Welcome to The Westbourne Academy Year 10 Information/Curriculum Evening 14 th January 2016
Mr Bouckley Vice Principal Student Performance/Progress
Time of Change New Subject Specifications 3 Phases (Rigour / Higher Standards / Preparation) Move to assessment at end of the course New Grading System 3 Phases (GCSE A*-G / 1 9 / Vocational Grades) New Progress Measure for Schools Progress 8
Support & Communication Year 10 Parents Evening (April 2016) Career Skills Event (June 2016) Mock / Progress Review Examinations (June 2016) Year 11 Careers Fair (Sep 2016) Transition Eve (Oct 2016) Application check (Oct 2016) Parent Tutor Meetings Information Packs (Oct 2016) Progress Review Examinations (Dec 2016) Results Assembly (Jan 2017) Progression Interviews (Jan 2017) Parents & Revision Skills Evening (before Feb HT) Throughout Regular Assemblies with me
Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset
GCSE English Language and Literature
The GCSE of the Past 100% coursework for both GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature. Focus was on creative writing. Enjoyment of literature. Opportunity to redraft pieces of work.
The GCSE of the Present English Language 40% coursework this can be taken home and redrafted. 20% speaking and listening a presentation and discussion. 40% exam read two texts and answer questions. English Literature 25% controlled assessment - coursework which can be completed in school only. 35% poetry exam. 40% prose exam. For both exams, you are allowed copies of the relevant texts.
The GCSE of the Future (Year Ten) English Language Paper 1: Explorations in creative Reading and Writing (1 hr 45 mins 50% of the GCSE). The exam paper is divided into two sections: Section A requires students to read one literature fiction text and answer a variety of questions. Section B requires students to complete either a piece of descriptive or narrative writing. Students are assessed for content as well as SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar). Both sections are worth forty marks Paper 2: Writers viewpoints and perspectives (1 hr 45 mins - 50% of the GCSE). This exam paper is also divided into two sections: Section A requires students to read one non-fiction text and one literary fiction text. Students will have a variety of questions to answer. Section B requires students to complete a task linked to writing a viewpoint. Students will need to understand the features of writing to explain, writing to persuade, writing to argue and writing to instruct/advise.
What about Speaking and Listening? Students will still be required to complete a speaking and listening assessment although this will not contribute towards their overall GCSE grade. They will receive a certificate which will give them a grade for their communication skills. Employers, FE colleges, sixth forms may ask to see the certificate.
What about GCSE English Literature? Paper 1: Shakespeare and the nineteenth century novel (1 hr 45 mins 40% of the GCSE) This exam is closed book and is divided into two sections: Section A will focus on Romeo and Juliet. The exam will have an extract from the play. Students will need to write in detail about the extract and the play as a whole. Section B will focus on A Christmas Carol. Students will have an extract and will need to write in detail about the extract and the play as a whole. Both sections are equally weighted. Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry (2 hr 15 mins 60% of the GCSE) The exam paper is closed book and divided into three sections: Section A looks at Animal Farm. Students will need to write a response to an essay question. This question is worth thirty marks plus an additional four marks for SPAG. Section B will focus on the poetry anthology Love and Relationships. Students will be required to compare two poems from the anthology. This question is worth thirty marks. Section C is the unseen poetry. Students will answer a question on an unseen poem and then compare the unseen poem to another unseen poem. This question is worth thirty two marks.
So what are the main differences? There is no coursework. Everything is assessed by exam at the end of Year Eleven there is no opportunity to do early entry. All Literature exams will be closed book students will not be allowed copies of the texts in the exam. They will need to remember the plot, characters, settings etc. and learn quotations from the texts. Closed book exams are a feature of A Level exams. Some of the texts for GCSE would have been traditional A Level texts in the past.
So what are the main differences? The GCSE in English Language will require students to read a variety of different texts in the exams including extracts from fiction, non fiction and even reading 19 th century texts. There will be a variety of questions which will look at aspects such as summarising, comparing texts and language analysis. There is more emphasis on SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) with the writing tasks. Each writing task has twenty four marks for content and sixteen for SPAG.
How we are supporting students? We have started both GCSEs in Year Nine to enable students to have enough time to cover everything in detail. So far, students have studied Animal Farm and Romeo and Juliet in Year Nine. In Year Ten, we have looked at A Christmas Carol and will start looking at the poetry. We have also been reading fiction texts and understanding how to answer the questions. We have been focusing on improving students writing skills practice makes perfect.
