Speakers Mrs Johnson Head Teacher Mrs Nyland Head of English Mr Stinton Head of Maths Mr Woodburn Head of Science Mrs Collis Deputy Head & R.E Teacher Mr Smyth Assistant Head & Intervention Coordinator Miss Coughlan Head of KS 4
Head of KS 4 Miss Coughlan
What s it all about? Preparing for life post 16 Thinking about colleges/schools/ apprenticeships Learning about what employers are looking for Understanding the process of transition to F.E
What we expect from your daughter Excellent attendance, 17 days absence means a drop in grade at GCSE Excellent Behaviour for learning, especially if she is considering being a prefect and for her reference. Be prepared to learn and don t wait for it to happen and to be proactive in her learning. Do her homework Meet deadlines Turn her phone off when she is studying.
Head Teacher Mrs Johnson
Studying Post 16 Your daughter will need: Maths at a 4 (standard pass) or above for post 16 study. English Language &/ or Literature at a 4 or above. Literature is now equivalent to Language A 6 in the subjects she wishes to study A 7/8 if she wishes to study Maths or Sciences 8 GCSES overall for A level or Level 3 study A back up plan! There is a route for all pupils at whatever level but it is always good to have this in case she changes her mind or plans change
What s changed at GCSE? Your daughter will sit 100% linear courses in all subjects except D & T, P.E, Computing and Art, who still retain a small amount of controlled assessment. Linear means that all exams/units are sat at the end of the course in Year 11. A 9 to 1 number system for results replaces grades at GCSE. 9, 8 and 7 equate to A* - A, with an A at 7 and a 4 equates to the bottom of a C grade, a standard pass. 5 is the recognised strong pass grade. We do not set targets to achieve 8 s or 9 s as they are statistical awards, awarded differently each year.
What s the English Baccalaureate (EBacc)? This is not a certificate but a measure of the number of pupils who achieve a Grade 5 ( strong pass) in six GCSEs : English, Mathematics, Science (two Sciences that could include Computer Science), a modern or ancient foreign language ( including some home languages) and a humanity (such as History or Geography). Not all pupils should or could study the Ebacc but most pupils were asked to do so. This is what the government considers to be an all round and academic qualification, certainly one to prepare her for further study.
What does that mean for my daughter? In general she will study 8-10 GCSEs to achieve her P8 and A8. She may be studying the Ebacc She will be taking Science, English Language & Literature, mathematics and R.E as her core subjects: 6/7 GCSE s even before options. We consider changes to GCSEs in Year 11 round about Christmas time. No changes now! We do not make decisions on tiers of entry where relevant, until the last moment, usually in January of Year 11. This is because we do 3 Pre- Public Exams: a walking talking mock exam in Year 10, a timed walking exam in Year 11 and a PPE at Easter in Year 11 so that we know her really well, as well as her capabilities.
Head of English Mrs Nyland
English Literature and English Language English 97%
Pupils follow schemes of work designed to teach the new Pearson Edexcel specifications for English Language and English Literature. Pupils notes or written tasks are kept by the pupils themselves. The work of pupils is marked and regular feedback is given in the form of written advice and G.C.S.E. grades. Your daughter will need to be organised. Lever arch files, folder dividers and plastic wallets will help with this! Half-termly assessments take the form of exam practice papers which will be completed under timed conditions in exam conditions. The results of these, along with work throughout the term provide guidance for teachers when completing pupil progress checks.
Course Overview English Language Autumn Y10 Reading 19th-century extracts Writing skills (creative) English Literature 19th-century novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Poems 1 5 Poetry Anthology Spring Y10 Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet Summer Y10 Reading 20th and 21st-century texts Writing skills (transactional) Post-1914 text An Inspector Calls Poems 6 10 Poetry Anthology Autumn Y11 Revision Poetry Spring Y11 Revision Revision of texts Summer Y11 Revision Revision
English Literature Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature (50%) Section A Shakespeare: a two-part question. Section B Post 1914 British play or novel: ONE essay question from a choice of two on your studied text. Assessment duration: 1 hour and 45 minute examination 19 th century Novel and Poetry since 1789 (50%) Section A 19 th century novel: a two part question Section B Poetry since 1789 Assessment duration: 2 hours 15 minute examination
Fiction and Imaginative Writing (40%) English Language Section A Reading: questions on an unseen 19 th century fiction extract. Section B Writing: a choice of two writing tasks Assessment duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes. Component 2: Non-fiction and Transactional Writing (60%) Section A Reading: questions on two thematically linked, unseen non-fiction extracts Section B Writing: a choice of two writing tasks. Assessment duration: 2 hours.
Spoken Language Endorsement Students must demonstrate their presentation skills in a formal setting, listen and respond to questions and feedback, and use spoken English effectively. There are no marks for the Spoken Language endorsement. Your daughter will be awarded a grade (Pass, merit or Distinction).
