Year 9 Expectations Evening

A TIME OF CHANGE PROGRESS 8 ATTAINMENT 8 ENGLISH PASS+ IN A “gold standard” of GCSE’s – 100% examination An improved curriculum PROGRESS 8 ATTAINMENT 8 ENGLISH BACCALAUREATE PASS+ IN ENGLISH & MATHS

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT STUDENTS? Final examinations in 2018 Continued focus on every student achieving their best possible grade in all subjects English and Maths of highest importance Second year of the new specifications in English and Maths Higher expectations – spelling, punctuation, grammar, numeracy, problem solving First year of the new specifications in all other subjects

CHANGES TO GCSE’s New gradings of 1-9, with 9 being the highest Aims to differentiate between grades and to raise the standard of UK examinations New pass grade is 5, but this is not the equivalent of a current grade C, it is 2/3 of a grade higher. New gradings allow for a “super grade” that exceeds the current A* - 9

TRACKING PROGRESS 6 progress checks through the year and 2 Parents’ Consultation Evenings Progress checks that show for each subject your child’s target grade and the grade they are expected to achieve based on current performance Range of assessments within subjects to constantly assess and monitor every students’ progress towards their best possible grade All subjects 1-9

Year 9 English Expectations Evening

Year 9 is about preparing for GCSE Skills Reading Writing AO1: • identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas • select evidence from different texts • AO2: How writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers • AO3: Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts • AO4: Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references • AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts • AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. (This requirement must constitute 20% of the marks for each specification as a whole.)

Key Units of Study Poetry Skills War Poetry Gothic horror and wider reading A Novel – Of Mice and Men / To Kill a Mockingbird etc Reading Non-Fiction Macbeth by William Shakespeare Writing for purpose and audience

THE NEW GCSE – How will it be more demanding? Content – texts from 19th, 20th & 21st centuries (Eng Lang); Romantic poetry, 19th century novel, substantial whole texts - no short stories (Eng Lit) Examination – end of course only; no controlled conditions assessments Assessment – less scaffolding; comparison of unseen passages Grading – mid grade of new 9 to 1 scale (grade 5) to be a half to two-thirds of a grade higher than that required for a current grade C [Ofqual proposal under consultation]

A new GCSE for September 2015: The Highlights English Language English Literature 100% Exam No set texts. Students must read a wide range of texts from 19th to 21st Century No Speaking & Listening to count in the final mark (but reported separately) 20% of marks for Spelling punctuation and grammar 100% Exam Focus on classic literature and whole texts Must include Shakespeare, 19th century novel, poetry from 1789 Inc. Romantics & drama post 1914 Unseen texts and comparison No creative responses 5% of marks for Spelling punctuation and grammar

English Language GCSE - AQA Paper 1 Paper 2 Reading (40 marks) (25%) One text Literary fiction 1 short form question (1 x 4 marks) 2 longer form questions (2 x 8 marks) 1 extended question (1 x 20 marks) Writing (40 marks) (25%) Descriptive or Narrative Writing 1 extended writing question (24 marks for content, 16 marks for technical accuracy) Reading (40 marks) (25%) Two linked texts 1 short form question (1 x 4 marks) 2 longer form questions (1 x 8, 1 x 12 marks) 1 extended question (1 x 16 marks) Writing (40 marks) (25%) Writing to present a viewpoint 1 extended writing question (24 marks for content, 16 marks for technical accuracy)

English Literature GCSE - AQA Paper 1 Paper 2 Section A – Shakespeare Blood Brothers Section B – 19th Century novel A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Section A – Modern prose or Drama Blood Brothers by Willy Russell Section B – The Poetry Anthology Section C – Unseen Poetry

Homework & Assessment All students will have homework every week except following an assessment. Homework will be a short written task in their purple books. Once a half term they will be given an assessment to complete based on the exam unit they are studying. There will be no homework in the week following this assessment. The final homework in each half term will ask them to address the weaknesses in their assessment. All work will be marked using exam board mark schemes (not necessarily grades / GCSE numbers)

