1. YEAR 11 ACHIEVING SUCCESS AT
GCSE EVENING
Tuesday 31 October 2017

2. WELCOME

3. Year 11 Dates
Monday 4 December – Friday 15 December Mock Exams/Study Leave
Monday 18 December Intervention
Friday 12 January Year 11 Mock Assembly
Tuesday 16 January Year 11 Parents Evening
Monday 26 February – Friday 2 March Year 11 Spring Mocks
Friday 16 March Year 11 Photographs
Tuesday 3 April – Thursday 5 April Easter Revision
Wednesday 25 April – Friday 27 April GCSE Art Exam
Monday 14 May Year 11 Study Leave Commences

4. STUDY SKILLS Homework and revision is a high priority
Organise revision and get into a consistent routine
Create an area of study
Test yourself and teach someone
Important to eat breakfast
Avoid distraction by putting phone away and not listening to music
Build in time for fresh air and exercise
Get a good night’s sleep

5. ENGLISH

6. Mock Exam – English Language Two Exams
Practise responding to unseen fiction (Paper 1) and non-fiction (Paper 2) texts
Use the formulas they have been given by their teacher to structure their responses
Complete practice papers
Go back through Year 10 mock and act on targets set
Practise planning, structuring and writing the imaginative (Paper 1) and persuasive (Paper 2) questions in timed conditions (45 minutes)
Spend time making SPG corrections identified by teacher and improving marked work
Use the revision websites to improve literacy for SPG marks in exam
READING QUESTION
WRITING QUESTION

7. Mock Exam – English Literature Two Exams
Reread Frankenstein, Macbeth, An Inspector Calls and the Poetry Anthology (Conflict Section)
Some students have bought their own copies of the texts from Student Reception so they can annotate them in detail
Memorise key quotes for characters and themes and make revision cards. It is a closed book exam
A revision guide (CGP or York Notes)or using online revision guides
Revise all notes from English folder and book, including key quotes
Use Year 10 mock and classroom assessments to identify where need to improve
Improve work using exemplars from teacher
Plan and practise doing practice papers in timed conditions
(45 minutes per essay)

8. MATHEMATICS

9. Aims of GCSE Course
Develop fluent knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts
Acquire, select and apply mathematical techniques to solve problems
Reason mathematically, make deductions and inferences and draw conclusions
Comprehend, interpret and communicate mathematical information in a variety of forms appropriate to the information and context

10. What Maths do Students Need to Know?
There are six areas of mathematics students need to be familiar with
1. Number
2. Algebra
3. Ratio, proportion and rates of change
4. Geometry and measures
5. Probability
6. Statistics
All of this will be following on from the work students have done in Years 7, 8 and 9

11. Examinations Breakdown
Paper 1: Non-calculator
1 hour 30 minutes written exam
33 ⅓ % of mathematics assessment
Paper 2: Calculator
1 hour 30 minutes written exam
33 ⅓ % of mathematics assessment
Paper 3: Calculator
1 hour 30 minutes written exam
33 ⅓ % of mathematics assessment
All exams will consist of a mix of question styles, from short, single mark questions to multi-step problems . The mathematical demand will increase through the paper.

12. Foundation or Higher? There are two tiers at GCSE mathematics
Higher tier will assess grades 4-9
Foundation tier will assess grades 1-5
With the nature of the more difficult course, more students will now be taking the foundation tier paper
Not all students will currently know what tier they are sitting
A definitive decision on which tier students will be taking will not be made until some point during Year 11

13. How to Revise Maths The best way to revise maths is by practising
Do small amounts often – start revising now!
Use mymaths.co.uk to further practice with online lessons
Go through past paper questions
Use their target sheets to complete work on Mathswatch.

14. Questions to Ask Your Child
Have you got your online username and passwords?
Have you got your calculator?
What tier are you sitting?
Are you using Mathswatch to address your targets?
Do you know what formulae will and will not be given to you in your exam?

15. SCIENCE

16. GCSE Combined Science
In Year 10 students will have completed the topics covered in their first 3 examinations
In Year 11 students will have covered some of the topics for the second set of examination papers
Mock exams will be developed from past and specimen papers that will cover these modules:
Paper 1 - Biology topics 1 – 4
Paper 2 - Chemistry topics 8 – 12
Paper 3 - Physics topics 18 – 21
Paper 4 - combination of topics from year 11 work
Each paper includes extended written responses, numerical calculations and questions on practical skills

17. Separate Sciences Biology Chemistry Physics
Completed topics for first exam in Year 10
Mock exams will be developed from past and specimen papers that will cover these modules:
Paper 1 - B1 to B9
Paper 2- B10 to B18
Each paper includes extended written responses, numerical calculations and questions on practical skills
Chemistry
Completed topics for first exam in Year 10
Mock exams will be developed from past and specimen papers that will cover these modules:
Paper 1 - C1 to C7
Paper 2 - C8 to C16
Each paper includes extended written responses, numerical calculations and questions on practical skills
Physics
Completed topics for first exam in Year 10
Mock exams will be developed from past and specimen papers that will cover these modules:
Paper 1 - P1 to P8
Paper 2 - P9 to P16
Each paper includes extended written responses, numerical calculations and questions on practical skills