How can you support your daughter? Ensure that she is: Making use of study guides and revision materials provided, including the PiXL Lit app. Reading a wide and challenging range of Literature. Re-reading the Literature studied in class and creating mind maps for characters, themes, settings and contexts. Creating cue cards with key points and key quotations relating to characters, themes and settings. Learning new terminology by adding to a glossary of Literary/linguistic devices used by writers. Using Practice Essay questions to plan and write sections of essays under timed conditions. Continued work on SPaG www.cybergrammar.co.uk, KS4 Writing Skills booklet. Completing her homework to the best of her ability.
Head of Mathematics Mr Stinton
Mathematics In Summer 2018 we had our second set of results for the new GCSE in Mathematics. The girls achieved 83.7% grade 4-9 62.8% grade 5-9 19.8% grade 7-9
So what s changed? Mathematics #1 Mathematics retains tiers: Foundation (grades 1 5) & Higher (grades 4-9) Everyone will start off covering topics from the Higher Tier. There are no controlled assessments. The examinations are harder with several topics from the Higher Tier now appearing on the Foundation Tier syllabus such as using standard form and solving quadratic equations. Grade boundaries went up significantly in the second year. Edexcel syllabus
So what s changed? Mathematics # 2 Some formulae previously given in the front of the exam paper will no longer be listed. Students will need to memorise formulae for : area of a trapezium, volume of a prism, quadratic formula (Higher Tier), sine and cosine rules (Higher Tier) Spelling, punctuation and grammar are not assessed. However, there is a greater emphasis on reasoning and problem solving. There are some new topics such as Venn Diagrams and the equation of a circle.
In Mathematics, we have started the Edexcel GCSE course in year 9. are doing regular practice assessments. are setting regular challenging homework. are supporting those that need it by having a focus on key topics to get that target grade. are Pushing those that need it.
Help we are providing All pupils have or will have personal accounts to access four online revision aids: www.mymaths.co.uk this has booster packs aimed at targeting each grade. Homework and targets on this are set and monitored. www.mathswatchvle.com these clips that show pupils how to answer questions on almost every topic on the syllabus. http://mathsapp.pixl.org.uk/- the pixl maths app is free to download from the app store, google play or on a desktop. It allows more question practice and has teaching clips on it. It has a really useful PLC that that can be used to plan revision and track progress www.methodmaths.com- this gives lots of practice GCSE questions that she can completed on line or downloaded to focus on one skill at a time.
How can you help your daughter succeed? Make sure she does homework. Check she brings her calculator to class she needs to make friends with it! Ask her to read new notes when she gets home to check her understanding. If she is not sure, encourage her to ask. Practice, practice, practice!
Head of Science Mr Woodburn
gchs-fileprint\staffdocuments\coughlanm\my documents\house System and Rewards\achievement points\201617\achievement points Results 2018 Biology 100% 9-4 Physics 100% 9-4 Chemistry 100% 9-4
gchs-fileprint\staffdocuments\coughlanm\my documents\house System and Rewards\achievement points\201617\achievement points Biology 1. Cell Biology 2. Organisation 3. Infections and response 4. Bioenergetics 5. Homeostasis and response 6. Inheritance, variation and evolution 7. Ecology Key ideas
Chemistry 8. Atomic structure and periodic table 9. Bonding structure and properties of matter 10. Quantitative chemistry 11. Chemical changes 12. Energy changes 13. The rate and extent of chemical changes 14. Organic chemistry 15. Chemical analysis 16. Chemistry of the atmosphere 17. Using resources
gchs-fileprint\staffdocuments\coughlanm\my documents\house System and Rewards\achievement points\201617\achievement points Physics 18. Energy 19. Electricity 20. Particle model of matter 21. Atomic structure 22. Forces 23. Waves 24. Magnetism electromagnetism Space physics (Physics only)
gchs-fileprint\staffdocuments\coughlanm\my documents\house System and Rewards\achievement points\201617\achievement points Course Overview 1 st Term Autumn term 2 nd term Spring term 3 rd term Summer term Bioenergetics Organisation/ Ecology B8 B9 B16 B17 B18 Bonding structure and their properties C3 C4 Infectious diseases and response B5 B6 B7 Forces 2 P10 P11 Required Practical catch up Homeostasis and response B10 B11 B12 Organic chemistry C9 C10 C11 Electricity P4 P5
6 mark questions gchs-fileprint\staffdocuments\coughlanm\my documents\house System and Rewards\achievement points\201617\achievement points
gchs-fileprint\staffdocuments\coughlanm\my documents\house System and Rewards\achievement points\201617\achievement points How to prepare for a Science Examination Subject content Get organised Key words Learn the content Practice the skills Identify difficulties and seek help Use past papers and mark schemes
What we will provide for your daughter weekly practice of exam style questions in lessons Assessment tests at the end of each sub topic to monitor progress. Revision sessions Access to an Online resource called Kerboodle Recommendation on revision materials
gchs-fileprint\staffdocuments\coughlanm\my documents\house System and Rewards\achievement points\201617\achievement points www.youtube/gcse/science 9-1 www.freesciencelessons.com
G GCSE Religious Studies Deputy Head Teacher Teacher of Religious Education Mrs D Collis Good News! 2018 Results 9-4 = 86% 2018 Results 9-7 = 46%
GCSE Religious Studies Paper 1. Catholic Christianity: Catholic beliefs, teachings and practices Sources of wisdom and authority, Forms of expression and ways of life: Holy Trinity, God s Creation, Catholic social teaching, Eschatology
GCSE Religious Studies Paper 2. Judaism: Jewish beliefs, teachings and practices Sources of wisdom and authority Forms of expression and ways of life: The Covenant, Beliefs about the Sanctity of life, Shabbat, Jewish festivals
GCSE Religious Studies Paper 3. Philosophy and Ethics: Arguments for the existence of God The problem of Evil and Suffering Religious teachings on Relationships and Family Life: marriage, sexual relationships, family planning, divorce and remarriage, prejudice and discrimination
GCSE Religious Studies
Intervention Across the Curriculum Mr Smyth
New headline figures Progress 8 0.678 English & Maths 84 4+% English Baccalaureate 45% 4+ 68% taking the English Baccalaureate This replaces 5 A* - C including Maths and English
Monitoring and tracking of performance and progress Assessments 4 times a year November, January, March and June. Intervention by working with HODs to find solutions and resources to ensure that pupils are back on track as soon as possible
KS2 Level on entry KS2 Reading & Maths Score End of Year 7 Target Band End of Year 8 Target Band End of Year 9 Target Band End of Year 10 Target Grade End of Year 11 Target Grade Old GCSE Grade Progress Flightpath 6 120 6e 7e 7m 7 8/9 A* 5a 115 5s 6s 7e 6 7 A 5b 110 5e 6e 6m 6 7 A 5c 107 4m 5m 6s 5 6 B 4a 103 4s 5s 6e 5 6 B 4b 100 4e 5e 5m 4 5 C 4c 97 3m 4m 5s 4 5 C 3a 93 3s 4s 5e 3 4 C 3b 90 3e 4e 4m 2 3 D 3c 88 2m 3m 4s 2 3 D 2 85 2s 3s 4e 1 2 E/F 83 1s 2s 3e 1 1/2 F/G KS3 Mastery Bands GCSE Grades m=mastery s=secure e= emerging
Booster Classes for More Able Learners who are coasting or underachieving Intervention sessions during school time (for pupils struggling or falling behind) 1-2-1 or small group sessions where needed. Letters home regarding all intervention activities so please do not rely on only word of mouth.
And Finally
Contacting us: First port of call should be your daughter s teacher, if you don t have that email, please use reception@graysconvent.thurrock.sch.uk your message can be forwarded on to the relevant teacher. If there is a pastoral issue then please contact form tutor, Mrs Bishop or myself whichever seems more appropriate.
Key People: 10 D Mrs Hill 10 E Miss Varney/Miss Levins 10 L Mr Burr 10 M Mr Hendricks Pastoral Manager Mrs Bishop
Miss Hill hillj@graysconvent.thurrock.sch.uk Miss Varney varneyd@graysconvent.thurrock.sch.uk Mr Burr burrj@graysconvent.thurrock.sch.uk Mr Hendricks hendrickss@graysconvent.thurrock.sch.uk Mrs Bishop bishope@graysconvent.thurrock.sch.uk Miss Coughlan coughlanm@graysconvent.thurrock.sch.uk
Punctuality The school day starts at 8:25am and registration begins promptly at 8:30am. SO, FROM 8:30, IF YOUR DAUGHTER IS NOT IN SCHOOL, SHE will BE MARKED AS LATE OR ABSENT. Lates to school will immediately incur a 10 minute break time detention on the day. Lates will be monitored and three or more lates in two week period will incur an automatic after school detention.
Attendance: A parent / carers responsibilities All absences must be reported before 9am each day. Known absence: advance notice OR Leave Of Absence Form Response to Keep Kids Safe messages Written notification, giving details of absence, can be handed in at Student Reception or to the Form Tutor on return to school. Absence of five days or more must be supported by medical evidence. Details can be found in the Importance of Good Attendance booklet on the school website. Avoid medical and dental appointments during the school day. Illness is authorised at the discretion of the school
Think before sending Block keep evidence Tell parents or a teacher Police can track messages
Eligibility for Free School Meals Income support Income-based Jobseeker s Allowance Income-related Employment and Support Allowance Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed 16,190 Working Tax Credit run-on the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
To sum up: 60 weeks until GCSE Exams C/W gone for most subjects 100% exam based
Key Dates: Opportunity Thurrock Oct 3 rd Parents Evening: Feb 7th Walking Talking Mocks May 24 th, June 17 th -28 th Year 10 Palmers Day June 14 th Mock Interview Day July 12 th
13 th & 14 th February