Making the Grade. Information Booklet

Transcription

1 Making the Grade Information Booklet Thursday 5 th October 2017

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3 2 Contents English 3-4 Maths 5-7 Science 8-9 Other Subjects Key Dates 15 Thorny Issues 16 School Counsellor 17 Student Voice : Revision Tips 18

4 3 GCSE English Language and English Literature (AQA 9-1) Making the Grade Course Overview GCSE English Language Paper 1: Examination (50%)-1 hour 45 minutes Section A Section B Response to one literature fiction text. Descriptive or narrative writing. Students will need to answer all questions. Students will complete one task from a choice of two. Paper 2: Examination (50%)-1 hour 45 minutes Section A Section B Response to one non-fiction text and one literary nonfiction text. Students will need to answer all questions. Writing to present a viewpoint. Students will complete one task from a choice of two. GCSE English Literature Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19 th Century Novel (40%) 1 hour 45 minutes Section A-Shakespeare Section B-19 th Century Novel Students will respond to one question on the Shakespeare play The Merchant of Venice. They will use a given extract as a starting point in their analysis and then explore and write about the play as a whole. Students will respond to one question on the novel Jekyll and Hyde. They will use a given extract as a starting point in their analysis and then explore and write about the novel as a whole. Paper 2: Modern Prose or Drama and Poetry (60%) 2 hours 15 minutes Section A-Modern Prose or Drama Section B-Poetry and Unseen Poetry Students will respond to one question (from a choice of two) about EITHER Lord of the Flies (sets 1-3) OR An Inspector Calls (sets 4-6) Students will answer one question comparing two poems from the anthology (Power and Conflict). One poem will be named and printed the other will be the student s choice and will not be printed. Intervention and Support Students answer one question on an unseen poem. They then answer a second question comparing this to a second unseen poem. There is a range of support available for all students in Year 11. We will shortly begin the intervention process. Intervention is based on a student s target grade and their current working grade. Throughout the year we will be running short, frequent intervention sessions with varying groups of students on key skills. More information will be available in due course. Following the completion of the mock exams, all students will have completed assessment in all aspects of the course. We will award them a GCSE grade based on last year s grade boundaries. This will give them (and you) a clear sense of where they are. We will review our intervention groups and then begin the next steps in the intervention process. We aim to make intervention as targeted as possible. Recommended Resource English Language Paper 1 and 2 New GCSE English Language AQA Revision Guide - for the Grade 9-1 Course-CGP ISBN: New GCSE English Language AQA Workbook - for the Grade 9-1 Course-CGP ISBN: English Literature Paper 1 English Literature Paper 2

5 4 Section A: Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice (Cambridge School Shakespeare) ISBN: The Merchant of Venice: York Notes for GCSE ISBN: Section B: 19 th Century Novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-Penguin Classics ISBN: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde CGP ISBN: Paper 1: Modern Prose and Drama An Inspector Calls-Heinemann An Inspector Calls CGP Lord of the Flies- Faber and Faber ISBN: Lord of the Flies-York Notes ISBN: Paper 2: Poetry AQA Anthology of Poetry: Power and Conflict-CGP ISBN: New GCSE English Literature AQA Unseen Poetry Guide - for the Grade 9-1 Course-CGP ISBN: We recommend the following websites: Useful Websites GCSE Bitesize English: GCSE Bitesize English Literature: Spark Notes: for Lord of the Flies, The Merchant of Venice ) Shmoop: (Also useful for Lord of the Flies) GCSE Mathematics (AQA 9-1) Maths is for everyone. It is diverse, engaging and essential in equipping students with the right skills to reach their future destination, whatever that may be. The new GCSE was introduced last year, with grades from 9 1 replacing the old A* - G system. The areas of study are broadly similar to previous practice: Number Algebra Ratio, proportion and rates of change Geometry and measures Probability Statistics There is, however, a greater emphasis on: Develop fluent knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts.