Homework Example Week Homework / Assessment 5th Oct   7th Sept Write a PEA on how conflict is presented in War Photographer Homework 14th Sept Identify 5 similarities and differences between ‘Bayonet Charge’ and ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ 21st Sept Write a comparative paragraph about ‘Storm on an Island’ and ‘Prelude’ 28th Sept Write a PEA giving your opinion of the Duke in My Last Duchess 5th Oct Assessment week - Mock Exam question on poetry Assessment 12th Oct Week Off 19th Oct Target based homework e.g. Write a PEA developing you analysis of language to gain marks in AO2 Target Homework Half Term

How to help at home. Ensure they complete their homework each week. This is where they get feedback and all these tasks feed into their assessment Try to read the texts with them. Allow them to be the expert and ask them lots of questions to ‘build your understanding’. Help them with context. Do they know about the world when these texts were written? Do they know how to find this out? Stay in touch with their English teacher.

GCSE Mathematics 100% examination No coursework or controlled assessment Assessed by three 1h 30mins papers in the Summer of Year 11 Paper 1 is Non-Calculator, Papers 2 & 3 are Calculator papers Each paper has a range of question types; some questions will be set in both mathematical and non-mathematical contexts. Focuses on more Problem Solving aspects. Number; Algebra; Ratio, proportion and rates of change; Geometry and measures; Probability; Statistics.

Be prepared The correct equipment including a calculator (Casio FX85GT plus) ruler, compasses, protractor

How to be successful? Complete all work set! Use MathsWatch and PiXL Maths app. Ask for help before you get behind. Attend Maths Workshop. Use numeracy outside of school and competitions. Do more maths.

How can parents help? Check folders Content covered is listed in folders Self Assessments, Unit Assessments, targets set Make sure homework is done Exercises, activities, revision, longer investigations Watch MathsWatch clips together Maths Workshop - Thursday after school Cipher Challenge, World Maths Day, House competitions Don’t say “I was never any good at Maths when I was at school”

Examined in June 2018 Route 1: Combined or Double Science Route 2: Triple Science (an Option)

Year 9 Science Options Pre GCSE work Teaching of new GCSE Science Designed to bridge the gap between KS3 and GCSE Skill and knowledge based Key ideas in Biology, Chemistry and Physics Assessments to judge ‘suitability’ for Triple September to February half term Options February half term to end of Year 9 Teaching of new GCSE Science Broadly split equally between Biology Chemistry Physics

Combined Science – two GCSE’s Combined Science – two GCSE’s Science options Combined Science – two GCSE’s Combined Science – two GCSE’s Biology 1 Biology 2 ROUTE A Biology 1 Biology 2 Chemistry 1 Chemistry 2 Chemistry 1 Chemistry 2 Physics 1 Physics 2 Year 9 Options choices Physics 1 Physics 2 Counts as two GCSE’s Three separate sciences over two years ROUTE B Biology Unit 1 Biology Unit 2 Biology Unit 3 Chem Unit 1 Chem Unit 2 Chem Unit 3 Physics Unit 1 Physics Unit 2 Physics Unit 3

New GCSE for examination 2018 Double award- Combined main differences Mathematical requirements No ‘equation sheets’ students ‘should be able to recall and/or apply’ a number of equations Examinations Four longer exams 25% of GCSE each OR Six shorter exams 17% Multiple choice, closed and open short answer questions, emphasis on knowledge and application No coursework or controlled assessment Exam questions will draw on the knowledge and understanding students have gained by carrying out the 16 required practical activities.

Triple Sciences- main differences No coursework or controlled assessment Exam questions in the written exams will draw on the knowledge and understanding students have gained by carrying out the 8 practical activities Two exams per subject Questions multiple choice, closed short answer and open response

Awarding grades and reporting results The qualification will be graded on a nine-point scale: 1–9 – where 9 is the best grade. Two tiers ‘Double award’ will be two numbers combined Triple will be one number on this scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Foundation tier U Higher tier