1. BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES

2. BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES
EDUQAS RELIGIOUS STUDIES – ROUTE B
Designed specifically for Catholic Schools
Component 1 – Foundational Catholic Theology
1.1 Origin and Meanings
1.2 Good and Evil
Component 2 – Applied Catholic Theology
2.1 Life and Death
2.2 Sin and Forgiveness
Component 3 – Study of a world faith – Judaism
Beliefs, Teachings and Practices
BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES

3. BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES
EDUQAS RELIGIOUS STUDIES – ROUTE B
Designed specifically for Catholic Schools
SKILLS
2 mark question – Define (recall)
5 mark question – Describe (knowledge)
8 mark question – Explain (knowledge and understanding)
15 mark question – Analyse (evaluation)
Pupils are provided with structure frames
BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES

4. BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES
EDUQAS RELIGIOUS STUDIES – ROUTE B
BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES
ISBN
ISBN

5. BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES
EDUQAS RELIGIOUS STUDIES – ROUTE B
PREPARING FOR THE DECEMBER MOCK
2 x full papers
Component 1 and Component 3
Revision materials have been ed. These need to be printed out using school account and brought to every lesson.
Homework is now an ongoing task.
BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES

6. BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES
EDUQAS RELIGIOUS STUDIES – ROUTE B
Dinner-time talk
Develop key skills through discussion:
Describe ………3 different points
Explain ………3 different points, must show impact
Analyse ………different points of view, 2 in favour, 2 against
Any topics can be used, not just RS topics. For example, describe your meal, explain the importance of central heating, analyse whether salt or sweet foods are better.
BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES

7. BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE SCIENCE

8. GCSE Science: Combined or Triple?
Combined Science
2 grades e.g. 3/3; 3/4; 4/4; 4/5
6 exam papers: 2 biology; 2 chemistry; 2 physics (each 75 minutes long; each worth 70 marks)
Higher tier ranges from 4/4 to 9/9.
Foundation tier ranges from 1/1 to 5/5
Triple Science
One grade for each of biology, chemistry and physics.
6 exam papers: 2 biology; 2 chemistry; 2 physics (each worth 100 marks; each worth 100 marks)
Higher tier ranges from 4 to 9.
Foundation tier ranges from 1 to 5.

9. How are Science GCSEs assessed?
40% Recall 40% Application 20% Analysis
Exam papers will include:
Multiple choice style questions
Short answers
Extended answers
Mathematical skills (marks available: Biology 10 %; Chemistry 20 %; Physics 30 %).
‘How science works’, with a focus on the required practicals

10. Combined Science : Biology papers
Paper 1 (1 hr 15 min long, 70 marks)
Paper 2 (1 hr 15 min long, 70 marks)
Cell Biology
Organisation
Infection and response
Bioenergetics
16.7 % of your GCSE grade
Homeostasis and response
Inheritance
Variation and evolution
Ecology
16.7 % of your GCSE grade

11. Combined Science : Chemistry papers
Paper 1 (1 hr 15 min long, 70 marks)
Paper 2 (1 hr 15 min long, 70 marks)
Atomic structure and the periodic table
Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter
Quantitative chemistry
Chemical changes;
Energy changes
16.7 % of your GCSE grade
The rate and extent of chemical change
Organic chemistry
Chemical analysis
Chemistry of the atmosphere
Using resources
16.7 % of your GCSE grade

12. Combined Science : Physics papers
Paper 1 (1 hr 15 min long, 70 marks)
Paper 2 (1 hr 15 min long, 70 marks)
Energy
Electricity
Particle model of matter
Atomic structure
16.7 % of your GCSE grade
Forces
Waves
Magnetism and electromagnetism
16.7 % of your GCSE grade

13. Triple Biology papers Cell Biology Organisation Infection and response
Paper 1 (1 hr 45 min long, 100 marks)
Paper 2 (1 hr 45 min long, 100 marks)
Cell Biology
Organisation
Infection and response
Bioenergetics
50 % of your GCSE grade
Homeostasis and response
Inheritance
Variation and evolution
Ecology
50 % of your GCSE grade

14. Triple Chemistry papers
Paper 1 (1 hr 45 min long, 100 marks)
Paper 2 (1 hr 45 min long, 100 marks)
Atomic structure and the periodic table
Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter
Quantitative chemistry
Chemical changes;
Energy changes
50 % of your GCSE grade
The rate and extent of chemical change
Organic chemistry
Chemical analysis
Chemistry of the atmosphere
Using resources
50 % of your GCSE grade

15. Triple Physics papers 50 % of your GCSE grade Energy Electricity
Paper 1 (1 hr 45 min long, 100 marks)
Paper 2 (1 hr 45 min long, 100 marks)
Energy
Electricity
Particle model of matter
Atomic structure
50 % of your GCSE grade
Forces
Waves
Magnetism and electromagnetism
Space physics.
Questions in Paper 2 may draw on an understanding of energy changes and transfers due to heating, mechanical and electrical work and the concept of energy conservation from Energy and Electricity.
50 % of your GCSE grade

16. What has worked for other students?
Flash cards
Concept maps
Summary sheets
Past questions and mark schemes
BBC Bitesize
Revision Guides

17. Where can you find help? Using Boodle
Boodle has many resources to help you to structure your revision.
Use your usual log-in username and password to access the resources.
The specification is the first item on each Boodle page. This may help you to write checklists to assist in your revision.
You can also use the ‘Check your Progress’ sheet for each topic.