6 5 Acquire, select and apply mathematical techniques to solve problems. Reason mathematically, make deductions and inferences and draw conclusions. Comprehend, interpret and communicate mathematical information in a variety of forms appropriate to the information and context. Assessments GCSE Mathematics has a Foundation tier (grades 1 5) and a Higher tier (grades 4 9). Students must take three question papers at the same tier. All question papers must be taken in the same series. The information in the table below is the same for both Foundation and Higher tiers. Subject Content All content can be assessed on any of the three question papers. As such, some questions will draw together elements of maths from different topic areas. The weighting of the topic areas has been prescribed by Ofqual and is common to all exam boards. The table below shows the approximate weightings of the topic areas for the overall tier of assessment, not for each individual question paper. Materials for use in the examination For all question papers, students are expected to have mathematical instruments available for use in the exam. These instruments are defined as: Pencil (for use in diagrams only) Pen (black ink) Ruler Pair of compasses

7 6 Protractor Scientific calculator (we recommend CASIO fx-83gt PLUS) Top 10 Tips for Revising Maths Revision shouldn t turn into a chore, maths should be fun. Before you start revising, get all your notes sorted, and draw up a list of all the topics you need to cover. Plan exactly when you are going to revise, and be strict with yourself. Give yourself little treats and things to look forward to. Don t just read through the textbook! Use the internet. Don t just practice the topics you can do. Make sure you ask for help. Practice doing questions under exam conditions. Practice using your calculator. If it works for you, try revising with a friend for a bit of the time and try not to worry. Top 10 Tips for Sitting Maths Exam Whatever you do, don t stay up all night revising the night before your exam. Before you leave the house, make sure you have got all your equipment. Be careful who you talk to before the exam. A lot of people struggle with the timing of exams so practice! If you get stuck on a question, move on. Read the questions carefully. Show your working out. Check your answers at the end. Use the beauty of algebra. After you walk out of the exam, don t listen too much to what others are saying. Top 10 Tips for Avoiding Common Pitfalls in your GCSE Maths Exam There are lots of questions on the paper, if you can t do one don t panic. Check if your answer is realistic. Can a second-hand car cost 7 million? Does the earth weigh 4kg? If the answer doesn t seem right you could ve made a simple error. If you ve spent more than 5 minutes on a question, leave it and come back. As a rough guide, think about one mark per minute, though don t obsessively worry about the clock. If you can t do part of a question, check the other parts before moving on. Parts are usually independent, so if you can t answer (a) you might be able to do (b). Re-read the question after you ve answered it and check you ve done all that was asked. You d be surprised how many students do lots of credit worthy work, but calculate an area when a perimeter was asked for, or give an answer in cm when the question wanted metres. If you re stuck, just think about the maths that might be relevant and write something down. Identifying the key information in the question can help. In questions worth multiple marks, early marks can be scored for relatively simple steps, like rearranging an equation. Make sure you clearly cross through any work you don t want marked. If there are two solutions, one right and one wrong, the examiner might not be able to give you full credit. Try to organise your working out so you can follow it. This will help the examiner find work worthy of credit and makes it easier for you to check your work later on. For the calculator paper(s), use a calculator you are familiar with, and know the functions. Use all the time you have. When you ve finished, go through the paper and check all your work. Even if you cannot complete a question, you may pick up some marks for making a start. Online Resources

8 There are many revision guides and practice workbooks commercially available (for example, CGP and Letts). The workbooks, offering more opportunity for practice, are particularly useful. Just be careful to ensure that you purchase a guide/workbook for the correct tier of entry (higher or foundation). Although useful to get the right exam board (AQA) - this is less crucial as the content is broadly the same for all exam boards on Maths, the style of paper and questions being the key difference. Past papers are a crucial resource for exam preparation later in the year when students begin to hone their skills, become familiar with exam-style questions and learn how to maximise marks achieved in each section. Past papers will be made available to students after the mock examinations, when they will start to become a key feature of classwork and homework.

