Cross rhythms Triplets Polyrhythms Son Clave Rhythm Back Beat

What Metre/Time Signature is used? 4/4 3/4 6/8

Describe how the melody moves

By Step, by Leap, Scalic, Arpeggio

Describe the tonality

Major or Minor

Atonal or Modal

Name the Cadence Perfect Plagal Interrupted Imperfect Tierce de picardie

Harmonic Devices

Drone

Pedal

Harmony keywords:

Consonant Dissonant Chromatic Diatonic Dominant 7th

Order of Sharps

F C G D A E B

Order of Flats

B E A D G C F

Describe the texture of the extract

Monophonic has one layer of sound

Homophonic has two layers of sound

Polyphonic has many layers of sound but all are independent

Canon or a Round

What key does the music Modulate to? Dominant Sub Dominant Relative Minor Tonic Minor

Name the melodic device Riff/ostinato Sequence Augmentation Diminution Pitch bends Inversions Ornament Improvisation Imitation Repetition Passing notes

28

Structure of the piece: Classical Popular World music Binary Strophic Call and response or Antiphonal Ternary Through composed Cyclic Rondo Pop song structure Arch shape Canon 12 Bar blues Ground Bass/Continuo Theme and variation Sonata Minuet and Trio

Name the voice Soprano Alto Tenor Bass

Vocal devices and techniques A cappella Portomento - Slide Melisma or Syllabic Vibrato Falsetto Rapping

Chords used in chord progressions: Major Minor I or 1 VI or 6 IV or 4 II or 2 V or 5 III or 3

Drumming devices and techniques Fills Played with brushes

Types of ensembles Male choir Female Choir Mixed choir Duet, Trio, Quartet etc. Orchestra Chamber orchestra Windband Samba group African drumming Rock band Pop band

Instrument Families: Woodwind Brass Strings Percussion

Ornaments used: Trills Mordents Grace notes Acciaccatura Appoggiatura

Articulation: Staccato Legato Slur

Other Keywords: Leitmotif Fusion Parallel movement Alberti Bass Rubato

Name the Melody instrument Go to BBC Bite size and listen to the instruments on the elements of music section Remember the Saxophone is a woodwind instrument.

Italian Tempo terms: Slow Medium Fast Adagio Moderato Allegro Lento Andante Vivace Largo Andantino Presto Grave

29

Physical Education

Top 10 Revision Tips

Useful materials for revision can be found on the school’s It’s Learning site, BBC Bitesize

website, Pocket poster revision guide (£2) and in the Edexcel revision guide (£5) (the CD

in this is very useful). The school shop stocks another revision guide (£4), Revision

Workbook (£4) and a Revision DVD (£3).

Mon /Wed Lunch & Thurs/Fri afterschool

How Long?

Plan to revise for at least 1 hour a day in the lead up to your exam.

E.g. 20 minutes—break—20 minutes—break—20 minutes

1. Make a revision timetable and stick to it

2. Practise, practise, PRACTISE!

3. Revise in distraction free environments

4. Work hard - earn your planned breaks

5. Get enough sleep before the exam

6. Use different revision methods

7. Don’t leave it to the last minute

8. Attend school revision sessions

9. Use colour and diagrams in revision notes

10. Condense notes onto revision cards.

30

Religious Education

Use a variety of different revision techniques

Attend Intervention Sessions in school

Work through past year papers

Systematically reduce your notes until they consist of keywords

Learn a range of material relating to a particular topic so that you are able to be flexible in

your answers

Know that half the battle with revision is starting, therefore use a variety of approaches to

starting revision that are effective

Learn key words and appropriate vocabulary

Systematically learn material thoroughly

Learn all topics well

Concentrate on the topic you are revising

Know the link between effort and attainment

Complete your coursework before it is time to start revise

Discuss your revision with parents, teachers and friends

Use any opportunity to revise, e.g. an unexpected absence by your teacher

Websites you will find useful for Religious Education

1. Ensure that you buy a revision guide. Purchase at school shop or Amazon

2. Go over practice past papers. (Collect some from any teacher in the RE

department.)

