YEAR 10 PARENTS’ INFORMATION EVENING YEAR 10 PARENTS’ INFORMATION EVENING Thursday 12 th September 2013

Y10 Information Evening Introduction Mr J W Davies (Assistant Head teacher ) Core subjects presentations Maths – Mrs C Garlant English – Mrs K Price Science – Mr E Coombes Welsh Baccalaureate Presentation Mrs C Davies / Miss H Davies (KS4 WBq Assistant Co-ordinators)

Examination Success 2013 GCSE 5A* to C 69% GCSE 5A* to G96% Figures for Mainstream entry only

Planning to Succeed Information Booklet Individual Subject course outlines with notes for students and parents Controlled Assessment and Coursework Deadlines Exam course information

Academic Student Support Study Skills Study skills covered in PSHE lessons Form Tutor / Mentors Subject Teachers

Assessments this year On going assessments Controlled assessments Monitoring throughout the year Parents’ Evening Full written report

Assessments this year GCSE Exams – Science and Maths Individual Exam timetables given early to check for clashes Exam rules and regulations given to each student Start the middle of May and go on till end of June TIER OF ENTRY

Student Planner Useful Information Diary to record homework / controlled assessment / Own learning / Exams / achievements / Awards / Targets Study Skills / Revision information

Student Planner Moodle / Useful Academic Websites Record of Attendance Record ‘Worthy of Praise’ details Record Community Work Communication with parents Communication with school

Attendance Success Starts by being in School LEA expects returns of 95% per week One day off every fortnight results in four whole weeks of school being missed! Pupils Progress is BADLY AFFECTED if their attendance drops below 90% References requested for colleges and employers are written honestly In School Attendance Officer – Mr. Miles

Attendance If your child is ill, please ring the school that morning to inform us. Then provide a note explaining the absence on the first day they return to school If your child is late to school, ie arrives after registration, he/she should always report to the main office before going to 1 st lesson. Truancy calls

Lunchtime Arrangements All pupils to remain on the Upper School Site Use canteen facilities or bring packed lunch Those in Lower School period 3 must be on the Upper School site 15 minutes after the lunch bell sounds Those in Lower School period 4 are to leave 15 minutes prior to the start of P4 Lunchtime activities on Lower School Site -pupils will need a lunchtime pass from the department concerned

Uniform A smart image creates a good impression! Acceptable uniform outlined in the planner / on our website Trainers – only in PE and Drama lessons Dark waterproof coat [fits over the blazer] Jewellery – one pair discreet stud earrings / a watch No facial piercings

Pastoral Student Support Tutorial Tutors / Mentors Subject Teachers Learning Leader and Pastoral Assistant Pupil Support Unit Outside Agencies Assistant Head Teacher

Maths, English and Science Presentations Maths – Mrs C. Garlant English – Mrs K. Price Science – Mr E. Coombes

MATHS IN YEAR 10 Pupils are placed in one of three parallel blocks and then in one of four (or sometimes five) classes depending on their ability. This is based on their test results in year 9, but more importantly on how their year 9 teacher thinks they can cope with the course.

LESSONS Pupils will be given a wide variety of learning experiences: Individual, pair and group work Investigative work Games and activities Use of ICT Use of mental arithmetic

EQUIPMENT We expect pupils to attend lessons with all necessary equipment: Pens, pencils, rulers and calculators at all times. At certain times, compasses and protractors. Higher tier pupils will need a scientific calculator. We have scientific calculators and geometry sets for sale.

OUR COURSE We follow the WJEC unitised course which consists of three units. Pupils are entered for either the Higher or Foundation tier for each unit. Higher tier units lead to grades A* - E. Foundation tier units lead to grades C – G.

WHICH TIER? A pupil does not have to sit all three units at the same tier, although this is generally the case. Parents can rest assured that we look at each individual pupil when deciding which tier they should be entered for in each unit, in order to produce the most favourable result.

EXAM SITTINGS Pupils sit one unit in June of year 10, one in January of year 11 and one in June of year 11. If a pupil misses an exam, they cannot sit it the next day they are in as it is an external exam – they will be re-entered for it at a later exam sitting.

RE-SITS Units can be re-sat once (although parents will incur the cost of this). Your child’s teacher will advise pupils whether they should re-sit a unit.

TEXTBOOKS We do not use a specific textbook, but if you want to buy a textbook to support your child’s studies, we recommend: ‘WJEC GCSE MATHEMATICS’ – published by Hodder Education, ISBN: Higher Foundation.

WHAT YOU CAN DO Ask your child what Maths homework they have – there should be at least one per week – and check they have completed it. Encourage them to use mental maths techniques regularly e.g. times tables, estimating answers, money calculations. Check that they are accessing revision opportunities e.g. Moodle, mymaths.co.uk (login – whitchurch, password – rhombus).

TIME GUIDE Year 10 pupils should be aiming to spend the equivalent of 15 minutes per day on Maths outside of the classroom. As this is a core subject, we think that this is important as it will help with Maths in Everyday Life.

PAST PAPERS The best way to check on progress is to attempt a past paper. All these can be found on Moodle - ‘GCSE MATHEMATICS 2’ - together with answers and other useful resources.

WE WILL CONTACT YOU: If your child changes tier during the year. If your child underperforms in classwork or homework. If we are concerned about anything else.

PEOPLE YOU CAN CONTACT Mrs. Garlant – Head of Department Mrs. Robinson – KS4 coordinator

English in Year 10 Overview and expectations

Tiers and Setting Pupils are set in Year 10; There are 3 ‘bands’ (X, Y or Z) and students are split into 4 or 5 sets per band; There are two tiers of entry for English – Higher (Grades A*-D) and Foundation (Grades C-G). We decide which tier pupils sit in Y11, once controlled assessments are complete and after mock exams; Pupils’ tier entries DO NOT depend on their set – they depend on individual student performance and are decided by the English teacher after careful consideration of what is best for them.

