Notes
When to start GCSE revision
Not in March. The honest answer is the autumn of Year 11, in small amounts, and the reason is more practical than moral.
Parents ask us this in January, which is already later than ideal but far from fatal.
1. Autumn: one topic a week, per subject
Twenty minutes on a topic already taught, using questions rather than notes. Small enough that it survives a busy week.
2. Spring: whole papers
By February the value shifts from topics to timing. One full paper a week per core subject, marked properly, is worth more than five hours of rereading.
3. The last fortnight: nothing new
The final two weeks are for the error cards and the three topics that never stuck. Starting something new in May buys anxiety, not marks.
- Ten to fifteen hours a week across all subjects in the spring is plenty
- One full day off a week, kept properly
- Sleep before a late revision session, every time
- Book the weak subject first, while there is still term left to fix it
The students who do well in June are rarely the ones who worked hardest in May.
