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Year 11 Parents’ Information Evening 25 th February 2010

Year 11 Parents’ Information Evening 25 th February 2010. Preparing for GCSE Examinations. ‘The truth about exams’. Exams are not designed to catch you out. They provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your abilities. Examiners like giving marks to people who do what is asked of them.

Audrey
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Year 11 Parents’ Information Evening 25 th February 2010

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  1. Year 11 Parents’ Information Evening25th February 2010 Preparing for GCSE Examinations

  2. ‘The truth about exams’ • Exams are not designed to catch you out. • They provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your abilities. • Examiners like giving marks to people who do what is asked of them. • Exams can be completed in the allotted time. • Everyone’s memory is sufficient.

  3. Reflecting Mock Examinations • Revision strategies • Mock Examination Results • Tiers of Entry Year 11 Reports • Teacher Comments • Targets for further development • Attainment grades

  4. Supporting Revision: School • Tutorial- study skills (target groups) • Revision guides • After school sessions • Easter revision sessions • Resources/links on the learning platform • Mentoring • Outside speakers (Tom Barwood; Positively Mad)

  5. Subject Specific Information • English • Maths • Science • RE • Modern Foreign Languages

  6. GCSE English The nuts and bolts…

  7. Where the marks go: Coursework: 20% Reading and Writing 20% Speaking and Listening This is done in school during Years 10 and 11; The written components have already been completed; the spoken component will be completed this half-term. Examinations: 30% Paper 1: Media and non-fiction (reading) Writing to discuss, argue, persuade 30% Paper 2: Poetry from other cultures (reading) Writing to inform, explain, describe

  8. Paper 1: Section A (Reading Media and non-fiction) A series of short answer questions on 2 unseen stimuli – text, image, prose, adverts, reviews, fiction &c. You will need to be able to analyse, discuss and compare writers’ intentions, meanings, techniques and outcomes. How should I revise? • Reading a range of texts, from fiction to adverts to charity letters – what does the writer want me to consider and how does he achieve it? • Revising the terminology for analysing writers’ craft and stylistic features

  9. Paper 1: Section B (Writing to discuss, argue, persuade) A choice of 4 questions, from which you choose 1; Each choice is one of the styles of writing, plus a 4th which combines 2. Examiners always link written tasks into the stimulus material from Section A. How should I revise? • Think about a range of issues or debates and try to formulate a response from both sides of the argument; • Revising the stylistic features for each style of writing – try to write a recipe! • Remembering to apply PAFL/FAP to any given task; • Remembering the aspects of written English you had identified for improvement from the mock exams – don’t make the same mistakes twice!

  10. Paper 2: Section A (Reading – Poetry from other cultures) You will have studied the poems from ‘Cluster 1’ of the Anthology; The exam question will ask you to compare two poems - the examiner will give you the theme to discuss, as well as one of the poems you must discuss. The 2nd poem is your choice. How should I revise? • Make sure you have detailed notes on all of the poems from ‘Cluster 1’ or ‘Cluster 2’ in the Anthology; • Revise the terminology to enable you to discuss the poets’ methodology and effects; • Try to draw comparative links between the poems; • Plan answers to sample questions.

  11. Paper 2: Section B (Writing to inform, explain, describe) A choice of 4 questions, from which you choose 1; Each choice is one of the styles of writing, plus a 4th which combines 2. How should I revise? • Think about a range of issues or debates and try to formulate a response from both sides of the argument; • Revising the stylistic features for each style of writing – try to write a recipe! • Remembering to apply PAFL/FAP to any given task; • Remembering the aspects of written English you had identified for improvement from the mock exams – don’t make the same mistakes twice!

  12. General advice… • Make sure you know the requirements of each exam paper; • Make sure you’re able to discuss the techniques and methodology of writers at work in reading questions, otherwise you’ll just describe; • Make sure you know which techniques to employ in each of the writing tasks to be successful.

  13. GCSE English Literature The nuts and bolts…

  14. Where the marks go… Coursework: 30% assessed over three essays; This component has already been completed in school. Examination: 23% Modern novel (Of Mice and Men, Heroes) 47% Poetry (Armitage & Duffy, with pre-1914 poetry)

  15. Section A: Prose novel A choice of 2 questions on the novel studied. You will need to be able to analyse and discuss writers’ intentions, meanings, techniques and outcomes; You will also need to be able to give specific and detailed references to the text for higher grades. How should I revise? • Re-read your novel; • Make sure you have notes on key themes and characters; • Revising the terminology for analysing writers’ craft and stylistic features

  16. Section B: Poetry A choice of 3 questions, covering Armitage, Duffy and pre-1914 poems You will need to be able to analyse, discuss and compare writers’ intentions, meanings, techniques and outcomes. • The main marks go on two things – • Your ability to compare 4 poems; • Your ability to discuss and analyse poets’ methods and features of language How should I revise? • Make sure you have detailed notes on poems of Armitage, Duffy and pre-1914 poems; • Make sure you know how to draw links thematically between the poems;

  17. General revision • CGP / Collins revision guides (deadline for payment on Friday); students have been given a letter; • www.bbc.co.uk/gcsebitesize - series of good revision activities on specific texts and papers; • Read over mock exams – ensure you don’t make the same errors twice; follow marker’s advice; • www.aqa.org.uk – past papers and mark-schemes are available under assessment material section of English ‘A’ GCSE.

