Weekly Newsletters

The aim is for the Student Council to produce this on a fortnightly basis. Laura Griffin (Year 12, student and House Captain) has been instrumental in creating the first edition, which is rich with advice in examination and relaxation techniques.  If your son or daughter does not currently read the newsletter, then I would ask them to do so every fortnight henceforth, as there will be student focused articles, relevant to them, to learn from the advice of their peers!

This newsletter is emailed to all students, staff and parents/carers on our emailing list every week.  If you change your email address it is important to let reception (reception@kscs.org.uk) know.  For safeguarding reasons, we will ask for confirmation of authorisation to change the email address before any changes are made.

Finally, appointments for the forthcoming second Year 11 subject evening are open.  If you have not made an appointment yet, then please use the link below to do so.  This will be the final Year 11 subject evening prior to their examinations beginning.

To access the system go to kscs.parentseveningsystem.co.uk . If you've any difficulties please email parentsevening@kscs.org.uk

Best wishes

Bryan Erwin
Principal

Michaela has now secured a Masters degree at both the University of Nottingham and the University of Sheffield, to do Oncology with a focus on brain tumour research.

Revision sessions will be held every Monday and Wednesday and are open to all Year 11 students.Teachers will lead students through revision of a different Core and Additional Science module every week, starting with B1. Sessions will run from 3:30pm until 4:15pm until the final Science exam. Please encourage your son or daughter to attend. Thank you for your continued support.

Mrs Young
Science Key Stage 4 Coordinator

As you may be aware next Wednesday (22 March) we will be presenting our annual Performing Arts Faculty Showcase. 

The evening starts at 7.00pm in the school assembly hall and features separate sections from Dance (A-Level and GCSE choreography pieces),  Drama (an abridged version of Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Macbeth’) and Music (Acapella Group and Jay Yonga on piano as well as a brand new multimedia performance from the school choir and some of our entrants from the Peterborough Music Festival).

We really hope that you will be able to join us for this celebration of the Performing Arts here at Ken Stimpson Community School. 

Best regards and many thanks.

Mr Norman
Head of Faculty, Performing Arts

Mrs Bamber
Head of Faculty, Art and Design

It is our pleasure to welcome you to a new section to the weekly newsletter directly focused on providing the best tips and information for students in the school written by students. We hope it will be greatly received and will become a success. The ultimate aim is to help you all with important decisions and provide you with the a range of learning advice.

As we approach the end of “PPE examination week” it is safe to say that many of you deserve a rest. Remember, although they are important in helping you understand where you currently are, they are also not your final grade. The best advice we can give is that you should use these grades as a point of improvement, go through the results of these exams with a ‘fine tooth comb’ and pull out all topics that need to be revised. Don’t forget to recognise any flaws in exam technique – sometimes this can be the difference between grades.

Quote of the week “The struggle you're in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow” – Miss Sothmann.

Top 10 revision tips for Year 11/12/13:

1. Do not spend hours revising, have a break, ensure you are not overloading your brain with information.
2. Create a schedule for the weeks running up to your exams, this will enable you understand exactly when you need to revise in order to fully consolidate your knowledge in each subject.
3. RAG Rate the PLC’s given to you in class, these are important although you may think not, only revise the topic areas that you find amber or red– there is no point going over what you already know.
4. Remember to have fun! Although exam times can be stressful, it is important for you to remember that you should make time for social and leisure activities – go for a jog, walk the dog or just go out with friends. Who knows it may stimulate your brain!
5. Not all methods of revision suit everyone, some people are kinaesthetic learners and learn through abstract pictures and mind maps, others may revise best by creating revision cards. Find the method that best suits you and stick to it.
6. DON’T JUST READ THROUGH YOUR NOTES – You must write some stuff down.
7. Past papers are always a good indicator of how well you are doing, remember to complete plenty of these and self-assess them against the mark scheme. Get yourself used to the structure of the exam papers. Examiners reports are also a good to see what examiners actually look for with both good and bad ways questions are answered.
8. Whilst it may be an unpopular idea – it is best to have no distractions. THIS DOES INCLUDE SOCIAL MEDIA. Even if it means turning off your phone just for the time you are revising and 10-20 minutes after you will find It easier to retain the information and get it done much faster.
9. Cram revision the night before is not efficient and does not help retain knowledge for very long, it often means you stay up later than usual and can affect your progress in the exam.
10. Finally, use the help of revision tools on your phone like GOJIMO. This is easily accessible and can help refresh your memory when you have some spare time. Do a quiz or two before you go to sleep and in the morning and watch your grades improve.

How you can get involved:

The student council are all very interested in hearing your opinions all year round rather than just your house council meetings.

Therefore we would love to hear your suggestions, complaints and especially praise about any aspect of school. This may include praise for teachers or students who have gone above or beyond or are just consistently great!

Laura Griffin
Year 12 Student - House Captain