WALTON-LE-DALE YEAR 10: GUIDE TO EXAM COURSES

Everything you need to know about KS4 so that you can be successful & help your parents in their old age

KS4 Courses  All students take English Language, English Literature, Maths, Science, ‘ICT’ AND FOUR OPTIONS  English, Maths and most options are GCSEs and worth one award  Science: Some students take triple Science (Bi, Ch, Phy); others take dual award  ICT, Health & Social Care, Travel & Tourism, Business are vocational courses – BTEC These are the equivalent of 1 GCSE Careers, PSE are done in addition – for example on Enrichment Days The above are referred to as LEVEL 1 & LEVEL 2 courses

GCSE grades D to G GCSE grades C to A*, BTEC Diplomas; NVQs A Levels BTEC Level 3 University Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Qualification Levels

GCSEs - Grades are from A* to G. BTEC Level 2 ICT HSC Media Studies Business Travel & Tourism L2 PassEquivalent to a Grade C GCSE L2 Merit Equivalent to a Grade B L2 DistinctionEquivalent to a Grade A L2 Distinction*Equivalent to a Grade A* BTEC Level 1 L1 PassEquivalent to a Grade F L1 Merit Equivalent to a Grade E L1 DistinctionEquivalent to a Grade D Grades

College courses 96% attendance ‘every hour of classroom tuition is matched with an hour of personal study’ A Levels: at least grade B in five separate National Curriculum subjects at GCSE level. Level 3 Vocational: 5 Cs at GCSE including Eng & Maths (may accept D in one of the two) Level 2 vocational: 4 / 5 grade D/Cs, incl E & M NB Level 2 is the same level as you are working at NOW

The Challenge for you and what we will do to support you

Government Reforms GCSE courses to be assessed by exams at the end of Y11 More exams at the end of the 2 years Coursework to be reduced in importance English – no marks for ‘Speaking & Listening’, no coursework Exams made more difficult Exams – more factual Exam questions - language makes understanding more difficult Only 60% or so will achieve grade C or above - more of the marks are for spelling, grammar

MEMORISING TIME 1 hour1 day 1 week 20% 80% 40% 60% You forget 80% of what you learn

If you think you can or think you can’t, You’re Right

All students are given MINIMUM target grades in each subject Higher targets can be negotiated; Lower ones cannot !!! Expectation is that you make 3 levels progress from primary to KS4 e.g. Level 4 at KS2 = Grade C+ at GCSE The target is based upon their achievements in their KS2 SATs Teachers provide assessment grades every term. These will come home. Please check how your child is doing compared to their target grade. Contact the tutor / Mrs McClelland / Mrs Shaw if you have concerns Target Grades Additional intervention / support if below target

SUBJECTTEACHERTARGET GRADE ASSESSMENT GRADE Nov EFFORTCause for Concern ENGLISHLO CC 1 MATHEMATICSWS CD 1 SCIENCEMC CD 4 VOCATIONALPA MeritPass 2 ARTBU CB 1 GEOGRAPHYCA DC 1 FRENCHGR DD 1 Interim Report What will be achieved if s/he continues to make same progress / work as hard

Attendance High Attendance = High Achievement

Almost all subjects have a coursework element (Controlled Assessment) Website – assessment calendar explaining when coursework is being completed Coursework is usually worth 20-30%. For some subjects it is worth up to 60% and for vocational courses it is worth about 75%. Students are given a deadline for each piece of coursework. Please check that your child is meeting these deadlines and that it is of the right standard – ie at least of target grade quality There will be ‘Coursework Clubs’ over the 2 year period to support students in different subjects Students not up to date / standard with coursework will need to attend these Clubs. Alternatives include holiday time / End of Year trips !! Coursework

This is a form of coursework in which students have to complete the coursework under ‘controlled conditions’ – ie directly under supervision For some pieces the assessment is completed under exam conditions – esp. in English Students will only be able to take limited materials into these ‘exams’. Therefore they will need to PREPARE & REVISE before these controlled assessments & REMEMBER things / techniques etc for the exam. THESE ASSESSMENTS MAKE A HUGE IMPACT ON OVERALL EXAM GRADES AND STUDENTS HAVE TO GIVE IT THEIR ALL Controlled Assessment GET THIS RIGHT FIRST TIME GET YOUR TARGET GRADE +1 TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF YOURSELF BY DOING WHAT YOU ARE TOLD !!!

Home contact Small group support / One to one tuition Task is repeated / re-done After school Study Support – additional lessons Mentor support If it is not right…..

ASSESSMENT CALENDAR

Final Exams All GCSEs have a final exam (or 2) NOTES – Students need to keep up to date with work, organise their work and keep it (usually in exercise books) so they can revise from these notes REVISION – Will need to start early – March in Y11 – but will also need to be done for Y10 exams, Y11 mocks. WHY ? Because it helps in real exams. EXAM LANGUAGE & QUESTIONS – Increased emphasis on understanding what an exam question means NEED TO PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS / PAPERS HOMEWORK- NOT GOT ANY ??!!!! REVISE

MENTORING YEAR 10 - For students who may be:  falling short of their target grades  experiencing difficulties that are leading to underachievement in a number of subjects YEAR 11 - For all students The mentor will work with the student and parents to make sure the student is working hard, on target and up to date in all subjects. The mentor will intervene if the student falls behind and work with students & subject teachers to manage ‘catch-up’.

PARENTS - WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP AND KEEP YOUR SANITY UNTIL GCSEs ARE FINISHED!

 Check the Attainment and Progress Record each term  Contact school, in particular your child’s Head of Section to check on progress AND attitude  Check the Coursework deadlines with your child & monitor completion  Check the Homework deadlines & monitor completion  Somewhere quiet to study ! Jobs for Parents

Who thinks they can pull it out of a hat at the last minute. Are you ‘LASTMINUTE.COM MAN’ ?

Am I bothered ? Am I really bothered ? Tell me, am I bothered Do I look bothered ? EXAM WORRIES ? Even if they say not, they usually are Look at my face; do I look bothered

“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights” Muhammad Ali