Controlled Assessments Controlled assessments are essays and writing pieces that all count towards both final GCSE marks. Topics are studied in class and then students complete an assessment on it. These assessments are completed in class under exam conditions.

Year 10 English Overview of the course THREE written controlled assessments - Reading: Analysis of either instructional, explanatory or persuasive material (10% Language) - Writing: one assignment based on one of the activities given by the WJEC exam board (10% Language) - Shakespeare and linked poetry (25% of Literature) FOUR exams (two for English Language; two for English Literature) TWO speaking and listening activities (20% - Lang) In total, controlled assessments count towards 25% of the final English Literature grade and 40% of the final English Language grade. Pupils achieve TWO GCSEs at the end of Year 11.

So what do the students do in Y11? Revising the ‘other cultures’ set text (part of Eng Lit exam 1) Reading and working on the Literature paper 2 set texts (novel and play) Preparing for the English Language exams Studying previously unseen poetry in preparation for the exams.

Exams (Year 11) English Language Exam 1 (1hr 45 mins): Section A (15%) Reading of unseen prose by a major writer (comprehension) Section B (15%) One imaginative writing task. Exam 2 (1 hr 45 mins): Section A (15%) reading: Instructional / explanatory / persuasive / media text analysis (comprehension) Section B writing (15%): One explanatory / persuasive writing task. The English Literature exams (next section) are TWO hours each. English Literature Exam 1: Poetry and Prose Section A: Different Cultures Prose (21%) A question from the ‘different cultures’ set text (novel) studied in class (linked to your controlled assessment) Section B: Contemporary poetry (14%) Unseen poetry comparison Exam 2: Drama and Prose Section A: Questions based on the set text (play) Section B: Questions based on the set text (prose)

How can I support my child’s learning? Encourage them to read through their work regularly; Continue to encourage them to read frequently and widely; Try and have a copy of their set texts at home; Encourage them to use the library for set text support books; Moodle; Online resources; Talk to them about their learning.

 3 POSSIBLE COURSES. (BTEC APPLIED, CORE + TRIPLE SCIENCE.  ALL STUDY BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY + PHYSICS.  ALL PUPILS STUDY SCIENCE IN Y10 AND Y11.

BTEC APPLIED SCIENCE  COURSE WORK BASED 100%.  NO EXAMINATION.  LEVEL 2 AWARDED AT END OF YEAR 11.  NOT SUITABLE FOR ADVANCED LEVEL.

SCIENCE (CORE)  25% BIOLOGY B1 EXAMINATION.  25% CHEMISTRY C1 EXAMINATION.  25% PHYSICS P1 EXAMINATION.  25% CONTROLLED ASSESSMENTS. ( 192 / 320 = C GRADE)

TRIPLE SCIENCE (FAST TRACK)  25% BIOLOGY B1 EXAMINATION.  25% BIOLOGY B2 EXAMINATION.  25% BIOLOGY B3 EXAMINATION.  25% CONTROLLED ASSESSMENTS. ( 192 / 320 = C GRADE)

SCIENCE WISH LIST  ATTEND ALL LESSONS.  SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR/ PEN + RULER.  PAST PAPERS.  REVISE BEFORE EXAMINATIONS.  EXTRA REVISION CLASSES.

CONTACT  MR ERIC COOMBES PHYSICS/SCIENCE  MR STEVE JAMES CHEMISTRY  MS CERI TAYLOR BIOLOGY  MR STEVE JAMES/MR ALUN SMITH BTEC

KS4 WELSH BACCALAUREATE QUALIFICATION Miss H. Davies & Mrs C. Davies KS4 – Welsh Baccalaureate Assistant Co-ordinators

CORE PROGRAMME Key skills Working with an employer (WRE) Team enterprise activity (WRE) Individual investigation Wales, Europe and the World Language module PSE Community participation GCSEs OPTIONS AS/A Levels BTEC NVQs MENTORING TUTORIAL SUPPORT GUIDANCE

Armed with the Welsh Baccalaureate diploma pupils will : Be a far more attractive prospect to employers, colleges and universities. Have more to talk about in interviews. Write better quality application forms. Be more aware of issues within their local community, their country, their continent and the world. Become more aware of their individual skills and qualities. Have more experience of the world of work and make more informed decisions. Understand more about topics that interest them.

At Key Stage 4 pupils will be working towards achieving the Foundation or Intermediate diploma depending on their target level of attainment. If pupils achieve the intermediate qualification at Key Stage 4 they will look to progress to the advanced level qualification at Key Stage 5 which is recognised as the equivalent of an A grade at A2 level.

FURTHER STUDIES (A-LEVELS) – KEY STAGE 5? Opportunity to boost WBQ qualification to Advanced level – A GRADE AT A-LEVEL. Complete understanding of the structure of the WBQ qualification and its components. Elements of the WBQ at Advanced level already covered at KS4 – reduced workload. Increased Confidence, higher level skills, more aware. Better prepared for challenges that lie ahead

APPRENTICESHIP/EMPLOYMENT? More qualifications to add to CV More to talk about on letter of application and at interview Increased confidence at interview Evidence of abilities in a range of key skills Better prepared for challenges that lie ahead More aware of chosen career path

KS4 WELSH BACCALAUREATE QUALIFICATION Ian Venn: WBQ Co-ordinator KS4 & 5 Carla Davies: Assistant WBQ co-ordinator – KS4 Paul Hughes: Assistant WBQ co-ordinator – PSE and Citizenship Hayley Davies:Assistant WBQ co-ordinator – Wales, Europe and the World

Thank You For Listening We will be available to answer any questions you may have. For all other information please look at our website: