nicholas breakspear catholic school

1. Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School 14-19 Education Year 11 Parent and Student Information Evening 2009 Welcome Prayer Holy Father, Holy God, You have given each of us a job of work to do; Give us determination and strength to try to develop the talents you have entrusted to us, And grant that whatever we do we do it with all our might, To your honour and glory, For Jesus Christ�s sake. Amen Students here joined NBS two years ago We hope they will all go on to Year 13 Tonight and for the next few weeks and months they are at a crossroads They are faced with decisions that will affect the rest of their lives � their future studies, their future employment. I will talk briefly and then parents and students will have the opportunity to speak with subject teachers. Use a flexible curriculum to motivate students and encourage achievementWelcome Prayer Holy Father, Holy God, You have given each of us a job of work to do; Give us determination and strength to try to develop the talents you have entrusted to us, And grant that whatever we do we do it with all our might, To your honour and glory, For Jesus Christ�s sake. Amen Students here joined NBS two years ago We hope they will all go on to Year 13 Tonight and for the next few weeks and months they are at a crossroads They are faced with decisions that will affect the rest of their lives � their future studies, their future employment. I will talk briefly and then parents and students will have the opportunity to speak with subject teachers. Use a flexible curriculum to motivate students and encourage achievement

3. This evening The Heads of Maths, English, Science and RE will take you through their courses, support and expectations. Mr Roberts will go through how the school will be supporting our students during this year and our expectations of them. I will go through active support that parents can give and some tips on how to assist in the revision process.

4. RE RE G.C.S.E consists of two exams worth 50% each. Students sat 50% of their Religious Studies G.C.S.E in year 10. There is no coursework. Homework is set once a week. At the end of each topic students are expected to meet their target grades. Students who fail to meet their target grades will be expected to attend extra classes after school in order to help them achieve their full potential in RE.

5. G.C.S.E. MATHEMATICS

6. KEY FACTS No coursework Year 11 Mock exam in December Analysis of papers in January Course finishes in March In class revision After-school revision classes

7. THE EXAMINATION FOUNDATION G F E D C HIGHER D C B A A* 2 PAPERS � non-calculator then calculator (scientific calculator)

8. RECOMMENDED MATHS SITES BBC GCSE Bitesize MyMaths Nicholas Breakspear Web Site

12. English Language and English Literature G.C.S.E

13. Coursework Media Shakespeare Prose Study Original Writing Drama Coursework surgery is on in Room 12 every Monday from 3:05-4:30 until Christmas.

14. Revising at School After school revision sessions will be put in place in March and targeted at: - A and A* C/D borderlines 5 A*-C in Maths and English

15. Revising at Home

16. Examinations English Language Non Fiction and Media Writing to persuade/ argue/describe Poems from other cultures Writing to inform/ explain/describe English Literature Set text Duffy, Armitage and Pre-1914 poetry

17. How can I help my child to revise? Read and discuss newspaper and magazine articles. Read the set text yourself! Encourage your child to attend revision sessions.

19. Exams and coursework (over two years) Core Science = 3 module tests + ideas in context exam + case study + data analysis. Additional Science = 3 module tests + full investigation + ideas in context exam. Applied Science = 3 modules tests + work related portfolio ( 50% of GCSE) Triple Science = 9 module tests + 3 ideas in context exams + 2 case studies + 2 data analysis + full investigation.

20. Changes for 2010 In the past, the module tests have been multiple choice. In January 2010 the structure of the exams change. They will consist of approximately 66 % multiple choice and 33 % extended structured questions.

21. Module retakes and January 2010 exams. Over the next few weeks, students will be identified as not having reached their full potential in their exams. You will receive a letter of confirmation that your son/daughter will be retaking a particular module in January 2010. ALL students will be taking exams in January (new and retakes). Their attendance in this exam will be compulsory.

22. What support can you give? The Science department will be running coursework catch-up clubs and revision evenings during December and March. Please ensure that students regularly attend to maximise their potential. The OCR website contains all the past papers and mark schemes for your child to practice. http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/lgcse/tfcs/index.aspx The syllabus is 21st century Science suite A. Revision books are also for sale at �3.00 each (a letter will be sent out in due course).

