Preparation is Key

It has been a very busy week for our sportsmen and women, with the 1st team Hockey suffering two agonising defeats in national quarter finals, losing out 5-4 to Magdalen College School, before ending up on the wrong end of a penalty shoot out against Sandbach following a 2-2 draw. Meanwhile, our U18 netball team enjoyed a very good day at the Brentwood tournament, while our U15 rugby sevens squad won the floodlight tournament at The Perse. Our golfers came in a creditable fourth in the East of England competition and our U15 girls cricketers, building on their experience in Sri Lanka, won the Essex indoor competition and now proceed to the regional stage.

This weekend will see the final block fixtures for the Hockey and Netball season and my thanks to all those who have represented the school during this term. Before that, why not enjoy a light warm up by joining the Felsted Fun Run on Saturday morning? This will set off from next door to the Lord Riche Hall just after 8am on Saturday morning, with breakfast served afterwards, before we start the school day with house registrations at 9.15am. With the current burst of spring weather, what better way to start your weekend! The event is open to pupils, parents, staff, governors and OFs and will cover a 5km course made up of two laps, so if 5km feels too far, you will be able to do just one lap.

Then on Sunday, an intrepid team sets off from Felsted at 6am to head to Hampton Court Palace, to run the Half Marathon there in support of the school's charities. Thank you so much for the incredibly generous support that has been shown so far, raising almost £9,000 for these charities. With 8 staff runners and 17 pupils (most of whom are running this distance for the first time) it will be a challenge, but should also be very enjoyable. The hard work in training will pay off as the miles tick by!

The same is true for those who are building up to exams this summer. It might not be glamorous or exciting to get stuck into revision, but good revision will bring much improved results. If your son or daughter has got exams coming up, do talk to them about how they are going to prepare for their exams. Studies show that saying what you are going to do means it is much more likely that you will do it, and writing that plan down makes it even more likely. A structured plan, that does not put off starting, but begins now will be very helpful. Doing exam questions to make sure that the learning is working is great for checking that the revision is sinking in, and provides good practice for the real thing as well. Sleep, nutrition and exercise all help to make the brain work well and it is important to consider these as a key part of your preparation.  
 

When planning work, break it down into manageable chunks, and be realistic about what can be achieved. It is easier and more effective to do four 45-minute slots than it is to sit down for 3 hours in one go. Finally, when you work, focus on work. Switch off the phone, avoid the internet and target the topics that you are looking at. Also, when planning revision, also plan in the down time. Finally, make sure that you have a place to work that is suitable for work. Just like training for a half marathon, it is hard to get started, but it gets easier each time you train, and the final experience will be so much more positive for having done the right preparation.

Chris