On Friday 11 January 2019, Year 11 pupils gathered with some anticipation for our annual Mock Exam Assembly. Headteacher Chiquita Henson, Head of School, James Johnson, and Simon Bellamy, Pastoral Team Leader, shared the feedback from our Exams Officer, led a review of the pupils’ performance, and had some wise words of advice about what happens next.

The assembly was designed to promote and encourage key skills and successful behaviours learnt during the Mock Exams. The assembly contained some light-hearted moments - including some infamous exam howlers from this year’s cohort and a few well chosen examples from other year groups - to help pupils reflect on the importance of learning from mistakes, to help them develop their resilience and strengthen their stamina so that they can approach their real exams with a positive mindset and greater confidence. 

It was clear that pupils were keen to get their results and there was a palpable sense of relief as they were dismissed from the Hall to collect their results from the Atrium. Staff were on hand to hand out the results, as they will do on the real results day on Thursday 22 August 2019.

Pupils were keen to find out how their friends had done and celebrate their successes. Year 11 impressed us with the mutual support they showed each other. Many offered each other high fives, supportive shoulders or some sage words of advice on how to improve next time.
 

 The Mock Results Day is a highlight of the Year 11 calendar. Our pupils are always impressive in the way they receive their results, reflecting the ambition they have for themselves and each other. For many, these results reflect the hard work and commitment they have shown over their time at Deer Park and show the potential they have for success in the summer exams. For a few, the Mock Results provides a moment of disappointment when 'the penny drops' and they return to their studies with a renewed sense of purpose and ambition.

James Johnson, Head of School

Our Mock Exam Results Day has become an important milestone in the journey through GCSEs for our Year 11 pupils. It gives our pupils the opportunity to experience how they might feel in August. For many, the experience of receiving their mock results formally, and with support, means they are able to understand the bigger picture. In addition, because of the quality of the information they receive, the pastoral support we have in place and the academic guidance they can access, they are able to identify what they need to do to close any gaps in their understanding and successfully achieve or exceed their target grades.

Experience from previous year’s results consistently shows that pupils at Deer Park can, with effort and application, improve by as much as one grade or more between the Mock Results Day and the actual outcomes the pupils achieve in the summer.  

Staff were on hand throughout the afternoon to help and respond to questions and queries from pupils and to contextualise some of their results. The Mock results provide an excellent evidence based for our teachers to plan well targeted and impactful stretch, challenge and support for pupils of all abilities. This reflects the commitment across the learning community of Deer Park to ensuring all pupils can achieve more than they first think is possible.

Comments from some of our Year 11s: