2015-05-01 - Redwood Park School

1st May 2015
Dear Parents and Carers
I am very proud of how our Year 11 learners have made a confident start to their GCSE exams this week.
They are very well prepared and I know they will try their best. My thanks go to all the staff who support
them with learning, revision and any stresses or strains they may have about their exams. It is important
to recognise that your child may be a little anxious, tearful or reluctant to sleep or eat as usual. Please
reassure them that this is perfectly natural around exam times. I have included below a few tips about
how to help your child revise if you would find that helpful.
How to help your child revise
1. Encourage your child to make a revision timetable – and stick to it.
2. Make sure your child has a quiet space to work, with no distractions.
3. Help to find the method of learning and retaining information that works
best for them. It could be reading and making notes, using flash cards or Post-it notes, looking at
video clips, playing back recordings of their own voice, mind mapping or perhaps a mixture of
these. A YouTube video produced for Radio 1, 1Xtra and BBC Bitesize is full of useful ideas.
4. Search out revision apps and online resources – such as BBC Bitesize and Gojimo – to clarify areas
your child feels less confident about. Teenagers sometimes concentrate on their best subjects and
leave their weaker ones till the end but it is a good idea to tackle weak areas early on.
5. Be around as much as possible. You don’t have to be at their side 24/7 but children like parents
taking an interest in their revision (but not taking over).
6. Keep the kitchen cupboard stocked with delicious food. When the going gets tough children really
appreciate a cup of tea, a plate of biscuits or their favourite meal.
7. Encourage them to break revision into manageable chunks and to take regular breaks in between
revision sessions. It’s far more effective to do 30 minutes of successful revision – rather than plough on
for hours on end and not get anywhere.
8. Exercise, fresh air, healthy food and lots of sleep are crucial.
Most important of all, help your child to keep everything in perspective. Remind them
that the better they prepare and the more confident they feel in their subject knowledge
the less stressed they will feel when the exams start. By the end of June the exams will be
over, they will go to their Prom, enjoy leavers’ assembly and it will be the start of the long
summer holidays. “It will be OK….you will be OK”………….Lynda Butt, Headteacher
Thank you to the parents and carers who have expressed an interest in
being involved in our Parent Teacher Association (PTA). We would welcome
a few more people so that we can move forward. We need a group of
parents/carers to work with us to fundraise for the extra activities that our
learners enjoy so much, for example, school PROM, discos, summer fayre, Christmas activities and a new
minibus. As these can’t be paid for out of our school budget we need to raise funds separately to make
sure your children have the widest possible opportunities. If there is any way you feel you could be
involved, please return the slip sent home with last week’s newsletter or contact Jo Derham in school.
There is no comittment at this stage, it simply is an expression of interest. There are lots of ways to be
involved and we would be delighted for any contribution you feel you could make.
Your child should have brought home a ‘Readathon’ sponsor card this week. Please
encourage them to take part in this very worthwhile activity, which will help to improve
their reading, help others to receive books and for extra books for our library.
A local business has donated some Circus Starr tickets for a world-class Big Top
show at Stokes Bay Football Pitches, Stokes Bay Road, Gosport, PO12 2BL on
Monday 25th May (Bank Holiday Monday). This was a very popular event last year.
If you would like FREE tickets for either the 4.45 p.m. performance or the 7.00 p.m.
performance, please contact Jo Derham in school, saying how many tickets you
would like and for which performance. There are a limited number of tickets, so as last year we will ask
Mrs Butt to draw names out of a hat if we have more requests than tickets. All we ask in return is that
you child draws a picture or makes a card to say ‘thank you’. The event sounds very exciting. Please
look at their website http://www.circus-starr.org.uk/ for more information and an app.
Just a reminder that school is CLOSED on Monday 4th May for the early May bank
holiday. We hope you enjoy a lovely long weekend, and that the weather stays fine
(although it does look like a little rain is forecast!). If you need ideas for something to
do, there are lots of things happening http://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk
To link with some of the amazing blogs on our website
www.redwoodparkschool.co.uk we plan to share our ‘thought for the week’ with
you in each week’s newsletter. This week’s thought is COURAGE – ‘Change takes
Courage’. Our Monday and Friday assemblies focus on this ‘thought’. On Fridays Mr
Masters chooses some appropriate music and we celebrate our learners’
achievements during the week. This week Emma Burchell and Angel Jones have
been awarded Olympic Certificates for demonstrating our Redwood value of
‘Courage’ in school.
Congratulations to the 95 learners (out of 139) who have100% attendance this term. So
far this academic year 16 learners have 100% attendance. Our overall school
attendance is 93.73% higher than the last week; still close to target for July 2015.
Congratulations to Tutor Group 7LH, 7BM and 8LA who have achieved 100% attendance
this week.
Monday
Friday
Monday to Friday
4th
22nd
25th to 29th
Monday
Thursday
Friday
Friday
1st
18th
19th
26th
Friday
Friday
Thursday
Tuesday
Wednesday
3rd
10th
16th
21st
22nd
May
Early May bank holiday – school CLOSED
End of half-term 3.10 p.m.
Half term holiday – school closed
June
Start of summer half term 9.00 a.m.
School PROM – Years 10 and 11
Non-uniform in exchange for bric-a-brac for summer fayre
Year 11 leavers’ assembly – 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
July
Non-uniform in exchange for toys and books for summer fayre
Non-uniform in exchange for teddies and tins for summer fayre
Summer Fayre – 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
End of summer term – 1.00 p.m.
INSET day – school closed to learners
Tuesday
1st
September
Start of autumn term (to be confirmed)
Redwood Park School - Wembley Grove – Cosham – Portsmouth - PO6 2RY
Tel: 023 9237 7500 – Text: 01753 208091 – Email: information@redwoodpark.portsmouth.sch.uk
Website: www.redwoodparkschool.co.uk