Year 9 Parents’ Information Evening for Key Stage 4

Thursday 20 th June, 6.00-7.00 p.m.

Aims of the Evening

To feedback to students on their Option choices

Give parents and students a clear idea of what is needed to start and move

through the GCSE years successfully.

2013-14

OverviewWe follow AQA Specifications2 Separate GCSE qualificationsAssessed by Controlled Assessment,

Teacher Assessment and ExaminationsExaminations will take place at the end

of Year 11Higher and Foundation Tier entry

available based upon student ability not set. It is decided by students’ teachers.

English Language GCSE

Paper 1 (Understanding and Producing Non fiction Texts):

40%Controlled Assessment: 40%

Speaking and Listening: 20%

Controlled Assessment tasks(a) Extended Reading: A response to a

play or a novel : 15% of GCSE (3-4 hours)

(b) Creative Writing (2 Tasks): 15% of GCSE (3-4 hours)

Spoken language Study:10% of GCSE (2-3 hours)

AQA change the tasks each year and publish them in the Summer term

Speaking and Listening20% of GCSE3 Separate Tasks:(a) Presenting(b) Discussing and Listening(c) Role playing.

Teacher assessed (1 overall mark)

GCSE English Language Examination2 Hours 15 Minutes2 Sections: Reading and WritingReading: Responses to non-fiction texts

(e.g. newspaper articles/ adverts/ brochures)

Writing: 2 tasks Write to inform, explain, describe Write to argue or persuade

English Literature GCSE

Controlled Assessment: 25%2 Examinations 75%

English GCSESingle GCSE qualification for students

that find joint GCSEs challenging.

Unit 1: 2 hr 15 min Examination (Reading and Writing Tasks)

40% of GCSEUnit 2: Speaking and Listening (3 Tasks)

20%of GCSEUnit 3: Controlled Assessment (5 Tasks)

40% of GCSE

What can you do to support?Ensure that students re-read and

revised all key texts. They should focus on themes, characters and language analysis.

Look at examples of non-fiction texts and ask students to respond in terms of language or layout (newspapers/ magazines/ print adverts/ websites)

Encourage students to undertake timed essays in addition to those completed in class/ for homework

Ensure students know the dates of the exams (and the content) and arrive fully prepared having eaten and slept!

For more information

www.aqa.org.uk/qualifications/gcse/english

.For sample questions and mark schemes

Students are advised to purchase revision guides for the Unit One exam.

We cannot get a discount on these so you are advised to purchase direct from the

supplier.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/GCSE-English-Language-Student-Book/dp/0435118129/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1355400826&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.co.uk/GCSE-English-Language-Student-Book/dp/0435118145#_

At HomeUnlike subjects like the sciences and History, there are few facts to be learned. Rather, GCSE English is almost entirely focussed on acquiring skills – principally reading and writing.

Practise ReadingRemember that encouraging your child to read

doesn’t mean you should only push fiction. Everyone likes a story, but many kids, especially boys, don’t really engage with novel-length fiction in their teenage years. Factual material is just as effective when it comes to promoting basic skills, so look out for books about sport, science and technology and so on. Newspapers are obviously good, and don’t knock your kids when they lounge around reading magazines – it’s all to the good. Remember, too, that your child will be expected to deal with factual material as part of GCSE English.

Practise WritingWe know that persuasive skills will

be tested, so it’s worth practicing them. Your English teacher will be happy to mark your attempts!

Set your own questions: e.g. Persuade me that homework is not necessary!

Quick Fixes (they do exist!)The best quick fixes are in the areas of

spelling and punctuation. These are important areas in themselves in GCSE English exams, but the way an exam candidate spells and punctuates affects the examiner’s view of him or her. If an examiner sees a GCSE English paper or piece of coursework that is properly and consistently spelt and punctuated, that examiner will unconsciously assume that it’s from a strong candidate. Why? Because A and A* candidates tend to be good at that sort of thing, C and D candidates less so – it’s just a case of what the examiner is used to seeing.

Look at their books…Your best bet if GCSE is looming is to go

through your child’s schoolwork and try to identify the top dozen or twenty misspellings. Some are common to nearly all weak spellers: ‘thier’ instead of ‘their’, ‘aswell’ instead of ‘as well’. Make a list and get your child to learn them off by heart – it shouldn’t take long, and it will help claw back some marks that might otherwise have been lost.

Your children should be bringing their books home once a week.