How can you support? All teachers are setting homework on Show My Homework. Please encourage your son/daughter to complete all work. Students should be doing at least one hour per week. Reading. Websites. Mr Bruff YouTube.
Westbourne Academy Maths Dept. GCSE Mathematics
From September 2015, GCSE Mathematics is going to change and get more demanding for everyone. The changes are designed to help students emerge from GCSE Mathematics with a level of confidence and fluency that will provide a genuine foundation for the rest of their learning and working lives. Your will be the first cohort to sit the new examinations in June 2017. Examination board At Westbourne we will be using the Edexcel GCSE Mathematics specification (9-1). For full details visit the Edexcel website: http://qualifications.pearson.com
Westbourne Academy Maths Dept Edexcel GCSE Mathematics Two Levels of Entry: Foundation Grades 1-5 Higher Grades 4-9
Westbourne Academy Maths Dept Edexcel GCSE Mathematics Final Examination Paper 1 - Non Calculator - Maximum 80 marks Paper 2 - Calculator - Maximum 80 marks Paper 3 - Calculator - Maximum 80 marks Each paper lasts 90 minutes. Students can be entered for either foundation or higher level, and this level of entry will determine what final grade they are able to achieve.
The Changes Westbourne Academy Maths Dept 1. It s BIGGER. The new GCSE is bigger in size than the current GCSE. 2. There s more content at both tiers. There has been an increase in the breadth and depth of content to be covered at the Higher tier. More content has been added to the Higher tier to stretch and challenge the most able students and to help prepare them for A Level Mathematics.
Additions to the papers Westbourne Academy Maths Dept Foundation Paper Standard form Vectors Trigonometry Factorising quadratics Acceleration Laws of indices Direct/Indirect proportion Simultaneous equations Lengths of arcs and Areas of sectors Tree diagrams Density Fractional enlargement Compound and Reverse percentages Higher Paper Expand the products of two or more binomials Composite functions Deduce turning points from completing the square Estimate gradients of graphs and find the area under the graphs Geometric progression of surds and sequences Conditional probability and venn diagrams Nth term of quadratic sequences
Westbourne Academy Maths Dept 3. There are new Assessment Objectives The new Assessment Objectives place greater emphasis on mathematical problem solving and mathematical reasoning and communication. Also, greater emphasis is placed on assessing skills in Algebra and Statistics and Probability in the new GCSE specification. 4. There are more formulae that students will need to memorise for the examinations The number of formulae that students can be provided with in the examinations has been reduced, so students will need to memorise some formulae, such as the quadratic formula.
Westbourne Academy Maths Dept 5. The structure of the papers has changed The new structure of the papers will see fewer questions targeted at the lowest grades and more questions targeted at the highest grades. 6. There s a new grading system A new grading system has been introduced using numbers to represent grades instead of letters. The new grades are on a scale of 9 1, with 9 representing the highest grade and 1 the lowest (rough equivalence given in the table below). Level 5 = Good C grade
Westbourne Academy Maths Dept 7. The assessments will be more demanding The new content added, increased emphasis on mathematical problem solving, reasoning and communication, as well as the increased assessment time and change in the structure of the papers, all mean that GCSE Mathematics examinations will be more demanding in the future.
Westbourne Academy Maths Dept Changes the Mathematics Department have already made Schemes of work already allow for an accelerated pathway through KS3 with GCSE being started in Year 9. All current schemes of work follow the new problem solving format. Extension questions in lessons, and for homework, test problem solving skills.
What you can do to support Provide them with the equipment they will need Pen Pencil Ruler Scientific Calculator (fx-85gt PLUS) Compass Protractor Westbourne Academy Maths Dept They will also need to use a computer with reliable internet access for online homework and research. Ensure that, when homework is set and completed by the deadline Work from the CGP package to revise.
Westbourne Academy Maths Dept After GCSE GCSE mathematics is important for lots of different reasons. If you are planning to go on to further study after GCSE then prospective sixth forms and colleges will be interested in your GCSE maths result. Future employers will also use your maths grade as indicator to your future potential. There is the potential to study mathematics after GCSE by studying maths at AS or A Level. GCSE mathematics will provide you with the skills to deal with numerical based problems in your everyday life. It will also help you to enhance logical thinking and problem solving skills that you may need to use in the future.
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Thank you for your support Mr Bouckley, Miss Moore & Miss Abbott We will be available for questions now or if you wish please email reception with any question Office@Westbourne.attrust.org.uk