30/08/2026
My lovely step-daughter starts Year 10 next week, beginning the GCSE courses.
I’ve put together a back to school starter kit to help with organisation & develop effective study strategies. I won't be sharing all these things at once because I don't want to overwhelm or be too intense but I do want to stress the importance of starting early, little & often ... not waiting until just before the mocks. Let's avoid the mock shock!
It includes:
A blank notebook for free-recall, "brain Dump" style tasks across some (not all subjects). £1.50 from The Works.
A Cornell Notes pad to help structured note-taking, just for one subject for now to consolidate & record any gaps or areas needed to revisit. This is for the subject my step-daughter feels least confident with. Ordered from Amazon.
A magnetic writing pad for quick recall, working out & quick fire questions especially maths. It's like a mini white board (wouldn't work as a show me board in the class as the screen is dark), it's low stakes. It has a magnetic pen attached & erase button so the pen & erasers won't get lost or run out. £5 from B&M shop.
Paper flashcards for retrieval practice, but again not for all subjects. We will also use Brainscape digital flashcards. I made sure to get paper flashcards that are kept together, not separated individually, so they can't be lost (or less likely to be!). One set from B&M the other from The Works.
Pens, pencils & multicoloured pens. There are a few ways I recommend using the multicolour pen, I will share about that in another post. All from B&M.
Sticky notes for reminders, key words & quick questions, only temporary notes. B&M.
A day planner to help manage homework, revision reminders & deadlines. £2.50 from Tesco
Nothing complicated or expensive. Just a few practical tools that can make studying feel more manageable & help build good habits from the start of the academic year. The important bit, of course, is how & when these resources are used.
I will post about this, wearing my parent hat, over the next few weeks & months. ❤️
