'In order to best prepare your child for the rigour of their GCSE examinations next summer, we will be conducting Year 10 Mock Examinations.  These exams are designed to provide your child with the opportunity to experience the exam format and will therefore take place in exam venues in the school with external invigilators.  Your child will sit one mock exam for each subject that they study so that they have are not overwhelmed with multiple papers. If your child is entitled to Access Arrangements, you will be made aware and your child will have these in the mock exams.

The examinations will start WC 10th June and last for two weeks. We have carefully considered the length of the mock season to ensure that students are not overwhelmed and have access to support throughout the period.

Curriculum leaders have carefully selected the content that will be assessed during the mock exams, ensuring that your child is assessed on necessary content taught throughout the curriculum. Your child’s teacher will use the results to create a bespoke analysis of areas of your child’s strengths, along with highlighting any gaps in their knowledge.  
 

Guidance outlining details of what will be assessed in each subject can be accessed using the online booklet below.  Your child will also be issued with a copy of the mock timetable during culture time along with a blank revision timetable to support them with their organisation.

Revision Materials and Guidance

In order to support your child with preparing for their mocks exams, in addition to in class revision lessons, curriculum leaders have provided the following guidance in the booklet below:

•            The core knowledge that the assessment will test

•            An overview of the method of testing

•            Further information and resources to support your child in preparing for their assessment

Your child has access to revision materials which have been posted online and there are also hard copies available from your child’s teacher. The revision materials are labelled with your child’s year group and then further broken down into subject area. Class teachers will also be supporting learners with how best to revise in their subject area and there will also be dedicated time during Culture Slots to share effective revision strategies.  Your child has also benefitted from Evelate revision sessions this academic year so is equipped with techniques to support them with these mock papers.

GCSE Pod

To support your child’s revision, we have also invested in GCSE Pod, an award-winning digital content and revision provider. Your child has already received information regarding this platform in an assembly and further details are being sent to parents / carers via Mrs Duncan. 

Your child has access to GCSEPod’s library of over 6,500 ‘Pods’, 3-5 minute videos designed to deliver knowledge in short bursts. GCSEPod makes learning and revision much more manageable: every Pod is mapped to an exam board, and contains all the right facts, quotes, keywords, dates and annotated diagrams that your child needs for GCSE success – all neatly organised into topics and exam playlists. 

As well as Pods, GCSEPod also has a host of Student Learning Activities which are designed to help students commit content to their long-term memory. Alongside this is the award-winning Check & Challenge tool which provides quizzes for your child to test their knowledge and to track their progress throughout the academic year. Check & Challenge provides scaffolded support through hints, multiple choice options and feedback statements which helps to consolidate learning and build students’ confidence.

We recommend that you talk about GCSEPod with your son or daughter – check that they’ve successfully activated their account and encourage them to make use of this amazing resource throughout their GCSEs.

For more ways to support your child using GCSEPod, please visit www.gcsepod.com/parents where you’ll find lots more information, a specially created Parent Toolkit with information on making the most of your child’s subscription and links to their fantastic upcoming parent/carer webinars: https://www.gcsepod.com/podup-presents-parent-webinars/