When we returned to school on Monday, there were 50 school days left until the first public examinations in the summer. Our Year 11 and 13 students are now on the final run-in towards their exams.
All our Year 11 students have been issued with a pre-exams booklet to guide them through the revision process. The booklet includes guidance on effective revision strategies, as well as helpful tools to enable them to plan their revision and monitor its effectiveness. Students will also find the exam dates, links to revision materials, exam specifications and practice papers in the electronic version of the booklet, which is available to all students in Google Classroom.
We expect all students to be completing independent revision. To help support this process, all students are receiving weekly supervisions from their tutors, Heads of House, key workers or members of the Academy’s leadership team. These supervision sessions are designed to support students with their revision, discussing the techniques from the booklet, helping structure revision planning, and reviewing the effectiveness of revision completed in the previous week. Conversations with tutors this week have been positive and productive, and our Year 11 students are focused and determined to do well.
Meanwhile, our Year 13 students are receiving their mock results from the practice exams taken just before half term. The feedback from these mocks is the key to identifying where to focus work over the coming critical weeks, as those with non-examined assessments (NEA) put the finishing touches to their submissions.
There is naturally a degree of anxiety in our students as they approach their exams. This is entirely normal and understandable: the stakes are high, and the results matter. This is why we will also be talking to students about managing their emotions, wellbeing, and ensuring that they stay healthy during this vital period of time. We know that students who don’t revise enough will underperform, but we also know that students who overwork themselves into a panic are also at risk of underperforming. A balance is essential: work hard, but stay healthy.
Good luck to all our exam students!
Firstly, brains need fats! But no ordinary fats, it needs superstar fatty acids Omega 3 and 6. These essential fatty acids are linked to preventing a decline in mental skills and memory loss, and must come from what we eat and drink. Eating nuts, seeds, oily fish or drinking fish oil supplements (like cod liver oil) are all seen to be crucial to the creation and maintenance of brain cells. Those who consume more of these fats in their diet have sharper minds and do better at mental skills tests.
The brain needs a steady supply of other micronutrients, and without powerful vitamins B6 and B12 our brains are susceptible to brain disease and mental decline. Also, small amounts of the minerals iron, copper, zinc and sodium are fundamental to brain health and cognitive development. All dairy foods are packed with protein and the B vitamins needed for the growth of brain tissue and neurotransmitters; milk and yogurt are a great source. Lean beef is one of the best absorbed sources of iron, and also contains zinc, which helps with memory. For vegetarians, beans are a good choice of iron (plus they contain yet more omega-3 fatty acids). For zinc, the mineral vital for enhancing memory and thinking skills, pumpkin seeds are richer than many other seeds.
To enable the brain to efficiently perform it needs lots of the right type of fuel, most of which comes from carbohydrates, but specific carbohydrates effect how the brain responds. What we call ‘high glycemic’ food like white breads cause a rapid release of glucose into the blood followed by a big dip as blood sugar shoots down – and with it, your attention span. On the other hand, oats, wholemeal bread, and ‘brown’ rice and pasta have far slower glucose release enabling a steadier level of attentiveness. Low-fat popcorn, switching bread to wholemeal and oats make for cheap, easy options. Oats also are good sources of vitamin E and B, as well as potassium and zinc – which make our bodies and brains function at full capacity. You could also try dry oats in a fruit smoothie to thicken it.
For sustained brain power opting for a varied balanced diet of nutrient rich foods in three separate meals a day is critical. So is drinking the equivalent of between 6-8 glasses of water a day (between 1.9 and 2.25 litres) to avoid suffering dehydration, tiredness, and lack of concentration and short-term memory. Our brains are 73% water! Avoid caffeinated drinks as they can leave you irritable, sleepless, and anxious, and they have diuretic properties that can leads to further dehydration. Instead try un-caffeinated relaxing herbal chamomile tea, which has been shown to improve cognitive function.
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