1. Helping Your Child With English in Year 11
September 2016
Thank you for coming tonight. Your help might just be the thing that makes all the difference between a good grade and an outstanding one, a bad grad grade and a good one.
I want to start by sharing with you the results of some pupils from last year.

2. What Made The Difference?
Student A
KS2 SAT 4a
GCSE A*
Student B
KS2 SAT 4a
GCSE C
Student C
KS2 SAT 5c
GCSE D
Here are three students who all had similar attainment in English at the end of KS2. Student C could be considered as being the slightly more able of the three, not by much but enough to be considered in national statistics as more able.. The expected GCSE for a child achieving 4a is a C grade, for a 5c it’s a B. So we have here one who met their target, one who outperformed that target by 3 grades and one who missed their target by 2 whole grades. What made the difference?
Student C – bone idle – didn’t work and when we asked for support from home we got none. Homework continued not to be done and books weren’t read. He never came to any revision classes. Student B – did fine but actually she was better than this and could have easily achieved a B grade. One of the reasons she didn’t was down to poor attendance. Off for the least thing. Student A had a fantastic work ethic, good attendance and lots of parental support.

3. What we can do to help you Helping your teenager!
Significant dates
What you can do to help
What we can do to help you
Helping your teenager!
Other sources of information and advice
So I hope that tonight is the start of that final collaboration between school and home. When results day comes I don’t only want your sone and daughters to feel pleased with their results and feel that they deserved those results because they worked hard, I want us – you, me and all the English department to feel that we’ve earned them too and played an important part in getting them through.
So, this is how the English section is going to go…significant dates, what you can do,

4. The Exams – The Finishing Post!
22nd May English Literature Paper 1 (1 hour 45 minutes)
26th May English Literature Paper 2 (2 hours 15 minutes)
6th June English Language Paper 1 ( 1 hour 45 minutes)
12th June English Language Paper 2 (2 hours)

5. Key Points Along The Way
Literature assessment point – early November
Mock exams for language – 25th November paper one (1hour 45 minutes); 2nd December paper two (2 hours)
Speaking assessment – depending on the class but before January.
Second mock – February 24th and 25th

6. What You Can Do To Help

7. Reading
They have to read. No, the film of the book is not a substitute even if they tell you it is!
Make them/encourage them to read.

8. Read What? The relevant poetry section from their anthology.
Their set texts: An Inspector Calls , A Christmas Carol, Romeo and Juliet
Newspapers – especially broadsheets. Articles in the Sunday supplements are good.
Literary non-fiction – e.g. Bill Bryson, Joe Simpson’s Touching The Void, Brian Keenan’s An Evil Cradling, Jung Chang’s Wild Swans, Gerald Durrell’s My family and Other Animals etc.
Fiction – anything really but the more variety the better. Include some 19th Century classics.
As well as encouraging them to read, if you can share in the reading and are able to discuss articles in the paper or aspects of a novel that you both read this would be brilliant.
Now, having said that a film is no substitute for a book, there are times when a film is helpful – it’s helpful in getting children more familiar with the social historical and cultural context of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We have noticed that in class discussions our young people find it hard to understand what was different about the societies in which Charles Dickens and Gerald Priestley lived and wrote. They don’t understand easily that for example, the lives of women were more restricted than they are today or that there was no welfare state to help you when you were old, ill or unemployed. So sitting down to share the odd boxed set of Pride and prejudice or films set in the past – like the suffragette movie from last year will help with that.

9. Plus… Build vocabulary
Help them to practise spellings which they find tricky
Test them…on key spellings or on the meaning of technical terms
Engage in discussion with them
Help them to memorise short quotes from their set texts.

10. What We Are Providing To Help You
Revision classes – Thursdays
Open door approach
Theatre visit to help develop an appreciation of Shakespeare
Booklists to help you make suggestions about what your child could read.
We have just done a survey to find out which aspects and language and literature students feel they need most support with and will offer those first.
The theatre visit will be on November 1st. Only £2.50 because they are coming to us so there’s no transport costs. Free to pupil premium students and a letter is going out next week.
We are always here. Phone us, come and see us.
Booklist – you’ve been sent these at least twice but I have more for you tonight. On your seats.

11. Working With Your Teenager
Create a space for revision.
Encourage your child to revise in short bursts.
Be there to help..
Get the rest of the family on-side.
Make revision notes visible.
Look out for their wellbeing.
Ask, check, but don’t nag!

12. Other Sources Of Information And Advice
BBC Bitesize – new website has links to audio books, online notes, video clips etc
Edexcel website for copies of the Language and Literature specifications.
CGP Revision Guide for the grade 9-1 course
You Tube e.g.

