Aims of tonight

1. Aims of tonight • How can we support, encourage and enthuse young people to achieve their full potential? • How are GCSE’s examined in 2014-16? • What does the school do to support pupils through Year 10 and 11? • What can parents do to help their children through the GCSE’s?

2. Part 1 - How can we support, encourage and enthuse young people to achieve their full potential?The Context Your child has to be in Education or Training until the end of the academic year they turn 18 (July 2018) The vision… All pupils at the end of their GCSE studies make ambitious, suitable and realistic post-16 choices through an atmosphere of mutual support based on excellent exam results, quality career advice and outstanding pastoral care • Happy • Safe • Achieve

3. The problems…. • Education Maintenance Allowance abolished; however, students still have to stay in ‘education or training’ until the end of the academic year in which they turn 18 • Tuition fees at university • Youth unemployment consistently in the news • Cuts in youth service provision • Demonisation of youth in the media • Gaining a ‘C grade’ in English and Maths

4. What next?...The Ashcombe Sixth Form • Realistic chance of ‘E grades’ • 40 GCSE points and a good reference A*=8 A=7 B=6 C=5 D=4 E=3 F=2 G=1 • However, if a student is following a ‘short course’ points are halved (e.g. half history) • Important to consider that English (Language and Literature) and Science (Science and Additional Science) have two examinations when counting points

5. A-Levels at another college • Commonly 5 A*-C, usually including English and Maths • Excellent reference • Attendance (and punctuality) print out

6. NVQ’s at a local college • Commonly…. • Level 1 – no formal qualifications • Level 2 – 4 D’s • Level 3 – 4 C’s • Be aware some students may be completing a Level 1 course on ‘day release’ • Excellent attendance • Quality Reference • All have ‘specialism's’, e.g. Merrist Wood (outside) and NESCOT (employment-focussed skills, including apprenticeships)

7. Apprenticeships • Local companies approach the school offering apprenticeships • Seeing a rise in this (at 16 and 18) due to current economic climate and success of schools annual careers fair www.apprenticeships.org.uk

8. How can we support students emotionally? • The dilemma • How do we encourage, challenge and support yet avoid alienating, threatening, stressing or ‘doing for’?

9. 13 years ago……. • Exploring the world • Wanting to please • Mood swings • ‘Social Learning’ • Affectionate

10. How did we support our children when they were in Year 1? • Sit and read • Ask “What new things did you do today?” • Children bombard us with questions • Excitement • Enthusiastic • Why is this?

11. The dilemma of a parent • “The problem is he’s not stressed enough.” • “I’ve told her this is your last chance.” • “I don’t know what more I can do- nothing seems to get through to him.” • “She doesn’t seem to care about her exams.” • “However much I tell her that she is doing well, she still says she is rubbish.” (often a forgotten problem with high-ability pupils who have low self-esteem)

12. How do you help to motivate students? • Major concern- • Should you interfere and tell pupils to work yet run the risk of confrontation? • How do you encourage children? • One of the major questions we get asked by parents

13. The complexity of being an adolescent • Stress and mental health issues are bigger issues than apathy • Recent Study- 20% of children have a mental health problem in any given year, and about 10% at any one time. • In an average secondary school with 1000 students- 100 mental health problems including depression, self harm and eating disorders

14. The pressures of being an adolescent • A time of great challenges • Frightening • Exciting • Real fear of failure • Frightened of not meeting expectations of family, school and friends • Pressures of alcohol, drugs, media, consumerism, sex • Social media • Contradiction between young people who grow old earlier without a clear moral compass and identity • More child than adult

15. Role of education in mental health • Evidence that constant emphasis on exams and results can create a tired and stressed out group of pupils • Danger- burn out of some- successful can be unfulfilled as constantly striving for next challenge- • Alienation of those that perceive themselves to have failed • Part of Ashcombe ethos- commitment to sustainable learning • Avoid doing 12 or 13 GCSE’s- used advice of Cambridge

16. What are Year 10’s like to teach? • Most of our teenagers are a pleasure to teach (even if they do not always show these qualities at home!...) • When asked they virtually all want to do well • All need support to reach these ambitions • All are going through an extremely volatile and complex period of life dominated by a fear of failure

17. Fear of failure • Adolescence- “Brain thrives on challenge, closes down on threat. When we experience anxiety, fear, self consciousness or any strong emotion, our neurons get flooded with electrical signals, so there’s not enough capacity left to process what is going on in the moment. We literally stop hearing and seeing what’s around us.”- J Ratey- Neuroscience

18. How do we respond to criticism • “People reacted negatively to criticism more than half the time and reacted positively to criticism just once out of thirteen times. In other words, the most likely response to criticism will be a negative one, the next most likely is no impact, and the chance that criticism will be helpful is about once every three weeks, if you dished it out every workday.”