Punctuation is easier, because there are rules to be learned, and lots of resources around to help. Many children (and adults!) have problems with punctuation simply because they have never been formally taught how to use it properly – which is ridiculous when you think about it, because most punctuation is so easy. I always tell my students that just knowing how to use apostrophes properly is worth half a grade at GCSE English – and when they are writing it really can make a difference!

There’s some good material on punctuation – and a range of other topics – at the BBC Skillswise website.

• If a student achieves a level 5 at the end of KS3, they should target a grade C at GCSE or a Pass at Btec. • If a student achieves a level 7 at KS3, they should target a grade A/A* at GCSE or a Distinction/D* at BTec.•Teachers will identify students’ targets using estimates. It is important that students know their targets and aim high.

The 2 different styles of course- GCSE and Applied Learning.

Modular exams have been abolished. All GCSE exams are now linear, where

students take exams at the end of the course.

There are no exams for Applied Learning courses. Assessments occur during the course in the form of portfolios. Applied Learning courses include Performing Arts, Business Studies and Young Apprentice.

Coursework in Applied Learning courses.

Good organisation is essential for success in Applied Learning courses.

Coursework marks must be at least in line with the target grade.

Students must accept the support offered by teachers and make close reference to coursework criteria.

STUDENTS MUST HIT COURSEWORK DEADLINES!!!!

Controlled Assessments in GCSE courses.

Controlled assessments are half way between an exam and coursework.

You could say that controlled assessments are like coursework but done in exam conditions, in lessons and students are not allowed to take them home to work on.

They make up huge percentages of the total marks for the course, e.g. For English, 60% of marks go to the controlled assessment.

Do all GCSE courses involve controlled assessments?

No!Some GCSEs have no controlled

assessment, e.g Maths, RS.Some GCSEs have a 75/25 split, (75%

exam, 25% CA,) e.g. Geography and History.

Some GCSEs have a 40/60 split, (40% exam, 60% CA,) e.g English/Eng. Lang.

3 different levels of controlHigh level. You will be given the resources

that you can use. No internet access is allowed. Teachers save all students work on memory sticks from lesson to lesson.

Medium level (most common.) Lessons have just the same atmosphere as exam conditions. Students can put their hand up and wait for the teacher to come over to talk quietly.

Low level. Students can work on tasks independently, inside and outside of lessons. Internet can be used for research.

Re-sitsEnglish and Maths can be retaken

in the November of Year 12.If an exam in a core subject is

taken at the end of Yr 10, the exam can be taken again at the end of Yr 11.

Other than this, all re-sits have been abolished.

Assessments during KS4Assessments will be on going during Yr

10 and 11.During KS3, Academic Performance

Checks (APCs) have gone home 3 times a year.

During KS4, APCs happen 5 times a year.

During Yr 11, APCs for English and Maths will be monthly.

Intervention during Key Stage 4Intervention is the extra support put in place

to help students who are underachieving.Intervention sessions occur after school for

an hour, (Tues-English, Wed-Maths, Thurs-Science.) All students are welcome. However, those students who are on the intervention list are required to attend.

We have a large number of intervention strategies to support students, including academic mentoring, Away Days for core subjects, holiday revision sessions, revision breakfasts, mini academic review days and walking/talking practice papers.

Getting started on the Wye Valley Virtual Learning Environment

learning.wyevalley.bucks.sch.ukIf www is put before this, it will NOT work.Every student will need to know their

specific user name and password. These will be the same as your Bucks gfl usernames and passwords from your last school.

You can change your password, but if you do and then forget what it is, we can’t help you. If you change it, REMEMBER IT.

Using the VLEThe Wye Valley VLE is an on going project.

Additional resources will be gradually uploaded as time goes on.

Includes past papers and mark schemes, revision activities and direct links to revision websites.

Sometimes you need to ‘left click’ on the yellow bar at the top of the screen to download files.

When using the VLE, only ever use a single ‘click.’ Don’t double click!

HomeworkAll homework will be set in accordance with

the homework timetable.All homework will be uploaded onto Google

Calendar.All students are expected to use their

planners to the full. Students should have their planners out on

the desk throughout every lesson.Teachers will give students time and support

to write down the necessary details.

The New Secondary Curriculum

Department of Mathematics

What do students want?Active lessons where they get involved

Useful feedback and more praising

Challenge and not too much repetition

More choice, more practical skills, more relevance and coherence

Aims

Successful learners, who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve.

Confident individuals.

Responsible citizens.

