HOW TO GET THE BEST OUT OF YOUR TIME IN POST 16

 

PRIVATE AND INDEPENDENT STUDY

For some of you the biggest difference you will notice in Post 16 is the emphasis placed on you to take responsibility for your own learning. No more sitting there waiting to be told when to start or stop work. No more putting effort into trying to weasel out of doing work and thinking you’ve really been clever. You are here because you want exactly what the college wants –to make the most of all those unique and special talents and skills each one of you has and to get the best results you can. So there are areas on both Hadfield and Talbot Sites set aside specially for Post 16 students to use for private study. We will encourage you to use these areas when you do not have timetabled classes. These are quiet places and we ask that you respect the NO TALKING routine so people can get on with their work.

 

BEING THE BEST STUDENT YOU CAN BE

Exams are a big feature of your time with us in Post 16. It is after all what you came here to do.

• Your tutor and course teachers have lots of useful advice on how to study effectively.

• There is a Revision Planner in your study planner to help you organise your revision.

• There are web sites and sites on the college network to help you identify your preferred learning style and capitalise on this strength.

• You will receive lots of good advice and words of wisdom from staff and from fellow students.

 

Here’s what some students who went before you said when asked ‘What advice would you give to new Post 16 students?’

 

The Top Ten Old Student Tips

• Choose subjects you have an interest in [not just because your mates chose them]

• See someone [your tutor or course teacher] as soon as you have a problem. Things don’t get better on their own and they will listen.

• Don’t leave things until the last minute. Use ‘To Do’ lists and your diary.

• Keep your notes organised! Keep your notes organised!! Keep your notes organised!!!

• Go to classes! Keep up!

• Ask when you’re not sure. There’s always someone else who doesn’t get it either and teachers need the challenge of having to explain things in different ways!

• Listen in class; everything moves along really quickly and you have to take in a lot.

• Do more than just enough; you’re only cheating yourself if you get away with not doing work.

• Balance college work and paid work. Look long term.

• If you organise your time well you can go out and forget work and enjoy your time off.

 

WHY HAVE TARGETS

• Research in schools has shown that targets can be used to help students achieve higher grades.

• Targets are most effective when they encourage students to take an active part in reflecting on and reviewing their own performance.

As Post 16 students you have high aspirations and a need to achieve to the best of your ability. The system of target setting and tutor mentoring we are putting in place is designed to support you in this. You will be in a position to work out a TARGET ACHIEVEMENT GRADE and the chances of you exceeding that target. You will also be in a position to determine how you will achieve that target by setting yourself PROCESS TARGETS. These are steps you need to take along the way to achieve or better your outcome target [final grade].

• Your teachers and tutor will help you select the most effective process targets and your tutor will help you reflect on how you are meeting these targets.

• You and your course teacher will sit down together in November of Year 12 and decide on a TARGET ACHIEVEMENT GRADE i.e. the grade it seems likely you could achieve in the final exams. This will be based on the results of ALIS analysis of your GCSE scores and an analysis of your TDA score. [This should allow us to take into account cases where a student has for some reason ‘bombed’ at GCSE but clearly can do better than their results suggest!]

• This target will be reviewed with you at intervals during the year and during Year 13 to check that you are on track. Your tutor has an overview of your progress and will be a key part of this reviewing process. It will be very important to keep your regular appointments with your tutor.