Mrs A Moore Headteacher
Outline of the evening 1. 2. 3. Welcome Timeline for Year 11 Input from Mrs J Davidson (Head of Achievement and Learning for Year 11) Mr N Hamilton (Subject leader for English) Mrs K Dillerstone (Subject Leader for Mathematics) Miss S Neale (Subject Leader for Science)
Aims Expectations Partnership - School - Home - School Exam Preparation
Expectations From Us Staff who are willing to support you to get to the next steps in your learning Well ordered environment set up to support students Opportunities to meet with me during the year to show off your work and achievements High expectations From your children Excellence in all that they do and how they work Excellence in how they look Excellence in how they model behaviours around the school Excellence in how they represent the school within and beyond the community
Examination Results 2018 GCSE Improvement on last year students in this school perform 0.38 (0.17 last year) of a grade better than students nationally 48% of students achieved grades 5+ in both English and Maths 73% of students achieved grades 4+ in both English and Maths Improvement in all departments following new specifications Sixth Form Improvements in all areas students in this school perform 0.17 (-0.01 last year)of a grade better in A Level examinations than students nationally New specifications for Vocational subjects All students got to where they needed to go: Medicine, Cambridge Apprenticeships etc.
GCSE Examinations 13th May - Date of first scheduled GCSE examination 25th June - Date of last scheduled GCSE examination 22nd August - RESULTS DAY! 17-23 exam papers sat by students
Mrs J Davison Head of Achievement and Learning for Year 11
What parents can do to help Discuss how things are going at school- lessons, homework, assessments etc. Read their work, look at their books/ revision notes Occasionally do a little of their work with them Become familiar with the web sites for their exam boards Make sure they have a calendar/ wall chart/ planner Contact school if you have any concerns Let them know that you are in this together but that they are the ones who are responsible for their progress DON T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER- MAKE SURE THEY LET YOU IN
Teenage Myths I ve got no homework It doesn t matter how I do in the mocks I can re-do my coursework/exam. The best way to revise is.. My target grades are 5 s, and I am being predicted 5 s so I will be OK
Additional Support in School Study Group - Mondays and Wednesdays 3-4pm Homework Club -Tuesdays and Thursdays 3-4pm Revision sessions/ additional support at lunchtimes, e.g Physics on Tuesdays and Art on Wednesdays and Thursdays Tutorial Time additional support for Maths and English
GCSE Grading Structure All GCSEs are now reformed and graded 9-1
How will I be informed of my child s progress? November: Data update & reports January: Data update, 17 January (Mock Results) February: Parents Evening March: Data Update
Student Perspective Challenges What helped / worked How you can help
Students prepare for two qualifications: GCSE English Language GCSE English Literature Exam Board Edexcel
GCSE English Language/Literature No tier of entry No early entry. Assessed entirely by terminal exams in the summer of 2019. No coursework Every student sits the same exam Grading system 9-1
GCSE English Literature Examination texts are studied during year 10 and 11 working towards two written exams in the summer of 2019.
English Literature exams Paper 2: 19th Century Novel and Poetry since 1789 2 hours 15 minutes, closed text (50%) Section A: 19th Century novel, Part A on an extract, Part B on the full text (A Christmas Carol) (worth 25%). Section B: Poetry since 1789: one named poem from a cluster in the anthology (Conflict) that will be printed students compare it to another (unprinted) of their choice. Students also compare two thematically linked unseen contemporary poems (worth 25%).
GCSE English Language Paper 1: Fiction and Imaginative Writing 1 hour 45 minutes (worth 40%) Section A: Short / long questions on unseen 19th Century fiction (1 hour) (worth 15%). Section B: Two images provided as stimulus for Imaginative Writing (45 minutes) (worth 25%).
GCSE English Language Paper 2: Non-fiction, Literary Non-fiction and Transactional Writing - 2 hours (worth 60%). Section A: short answers on two non-fiction texts, followed by a longer response question which is a comparison of writers use of language (1 hour 15 minutes) (worth 35%) Section B: two options of writing tasks linked to themes of reading materials letters, job applications, articles etc. (45 minutes) (worth 25%).
English Language
The spoken language assessment Students will prepare a presentation on a poem of their choice from the conflict section of the poetry anthology they have studied. This is effective revision and preparation for their Paper 2 English Literature exam question on the conflict poetry.
How can you help your child prepare? The best preparation for English Literature is to know the set texts as well as possible. There is no such thing as no homework in English. Re-reading the set texts and revising what they know about them can always be done. Researching the texts further or making use of study guides and workbooks on the set texts is all valuable revision. If, as a parent, you have read the texts, discussing them with your child is great revision too.
Other resources Youtube is a great resource for revision. There are a lot of presentations on the set texts for English literature - some by teachers. There are also a lot of film clips and documentaries or excerpts from documentary films on the set texts. This can be a good way for students to revise too. There are film versions of Macbeth, A Christmas Carol and An Inspector Calls available commercially and many are on Youtube too.
