We are happy to share with you some tried and tested advice on the subject of effective revision. To formulate this advice, we have spoken to a number students, from across the College, who were identified as having made exceptional academic progress over the course of last academic year.
Once their tips, strategies and insights had been collated, we then turned to a group of student volunteers (and our wonderful marketing and communications team) to help bring them to life in a series of short videos. These videos (one each for the Lower School, Upper School and Sixth Form) provide an accessible summary of what students at JCG do in order to secure progress and achieve academic excellence.
When it comes to preparing for exams and devoting time to revision, it is natural for students to ask 'what works?': we are pleased to share that, based on the experience of our own students, this works!
Lower School
Upper School
Sixth Form
Strategies common across all years
Flashcards and active recall are consistently used, whether they are created on Quizlet, handwritten, or used in the form of cloze exercises.
Active classroom engagement — asking questions, annotating teacher comments, and mentally answering questions — is a strong theme for all years.
Revision planning evolves as students grow older: younger ones prefer timetables (often flexible and realistic), while older students shift to task-based systems (e.g. to-do/done lists).
Self-testing and retrieval practice are embedded across years, often supported by apps and digital tools.
Past papers gain prominence from Year 10 onward, with iterative improvement and exam-condition practice becoming key.
Year-focused themes
Visual and tactile methods (colour-coded notes, posters, diagrams) dominate in Years 7–9, supporting memory and engagement.
Efficiency and exam technique become central in Years 10–12, with emphasis on mark schemes, spaced practice, and targeted revision.
Metacognitive awareness grows: students increasingly reflect on what works for them, how confident they feel, and how to adjust strategies accordingly.
Digital integration strengthens over time: OneNote, Procreate, Cognito, and Booklet Quiz App are used for organizing, revising, and testing.