9 8 GCSE Triple Science / GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (AQA 9-1) The content of the GCSE is similar. The main difference is in the depth that topics will be taught and the style of questioning/assessment that the students will have to prepare for on the exam papers. The papers for Triple Science students are also longer. Subject Content: Biology Chemistry Physics Cell biology Organisation Infection and response Bioenergetics Homeostasis and response Inheritance, variation and evolution Ecology Key ideas Triple Science (Break-down of Exam Papers) Atomic structure and the periodic table Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter Quantitative chemistry Chemical changes Energy changes The rate and extent of chemical change Organic chemistry Chemical analysis Chemistry of the atmosphere Using resources Key ideas Energy Electricity Particle model of matter Atomic structure Forces Waves Magnetism and electromagnetism Space physics (physics only) Key ideas Biology Chemistry Physics Combined Science (Break-down of Exam Papers)

10 9 Where can I find help? You child can also access the resources on other School supported systems such as General Websites such as BBC bite size can also help When do I start revising? The simple answer is now. There is a lot of material to cover from last year as well as new material this year. I have already uploaded resources to use and guides for revision on Show my Homework. How will we support your child? Intervention groups will be identified as data comes in from regular class assessments this will run a various times throughout the year; one of these will be run in tutor time as to reduce impact in on other subjects.. This year we will be running two mocks exams one in January during the year 11 exam weeks and another nearer the exam time just before Easter; this will enable students and staff to quickly assess progress and areas that are still in need of further intervention.

11 10 Business Studies Course breakdown: Unit 1 - Introduction to Small Business (multiple choice paper) 25% Unit 2 - Investigating Small Business (controlled assessment) 25% Unit 3 - Building Business (long answer paper) 50% Year 11 students are just about to finish their controlled assessment, this is worth 25% of their overall grade. These will be marked and if improvements need to be made they will be given this opportunity. Once students have completed their controlled assessment they will be starting their Unit 3 content, this is broken down into 5 key topics: Marketing; Meeting customer needs; Effective financial management; Effective people management and The wider world affecting business. This content will have been taught to Year 11s by February half term and they will then be assessed in a mock exam format. They will also have a Unit 1 mock in December, the content of this has already been taught (Year 10). Once Year 11s have completed their mock in February we will use this as a basis to identify weaknesses in theory knowledge as well as looking at key areas of exam technique. This will mean going over key concepts from both Unit 1 and Unit 3 as well as completing past papers and going over past examiners reports. Suitable resources for this course that can be used for revision The Edexcel revision guide and revision workbook are excellent revision tools. Most students will have purchased the business package and will already have these. If they haven t they can be purchased in the Quad Shop or on Amazon. The website Business Studies Online can be used to help with any topics that students are struggling with in particular ( this has excellent theory notes and quizzes and games as an alternative method for revision. For additional exam practice the core textbook can be purchased, however the above revision guide is a condensed version of this. Computer Science This course is divided into: 80% exam (2 x 1h30m) Component 1: Computers Systems Component 2: Computational Thinking, Algorithms and Programming 20% Controlled Assessment A Programming Project. Students have already studied much of the theory side along with the fundamentals of Python Programming. In class we will be spending our double periods on the Programming Project and our single on theory for the Component 1 and 2 exams. For the Programming Project the students will be given a scenario and a set of tasks to complete. They will need to analysis the requirements, design, program, test and evaluate a solution to the scenario. Students have been advised to download a copy of Python at home. They can do this from: There are also a variety of Python tutorials available on YouTube. I advise for those struggling to follow the playlist here: Mr Quesnell runs two different sessions at lunchtime; fundamentals of Python and a more advanced Python session. Outside those session he can normally be found in Room 14 or the Computer Science office at Lunch or after school until 17:00 As this is the first year of the course there are not any past papers for each of the components. As a departments we will be lending all students copies of the CGP revision guides and Exam Practice workbook. Students are also urged to use the Craig N Dave videos on YouTube ( which go through each topic of the GCSE. Food Preparation and Nutrition