Other resources Students should also join the Year 11 English Google Classroom which will be filled with lots of really useful resources to help them revise and strengthen their knowledge of texts, but also to prepare them in terms of exam technique. We will also put lessons from our schemes of work that students have already completed in case they feel they need to revisit this or fill any gaps in their knowledge, perhaps due to absence.
Three Top Tips for English 1. Specimen papers, mark schemes and other resources are available on the Edexcel website: http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcs es.html 2. Encourage your son/daughter to read and discuss non-fiction texts e.g. newspapers, leaflets, letters and magazines. The internet is also awash with older 19th Century fiction and non-fiction texts because most are out of copyright. 3. The weekly revision homeworks. These are designed to keep students in touch with texts they have already studied and recap the skills that will nurture success.
Revision Guides English Literature specific text guides are commercially available to buy. English Language revision guides and workbooks are also available to buy commercially - we will sell Edexcel s own version of these for half price ( 2.50 each) in the English Department from early October.
Maths Mrs K A Dillerstone
GCSE Maths Two Tiers Higher Tier covers grades 4-9 50% of the questions are aimed at 7+ Foundation Tier covers grades 1-5 AQA 8300
GCSE Maths One non calculator paper Two calculator papers All papers are 1 hour and 30 minutes All students need their own scientific calculator The maths department sell calculators at cost. The current price is 6.50 for a Casio Fx-83GTPlus
How can I help? Talk about numbers Real life situations: shopping, offers, best buys, interest rates, commission payments, bills Mental maths: the more automatic responses that a candidate can accurately recall the better Discuss problem solving strategies: drawing diagrams, underlining important facts and reading questions carefully can all help Does their answer make sense? Estimating as a checking strategy is useful
www.mathswatchvle.com
Top Tip for Maths Be positive about maths it is a key qualification for all students Encourage them to begin working independently 30 mins twice a week at this stage would be ideal Don t revise things that they already know how to do challenge themselves to improve/perfect 1 new skill each time they revise. Don t be discouraged we all make mistakes but overr time these will reduce and the marks will improve. Practise, Practise, Practise!!!
Maths Revision Guides CGP revision guides are available from maths teachers. The current cost is 2.50
Science Miss S Neale
GCSE Sciences Exam Board AQA Two Routes Combined Science: Trilogy Biology, Chemistry and Physics Both routes prepare students for Level 3 study of Science subjects
Biology Cell biology Organisation Infection and response Bioenergetics Homeostasis and response Inheritance Variation Evolution Ecology Studied in year 9 and 10
Chemistry Atomic structure and the periodic table Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter Quantitative chemistry Chemical changes The rate and extent of chemical change Chemistry of the atmosphere Organic chemistry Chemical analysis Energy changes Using resources
Physics Forces Energy Waves Electricity Magnetism Electromagnetism Particle model of matter Atomic structure Space physics* *Separate only
Physics Forces Energy Waves Electricity Magnetism Electromagnetism Particle model of matter Atomic structure Space physics* *Separate only Calculators are an essential piece of equipment for success in Physics lessons. Students must also learn the required equations, know how to rearrange them and use them.
Combined Science : Trilogy ASSESSMENT Two written exams per subject: 1 hour 15 minutes each Foundation and Higher Tier 70 marks QUESTIONS Multiple choice, structured, closed short answer and open response.
Biology, Chemistry and Physics ASSESSMENT Two written exams per subject: 1 hour 45 minutes each Foundation and Higher Tier 100 marks QUESTIONS Multiple choice, structured, closed short answer and open response.
Example Multiple Choice Question
Example Multiple Choice Question
Example Maths Question A student heated 4 samples of sea water. The mass of solid that remained each time is shown. Calculate the mean mass of solid produced. Give your answer to 2 significant figures.
Example Maths Question 0.16 + 0.19 + 0.17 = 0.52 0.52 3 = 0.17333333 To 2 significant figures = 0.17 grams
Example Open Response Question Evaluate the use of each material for making greenhouse frames. Use Table 9. [4 marks]
Example Open Response Question Evaluate the use of each material for making greenhouse frames. Use Table 9. [4 marks] Level 2: A judgement, strongly linked and logically supported by a sufficient range of correct reasons, is given (3-4 marks) Level 1: Relevant points are made. These are not logically linked (1-2 marks)
Science Practical Work There is no coursework or controlled assessment in the science GCSE courses. Practical work will be undertaken to help students make sense of the theory. Students are required to complete a number of AQA set practicals for each subject on which questions can be asked in the examinations.
Example Practical Application Question
Science Revision Guides / Workbooks Available from the science technicians 8:40 15.00
Science Revision / Homework Lunchtime Support
Three Top Tips for Science Download practice exam papers and mark schemes from AQA website Watch and make notes from GCSE science videos eg freesciencelessons Encourage your child to use the BBC website: watch science programmes from iplayer use the bitesize revision materials browse the scientific news articles
Mrs J Davison Head of Achievement and Learning for Year 11
j.davidson@pchs.org.uk