Y7 end of year exams - is everyone revising?!

[LucasNorthsTwiglets]

I'm reading several threads here about how to revise etc. DD has done no revision for these exams at all, other than what they've been set as homework and I haven't asked her to do any. Does that matter?! I thought these exams were more an assesment of how they are doing, so revision might give a false impression of their abilities, but I guess I've got that wrong!

[ladydepp]

My ds is revising at school and some of his homework is just revision.

I understand that the school will also send home some revision to do over half-term but I am not planning on getting him to do much more than that. I might run through some language vocab with himif I can be bothered!

They might use the exams to set for certain subjects next year, so it might be worth asking the school what is expected.

[TeenAndTween]

I suspect that different schools have very different implementation of 'end of y7 exams'.

Some will do a few tests in usual class lessons. Others will be off timetable all week for exams.

Some will expect loads of revision, others will just be checking skills learned during the year, with little revision required.

Your school should give some kind of indication of their views.

[GooseyLoosey]

Ds has been doing a bit here and there for a few weeks as, often, his only homework is to revise. Therefore, I make him revise. I expect him to also do a reasonable amount over the half term.

However, there is nothing low key about the end of Yr exams at ds's school and their expectations are clear. In a different school, I might take a different approach.

[TheFirstOfHerName]

I think a small amount of revision in Year 7 is a good idea. For most children, this will be the first opportunity to revise for an exam. The end of year exams in 7 to 9 are a chance to discover which revision techniques work for them and which don't. They can also use this as an exercise to find out which topics they are less confident about, and spend some time consolidating those. GCSE students in Year 10-11 do not magically acquire revision skills and the ability to organise their own revision; it's something that comes with practice and trial and error.

Y7 children at DS1 & DS2's school are expected to spend a few 30 minute sessions in preparation for the end of Year exams: learning MFL vocab, doing some Maths practice questions, making sure they understand the topics that have been covered in other subjects. This is instead of homework in the 1-2 weeks before the exams.

[LucasNorthsTwiglets]

Thanks everyone. Yes, I did think that even if the exams themselves arne't that important, it's good revision practice for GCSE. I asked DD and she said they've been told that it's important to revise but parents haven't been told anything.

[PastSellByDate]

Hi LucasNorthsTwiglets

DD1 is currently taking Y7 end of year exams - her school is on an exam schedule for all years this week.

I think I agree with TeenandTween's comment that revising may well depend on the school.

Amongst DD1 and her friends - the collective wisdom seems to be taking Y7 end of year exams seriously is worth it because your performance across the year could be confirmed or even improved and that will result in you being placed in the higher sets.

Our school does not set anything by ability in Y7 - so I kind of get the impression that this is 'crunch time' - when you can make a final good impression before decisions are made about which of 5/6 sets you are placed in.

Although some classes from Y8 onwards will be with form groups (e.g. D&T, Art, PE, etc...) from Years 8/9 more academic subjects (English, Science, MFL, etc...) tend to be set by ability so I can kind of see how this rumour influencing/ encouraging extra revising for end of year exams is based on some fact.

Personally as a parent - I'm just pleased that for once it's DD1 who's all fired up to do homework and I haven't had to remind her once. She absolutely gets why this could be in her interest. I also kind of think she wants to exceed some of her targets - which is no bad thing.

I do kind of wonder what will be happening in classes post exams? If anybody out there has experience of what happens in June/ July, please let me know?

[LucasNorthsTwiglets]

SellBydate, that's great that your DD is so motivated - good for her! Want to swap? :) DD's school moves children up and down sets frequently (DD has already moved German sets 3 times this year) so maybe that's why she's not motivated to revise...

[ScrambledEggAndToast]

My son didn't do any and I was very cross at him when he came home and to,d me what he had written in his English exam. They were told to write about the book they had been written IE what they liked. He put his hand up and said he didn't like the book and the teacher said that was fine, he could write about what he didn't like. So he took that literally and wrote "I didn't like the book and the characters were rubbish". Then sat there for the rest of the exam Honestly, I could throttle him sometimes!!

This boy for two level 5cs and a 4a in his SATs so isn't stupid but is just lazy. I'm just hoping that the exams aren't too important. He has maths today which he likes.

[gleegeek]

Have asked dd and she says exams haven't been mentioned... Have told her to keep on top of homework and read through her books, but she doesn't see the point of this if no mention of exams... aaaaaagh!

[caringdad66]

Not revising for year 7 exams......let them be children for a little bit longer.

[derektheladyhamster]

our's have tests in class every half term. I do wish they had 'proper' exams to take though.....

[PastSellByDate]

Hi just to assure caringDad66 in total over one week I don't think DD1 put in more than 3/4 hours revising outside of school/ maybe 2/3 hours inside school during 4/5 one hour revising slots (they have revising breaks between one hour exam slots - however DD1 says she's been reading her book at times). But for her that's more than usual homework load (around 1-2 hours per week).

I like how the school have handled it - mentioning exams only gently about 10 days ago and various teachers suggesting how best to revise for their exam late last week. There seems to be a nice balance between treating it seriously and taking it in your stride. They've made it very clear that if you've been doing the work as you've been going along, you are likely to do well - which I instinctively feel makes sense.

No major stress on DD1's or our normal family schedule or any alteration in huge range of outside activities for DD1. There was even time to catch a movie and visit friends + take a ballet exam this past weekend.

The only thing that altered, as far as I can see, is instead of classes as normal over these last 3 days - it has been an exam schedule at DD1's school.

[insanityscatching]

Dd has had tests roughly every three weeks since she started year seven. She doesn't really revise anyway as she's got a very accurate memory so if she's seen it or heard it once she'll be able to replicate it later verbatim (one of the positives of autism).

[PastSellByDate]

As some have said above every school is different.

I can only speak for DD1's school - but their end of year exams are a review of everything covered since September. For Maths though it is L5-7 past GCSE papers.

Like insanity's school - there has been regular testing at 4-6 week intervals, depending on subject, for most classes (exceptions being D&T, Drama/ Dance or PE, for example - where it's continuous assessment and/or project/ performance based).

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Revision shouldn't be just for getting good exam results, the whole purpose really should be to help the student remember the years work so they can build on that knowledge in future years.

[notinminutenow]

We'll said Kitten.

In an ideal world...

[PastSellByDate]

Hi OhYouBadBadKitten:

I take your point completely - however, and maybe this is just my DD1, she completely misses that point. For her the driver is do well = getting into better classes (more interesting work/ more exciting teachers/ faster pace - I don't know if that is really true or just student rumour - but that's her rationale)

I also think at her school, and this may just be this school, end of year exams are used to confirm performance monitored in class tests/ quizzes during the year so far (and there have been many). A second bite at the apple for the kid that's been progressively improving, but maybe got off to a slow start...IYSWIM. And I think that is a good thing.

I suspect the teachers know where all their kids are at - but use the test to see if there are any surprises. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall and see how they handle the kid that's was having a hard time at first but went on to do amazingly well or the kid that does poorly on the end of year exam, out of the blue .... I hope there's flexibility and understanding in the system for such kids.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I expect practically all dc and many parents would see it the same way as your dd Past :)