23. Work � How much? Obviously, it is vital that all homework is done as this relates to coursework and exam knowledge. Approx 1 � hrs � 2 hrs a night, including weekends, increasing as we get closer to exam time. There is little point in working additional hours out of school if lessons do not get your full attention.

24. Balance It is important to get a balance between school work, part time jobs, social life and sleep. This is a stressful time for students and some need support to cope with these pressures and to keep things in perspective in order to fulfil their potential.

25. Support for coursework In addition to the subject specific help as outlined earlier there is: Homework / coursework / revision time in the Library every evening from 3.05 � 6.00pm Access to the library from 7.00am every day Coursework sessions during inset days and target setting days to assist students who have fallen behind for whatever reason (Compulsory for those invited!) A list of coursework deadlines, available tonight and on the school website

26. Mentoring A comprehensive mentoring programme for all students will be in place by the end of next week. All students being mentored by senior staff need to see them with their parents after their target setting appointment with their form tutors. There is also a cohort of students who will gain support from outside agencies

27. Attendance Year 11 lesson time is vital, so absence needs to be at an absolute minimum. Non-attendance does impact upon you and other students in subjects such as Drama. Missing only a couple of days can have a big impact on overall attainment.

28. Exam protocol Ensure both parents and students familiarise themselves with the dates of the January and Summer unit exams. Get into school in plenty of time. You need to be calm when entering an exam in order to do your best. Hand in your mobile phones; they are mini computers and must not be in your possession. Make sure uniform is correct. Don�t let the last thing you hear on entering an exam be, �Take those earrings out!�

29. Options for 2010 Students will have the following options at the end of this academic year: - Sixth form College Job It is important to start planning early because this often gives students an additional focus and motivation to achieve. Year 11 into 12 Options Evening is on Thursday 3rd December.

30. School website, general websites and exam boards School website has links to department areas with past papers. Exam board websites have a range of revision material and they sell revision literature for their exams. (AQA, Edexcel, OCR) Revision websites such as Bitesize, Sam Learning and MyMaths are all excellent tools to utilise as PART of your revision. Web addresses are on the coursework sheet, available tonight.

31. Justin Craig High quality revision classes for numerous subjects which take place during the Easter holiday at NBS. Students at NBS get a good discount on the rates offered to other students � we will get full details to you. Parent / student revision classes will be on offer around February at school through Justin Craig revision.

32. Active parental help � what can we do? They will need support if they study late at school; make transport easy for them. Provide as calm an environment as possible for them at home � take little brothers and sisters away from the revision sessions! Keep them calm � we worry about students not working hard enough, but some go too far the other way and underperform because of stress. Recognise this and keep them sane! Reward them for good efforts!

33. How should my son / Daughter revise? Short sharp periods of revision � 20 mins with a short break (5 mins) Offer to test if it is welcome Revision with a friend can be beneficial in moderation Set targets to meet i.e. I want to finish this topic by � and understand it (so you don�t labour over areas of study)

34. Revision techniques Encourage planned revision � but don�t spend all the time doing a programme. Use holiday time effectively � this is the best time to get quality revision done, starting at Christmas. Revise during the day when fresh (especially the most challenging topics). Get energy through quality food and drink. No distractions in room. Look at the questionnaires you did earlier. The students know what type of learner they are; their revision should reflect this. They may not be the same as you!

35. Learning styles Visual � Posters Spider diagrams Watching revision DVD Internet revision sites Reading revision material (not whole books)

36. Learning styles Auditory (listening) Make tapes of revision notes and play them back Test and retest with parent / friend Recite / repeat material out loud to yourself or get someone else to do it

37. Kinaesthetic / physical Make a video of you going through a topic in detail. Make flash cards and put them in order on a desk. Put signs up in bedroom and walk through a topic i.e. the water cycle. (Geography) Interactive revision websites. Practical activities appropriate to the subject i.e. respiration in Science

38. Don�t be an �.

39. Thank you All the information, including this presentation and the coursework deadlines, is available on the school website. A hard copy of both is also available to take away tonight.