19. Brain flourishes if rate of success to failure is 4:1 • Talking about success/ getting it right increases the likelihood of reoccurrence • Three key features- • Children need to feel safe • Children need to be challenged • Children need high expectations

20. What is a solution focussed approach? • Introduced to the school by Henry Kiernan • All pupils want to do well • All children have strengths • All children can achieve with the appropriate support, nurture and understanding • Working together we can achieve much more • Expectations of success by all is critical to achieving it • Look to the future rather than the past

21. Principles of this approach • Students, parents and teachers have capacities to resolve difficulties • The solution to the problem lies within the person

22. Key principles of this approach • Big problems do not need big solutions • We need to catch hold of what is already working • It’s important to have a clear sense of where you are heading • Carry on doing what works

23. Social Discipline Window

24. Do To (punitive) • Detention • Sanction • Home- grounded, telling children of career options, option choices, • Theme - Young people feel put upon

25. Do for (permissive) • School- excusing, too much support, • Home- homework done by parents, • Theme- young people avoid taking any responsibility for their actions

26. Do nothing (neglectful) All people give up Allow young person to make own mistakes “Its up to them now” Laissez faire approach to weekends Theme- young people lack boundaries

27. Do with (restorative) • Students have a stake in choice • Career and option choices made individually but in discussion with parents • Parents engage with children in relation to work but work is completed by children • Encourage but not pressured • Theme- most successful approach

28. What are the questions we ask? • What's gone well this week? • What score would you give yourself for the past week? (0-10 scale) • Why? • What score would you like to be? • How would you get there • Who will notice?

29. All pupils want to do well in some way • We can all forget this- school, society, friends and family What can we all do • Listen • Remember all want to do well • Recognise the positives and praise • Always have positive expectations

30. Pupil ownership • Without pupils being involved conflict can develop • “You must do some work?” • School and work can become the way young people choose to hurt parents when troubles arise • By all working together with an expectation of success the school becomes a shared aspiration

31. The exam boards Part 2- How are the GCSE’s assessed? Have you got the following? Specifications, Assessments (past exam papers), Exam reports

32. Public Examinations: What? 4 examining boards: 1) AQA • www.aqa.org.uk • Then follow ‘subject finder’: • There are links to • Specifications (the syllabus) • Assessment material • Notice board • Examiners’ reports Art, Computer Science, DT, English, History (1/2), Maths, PE, Science

33. Public Examinations: What? 2) Edexcel • www.edexcel.com/ • Then Qualifications / GCSE’s from 2012 • When you reach subject page, select correct qualification and scroll down to find specification, assessment material and examiner reports Drama, Music

34. Public Examinations: What? 3) OCR • www.ocr.org.uk • Then subjects and choose relevant GCSE • Useful documents • Datasheets, Factsheets, Overviews & Info packs • Information Briefs • Markschemes and materials • Specifications and Syllabuses • Specimen assessment materials • Student Guides and Materials Geography, History, RS

35. Public Examinations: What? 4) WJEC • www.wjec.co.uk • Select subject from drop down menu for • Specification • Examiners report • Past Papers MFL Catering

36. Controlled assessment • Different to coursework as work is completed in a controlled environment during lesson time • Some preparation will need to be completed as part of homework • Are on-going and will be part of lessons throughout year 10 and 11 • Will come at different times of the year for different subjects

37. Frequently asked questions What happens if the pupils miss / are late / clash for a Public Examination? • Clash: tell us as soon as possible (although we try and identify them); • specific arrangements will be made on an individual basis

38. Frequently asked questions What happens if the pupils miss / are late / clash for a Public Examination? • There are strict regulations about what we can do for pupils who are late; if problem ring school immediately and get into school as quickly as possible • If pupils do not sit exam, no marks unless there is a doctor’s note given to us • If pupil is unwell, the best approach is to come in and sit the exam, and then we can put in Special Consideration report (v. helpful if this is supported by doctor’s note - can be obtained after the exam)

39. Part 3: What do we as a school do to support • Targets • Realistic targets based on Key Stage 3 performance • 8- A* • 7- A • 6- B • 5- C • 4- D • 3- E • 2- F • 1- G

40. Why do we have targets? • Allows pupils to have an idea of what they should achieve if they work reasonably well • Allows the school to monitor progress Issues • Stress caused by high targets • What happens if you feel the targets are too low? • Can pupils become complacent?

41. The Pastoral Team… • Analyse data • Praise letters • Pastoral monitoring • Constant thought about long term

42. Who can you contact if there are any problems? • ketley.stuart@ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk • ashwood.ben@ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk • panting.chris@ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk • passwords@ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk

43. Part 4- How can parents help? • Encourage a sense of ambition- visits to college, University early • Some courses increasingly looking at GCSE results- medicine and other university courses • School visits to East Surrey College NESCOT, Guildford College, ‘Surrey Opportunities Fair’ • Work experience- plan early • Continuous informal discussion at home

44. How do I start to work? • Many pupils can find it very difficult to start

45. Preparation Safe and comfortable environment • Basic preparation: • Tidy room • Tidy desk • Filed notes • No TV • Sound? • Organisation helps relieve stress

46. Preparation • Equipment: New stationary All files, books, paper, pens, calculator near you Physiological factors

47. Fronter • Schools virtual learning environment • Pupils have passwords • Contact the school if you don’t have details • Online reporting • Past papers • Resources • Also resources on internet

48. SAM Learning • New, exciting on-line resource • Pupils have passwords • Contact the school if you don’t have details

49. www.u-explore.com • Username: AshcombeSchool • Password: AshcombeRoad • Students have individual passwords

50. Internet • My maths • Username- ashcombe • Password- volume • www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize • Past papers now widely available on net through visiting exam board websites