13. 6th Form? What else?
The purpose of tonight’s meeting is to share with you information about what happens after GCSEs. I hope that by the end of this short session, you will feel better equipped to support your child as they move from one phase of their education to the next and also I hope that you will feel reassured that the school has clear systems in place to ensure that everyone moves on to that next phase confidently.

14. Employment with training
6th Form at a school
College
Apprenticeship
Employment with training
Let’s dispel a myth first. People talk about the school leaving age as having gone up but that isn’t true. Your child IS allowed to leave school at 16 BUT is expected to stay in either full-time education or in employment with training until the age of 18. This means they can go to college, sixth form, take an apprenticeship or work with an employer who offers their own training and development scheme.
We pride ourselves on the fact that it is on average only 1 – 1.5% of our students each year who are classified as NEAT by the end of year 12. This means that all but about 3 of our leavers in any one year drop out of the education course that we have helped them to apply for. I guess that the partnership of All Saints students, their parents, the staff and an excellent careers advice provider in the form of Ansbury, means that we got this about right. Hopefully that track record will continue this year.

15. At what level can you study?
Entry level:
For qualifications that will enable access to future courses at level 1 or level 2
Level 1:
GCSEs grades G-D
BTEC awards and other certificates at level 1
Level 2:
GCSEs grades C – A*
GCSE grades 5-9
BTEC qualifications and other certificates at level 2 e.g. ECDL
Level 3:
As/A-levels
BTEC at level 3
I want everyone to know about the different levels of study available after yr11.
Colleges in our area offer courses at entry level and at level 1. Remember that level 1 is up to and including GCSE grade D.
Colleges also offer plenty of level 2 courses in vocational subjects which is a really good entry point for some students. They also offer level 3 courses. These are A-levels or A-level equivalent courses and are for most students the next stage in their education. This means for the majority of you, your decision is about whether or not you want to go to a college or a school-based sixth form.

16. Where? Thomas Hardye Budmouth Weymouth College Kingston Maurward Poole
Yeovil
Colfox
Bournemouth
These are the most common choices. However, there is also Exeter maths school, set up in association with the university and college in Exeter and designed to cater for the mathematically able. There is also South Wilts University technical college which specialises in science and engineering. You can find out more about these by looking one the Dorset for you website. You have a web address for that in the booklet on our website. I will also post the powerpoint on the school website so that you can use the links on it too.

17. What’s The Difference?
Kingston Maurward – good for land-based courses and courses with an environmental or animal-care focus.
Weymouth College – good for vocational-based learning from construction, hair and beauty to child- care and public services training. Also offers A- levels.
Budmouth and Hardye’s School – good for traditional A-Level courses but there are some BTEC/vocational courses too.
How do you choose?
Please don’t choose on the basis of friendship groups or where your older brother or sister went.
Think about whether you feel ready to switch from a smallish school environment where you are one of the oldest to a college where you might be one of the youngest. Colleges don’t have tutor groups and lots of people keeping tabs on you. Are you self-disciplined enough and independent enough to cope. It’s a brilliant half-way house to university life but is it right for you now?
School sixth form will offer a bit more independence and give you a bit more responsibility but are the courses different enough for you? Colleges offer all kinds of really interesting vocational courses that schools don’t have the capacity to do. This means that college offers a very different and potentially exciting experience so maybe that’s best for you?
Maybe you aren’t really sure of the career direction you want to head in? Your are after all only 16. I didn’t know at that age. If this is the case then maybe a sixth form with its broad and balanced curriculum containing subjects with which you are familiar but also some new and interesting things such as psychology, sociology and law is the best place for you.
Keep an open mind and make sure that you visit Budmouth and Hardyes and Weymouth College or Kingston Maurward. Don’t close down your options too soon.

18. Research the Course Entry Requirements
Creative Media Production. Level 3 course. It asks for 5 GCSEs at grade C+, including English and Maths.
Electrical Installation. Level 1. 4 GCSEs at E+ including English, maths and science.
Hairdressing. Level 2. 2 GCSEs at grade C+, including English and science. Maths would be an advantage.
Chemistry A-Level. Level 3. 5 GCSEs at minimum of grade C including English; grade B in Maths, as well as either grade B in Double Award Science or grade B in Chemistry
So, now is the time to start exploring what you might do. Research the course entry requirements for courses in which you might be interested. This will give you a feel for what’s out there and what each institution is looking for from its students. Reflect on how likely or unlikely you are to make the grades they ask for if you keep to your current pattern of learning behaviour.