12 11 This course is divided into: 50% Non-examination assessment made up of: NEA 1-15% Food investigation Produce a 1,500-2,000 word report NEA 2-35% Food preparation assessment Prepare, cook and present a final menu of 3 dishes within a 3 hour period, planning in advance how this will be achieved 50% written exam 1hr 45 mins exam. 20 marks are multiple choice questions 80 marks are longer answer questions Students have just started NEA 1. The deadline for this is Friday 17 th November. Miss Black is in room 41 every lunchtime and room 11 after school on Mondays to help with any part of the coursework. This is the first year this course is being assessed so there are currently no past papers and mark schemes. In the revision books below there are end of chapter questions and some practice papers. CGP revision guides, Illuminate text books and Collins revision guides are all valuable resources to gain knowledge of the exam content. Geography The specification is divided into the following areas: Paper 1: Global Geographical Issues Paper 2: UK Geographical Issues Paper 3: People and Environment Issues Making Geographical Decisions CONTENT OVERVIEW Hazardous Earth, Development Dynamics and Challenges of an urbanising world The UK s evolving physical landscape; The UK s evolving human landscape and Geographical Investigations People and the biosphere, Forests under threat, Consuming energy resources and Making a geographical decision ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW 94 marks (4 marks for SPaST) 3 sections 1 Hour 30 Minutes 94 marks (4 marks for SPaST) 3 sections 1 Hour 30 Minutes 64 marks (4 marks for SPaST) 4 sections 1 Hour 30 Minutes 37.5 % of total GCSE % of total GCSE 25 % of total GCSE As a department, we aim to help develop our students into inquisitive and enthusiastic geographers, who take clear responsibility for their own learning. We work hard to support all of our geographers as much as possible across the 3 years of GCSE Geography. Resources Students have been advised to obtain the following textbook from the school office (at discount): 1. GCSE (9-1) Geography Specification B: Investigating Geographical Issues 2016 ISBN: Students were supposed to have pre-ordered this from the school online shop last year. If they haven t already done so, I would like to inform you that the discount ( 17.50) ends on the 20 th Sep 2016 and the price will revert rrp We occasionally will also use GCSE Geography Edexcel B Student Book ISBN: (pdf version); students are welcome to access these at any time. If you would like any further support for your child, we recommend the following revision material: 2. Revise Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Geography B Revision Guide ISBN: In addition we would recommend that students get into the habit of watching the news on a regular basis, or reading news articles found on the BBC website and in newspapers such as The Times and Guardian. This is important as it helps to develop their understanding of broader geographical issues which are touched upon in lessons and will feed into paper 3. GCSE Geography revision websites: GCSE History (9-1)

13 12 Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in History (1H10) Year 11 GCSE History students have already studied American West (c1835-c1895) along with Anglo-Saxons and Normans (c ). We have nearly finished their Crime and Punishment in Britain unit. They will have one final unit to cover which will be Weimar and Nazi Germany, There will be three exams at the end of year 11. Students are completing a knowledge test and practice exam question every week as part of their homework. Suitable resources Revision guides are available from the school shop, students need one for each of the four units studied. We will also be using Google Classroom so please encourage your son/daughter to log on and use it as part of their revision. The core textbooks can also be purchased from the school shop. The revision guides are a condensed version of these books. ICT This course is divided into: 40% exam (1 x 1h30m) Unit 1: Systems and Applications in ICT 60% Controlled Assessment Unit 2: The Assignment: Applying ICT Unit 3: Practical Problem Solving in ICT Students have already completed Unit 2 and have started their Unit 3 controlled assessment this year. They will continue to complete this and study for the Unit 1 exam. If students have missed time or they would like to cover a concept again then Mr Smith will be available Wednesday s period 1 but they must make contact with him before. Students are recommended to view the past papers available here: to get use to the style of questioning that might occur on the paper. In terms of a revision guide, as this is the last year of the ICT GCSE, there are few publications about. Students do have access to BBC Bitesize ( and Teach ICT ( which cover all the content for the exam. Languages Exam board: AQA(French)/OCR(Spanish) Module/unit of the GCSE: Unit 1 Listening Higher/foundation-paper to be sat in May. 20% Unit 2 Reading Higher/foundation-paper to be sat in May. 20% Unit 3 Speaking- 2 controlled assessments- 30% Unit 4 Writing -2 controlled assessments- 30% Key exam dates/coursework deadlines: All controlled assessments aimed to be completed before mock exams for French Last Spanish Controlled Assessment will take place in February Next French controlled assessment is a Speaking on the topic of holidays to be completed before half term. 6 th January 2016-am- French and Spanish Listening and Reading mock exams 17 th May-am Listening and Reading French exams 20 th May am- Listening and Reading Spanish exams Useful Resources (e.g. specific textbooks or websites) All resources provided by the Languages department Any revision guide or workbook approved by exam boards (AQA/OCR) best website to memorise vocabulary

14 13 PE Course Breakdown - 4 units each worth 25%. Unit 1- Fitness for Sport and Exercise- EXAM BASED Unit 2- Practical Sports Performer- COURSEWORK BASED Unit 4- The Sports Performer in Action- COURSEWORK BASED Unit 6- Leading Sports Activities- COURSEWORK BASED (Predominantly practical) To start this academic year, students are preparing for their upcoming exam on Unit 1, due to take place on Monday 11 th December Students should be updating and maintaining their PE exercise books with all relevant content from class and homework. The exam will be taken on the computers and therefore students should make a conscious effort to improve their type-speed where possible in both theory lessons and at home. The PE department will be announcing the times and dates of our revision classes preceding the exam. These usually run over consecutive weeks from 3.40 onwards, starting after the October half term break. In addition to Unit 1, students are assessed in 3 further units across 2 years. These are manly coursework based and all assignments will be published on Show My Homework. In Year 10, students completed coursework for Unit 2 and this year they will be looking to develop their work in Units 4 and Unit 6. There are 3 textbooks below that would be beneficial to students. These can be used as support with assignments if they are finding work challenging and the revision guides and workbooks can significantly aid students in revising for their upcoming exam. They can be purchased from the online school shop, the school shop or the Pearson Education website. Top tips 1. BUY THE TEXTBOOKS! These contain essential information which helps hugely with completing assignments. These can be ordered from the school shop or online. 2. MAKE QUALITY NOTES! When we teach the exam content, the notes you make will help with your revision. The better your notes = the better you ll do in your exam. 3. USE YOUR THURSDAY TUTOR TIME TO REVISE EFFECTIVELY! Keep your notes in school with you at all times and you will be able to revise in Thursdays Tutor Time sessions. 4. LISTEN AND READ FEEDBACK, THEN APPLY IT! When we mark your work, we tell you exactly what to do to achieve a distinction. Follow the feedback and you can t go wrong! If you don t understand the something, then speak with your teacher asap. 5. MAKE THE DEADLINES! Deadlines are set by the exam board, not the teacher. If you don t make the deadline, you don t get a grade. Resistant Materials This course is divided into: 60% coursework An A3 design folder of about 25 pages and a practical made product. 40% exam 1 x 2 hour exam. Students are about half way through their folder work, and will start to make their practical product in November. However, it is essential the folder work is mostly completed so the designed product is fully planned ready for manufacture in November. Mr Sewell is in room 10 every lunchtime and after school until 6.30pm (dependant on College meetings) to help with any part of the coursework. For the exam, past papers and mark schemes can be found on AQA s website: The structure of the questions and of the paper changes very little from year to year so it is a good way of preparing for the exam. CGP revision guides and Nelson Thornes text books (below) are both valuable resources to gain knowledge of the exam content.

15 14 Textiles This course is divided into: 60% coursework An A3 design folder of about 25 pages and a practical made product. 40% exam 1 x 2 hour exam.

16 Key Dates Below are some key dates for you to be aware of in the coming year: Tuesday 31 st October: Year 11 Employability Day Friday 10 th November: Autumn Report Issued Thursday 16 th November: 6 th Form Open Evening W/b Monday 20 th November: Year 11 Mock Practical Exams begin Friday 24 th November: Parent Consultation Day W/b Monday 4 th December: Year 11 Mock Written Exams (Two Weeks) Wednesday 17 th January: Winter Reports Issued Thursday 25 th January: Year 11 Parents Evening Thursday 1 st February: 6 th Form Taster Day W/b Monday 19 th February: Year 11 Progression Interviews begin Thursday 29 th March: Spring Reports Issued Friday 11 th May: GCSE External Written Exams begin Friday 29 th June: Year 11 Leaver s Assembly and Prom (Evening) Poor attendance can have a significant impact on attainment at GCSE. Therefore, the Year Group have been set the ambitious target of 100% attendance between the start of the year and the conclusion of their exams. If at any point you have concerns about your child s progress or well-being do not hastate to contact the relevant subject teacher or tutor. Please copy Mr Howard (jamiehoward@chalfonts.org) or Mrs Piggott (katypiggott@chalfonts.org) into all correspondence. This way we can work together to help your child meet their goals Thorny Issues: 1. TV or not TV? a. Insist they do not revise in front of the TV.