3. Access the school It’s learning. Revision material has been placed there for you.

4. For Past papers and Revision materials use Sites below:-

http://www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/student/Pages/Pastpapers.aspx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ http://www.teachre.com/ http://www.reonline.org.uk/knowing/what-re/christianity/ http://request.org.uk/oldsite/unpacked/teachings/teachings.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/

31

Resistant Materials

Summer Exam (2 hours, 120 marks, 40% of the grade)

Examination Focus

The Exam lasts for 2 Hours and you need to supply a black ball point-pen, a pencil, a ruler, an

eraser, a pencil sharpener and coloured pencils. The maximum marks for the paper is 120.

There is a specific theme for Section A which will be published on the 1st March this will be given

to you by your teacher. All the questions in Section A will follow the Design Process and each

question/task leads on from the one on the previous page; so it is important to look ahead before

committing your answer to paper. For example, there will be a question on specifications where

you will be asked to produce 3 justified specification points based on the design brief. You would

then be asked to produce 5 creative, sketched and annotated ideas and then be asked to evaluate

the ideas against the specification points you have listed previously.

All sketches should be completed in pencil and, annotated as per the instructions in the question

and the guidelines. For example, details of materials and finishes (3 marks) method of

construction (3 marks) design features and sizes (3 marks), quality of sketches (3 marks).

You should practise sketching to a good quality in 3D to improve your skill and speed.

The second section relates to tools and equipment, sustainability and the 6 R’s, health and safety,

stages of making a batch of 10 products and Smart Materials. There may also be questions on

market influences, product maintenance, and quality control.

You will have researched the context leading up to the exam, so it should not phase you in any

way providing you have followed the guidance given.

As always, read the question and be clear what it is asking of you.

Useful Revision Websites:

Materials and processes

Smart Materials: http://designinsite.dk/htmsider/md950.htm

General revision guides covering all topics

http://www.technologystudent.com/

http://design-technology.info/revisionguides/rm-revision/default.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/resistantmaterials/

www.design-technology.info

32

Science

Online revision guides for Core and Additional Science can be accessed at www.CollinsOnlineLearning.co.uk username: 50pupil and password: kw03 Click on the Essentials Revision guides. You will also find electronic textbooks for all the science GCSE courses including the triple science units.

Double award students will be taking OCR Gateway Additional Science unit 1 (B3,C3,P3) and unit 2 (B4,C4,P4) this summer. It is a good idea to check the specification, you will find it together with past papers and mark schemes on the OCR website: www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse-gateway-science-suite-additional-science-b-j262-from-2012.

Past papers can also be collected from the science department.

BBC GCSE Bitesize revision has tutorials and tests www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_gateway/ We strongly recommend using the OCR Gateway Additional Science revision guide which can be bought from the school shop for £3.50.

Triple Award students will be taking 6 exams in June, they can access Gateway Biology, Chemistry and Physics specifications, past papers and mark schemes on the OCR website. Past papers are also available from the science department. BBC Bitesize has triple science revision materials at www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_ocr_gateway/

Single GCSE students will be doing OCR Gateway Core unit 1(B1,C1,P1) and unit 2(B2,C2,P2) this summer. For these students the links for bitesize and the exam board are: www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway/ www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse-gateway-science-suite-science-b-j261-from-2012/

Revision Ideas

Revise key points several times to make them stick.

Don’t copy out the revision guide, you will run out of time.

Make summaries of the information; try to get the whole topic onto one side of A4 paper.

Create spider diagrams/concept maps and stick them on your wall. Use different colours.

Try “Look, Cover, Write, Check" or get someone to test you.

To learn diagrams, draw a copy of the diagram without labels then add labels from memory.

Highlight key words and ideas in your revision guide.

Make your own revision cards. Try putting questions on one side and answers on the other.

Practise on real exam questions and use the mark scheme to check your answers.

Work with somebody else and take it in turns to teach each other.

Download and use a CGP revision App from www.cgpbooks.co.uk/apps/home.asp