19. Examples from Hardye’s School
Computer Science A-Level. Level 3. Requires: B in computing OR maths; B in core and additional science; B in English Language.
Psychology A-level. Level 3. Requires: B in maths or core and additional science; B in English Language.

20. Apprenticeships Combine work with study;
Offer work next to experienced staff
Develop job-specific skills
Earn a wage and get holiday pay
Provide study towards a related qualification (usually one day a week)
Take 1 to 4 years to complete depending on their level.
A word about apprenticeships. For some of you this might be the ideal scenario. This is what an apprenticeship can offer. There are links you can follow if you download this powerpoint explaining more about apprenticeships. If you are interested in finding out more about this pathway, see me or Mr Gibson or Mr Sadler to ask for an appointment with Kate Sandercock, our careers consultant.

21. Levels of apprenticeship
An apprenticeship has an equivalent education level and can be:
Intermediate - equivalent to 5 GCSE passes
Advanced - equivalent to 2 A level passes
Higher - can lead to NVQ Level 4 and above, or a foundation degree
Who can apply
You can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school. To start one, you’ll need to be:
16 or over
living in England
not in full-time education

22. Sources of information and help
Open Evenings
Prospectuses
Careerscape and Kudos online support
Ansbury On-line Adviser service.
Careers Consultant – Kate Sandercock.
Sources of information and help
What sources of help are available?
Prospectuses tend to be online now so make sure you look at them. Some hard copies do come our way and these will be given to you when we have them. WC ones will bew ith us in early October.

23. This term PHSE lessons and assembly
Information and advice from tutors.
Guidance (short appointments/ longer appointments).
Open Evenings
Talks by visiting institutions
Application for 6th Form and College. Deadline 12th December
So PSHE lessons will include lots of information and advice about post-16 options.
You might have a follow-up careers interview, building on the one you had in the summer term. If you suddenly find you need a re-think and another careers appointment is needed then tell us and it can be arranged.

24. Visiting Institution Talks
Budmouth 29th September
Thomas Hardye School 13th October
Kingston Maurward 1st November

25. Useful links
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Dorset#links

26. What Needs To Be Done:
Look at the institution prospectuses that will come into school or look online.
Check the entry requirements for the courses in which you are interested. Make sure that you are likely to meet those requirements.
Complete your application forms. Make sure you apply to MORE THAN ONE institution.
Check the websites of the schools and colleges for information about their open evenings.
We have already had a successful visit by Weymouth College, providing information about different courses and providing students with an opportunity to speak to others currently taking the courses. Other institutions such as Hardye’s and Budmouth will also come and talk about life in their sixth forms.
We do need you to have completed your applications by 12th December. You do want you to apply to more than one place and also to have a back-up plan. What if I cant get on this course, what will I apply for in case that happens? What if I don’t get into the institution I want? Where else would I like to try?
Incidentally, you can accept ALL offers and not finally decide until the summer term.

27. Open Days
Weymouth College 8th October (all day), 7th November 5 – 7:30pm
Kingston Maurward 16th October 10am -1pm; 23rd February 5:30- 8pm
Budmouth College 10th November
Thomas Hardye School 20th October

28. Visit at least TWO institutions.
Ask for another careers appointment if you think you need more help and advice (Mr Sadler, Mrs Garnett, Ms Brooke, Mr Gibson).
Look at the apprenticeships pages of the You Gov website.
Discuss apprenticeships – if that’s what appeals to you – with Mr Gibson or with Kate S.
Browse some university websites to being exploring the range of courses on offer and the sort of A-levels or Level 3 qualifications required.

29. And finally…
Be clear about what you would like your level of success to be and plan how you are going to make it happen. This means:
Good work habits
Avoiding burning the candle at both ends!
Starting revision early
Developing resilience
Remember also that you need grade 5 in English and maths and that if you want to do a level 3 course – even if you want to do a level 2 course, the institution you go to will make you sit the exam again if you don’t get it. So, please work hard to achieve the grade you need the first time around! You have science ISAs coming up on 19th October. Make sure you are prepared for them. Work steadily through the year. rather than cramming at the end.
Never feel that you cannot achieve, everyone can do better if they commit themselves to making the effort and putting the work in.

30. Preparing For The Speaking And Listening Exam: How You Can Help
Talk, talk, talk!
Questions; what if..? Why do you think..?
Encourage them to take an interest in the world around them and to develop opinions and views on things.
Practise the art of conversation so that your child feels confident about ‘speaking on equal terms’ with you (and us) when it comes to sharing their thoughts on a topic and answering questions about it.