Shrewsbury

Empowering pupils for exam success: Tailored study skills workshops on offer this term

January 10th 2025

This term is a very important time for our pupils to refine their study skills and revision strategies in readiness for examinations.

Mrs Mitchell, Head of Learning Support, runs tailored study skills workshops for each year group throughout the academic year, including active learning strategies, e.g. mind maps and Cornell note taking, memory techniques, and effective use of AI to generate revision questions for self-testing.

Pupils have remarked on the usefulness of the sessions: “Mrs Mitchell’s sessions have provided us with lots of ways to revise that we wouldn’t have thought of ourselves. She has told us about how we process information and how the brain works when we’re learning, which is really interesting. The sessions have been motivating and put us in the right mindset for revision” (Catty C, Upper Sixth).

In the coming months we will also welcome Elevate Education, a company specialising in preparing pupils for exams, to run workshops for Fifth Form and Upper Sixth. They will reiterate the importance of strategies outlined by Mrs Mitchell, and provide additional tips for self-motivation, time management and wellbeing. Feedback from last year’s workshops was excellent, with pupils adopting techniques such as colour coding exam specifications according to level of understanding, and methodical use of past papers.

Dr Richard Kowenicki, Deputy Head Academic, has said: “Our Fifth Form study skills sessions are designed to align with and supplement the guidance pupils get in their lessons, and full credit to them for engaging with great gusto. It is great to hear such positive feedback and I hope all pupils feel empowered to approach their ongoing studies and exam preparation with greater confidence.”

Elevate also run free follow-up webinars for parents, which focus on supporting children as they approach exam season. The next sessions will be: