“the influence of parental involvement overall is significant for secondary school children. Parental involvement as a whole affects all the academic variables…”

New GCSE grades Current Grade New Grade (Approximate) A* 9 Top 50% 8 Bottom 50% A 8 Some students 7 Most students B Top third 5 Other 2 thirds C 5 Top third 4 Other 2 thirds D Top 2 thirds 2 Other third E 2 F 1-2 G 1

https://www.pearsonactivelearn.com/

GCSEPod will be woven into the fabric of everyday teaching and learning. It’s a resource that works at it’s best when used both inside and outside of school and supports both students and teachers equally.

What is GCSEPod? TABLET LAPTOP PHONE Named the best resource for secondary digital content at BETT, GCSEPod leads the way in educational technology. They’ve seen an amazing impact in many of their subscribing schools, not least because of its ability to work an almost any device. Today I’m going to talk a little about why GCSEPod can be a force for inspiring and engaging education. I’ll also discuss some of the impact GCSEPod have seen in their subscribing schools and show you around the GCSEPod site. Our philosophy: Use the resources students already have (and love!) to help them achieve their potential.

GCSEPod is proven to raise attainment What is GCSEPod? One website, an Apple and Android app, over 4,500 audio-visual “Pods” (videos) Content produced specifically for any device (desktop or mobile) and covers 21 GCSE subjects Squeezes exactly the right knowledge your students need into short, easily watched chunks GCSEPod is proven to raise attainment Named the best resource for secondary digital content at BETT, GCSEPod leads the way in educational technology. They’ve seen an amazing impact in many of their subscribing schools, not least because of its ability to work an almost any device. Today I’m going to talk a little about why GCSEPod can be a force for inspiring and engaging education. I’ll also discuss some of the impact GCSEPod have seen in their subscribing schools and show you around the GCSEPod site.

Some more detail… Each Pod: Is written by an experienced subject specialist Is curriculum-mapped (making finding the relevant content fast and easy) Contains supporting images containing facts, quotes, keywords and labelled diagrams Is short! Just 3-5 minutes on average. So some details: GCSEPod provides over 4,000 high quality audio visual podcasts. GCSEPod is mapped to the main GCSE exam boards and two IGCSE exam boards. All the podcasts have been developed in collaboration with over 45 teachers with GCSE level experience, including board examiners and ASTs and have been thoroughly assessed to ensure consistently high quality. These Pods cover 21 subjects, with more being added all the time. These include: Maths, English, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, History, RE, French, German, Spanish, ICT, Computing, Computer Science Music, PE, Business Studies and D&T. Content is constantly reviewed and revised as specifications change. There is an app for Apple and an app for Android users, and content is always available from their main site, www.gcsepod.com. Each podcast is specifically designed so that students can store all the learning content they need on their phone/tablet etc, without taking up excessive device memory. This is very important for students who have so much of their own media stored!

What devices do teenagers own in 2015/16? I just mentioned that GCSEPod works on almost any device. Let me put that into context. Ofcom only surveys people age 16 upwards, but look at the spread of devices owned. Smartphones are in the lead, but young people have access to a large variety of devices in 2015. GCSEPod reflects that spread. Source: Ofcom August 2015 report, page 343

From 0-10, how hooked are you to your smartphone? 2015 Ofcom Report: From 0-10, how hooked are you to your smartphone? We are becoming (in Ofsted’s words) a ‘smart-phone society’. 61% of 16-24 year olds described themselves as ‘hooked’ to their smartphones. We are teaching an ever-increasingly mobile generation – year on year, ownership of mobile devices among young people has consistently increased. Many of GCSEPod’s subscribing schools have chosen to harness this power, using the devices in their pockets as a learning medium.

FLIPPED LEARNING HOMEWORK SETTING ASSESSMENT GCSEPod can be at the heart of day to day teaching and through using it’s many tools can become a genuine time saver for all departments.

Over 3 million “Pods” were watched during exam season 2015 Students use GCSEPod both in and outside of school but the majority of usage is done independently at home.

Students benefit: So why use GCSEPod? Available online or offline High-quality content in a bright, infographic style Easy to learn – short, sharp and audio-visual Instant feedback on assignments Helps to organise revision Takes the stress out of learning So why use GCSEPod? Well firstly, the students benefit. They get access to content from 21 subjects, all mapped to the major exam boards. This means they’ll only ever see content relevant to them. They can stream online, or they can download it to watch later offline, if they know they’re going to be without internet (say, going on holiday, or on a long car journey). The content they get is of a high quality, written by teachers. Each chapter is 3-5 minutes long, highly illustrated and narrated by professional voice actors. They’re short, they’re sharp, and they’re easy to digest. Assignments made through GCSEPod allow you to post detailed feedback on questions students have answered. With multiple choice questions, the system auto-marks, and the student gets the result instantly. They get access to premade playlists containing all the relevant content GCSEPod has for each of their exams. All of this means that for students, GCSEPod helps to take the stress out of learning.