What’s changed?Examination papers assess learners’

ability to: Overall weightingAO1 recall and use their knowledge of

the prescribed content 45 – 55%AO2 select and apply mathematical

methods in a range of contexts 25 – 35%AO3 interpret and analyze problems and

generate strategies to solve them 15 – 25%

Functional SkillsThe functional elements of mathematics are

embedded in this specification. Accordingly, some questions in each paper will assess the functional elements of the subject, as follows:

Higher tier 20 – 30%

Foundation tier 30 – 40%

The functional elements focus on the following key processes

Representing is about understanding ‘real-world’

problems and selecting the mathematics to solve

them.

Analysing involves applying a range of mathematics within realistic contexts.

Interpreting requires communicating and justifying solutions and linking solutions back to the original context of the problem

GradingFoundation tier grades C – G availableHigher tier grades A* – D available (E allowed)Paper 1Written paper (no calculator) 40% of the

assessmentFoundation tier 1 hour 30 mins 100 marksHigher tier 1 hour 45 mins 100 marksPaper 2Written paper (calculator allowed) 60% of the

assessmentFoundation tier 1 hour 30 mins 100 marksHigher tier 1hour 45 mins 100 marks

Monthly assessment and tracking will be used to

monitor progress throughout the whole

GCSE

GCSE Examination at the end of year 10 will be considered for some

students where appropriate.

Students may than follow a GCSE Statistics Course

Twenty First Century Science Suite

GCSE ScienceGCSE Additional

ScienceGCSE BiologyGCSE ChemistryGCSE Physics

3 Possible PathwaysTriple Science – 3 GCSEs – can get a different

grade for each e.g. AAB, ABC etc – 9 exams and 3 controlled assessment tasks – taken over 2 ½ years – 10 lessons a fortnight in year 10 and 11

Double Science – 2 GCSEs – 1 core science and 1 additional science – 6 exams and 2 controlled assessment tasks -taken over 2 ½ years – 10 lessons a fortnight in year 10 and 11

Single Science – 1 GCSE -1 core science GCSE – 3 exams and 1 controlled assessment task -taken over 2 ½ years – 6 lessons a fortnight in year 10 and 11.

How will students be selected for triple science ?

Due to the nature of the course and the amount of content that has to be covered, triple science is only offered to students working at KS3 Level 7+

This year students will gain an additional 4 lessons per fortnight – 14 lessons in total.

B1, B2, B3 B4, B5, B6 B7Controlled

assessment 1

 

GCSE Biology

25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25%

C1, C2, C3 C4, C5, C6 C7Controlled

assessment 2

 

GCSE Chemistry

25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25%

P1, P2, P3 P4, P5, P6 P7Controlled

assessment 3

 

GCSE Physics

25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25%

B1, C1, P1 B2, C2, P2 B3, C3, P3Controlled

assessment 1

 

GCSEScience

25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25%

   

 

  

B4, C4, P4 B5, C5, P5 B6, C6, P6Controlled

assessment 2  GCSE

Additional Science

25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25% 60 min 25%  

B1, C1, P1 B2, C2, P2 B3, C3, P3

Controlled assessment

1

 

GCSEScience

25% 60 min

25% 60 min

25% 60 min 25%

•This year we have also introduced Entry Level Science.•This is an additional qualification that single science students will gain.•This is a foundation course for GCSE science, the aim of which is to improve grades at GCSE science level.•By the end of year 11 students will gain a GCSE science and Entry level science certificate

Re-sitsResits are no longer available for any of the GCSE sciences.

Students will only have one opportunity to sit the exam paper.

The Terminal RuleAll exam papers will be taken at the

end of Year 11Although the exam papers will

probably still be separated into modules, students will only be able to sit the papers at the end of the course.

Twenty First Century ScienceControlled Assessments for GCSE Science

Case Study of a topical issue in science and Practical Data Analysis (two independent tasks)

Case Study is based on stimulus material, but candidates still have flexibility to frame their own question

The Case Study will have to be completed in exam conditions in the ICT suite

Twenty First Century Science SuiteControlled Assessments for GCSE Additional Science and the separate sciences

A single Practical Investigation that draws together the skills of predicting and planning, and collecting, interpreting, evaluating and reviewing primary and secondary data

Links with PublishersOxford university Press – 21st Century ScienceAlso do their own range of revision guides (details available)Workbooks also available - £5

CGP revision guides - £3 each (available today)Single science need 1 guides, Double science need 2 guides and Triple science need 3 guides.

CGP also do a range of workbooks to accompany their revision guides

VLEResources you will find on the VLE:Past papers and mark schemesUpdate Questions – strategies to

improve gradesLesson resources and PowerPoint'sHomework’s associated with each unit

of workLinks to useful websitesAnd lots more……