Settling in, in Y10 Mrs Sue Hodgetts Mr M Ward

Which one would you choose? Magic Carpet Endless bag of sweets Invisible cloak

What’s new? No more modular exams, all end loaded in final term of y11 No more resits in y10/11 Emphasis on SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) Rising standards, deeper thinking, harder marking Stay on till they are 18 Competition for places at FE and HE Real focus on passing English and Maths

Oh dear, what's wrong? dear john i want a man who knows what love is all about you are generous kind thoughful people who are not like you admit to being useles and inferior you have runed me for other men i yearn for you i have no feelings whatsoever when were apart i can be forever happy will you let me be yours jane

Oh dear, what's wrong? Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours? Jane /25

Oh dear, what's wrong? Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours? Jane /25

Why change? Previous discussions indicate that many are concerned that modular exams are not helping students to achieve but rather merely encouraging re-sits. The ability to take exams an unlimited number of times is unfair to those who have to take a linear exam and work hard to achieve a good result the first time. Passing modules has become more important to pupils than actually achieving a lasting understanding and love of a subject. Frequent exam sessions interrupts students learning therefore they will now restrict GCSE sitting to May/June in order to minimise the impact on teaching and learning time. It will ensure that students can spend the full two years on their studies for a particular subject. November exams for English, English language and mathematics retakes will continue. Many people believe that the students level of understanding and maturity is greater in year 11. Students will have fewer opportunities to be put under stress because fewer exams

What are going to be the challenges for the Students? Having to remember work which is up to 18 months previous. Making sure that lessons are attended. Making sure that any work missed is caught up. Completing homework Review and revising as they go along. Being organised with books and work

Staff challenges Understanding and coping with individual learning styles in order to help them remember topics and ideas. Creating frequent tests/revisit topics in order to ‘top up’ memory. Giving opportunities for students to create revision materials as they go along. Getting students to evaluate and analyse work. Getting students to think about and self question.

Describe … Explain …Analyse Describe: This is a……. It looks like….. It has a ……. Explain: The purpose of this is to… It does this because… In order for this to work it needs to… In this situation it ….. This means that… Analyse: Let us look specifically at….. If we look at this example and compare it with….. If this continues to happen we might see… This will lead to… On the other hand… Therefore… The most appropriate solution is… On balance… The extent of the impact depends on …

Describe… Explain… Analyse Choose one of the pictures Why did you choose it?

What can you do?

Try and engage them in conversations about their work. Not about how the day went. Use questions that make them think. My favourite… ‘What would someone who disagreed with you say’ Be aware of the importance of SPAG if they have asked you for help. Push them to use the higher order skills of explain and analyse. Try and arrange visits to support the things they are studying (if you can) to give a different perspective. E.g. Visit the enigma machine (Bletchley park) for maths. Think Tank (Birmingham) for science, Maths and technology. Encourage them to reflect and review regularly. Create posters Revision cards

Y 10 Controlled test dates Subject Start date Art ART: GCSE Controlled Test will be approximately in April of Y11 (2014). This will be for 10 hours (split over two full school days) and will take place inside an Art room. There are no controlled tests for Y10 students as coursework is undertaken for the first 4 whole terms from the beginning of the course. Business Studies The Business Studies Controlled Assessment will be carried out in the Summer term of Y10. DramaTwo controlled test in y11 Eng The vast majority of students follow English Language and Literature and Controlled Assessment schedule is approximately as follows Jan/Feb – Narrative Writing Jan-April – Shakespeare and Poetry June/July – Of Mice and Men Students in M4 study English only and will complete the following: Feb – 3 rd person writing Feb-April – Shakespeare and Poetry June/July – Of Mice and Men Food The Y10 Food Tech controlled assessment has started this week and we hope to have it completed by October half term of Y11. It’s a massive project worth 60% of their GCSE and will be completed in lessons and at home (research or evaluation tasks only for homework) between now and then. Geog One CA in Summer term – based upon Fieldwork – the question will be upon river management. There are actually two terminal examinations in y11 MFL Controlled assessments -Y10 German Writing – March 2013 Speaking – November 2013 Speaking – July 2013 Spanish Writing Feb 2013 Speaking April 2013 Writing 2 June 2013 Speaking October additional pieces where necessary tba MFL memorisation of grammatical rules, verb tables and especially vocabulary is vital GraphicsBegun in April of Y10 and completed by Jan of y11 H&SC Voc ed still do not have any exams. We therefore assess constantly through portfolio work. Every lesson counts!!!! This means that attendance at every lesson is vital as is completion of homework. Catch up is now even more important. ICT Only the Year 10s studying Computing GCSE will have controlled assessments. The first one will commence within the next 2 weeks. The second one will not be done until Year 11; there is also an exam at the end of Year 11. Please note that Year 10s studying Cambridge Nationals L1/L2 will not undertake controlled assessments although they will have an exam in Year 11. Public Services Voc ed still do not have any exams. We therefore assess constantly through portfolio work. Every lesson counts!!!! This means that attendance at every lesson is vital as is completion of homework. Catch up is now even more important. History The period for History’s Controlled Assessment for the current Y10 will be:  Sept-Oct half term 2013 i.e. first half term of their Y11. Ancient History This will take place in September of Year 11 and consists of a 2000 word essay to be completed in school. The focus is on Mycenaean Greece BC and is heavily reliant upon finding, using and analysing primary sources. Maths No controlled assessments in maths. MediaAll completed by the end of y10. Roughly one piece of work per half term. MusicTakes place in Y11 (March/April) requires students to respond to an exam board led stimulus. PE February for both Y10 and Y11 RE No controlled assessments in RE Res MaterialsBegins May of y10 and completed by Dec Y11 Sc Controlled test Feb or March Students will still take GCSE exams for science in May/June as they will be at the end of the yr10 course Y 10 Controlled test dates 12-13

MFL Controlled assessments -Y10 German Writing – March 2013 Speaking – November 2013 Speaking – July 2013 Spanish Writing Feb 2013 Speaking April 2013 Writing 2 June 2013 Speaking October additional pieces where necessary tba MFL memorisation of grammatical rules, verb tables and especially vocabulary is vital GraphicsBegun in April of Y10 and completed by Jan of y11 H&SC Voc ed still do not have any exams. We therefore assess constantly through portfolio work. Every lesson counts!!!! This means that attendance at every lesson is vital as is completion of homework. Catch up is now even more important. ICT Only the Year 10s studying Computing GCSE will have controlled assessments. The first one will commence within the next 2 weeks. The second one will not be done until Year 11; there is also an exam at the end of Year 11. Please note that Year 10s studying Cambridge Nationals L1/L2 will not undertake controlled assessments although they will have an exam in Year 11. Public Services Voc ed still do not have any exams. We therefore assess constantly through portfolio work. Every lesson counts!!!! This means that attendance at every lesson is vital as is completion of homework. Catch up is now even more important. History The period for History’s Controlled Assessment for the current Y10 will be:  Sept-Oct half term 2013 i.e. first half term of their Y11. Ancient History This will take place in September of Year 11 and consists of a 2000 word essay to be completed in school. The focus is on Mycenaean Greece BC and is heavily reliant upon finding, using and analysing primary sources. Maths No controlled assessments in maths. MediaAll completed by the end of y10. Roughly one piece of work per half term. MusicTakes place in Y11 (March/April) requires students to respond to an exam board led stimulus. PE February for both Y10 and Y11 RE No controlled assessments in RE

Res MaterialsBegins May of y10 and completed by Dec Y11 Sc Controlled test Feb or March Students will still take GCSE exams for science in May/June as they will be at the end of the yr10 course