17 16 2. Problems with Mobile Phones a. If they constantly check their phone while revising, discuss ways that they can avoid doing this b. Consider taking the phone away for the hour that they are revising 3. Sound or Silence? a. Encourage them to be selective about what they listen to and to work in silence for memorising and doing practice exam papers b. Don t make a battle out of whether or not they listen to music when doing their revision 4. Internet Access and Social Media a. Suggest that they don t leave social media tabs or apps open when doing revision. b. In fact, if the revision can be done without a computer, encourage them to do this. 5. Bed Time a. Discuss and agree a regular time for lights out b. Suggest that they leave time after studying to wind down c. Be flexible with the lights out time at weekend and for special events 6. Don t Compare! a. Please don t compare them or their revision habits to friends or siblings. Treat them as an individual. 7. The Reluctant Student a. Some students just don t want to revise: i. Be open and encouraging. Ask them how you can help them and put the ball in their court ii. Contact the school and discuss your concerns we provide lots of revision sessions and also run a mentoring programme for students who require that extra push iii. Make revision active and get involved. Do the work with them to get them over the I can t do it or I can t b bothered hump iv. Remind them that the most effective revision is done in short minute bursts v. Consider setting up a reward system to motivate them to do revision. Make the reward tangible.

18 14 School Counsellor My name is Nicola Phelps and I am a qualified counsellor and a member of the BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. I am experienced in working with young people offering person centred talking therapy and creative therapies and have helped youngsters through a wide variety of issues. I am also Cruse Bereavement Care trained to provide pre and post bereavement counselling. I am really pleased to have joined the college this year to provide full time support to both staff and students and my aim is to provide another arm to the excellent pastoral team here so any students or members of staff who are finding life hard can access counselling easily and promptly. My belief is that counselling gives young people a regular and confidential space to talk about worries or problems they are experiencing and this can, over a period of time, often help them gain new and different perspectives. This can lead to changes in how they feel about themselves, their relationships with others, their thinking and their behaviour - both in and out of school. Students are offered an initial session and they can choose to continue for six sessions with a review at that point. Sessions are weekly, last for 50 minutes and are rotated so your child will not miss the same lesson each week. These sessions are confidential, with the usual boundaries covering serious harm to themselves or others, and I am keen for students to truly understand this so they feel they can trust me. A referral can be made by either the student or parent speaking with their tutor, to their year leader or if they prefer they can pick up a leaflet from the medical room or the LRC and complete the form and hand this to their tutor, year leader or come to my office and hand it to me or put it under my door. I am based in the Employability Hub just down the stairs from the year leaders office. If you are concerned about your child or they have shared worries about another student, I can be reached directly at nicolaphelps@chalfonts.org or on Top tips, tricks & advice from sixth form students: Don t give up, keep trying, be resilient, it is worth it. Learn things in chunks sleep on it and test yourself in the morning Be confident. Once you have learnt it you know it. Be brave Start early Revision is not just doing your homework. Keep notes organised.

19 Use text books as well as teachers Use practice papers Have regular but short breaks Find a quiet environment Use colour coded cue cards. They re great! Make clear, detailed notes in class Stick notes / post-its around your room Always review your notes Use the Apps Science one (you have to pay for it) Goji-mo (Revision app) Mr Bruff - YouTube English Help My GCSE science YouTube revision Actually go to revision sessions put on Good quality breakfast bananas are good for potassium Create a revision timetable Get a study buddy Past papers look through previous examiner reports. Don t overload yourself. Give yourself some time to relax. Get plenty of sleep. Read notes, close book, memorise and do practice questions Learn a little bit extra e.g in art you are learning about tone, push yourself to learn about texture Use post it notes on your wall. When you know it take it down but still keep it. When all post its are off your wall get a friend or family member to use them to quiz you. Revise in random places around the house. You re more likely to associate a hard topic with where you revised it and therefore remember it better. Use lots of coloured pens and highlighters. 15