Dover Grammar School for Girls Year 10 Induction Evening

Changes to GCSE The nature of GCSE Examinations will begin to change from September Not all subjects will change immediately, but certainly English and Maths will. New Maths GCSE · A lot more application of content and problem solving · The changes support a deeper and broader understanding of the subject New English Language GCSE · A robust foundation in reading and writing good English · 20% of marks are for spelling, punctuation and grammar New English Literature GCSE · Encourages students to read, write and think more critically · A greater range of whole texts and unseen texts to study

Grades 1 to 9 The new GCSEs will be graded 1 to 9, with Grade 9 being the highest. The DfE advises schools not to make direct comparisons between the new and old grading systems. However, we can say that a Grade 5 will be positioned in the top third of the marks for a current Grade C and bottom third of the marks for a current Grade B. This will mean it will be of greater demand than the present Grade C. At DGGS, we will continue to use the old grading system (A* to G Grades) for Maths and English for Tracking purposes. However, during the course of this academic year, we will begin to share assessment information using the new grading system (1 to 9 Grades).

Examination Boards English – EDEXCEL Mathematics – EDEXCEL Science – AQA Religious Education – AQA Art & Design – WJEC Business – EDEXCEL D&T – AQA Drama – AQA Geography – WJEC History – WJEC Latin – WJEC MFL – WJEC Music - EDEXCEL Useful websites:

Controlled Assessments Controlled Assessments are supervised internal assessments They allow students to produce an extended personal response to an area of the subject studied Marks from Controlled Assessments contribute to the overall grade that students will achieve at the end of Year 11 Controlled Assessments take place throughout Key Stage 4 It is imperative that students attend all their relevant assessments, including the preparatory lessons

Target Setting Students’ targets are set at the beginning of Year 10. Prior assessment data is used (including indicators from the end of Key Stage 3 Levels) to guide decision-making. Year 10 Form Tutors discuss the targets set with students and their parents in the Target Setting Meetings held in Term 1. These targets are then used for Tracking throughout Key Stage 4.

Expected Progress Students’ rates of progress will vary from year to year, and from subject to subject. However, at Key Stage 4, the aim is for each student to have met their Target Grades by their final GCSE examinations in Year 11. The Tracking and Reporting process will help to inform students and parents of the specific progress made in each subject area at key junctures throughout Key Stage 4.

Tracking Student Progress There are three Tracking Periods throughout the academic year: Tracking Period 1 – November (Years 7-11 and Sixth Form) Tracking Period 2 – January/February (Years 7-11 and Sixth Form) Tracking Period 3 – April (Years 7- 10)

Tracking Student Progress Teachers are required to record the following information: A current grade for each student. The current grade should be the teacher’s professional judgement based on the student’s performance to date An assessment as to whether or not each student is Above Target, On Target, or Below Target to achieve their target grade An ‘Attitude to Learning’ assessment (criteria is published in the Homework Diary) Following each Tracking Period, all parents will receive a ‘Progress Report’. This report will include the ‘Attitude to Learning’ assessment and an attendance percentage.

Helping Out at Home  Discuss the ‘Progress Report’ with your daughter and talk about ways forward. Ideas can be recorded in the Homework Diary  Encourage your daughter to seek help when uncertain about a particular assessment or if she doesn’t know what to do to improve  Do contact the school with any concerns, or if you would like to find out more about your daughter’s work and progress in a particular subject area