1. How to Help Your Child at Key Stage 4
GCSE Coursework: Information Evening for Year 10 Parents
20/05/2018
How to Help Your Child at Key Stage 4
Information Evening For Parents
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2. GCSE Coursework: Information Evening for Year 10 Parents
20/05/2018
PROGRAMME
Welcome
Key Subjects
Mathematics: Miss Donnelly, Director of Mathematics and Numeracy
English: Miss McMinn, Director of English and Literacy
The New GCSEs
Mr Gibbons, Deputy Headteacher
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3. It will be different from the experiences of older siblings!

4. Tonight’s Booklet

5. Helpful Websites www.aqa.org.uk

6. Helpful Websites www.bbc.co.uk/education

7. Parents’ Guide to Learning at Cardinal Heenan
Targets and progress
Homework
Responding to Teachers’ marking (Green Pen of Progress)
Attendance
Assessment for Learning
Key Assessment and Examination Dates

8. GCSE Coursework: Information Evening for Year 10 Parents
20/05/2018
The New GCSEs
Mr Gibbons,
Deputy Headteacher
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9. Government Reform of GCSE ‘Strengthening Academic Rigour’
GCSE Coursework: Information Evening for Year 10 Parents
20/05/2018
Government Reform of GCSE ‘Strengthening Academic Rigour’
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10. New GCSEs 2019
Religious Studies, English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Core Science, Additional Science, Computer Science, Geography, History, Spanish, French, Art and Design, Business, Design and Technology, Music, Physical Education

11. GCSE Reform More challenging than GCSEs today More subject content
Higher levels of knowledge, understanding and skills expected

12. GCSE Reform Written examination papers at end of course
More extended writing. No more ‘bite size chunks’
New specifications published
More resources to follow

13. GCSE Reform
English Language and Mathematics double weighted. Worth twice as much as other GCSE subjects.

14. New GCSE Grades
New grading scale 9-1 and U (9 the highest)
Not comparable to current grades
Grade 9 will be higher than current A*
New Benchmark = Grade 5
Old Grade C = new Grade 4

16. Top third of grade C and bottom third of grade B.
Old
New 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 A* A B C D E F G
 Top 20% of A/A*
 Benchmark
‘Pass’ 
Top third of grade C and bottom third of grade B.

17. Grade 9
In each GCSE subject, the top 20 per cent nationally of those who get Grade 7 or above will get a Grade 9 – the very highest performers in the nation.
You cannot predict a 9

18. Grade 7
‘Broadly’ the same proportion of students will achieve a grade 7 and above as currently achieve an A and above
Old GCSE Grade
New GCSE Grade
A*2 8
A*3 A1 7 A2 A3

19. The Grade 5 Benchmark
Grade 5 will be positioned in the top third of the marks for a current Grade C and bottom third of the marks for a current Grade B

20. Grade 5 is the New Benchmark
Old GCSE Grade
New GCSE Grade B3 5 C1 C2 4 C3

21. 5 4 Grade 4 Old GCSE Grade New GCSE Grade B3 C1 C2 C3
‘Broadly’ the same proportion of students will achieve a grade 4 and above as currently achieve a grade C and above

22. Grade 1
The bottom of grade 1 will be aligned with the bottom of grade G
Old GCSE Grade
New GCSE Grade G2 1 G3 U

23. Examinations Linear courses with terminal assessment
100% of marks awarded on responses to formal written examinations at end of the three year course

24. Very little internal assessment:
Examinations
Very little internal assessment:
English – speaking and listening (reported separately, 0% weighting)
Science – practical work (10%)
Geography – field work (15% but assessed by written examination at end of course)
Languages – speaking (25% recorded internally, marked externally)

25. English Baccalaureate (E Bacc)
Six GCSE Grades in:
1. English Language
2. Mathematics
3. 4. Two Sciences
5. A Language
6. History or Geography