ASSIGNMENTS PLAYLISTS EXTRAS It’s not just Pods… ASSIGNMENTS PLAYLISTS EXTRAS

ANY QUESTIONS?

Celebrating Excellence

Whole School Year 10

Rewards Parents can track their child’s achievements. Charitable causes Donations are a great way for our students to give something back! Students get to pick which charities they want to support. Cut to the front of the lunch queue Reduced Prom tickets Parents can track their child’s achievements. Accolade notifications to your email.

Many teenagers 'can't read GCSE exam papers’ BBC Nov. 2012 ‘GCSE pupils penalised for poor spelling and grammar’ Telegraph 2013 Many teenagers 'can't read GCSE exam papers’ BBC Nov. 2012 Boys trail girls in literacy because they skim read books, report finds. Schools Week 2016 Teenage literacy in steep decline as schoolchildren shun the classics and choose 'easy' books. Daily Mail 2011 Jobs now require greater literacy and numeracy. Financial Times 2016 GCSE students’ reading age lags five years behind exam material (Teaching Times)

Literacy: how can you help?

Definitions of Literacy Literacy is a human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development (UNESCO). The ability to understand and employ printed information in daily activities at home, at work and in the community – to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential (IALSS). We aim to build Literacy for Life through our delivery of the KS4 curriculum.

Why is Literacy important in exams? Students need to be able to decode the examination questions in order to fulfill the requirements of the question and gain the marks. Students need to write clearly and accurately to gain marks for QWC (Quality of Written Communication) in PE, Science etc. Students need to be able to read and understand any information provided for them as part of a question. Students need the skills to read the papers and the skills to write their answers. Accuracy in writing is worth 20% of the English Language examination and counts in English Literature, History, RE etc.

Impact of Literacy in examinations Issues we face: Students find it difficult to apply the differences in command words between subjects, for example, describe can mean different things in Science and English. Students don’t often read questions properly and then respond on what they ‘presume’ they are being asked to do. Students don’t always look at the number of marks on offer and structure their responses accordingly.

Impact of Literacy in examinations Issues we face: Students will often not write enough for their responses to questions. Students are not confident constructing an argument in responses e.g. using connectives in Science to explain the benefits of using an electrostatic paint sprayer. Some students are unable to structure responses in continuous prose in examinations across the curriculum.

What you can do to support with examinations… Read exam papers with your child and discuss the questions with them. What are they being asked to do? How do they know? Spend time reviewing mock exam and class practice exams with your child – do they understand where they have had success or made mistakes?

What you can do to support reading… Encourage your child to read from a range of sources, both fictional and non- fictional. Read a newspaper with your child once a week. Take an interest in what your child is reading – or even read the same book at the same time. Set aside time to talk about what you are reading. Give an interesting book for a Christmas present! Read books where there is a film version to encourage reluctant readers. Encourage your child to start keeping a reading journal (epraise for the best ones shown to English teachers!). Read aloud together for pleasure or even indulge in an audiobook together.

What you can do to support accuracy… Play word games such as Scrabble, Boggle or Upwords. Challenge yourself to learn ten new spellings a week with your child. Work with your child to produce personalised spelling strategies. Ask your child to teach you a grammatical concept (we retain 90% of what we teach another!). Go through work that has been ‘yellow highlighted’ at school and encourage your child to make corrections. Work together on correcting the Literacy ‘bug bears’ using marked books and planners to help you.

What you can do to support writing… Remember that students who read for pleasure will improve their writing skills subconsciously. Ask your child to write a ‘thank you’ letter this Christmas. Encourage your child to share their writing with you at home – Ghost Walks in Y9 were a huge success. Support your child to build the confidence to face a ‘blank page’ – at this stage, having something to work with is more important than quality. Monitor and modify how you speak and encourage your child to use academic language where possible.

The English Department Please get in touch if you would like further support on how to help your child. Mrs M Scott – Head of English mscott@banovallumschool.co.uk Mrs A Hughes – KS3 and Literacy Coordinator ahughes@banovallumschool.co.uk

Practical Matters Planners Website Attendance Holidays Key dates Study Centre – 4:30pm every day. Don’t underestimate the importance of sleep! Quiet working space Reference materials

KEY DATES Y10 Please refer to the ‘Dates For Your Diary’ sheet sent out in July 2016. The mock interview and work experience dates are the only additions.