18. How can you find help? Using the AQA website
This site has practice exam papers and markschemes. You can complete the papers and mark your answers to see how well you have done. Remember to focus on the questions they can’t do, as that highlights gaps in your knowledge.

19. GCSE Revision template
Possible exam questions on this topic might be:
Some keywords and phrases that I need to know for this topic are…
I am going to revise this topic….

20. Maths Information
Mrs Goggin

21. Exam Papers and tiers Exam board: Edexcel
3 papers: 1 x Non-calculator, 2 x calculator
Each paper is 90 minutes and out of 80 marks
Each paper is worth a third of the grade
Tiers: Higher (grades 9-4) and Foundation (grades 5-1)
Sets 1 and 2 Higher
Sets 3, 4, 5 Foundation
Discussions for individuals based on mocks (December)
Exam board guidance: students likely to achieve a grade 4 should sit Foundation

22. Intervention and preparation for exams
Lesson time is crucial:
Starters focus on key skills (Grades 3, 5, 7) – be on time, make useful notes
In class intervention using Boost and PixL papers
Revision will cover all key skills and problem solving
Walking Talking Mocks
After school intervention in January-February for 4 weeks
Based on mocks, focused on specific topics
Homework: range of work depending on need of class and Practice Papers. May be weekly or bi-weekly depending on size of homework
Practice Papers:
complete in timed exam conditions (90 mins)
Have a break. Change colour pen. Go through notes to help with any questions you were unable to tackle or where more marks can be gained.
Try EVERY question, there are lots of method marks, even if you’re unsure how to complete the question

23. Calculator and revision guides

24. Revision – where to start, where to go
Practice Practice Practice!
Flash cards
Topical past papers
Revision guides
Past papers (6 full sets of 3 practice papers, 3 sets of mocks)
Checklists: grade 3, grade 5, grade 7
Pixi revision
Maths PixL App
youtube / Bitesize/Mr Barton Maths
Practice Practice Practice!

25. BEING SUCCESSFUL IN GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE

26. ENGLISH LANGUAGE

27. ENGLISH LITERATURE AO1 READ, UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND:
□ Critical style and develop an informed personal response
□ Textual reference (quotations)
AO2 Analyse: language, form and structure and how it creates meaning. (Terminology)
AO3 Show understanding between
□ the relationship between texts and context
□ the relationship between texts
AO4 SPAG

28. All closed text assessments
Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet
19th century novel: A Christmas Carol
Modern fiction/drama: Animal Farm
Studied poetry cluster – Conflict and Power:
Shelley Ozymandias
Blake London
Wordsworth The Prelude: stealing the boat
Robert Browning My Last Duchess
Alfred Lord Tennyson The Charge of the Light Brigade
Wilfred Owen Exposure
Seamus Heaney Storm on the Island
Ted Hughes Bayonet Charge
Simon Armitage Remains
Jane Weir Poppies
Carol Ann Duffy War Photographer
Imtiaz Dharker Tissue
Carol Rumens The Émigrée
Beatrice Garland Kamikaze
John Agard Checking Out Me History
2 unseen poems
Our texts
Discussion – which will they choose? Why?
All closed text assessments

29. English Literature Paper 1
1 hour 45 minutes
40% of total marks (out of 64)
2 sections
Shakespeare and 19th century novel
Same approach for both questions – extract and reference to whole text
A key aspect of appeal here is the way that we have consciously crafted both questions to follow a similar pattern of design – in effect supporting teaching and learning across both components
Once students develop insight and approaches to extract to whole responses, they can apply their learning to both components – something that will provide coherence to the whole paper, and ensure that they can perform equally well on both of their studied texts
We are keen to further support this feature of the paper through exemplification of teaching and learning – using resources, schemes of work and filmed classroom sequences as part of a commitment to teach offer with us.

30. English Literature Paper 2
2 hour 15 minutes
60% of total marks (out of 96)
3 sections
Modern prose/drama, poetry cluster and unseen texts
Assesses comparison
Note that regulation determines that only a choice of either modern prose or modern drama texts can be assessed
Whilst regulation also allowed unseen texts to be of any genre, we will commit to these always being poetry in order to provide a greater degree of consistency and familiarity for students – in addition, there is clear opportunity here for teaching of section B to support and inform section C
Our rationale for two comparison activities on this paper –
“In each specification as a whole, 20-25% of the marks should require candidates to show the abilities described in AO1, AO2 and AO3 through tasks which require them to make comparisons across texts.”
Must be covered in unseen texts as a minimum
Our strategy is to have 2 comparisons as this recognises it as a higher order skill – In essence, we give students 2 goes at it and we hopefully reduce unnecessary pressure on unseen texts
Our strategy builds on current familiarity when comparing studied poems
We allow choice of poems in section B depending on students’ preferences
The strategy allows teaching and learning in section B (and its resources) to support preparation for section C.

31. So what can I do?
Ask questions about the texts regularly – if you don’t know it doesn’t matter.
Watch the films together
Go to the theatre/cinema
Check that they are completing their homework
Read an essay that they have written – ask them to explain it to you
Do their teacher

32. Keep a eye on pupils e-mails, homework and twitter:
Once a fortnight, pupils will be given a homework for a written assessment in class.
Once a fortnight, pupils will be ed an English Language Paper
Follow our Twitter Page