1. Year 9 Assembly
19th January 2017

2. SCHOOL DAYS TO DECIDE YOUR GCSE OPTIONS!!38
SCHOOL DAYS TO DECIDE YOUR GCSE OPTIONS!!

3. Year 9: The time to make some decisions!
You are fast approaching the most critical point in your
school careers to date when you get to:
Make some choices over what subjects you study
(perhaps more importantly, which subjects you will choose not to continue with!)
Start to focus on possible routes at College (and beyond)
Begin GCSE content in a number of lessons (e.g. English, Maths, Science)

4. Year 9: The time to make some decisions! An outline of the process
Stage One: Selecting either Geography or History
Stage Two: Complete the Straw Poll activity
Stage Three: Read information issued carefully, listen to presentations given by teachers and ask questions
Stage Four: Attend Parents’ Evening in March and speak to your teachers about the GCSE courses

5. Some important dates in this process
Thursday 19th January (today): Initial introduction
Friday 20th / Monday 23rd / Tuesday 24th January: In RE lessons complete Straw Poll
Wednesday 25th January: deadline for History/Geography choice
Week beginning 30th January: Y9 Exams (more info later)
20th February (Start of Term 4): Commence either History or Geography GCSE
21st February: p5 Full Options process briefing (students). 7pm: Parents’ information evening
22nd March: Y9 Parents’ Evening
29th March: Deadline for Options choices

6. Information Today
As you leave please collect a pack of information it includes:
The revision checklist for the upcoming exams
A letter for your parents about the first phase of the options process
An information sheet about GCSE reform and Government accountability measures
History/Geography GCSE course information
History/Geography Option form

7. Year 9 Exams
WHY?
WHEN?
How to prepare?

8. Practice makes perfect
WHY?
Practice makes perfect

9. Practice makes perfect
WHY?
Practice makes perfect
Y11 GCSE exams are hard – the grade you get is only achieved by your success in an exam
GCSE exams require you to learn a lot of information
It takes time to perfect your revision technique
Sometimes you learn by getting things wrong (so you then know how to get them right the next time)
Yearly, formal exams will give you the opportunity to practice the techniques, practice being in exam conditions and build up the stamina needed to do well.
They are an important step in ensuring you are in the best possible position to do well in the summer of 2019 (Year 11)

10. Practice makes perfect
WHEN?
Practice makes perfect
Practical Exams in Art, Technology, Music, Computing, French/German will mostly take place in the week beginning 30th January
(although some may roll into the following week)
Written Exams in English, Maths (2 papers), Geography, History, Science and Drama will take place in the week beginning 6th February
You will not be examined in PHSE, PE or RE
Most exams will take place in classrooms, in your normal teaching groups
English and Maths (paper 1) will be taken in the Sports Hall.
You will be in exam conditions for all the exams
This means in silence, without communicating to other students.

11. Practice makes perfect
WHEN?
Practice makes perfect
- An exam timetable has been put together and you will receive a personalised copy on Monday in tutor time. It will tell you the date, time and location of each of your exams…. Please do not lose it! - Any student who is eligible for Support during exams will receive additional information from Mrs Ilderton next week.

12. Practice makes perfect
How will school help me prepare??
Practice makes perfect
In PHSE lessons next week you look at a variety of revision methods
You will be provided with a topic list to revise in each subject

13. Websites/Resources (for revision)
No. of Papers
Duration
Topics
Websites/Resources (for revision)
Practical/ Written?
English 1
1 hour
Transactional Writing
Revision sheet and revision tasks plus link to relevant Bitesize Key Stage 3 English all on Show My Homework
Written
Maths
2 (1 x calculator, 1 x non-calc)
1 hour each
Algebra, geometry, number, probability, proportion and data handling.
Doddle and class notes
A checklist is available from Maths teachers
Science
Biology taught so far in Year 9 (different for each class)
Revision guides ordered by students have been given out. Mrs. Heaton will also load revision onto Doddle
Drama
30 mins
“Blood Brothers”
A written task based on students’ practical work on “Blood Brothers”
Music
30 mins.
Film Music (leit motifs, diegetic music)
Class notes and composition techniques
Written and listening
French
2 (1 x Reading, 1 x Writing)
25 mins. each
Family, jobs, countries, transport, clothing, food and drink and places in a town.
Class notes and work sheets
German
Family, pets, school, house, hobbies, food and drink.
History
The Battle of the Somme
Geography
Leisure Landscape
An AQA revision resource is on Show My Homework
Computing
Unit: Back to the Future (Python programming and computer hardware)
Revision Resources are on Show My Homework
Online
DT Food
Food safety and skills, safe use of equipment, time management, good food hygiene practices, knowledge of nutrients and presentation of the final dish which will be Calzone
Practical
DT Textiles
Idea Generation
BBC Bitesize Design Technology Area
Written and sketching
DT 3 D Design
IDsketching.com website
Art
Perspective Drawing
R.E.
No Examination
P.E.
PHSE

14. Practice makes perfect
How will school help me prepare??
Practice makes perfect
In PHSE lessons next week you look at a variety of revision methods
You will be provided with a topic list to revise in each subject
Homework will be to revise
Some subjects will provide additional revision materials to help guide you (or direct you to digital resources) – check SMHW!
There is also a guide called ‘How to revise’ on the school website which has lots of ideas and strategies to support you

15. Practice makes perfect
How else can I prepare??
Practice makes perfect
There are lots of different ways to revise for your exams (and you should test out a variety to see which ones work best for you)
Successful revision strategies will depend on what you are revising and what sort of learner you are – some people prefer to write things out, some like to create diagrams, lots of people like making notes ‘pretty’ and colourful, others like to listen to their notes recorded and play them over and over.
You should revise in short ‘chunks’ of time (25-30 minutes) then take a short break and then revisit the work again.
You should revise without distractions (phone, internet, tv).
You should be sat at a table with good lighting.

16. Some examples FLASH CARDS MIND MAP KEY TERM POST IT NOTES
Educational websites
SUMMARY POSTER
CREATE QUIZZES

17. Practice makes perfect
SOME ADVICE!
Make sure you
know when & where your exam is in each subject
know the topics you have to learn
speak to your teacher if you are unsure about any topics
take these exams seriously
take time to learn the information carefully

18. Don’t forget your pack of information!
GOOD LUCK!
If you have any other questions about the exams please speak to your subject teacher or your form tutor