New Religious Studies Consultant service avalible for 6th Forms & Colleges
I am a Religious Studies Teacher who is passionate about making sure students not only enjoy, but also achieve well. I am writing to tell you about the services I am offering to help improve student marks. I have been teaching OCR Religious Studies for 10 years, and for the last 3 of those I have been an examiner on the philosophy of religion component.
In 2015 I was working at a Sixth Form College in Sussex teaching the AQA Philosophy subject and after some disappointing results I was determined to improve the outcomes for my students. As a result I developed resources for critical thinking and exam technique. The following year my AS cohort produced the best AS results in Sussex for value added. With ALPS going from 7/8 in previous years to a 2, where students on average achieved 2 grades higher than predicted. This meant the cohort were in the 90% percentile nationally, with not one student failing the exam. This is an exam where statistically 1 in 5 receive a U grade.
From this experience and the knowledge I have gained from being an examiner, I have created several lessons working analysing students common mistakes and how they can maximise their marks. Using past questions, sample essays, and essay templates, I have helped my own students exceed their predicted grades and walk into the exam confident in their abilities. I am now offering these sessions for other students sitting the OCR Religious Studies A-Level.
Here is what I offer:
• ‘Ask the examiner’ – One off sessions on (i) exam technique (ii) critical thinking & essay structure. As a tutor and having marked for the exam board, I have seen how many students fail to get the grades they are capable of due to improper exam technique and an inability to create an argumentative answer that addresses both assessment objectives. Due to the sheer amount of content that is required in the subject, many teachers can struggle to set aside time that is dedicated to improving students’ critical thinking skills and how best to structure their essays.
• ‘New in post mentor’ – Available to work with teachers who are new to teaching generally or the subject specifically, to support the delivery of the OCR Religious Studies course. I am able to meet with teachers and help support and develop their existing teaching techniques, resources, essay planning, and student feedback/feed-forward to improve grades and stretch and challenge students.
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