Yr10 An introduction to GCSEs Tuesday 27 th September 2016
Aims of this evening To provide an overview of the GCSE years To highlight key messages for parents from different subject areas To give a parent s perspective on supporting pupils through GCSEs To provide some practical revision tips
Section A Compulsory Core Curriculum English 2 GCSEs Lit/Lang Mathematics 1 GCSE Science 2-3 GCSE ICT GCSE or Tech Award RS Philosophy and Ethics GCSE PE Core PSHE
Section B Humanities Geography History 1 GCSE 1 GCSE
Section C Options MFL Option Spanish GCSE For Ebacc recommendation and keen pupils Option choices 3 subjects from an open list of subjects
English Baccalaureate Ebacc English Maths Science (Also Computing) History or Geography MFL - Spanish
This was the National Picture The Ebacc is considered the Gold Standard 5 A*-C GCSEs with English and Maths is the key to moving onto level 3 courses 5 A*-C GCSEs with equivalents (Tech awards)
Replaced by Attainment 8 Progress 8 % of students achieving grade 5in English and Maths Ebacc
The Attainment and Progress 8 Buckets 1 English 2 3 Mathematics EBacc EBacc EBacc Other Other Other Bucket 1 One slot for English and one for maths; double-weighted Bucket 2 Three EBacc qualifications (Sciences, computer sciences, geography, history or languages) Bucket 3 Three other slots Any remaining Ebacc qualifications Other approved academic, arts or vocational qualifications
New GCSE bands9-1 New Band Old grade 9 top A* 8 top A and low A* 7 low A 6 top B 5 (new'good' pass) top C and low B 4 top D and low C 3 low D 2 E 1 F & G
The Big Picture No more modular exams Limited early entry Increased terminal exams Greater emphasis on Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling in exams Tightened marking & exam board moderation of coursework.
Year 10 is a big year Can t coast Year 10 then cram in Year 11. Too many coursework & controlled assessment deadlines. If pupils fall behind it s very difficult to catch up. Good work habits need setting.
There will be more content. Maths 9-1 All exams sat at the end of the course. A greater emphasis on problem solving and mathematical reasoning. The need to memorise formulae with fewer given in the exam. Higher Paper Grades 9-4 Foundation Paper Grades 5-1
English 9-l All pupils follow English Lang and Lit. All exams taken at end of Yr11. No controlled assessment. Set texts NOT allowed to be taken into the exam. All pupils have a Spoken Language Assessment which is reported as a separate grade.
Impact of grade changes In 2017 there is expected to be a drop in the percentage of pupils achieving a grade 5+ in maths and English. The bar has been raised and pupils will need to aim higher to achieve the new grade 5+. Entry to LPA 6 th a 5+ in EM will mean a wider range of courses available to you.
GCSE, Level 2 Certificate or BTEC (Tech GCSE Awards) Controlled assessment in some subjects Examination Linear no longer modular Weighting varies depending on subject BTEC Firsts 25% of external assessment must contribute to the final grade 75% coursework
Before anything else, preparation is the key to success. Alexander Graham Bell
What can you do to help? Establish routines / expectations early on. Homework 1-2 hours per night Recap learning ask / discussion you do not need to be an expert! Sleep crucial Balance social / sport / school Jobs no more than 10 hours per week recommended
If pupils are absent They need to catch up what they missed. They need to understand what they have missed. Lesson resources are on Itslearning. Gaps are the enemy of success as most learning is sequential
Use the provision in school Library open at lunch times and after school Home work club 3 4 pm Sessions offered as intervention Itslearning/SAM learning
Revision: What can you do to help? Remove distractions Revise with them, test them. Help your son/daughter to set up a revision timetable. Display it somewhere everyone can see and make sure they stick to it.
Learning and revision is a (never-ending!) and ongoing process throughout Year 10 and 11 Some subjects have a very large subject content with all information being tested right at the very end of Year 11. Work needs to be revisited regularly throughout the course. A little and often approach to revision helps. When they say they don t have anything to do, they do!
So what should they be doing to revise? Study (verb) devote time and attention to gaining knowledge of (an academic subject), especially by means of books.
Revision needs to be active Looking at something or reading something will not make the information stick. Students need to DO something with the information that they need to know for their exams. The revision process is UNDERSTAND it, CONDENSE it, REVIEW it, TEST it.
Create a set of revision notes for each topic of every subject to CONDENSEyour learning
Memorising Techniques Repetition and song. Breaking learning into small chunks. Use of images and prompts. First letter triggers Look, cover, write, check. Regularreview of learning.
Practice makes Perfect