  18. GCSE Mathematics 2010 St. Paul’s Catholic School

  19. Let’s begin…. • Think of a number • Double it • Add ten • Divide by 2 • Take away the number you first thought of • The answer is…… 5

  20. Revising for Maths • www.mymaths.co.uk • CGP Revision Guide • www.st-pauls.org.uk Past Papers and Grade Descriptors

  21. Key Dates Higher and Foundation: Monday 7th June 2010 – Non Calculator Paper Friday 11th June 2010 - Calculator Paper

  22. Preparations for GCSE Additional Science (the Year 11 modules) St. Paul’s Science Department

  23. Just to recap: • GCSE Science (Year 10) • 2 examined units (some students resat in January: awaiting results). • Science In The News + Can Do tasks (33%). • GCSE Additional Science (Year 11) • 2 examined units (this summer). • Research Study (done) and Data Task (March 10).(33%)

  24. So where are we now? • Coursework is now called “Assessment of skills” and has a weighting of 33% towards this summer’s grade. • It is broken down into: (1) Research Study (24 marks) (2) Data Task (30 marks)(more to follow) (3) Practical Skills (6 marks)(a mark is awarded by the teachers based on your child’s general performance in practical-based sessions).

  25. Data Tasks are happening at the moment • 10th March is the date for the writing up to be precise. • The topic is on “Fuses and Electrical Safety”. Full details on the Learning Platform. • Students have done practical work on this and in preparation in lessons (and at home), they have: • Collected sample results which they need to bring to the session • Received a sheet of questions which they can rehearse in advance. E.g. drawing the graph effectively, making a list of evaluation points…this sheet should also be brought to the Wednesday session.

  26. Any further controlled assessments • We are at present looking at those students who for one reason or another have not completed all of the coursework requirements. • Letters will go home suggesting that the student attends an after-school session (date tbc) to complete this. • Any requests for retakes must be discussed with your lead teacher/Miss Lintern/Mr. Palmer and implemented BEFORE EASTER.

  27. And what about this summer? • After the “skills assessment”, there are two further content-based examination papers (each with a weighting of 33%) which cover the material studied since September. • The Christmas mock (Unit 3) (now available for review on the Learning Platform) was based on the first paper. • The Unit 4 mock will run on Wed 31 March in lessons. A past paper on this is on the Learning Platform.

  28. What should your child take away from the mocks? • The evaluation of these is crucial. • It informs where your child is at both in terms of: • Content (e.g. great at photosynthesis but needs to look at forces – recent reports made many comments on this) • Skills (e.g. interpreting data, making well-informed conclusions, predictions etc.) • Examination technique – careful reading of questions, use of subject-specific language.

  29. What can be done with this information? • This is where revision guides and workbooks come in: So have I! I have already been issued

  30. Use me to look in the index at the areas of weakness (mock papers were returned) Bring to every lesson Note areas of the workbook that correspond to lessons being covered. Complete relevant pages and request marking and feedback.

  31. DO NOT WAIT TO DO ALL THIS UNTIL AFTER EASTER. THIS WILL BE TOO LATE. Start using it last week!!

  32. Exam dates • Paper 3 Wed 26 May AM • Paper 4 Wed 9 June PM We break up for half term on Friday 28 May. And for Triple • Y11 Biology Wed 9 June PM • Y11 Chemistry Wed 16 June AM • Y11 Physics Fri 18 June PM

  33. Preparations for GCSE RE (Year 11 ) St. Paul’s Religious Education Department Summer 2010

  34. The Exam • Ed excel exam board www.edexcel.org.uk • Unit J • 2 hours • 50% of final GCSE grade-it will be combined with the year 10 unit C result • 24th May 2010 (AM)

  35. Topics covered on the exam • Beliefs and Values • Community and Tradition • Worship and Celebration • Living the Christian Life • Christian Vocation

  36. For each topic there is a choice of two sets of questions and pupils must answer a whole set of questions on each of the five topics. • This means pupils will have approximately 22.5 minutes to answer each of the first four sets of questions and 30 minutes to answer Christian Vocation as this is the extended writing section.

  37. EXAM SKILLSThere are 4 types of questions on the exam paper A type questions 2 marks (DEFINE) Pupils will need to recall a definition of one of their key words. B type questions 6 marks (DESCRIBE) Pupils will be asked to outline or describe an issue. Here they must recall and select key points of information. C type questions 8 marks (EXPLAIN) Pupils will need to explain something usually making 4 points. Here pupils will also need to use source evidence to help their explanations such as biblical evidence. Pupils will be awarded marks for the quality of the written communication here. D type questions 4 marks (EVALUATE) Pupils will be given a statement and be asked the question ‘Do you agree? show that you have considered more than one point of view. Pupils must discuss both sides of the issue showing views for and against.

  38. What are pupils already doing to prepare for this? • Regular homework tasks and practice exam questions in lessons. • Pupils sat the Mock exam in December where they answered 3 sets of questions on the covered so far. • Every pupil has received detailed feedback on each section of the exam with clear targets to support their progress

  39. What will happen now? • 4 weeks prior to the exam all lessons in RE will be revision based. • However it is vital that pupils are learning the content for their exam at home as the revision lessons will be largely skills based. • As part of these lessons the RE department will also be providing revision materials for pupils

  40. Independent preparation for the summer exam • Catholic Christianity Revision Guide (Details of this book are available on the learning platform) Most year 11 pupils have already bought a copy of this but there are still a few available in school. • Using the variety of revision resources that are available on the learning platform including practice exam questions and model answers.

  41. Pupils retaking Year 10 Unit C exam • You will have been notified with a letter in the post if this applies to your child. • We are offering a series of revision sessions to support these pupils as the year 10 material will not be covered again in lesson time. • THESE BEGIN ON MONDAY 1st MARCH

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