Ponteland High School

1. Ponteland High School Welcome to the Year 11 Parents’ Information Evening Kieran McGrane Headteacher Monday 14 October 2013

2. GCSEs are getting harder (Ofqual statement on 2013 results) ‘Results in science, additional science and the separate sciences cannot easily be compared with 2012, for a number of reasons. First, the assessments are designed to be more challenging – we have made it clear that students this summer would have to perform at a higher level than in previous years to get the same grades.’

3. Move from modular to linear • All GCSEs from Sept 2012 are linear exams • Terminal exam • High stakes end of course exam

4. Summer exams only • With the move to linear papers all exams take place in May-June • No opportunities to sit papers, for the first time, in Nov-Jan as previously • The only GCSE exams in November are re-sit opportunities in English Language and Maths

5. Coursework • According to Michael Gove this has led to/is ‘cheating’ • Removal of coursework from maths GCSE (previously worth 30% of final grade) • Replaced with controlled assessment – this is coursework under exam conditions

6. English Language • Currently the final grade is accounted for through: • Exam: 40% • Reading & writing CA: 40% • Speaking & listening CA: 20% • Speaking and listening has been removed from counting towards final grade (for summer 2014)

7. GCSE early entry • Due to the importance of achieving a C grade or better in English Language and maths many schools allow students to sit these exams more than once • Examples include: • Sit it in summer of year 9, Nov of year 10, summer of year 10, Nov of year 11, summer of year 11 • Sit in summer of year 10, Nov of year 11, summer of year 11

8. GCSE early entry • 29 Sept 2013 announcement via Sunday Telegraph: • First time entry for English, maths, science, MFL, Geography and History counts in Performance Tables and used by Ofsted when judging the effectiveness of a school • Change starts with immediate effect

9. GCSE early entry loop hole • Schools could enter a student for 2-3 exam boards, e.g. maths in AQA, OCR, Edexcel • All exams are on the same day • Best grade would count • This loophole is likely to be closed by the summer

10. PHS approach • Summer of year 10 entry for selected students working at Foundation level (maths) • If successful in achieving a grade C they move on to Higher level maths and sit their exam in summer of year 11 • If unsuccessful in achieving a grade C they re-sit in Nov, and June if necessary

11. Y11 Information Jim Balkwill Assistant Headteacher • Linear Exams • Mock Exams • GCSE Preparation: Revision and Homework • Attendance • Planning Ahead: Key Dates and The Planner

12. Linear Exams What this means for Y11 students • Linear exams, not modular exams • Final exams at end of Year 11 that test the full 2 year course content However … • Controlled Assessments exist in most courses e.g. • MFLs: 60% CAs / 40% final exams • Eng Lang: 40% CAs / 60% final exams • Humanities: 25% CAs / 75% final exams • Sciences: 25% CAs / 75% final exams

13. Controlled AssessmentsLevels of Control The exam boards set different levels of control for different subjects • High Control– Exam conditions apply. Students are not allowed to communicate with other students or to bring new work in to the session (e.g. MFLs, Art and Design) • Medium Control– Students can communicate with each other but they are not allowed to collaborate with each other during the controlled assessment itself (e.g Media Studies, Graphics). • Low Control– Generally means students can work together and take resources to and from sessions to work on at home (most subjects are low control during the preparatory phase)

14. Switch to only linear examinations • Changes required in study strategies: • Internal assessments, tests and especially mock exams will take on even greater significance • Students to summarise topics to aid revision • How to revise and use homework time independently

15. Revision and Review We are ‘designed’ to forget • It’s quite normal to forget things, it’s how our brains have evolved – but repetition overcomes this • Evolution did not prepare our brains to remember much of the information we see once only – review and revision are vital

16. Improving MemoryLearn to remember Understanding Unaware • Building understanding • Takes time • Confusion often precedes understanding • The ‘pit’ is good for you, don’t fear it • Review and revise • Improves recall • Find ways to make repetition interesting The pit Recall Time

17. Homework At Key Stage 4 students always have homework: • Learning • Reinforcement Purpose? Preparation • Research If no formal homework is set in a subject: • 10 minutes per examined subject per evening • past papers [exam board website] / Mymaths / class notes / mind mapping / file organisation

18. How to Revise Effectively - BE ACTIVE & FOCUSED, i.e: - BE PASSIVE & VAGUE. i.e: Do  … Do not  … - use mind maps - just read through - paraphrase / note-take - simply copy out - have parents test you - suffer alone - find a revision-buddy - find a PS4 buddy - plan your time - fail to plan - stick to your plan - seek excuses not to revise - practise past papers - internet-surf - record key points on MP3/ipod - test yourself / have your friends test you

20. Attendance Matters

21. Planning Ahead • The Planner – an effective home-school communication tool, and great for: • Organising the following school day/week • Seeing what work/prep needs to be done • Passwords for e-learning • Checking what lessons students have had • Checking what homework needs doing 2. Key Dates- in information booklet • Organising upcoming events and dates • Seeing what work/prep needs to be done and when for • Information will be sent home via pupil post/SIMS Intouch and on the website