Exam Revision
GCSE revision courses and workshops boost preparations
With summer examinations fast approaching, Rydal Penrhos has staged some key events to boost pupils' exam preparations and offer parents some much-needed peace of mind.
GCSE revision season is in full swing across the country, and nowhere is this more true than at Rydal Penrhos, where courses are completed and exams are fast approaching.
This time of year can be a stressful and challenging one for many pupils, but thankfully each and every day in school we see many examples of pupils using these final days and weeks to consolidate their understanding of their subjects and fill any gaps in their knowledge.
At Rydal Penrhos, we understand the importance of providing pupils with the best revision techniques and resources possible to approach their study effectively. It goes without saying that learning a course's content is essential, but it is just as important that pupils learn how to best retain and apply their accrued knowledge.
Additionally, while individual study is a necessary and inescapable part of a good revision regime, collaborative work with peers and teachers can also play an invaluable role in these final stages of preparation for this summer’s all-important exams.
As such, two recent initiatives have brought pupils together to learn the necessary skills and techniques to properly tackle exam season; namely, our Rydal Penrhos Easter GCSE Revision Courses and the recent workshops delivered by Positively You.
Rydal Penrhos Easter GCSE Revision Courses
Pupils both in- and outside the Rydal Penrhos community have been full of praise for the school’s Easter GCSE Revision Courses, which took place on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 April 2023.
We were delighted to offer GCSE Revision Courses over two days in the core subjects of English, Maths, and Science. These specialized revision sessions, led by our experienced and dedicated teaching team, many of whom are examiners, have proven hugely successful with Rydal Penrhos pupils and our visitors from other schools across North Wales.
In small classes, pupils enjoyed seven hours of distraction-free immersion in their subjects, punctuated by delicious lunch and snack prepared by our excellent catering team. During the sessions, teachers worked to convey what examiners would be looking for in examination responses, as well as covering key areas of the subject syllabus.
Year 11 pupil Harrison, who attended the Revision Courses, said, “the best part was the very interactive recounting of the year’s learning from our teachers. I thought it was very helpful to consolidate my knowledge.”
Meanwhile, Alice said the courses were “really helpful, as I had forgotten most of the stuff over the holidays, so it was great having the teacher there to answer questions, rather than sending an email.” This kind of access to expert support is invaluable for pupils during the revision period, helping to boost their confidence and reduce stress levels as exams approach.
Visiting pupil Seren also found the GCSE Revision Courses to be highly worthwhile, and had particularly high praise for the Biology session. “I enjoyed the interaction from the teacher,” said Seren. We were delighted to welcome many pupils from our local community and hope they found our Revision Courses to be an invaluable resource heading into the summer.
We are delighted to hear this glowing feedback, and would like to thank all pupils, teachers and parents for making the Easter GCSE Revision Courses a resounding success once again.
Positively You Workshops
The exam preparation workshops held at Rydal Penrhos in partnership with Positively You were a great success. On Wednesday 26 April 2023, Years 9-13 participated in a range of workshops run by Positively You, a leading UK educational workshopping firm.
The sessions were aimed at equipping them with the skills and techniques necessary to excel in their exams. Years 9 and 10 participated in the Super Speed Study Skills Workshop, while Years 11-13 benefited from the Exam Busters Workshop. Both workshops provided pupils with invaluable tips on how to improve their revision and exam-taking abilities.
Parents were also invited to attend a Parent Twilight session, where they had the opportunity to learn about what their child had learnt during the workshops and received expert advice on how they can support their child’s exam preparation at home.
The session was an hour-long, and parents received a factsheet containing details of the workshop their child attended. The visiting expert from Positively You outlined some of the techniques that had been shared with pupils earlier in the day, including mind mapping and the visual reimagining of themes and topics into easily-digestible illustrations.
If any parents missed the workshop, we would encourage them to visit the Positively You website, where they can download a free revision cheat sheet and additional resources that will help them support their children through this testing time of the year academically.
Rydal Penrhos is thrilled with the success of the day of workshops and would like to thank our guests from Positively You.
At Rydal Penrhos, we are proud to have an incredible track record of exam results in recent years, which have continued to go from strength to strength despite a period of unprecedented uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. The introduction of the GCSE Revision Courses last year, and the invitation of Positively You to speak to parents and pupils, are just two examples of the many steps the school has taken to achieve sustained improvement in results over time.
We hope that the skills that pupils learned during the Easter GCSE Revision Courses and Positively You workshops will stand them in good stead for not just the important assessments this summer, but all their exams moving forward, whether that means GCSEs, A-Levels of university exams.
CGSE Results 2022
37% A*57% A* to A (National Average = 25%)97% A* to C(National Average = 68%)
0.4 Value Added(4 in 10 GCSE entries resulted in a grade higher than the average school)
A-Level Results 2022
38% A*64% A* to A93% A* to C
0.4 Value Added(4 in 10 A-Level entries resulted in a grade higher than the average school)
