GCSE exams begin in the final week of April, starting with Art, Photography and 3D Design practicals, French speaking assessments and the written Travel & Tourism examination. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our Year 11 students the very best of luck. Even before they sit their GCSE exams, we are already extremely proud of them. With continued hard work, we are confident they will achieve fantastic results. However, excellent attendance remains vital and every lesson will provide invaluable revision to your child. Please ensure they are in school every day.Exam timetables
An overview of all examination dates can be found here: Summer 2025 GCSE Exam Dates and Times - Printed individual exam timetables containing a list of personalised dates and times were issued to each student on Friday 7th March; please check these carefully, looking particularly at the tiers of entry for Science, maths and French and report any issues to Ms Sinclair immediately
- Practical exam timetables were shared with you and with Year 11 students at the end of February so please check your emails carefully; these exams begin immediately after the Easter break and students must be ready
- Individual arrangements for rooming and seating will be shared with students, and you, via email in early April
- All morning exams will start at 9.00am and afternoon exams start at 1pm
- Students must arrive in plenty of time (at least 15 minutes before), in full school uniform and with the correct equipment for each exam
- Early morning pre-exam breakfast and after school classes before an exam the next day will also be offered as an opportunity to settle nerves and answer last minute questions (details of these can be found on the exam timetable above as 8am or 3pm sessions)
- Before all exams, we will provide students with complimentary bottles of water, though we do encourage all students to purchase a reusable water bottle to limit the environmental impact of plastic waste – this must be clear with no writing on it
- Complimentary tea, toast and fruit will also be available each morning
- Regardless of the dates on students’ own exam timetables, ALL STUDENTS are expected to remain available until after the government’s exam contingency date of Wednesday 25th June 2025: this is the reserve date for any exams that have to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances
Revision
Students should be revising independently every day. Exam information for each subject and revision guidance can be found here: Summer Exam Revision Guidance - Please use the following links for information about effective learning strategies as well as an editable study timetable to help students organise their time carefully.
- Our Exam Support sessions are still taking place and your child’s teachers will be in touch personally should your child’s attendance be required after school for these small, targeted interventions
- Maths AIM drop-in continues on Tuesdays after school, as does English drop-in on Fridays
- The Learning Lounge is a relaxed and mature environment to conduct group or independent revision in the library from Monday to Friday (exclusivity for KS4 on Wednesdays)
- Study Space is also available with a member of staff supporting study and homework in IT4 Monday to Thursday, 3-4pm
- There is a full programme of revision sessions being offered during the Easter holiday and further details of this will be shared with you soon
Study leave
We know that being in lessons that are structured and focused on the precise needs of the exam and the students is the best preparation for GCSE exams- However, we reach a point during the exam period when students have completed the majority of their exams and will therefore only need to attend for their remaining exams
- This point changes every year depending on the exam schedule and we are working this through currently
- We will inform you of the start date for study leave after the Easter break but it is likely to be towards the end of the first week in June
Supporting your child during their exams
Take an interest: know when their exams are and what they have to do- Provide a quiet working environment
- Help them plan: little and often rather than larger chunks of time revising is shown to be more effective
- Ensure students eat and drink before an exam
- Balance their time: too much study can be as negative as too little
- Don’t make plans that mean that students have little or no preparation time
Once again, thank you for your support and best of luck to Year 11 in their forthcoming exams.
Daily Library Activities: Immerse yourself in Tolkien-inspired fun! Activities include bookmark-making, creative writing workshops, Middle-earth quizzes, and learning Elvish and Dwarvish. There’s something new to discover every day!
Film Screenings: Watch the iconic The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring each afternoon (apart from Wednesday) after school—don’t miss this cinematic journey through Middle-earth!
Literacy Lessons (Year 7 & 8): Across the week, students will take part in special themed lessons, crafting Rivendell descriptions.
Staff Dress-Up: On Tuesday, staff are dressing up as The Lord of the Rings characters, bringing Middle-earth to life at Redmoor Academy!
Family Quiz on Quizizz: Test your Middle-earth knowledge with the family quiz, running until Friday 28th March, 9 PM. Details have been sent via ParentMail.
Words of Wisdom: Keep an eye out for Gandalf’s inspiring quotations and “Don’t Be a Gollum!” reading posters around the school!
