Study Skills

Amazing Brains

We are a vibrant, dynamic, award-winning social enterprise that has student success at it’s very core. We believe that young people are amazing, every one unique, every one intelligent. We want to inspire them to take control of their own futures, discover their own unique talents and latent potential, but most importantly become the authors of their own life stories.

We have developed an extensive range of research-informed education programmes and resources that are interactive, practical, relevant and highly engaging. During our workshops participants immerse themselves in action-packed challenging activities, with the aim of encouraging active, collaborative learning. Education and training is a dynamic field, research is updated, approaches change and we have to adapt with these changes. At Amazing Brains you are guaranteed to be at the cutting edge of these fields, ensuring participants are equipped with the tools to help them succeed in school or college, with each other, at work and throughout their lives.

The students are broken into non-friendship groups of four and undertake activities both individually and through group collaboration. Each student is provided with a Learning Resource Guide, which is used for activities on the day and serves as a reference guide for their future studies. They are also provided with an A3 Exam Countdown Planner as an additional resource to aid their exam planning.

GROWTH MINDSET

Whilst each programme has a different core focus (depending on Year group), two common threads that run throughout all our seminars are: 1) building academic resilience and; 2) the exploration of the ‘Growth Mindset’, the idea that intelligence is not fixed and people can become smarter. We look at why some young people persevere when faced with challenges whilst others give up. Students work out ways to change a ‘can’t do’ attitude into a ‘can do’ one.

BLAST OFF – 1st YEAR

This programme aims to help the students gain confidence and relax about the new academic challenges that face them in ‘big school’. The children are introduced to the whole concept of learning and how it links to their brain and memory. We work through various study skills including time management, organisation and effective homework habits.

DRIVE FOR RESULTS – 2nd & 3rd YEAR

This programme is specifically designed for JC students and areas covered include: Learning Preferences/Multiple Intelligences and their link to Study, Memory Techniques, Revision Strategies, Time Management, the Impact of Mobile Technology and Social Media, Goal Setting and Planning.

THE NEXT LEVEL – 5TH YEAR

The programme deals with the step up to the LC cycle and the additional input required by the student. It provides both motivation and focus for the year ahead and places a strong emphasis on the students learning to think, act and study independently. Areas covered include Study & Research Skills (critical thinking, problem solving, effective reading and note taking, collaborative learning, essay writing and exam strategies), Organisation & Time Management (organise, prioritise and manage their time), Initiative & Leadership (self-confidence, assertiveness and effective communication).

5 STEPS TO EXAM SUCCESS – 6th YEAR

This is an exam focused programme and is designed for: the high achievers who panic on exam day or during the run up; the students who don’t know ‘how’ to revise; the students who can’t seem to get organised and the students who find it difficult to stay motivated, positive and energised. Its aim is to take usually stressful exam scenarios and make them less daunting for the students by helping them adopt the skills, competencies and mind set required for exam success. It covers Self Belief & Success Visualisation, Revision Strategies relevant to student learning preferences, Exam Techniques, Planning and Time Management, Physiological and Psychological preparation in the run up to exams and coping with anxiety/stress.

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