18. Foundation or Higher? There are two tiers at GCSE Science
Higher tier will assess grades 4-9
Foundation tier will assess grades 1-5
As the GCSE is a new more challenging course, more students will now be taking the foundation tier paper and not all students will currently know which tier they are completing
A definitive decision on which tier students will be taking will not be made until some point during Year 11

19. What can You do to Help?
Check your child’s diary to ensure they are recording homework
Have all the correct equipment for the examinations (including a ruler and a calculator)
Communicate with the subject teacher if there are queries
Help your child to plan and commit to a revision timetable for the Autumn term to prepare for the mock exams
Practising for the questions by discussing topics at home – which will help with the extended written questions that are often based on contemporary topics
Learn the meaning command words (discuss, explain, describe, evaluate, compare, suggest)
Reassure them that as long as they do their best, whatever they achieve will represent success

20. How to Revise – Exam Tips
Use the revision guides provided by the school
One for Combined Science students
Three for the separate science students
Online resources
Log onto SAM Learning
BBC Bitesize
AQA exam board website – access past papers
Write revision cards
Display key facts/diagrams on the walls
Make revision notes and test yourself

21. HUMANITIES
History

22. What is the Mock Exam Format? What Topics Need to be Covered?
History – two examinations in the December mocks
PAPER 1: Crime and Punishment c1000-present day
PAPER 3: Weimar and Nazi Germany
(Paper 2: Elizabethan England and Cold War will be examined in the Spring mocks)

23. PAPER 1: Crime and Punishment c1000 to present day.
7 December 2017
Written examination: 1 hour and 15 minutes
52 marks
Historic environment - Policing in Whitechapel c (16 marks)
Thematic study – Crime and Punishment c1000-present day (36 marks)

24. PAPER 3: Weimar and Nazi Germany
Written examination: 1 hour and 20 minutes
30% of the qualification
52 marks

25. History Key Advice
Essential to use the course booklets. The updated versions were given to students just before half term. Parents have been ed copies recently as well
Practise past questions and know how your answers are awarded marks
Chronological understanding is really important. Test yourself
Always feel confident to ask your teacher for help and advice
Use key terminology throughout

26. HUMANITIES
Geography

27. What is the Mock Exam Format? What Topics Need to be Covered?
Geography (AQA Specification)
Two examinations
Complete Paper 1
Living with the Physical Environment; the Challenges of Natural Hazards, Physical landscapes in the UK
Adapted Paper 2
Challenges in the human environment; Urban Issues and Challenges, the Changing Economic World

28. Geography Learn an appropriate case study for each topic on the exam
Become familiar with the expectations for 3, 6 and 9 mark questions
Build up your knowledge over time, don’t cram at the end
Use flashcards to revise key terms/vocabulary – you must use these to get better than a 4
Focus on what the question asks after reading it carefully- underline the key words and the command words in the question to help you

29. How Parents can Support Students
Encourage home learning as a routine, small chunks, and in a suitable learning environment
Try to be involved. Test them – the revision guide is excellent for this
Reassure them that as long as they do their best, whatever they achieve will represent success
Check they have the correct revision materials and they are being used regularly

30. MODERN FOREIGN
LANGUAGES

31. Key Changes To New Exams
All 4 units (listening, reading, speaking & writing) are worth 25% each (different to previous specification)
Students must be entered either for Foundation or Higher tier, mix and match is not permitted)
Key focus on accuracy of grammar, especially correct use of verbs
Foundation Tier grade now 6 (approx. B equivalent) compared to old Foundation Tier (C grade)
A new skill of translation (English to French and French to English) introduced for assessment
The inclusion of literary texts in the reading paper

32. Exam Structure Details contained in accompanying booklet
Separate papers for: Listening, Reading, Writing
Speaking exam conducted earlier – from April in any given exam year
Points awarded for each paper accumulate to calculate the final grade

33. Exam Timings
Listening exam – Foundation 35 minutes, Higher 45 minutes (includes 5 minutes’ reading time)
Reading exam – Foundation 45 minutes, Higher 1 hour
Writing exam – Foundation 1 hour, Higher 1 hour 15 minutes
Speaking exam of 3 sections – Foundation 7-9 minutes, Higher minutes. Both also have 12 minutes of supervised preparation time.

34. Topics for Revision for the December Mocks
For themes to revise, please see the revision guide.
For vocabulary lists, students may use
Their vocabulary booklets
The online version of the text book
French (page 10- onwards)
German (page 10 onwards)
Spanish (page 10 onwards)

35. “Do I know my vocabulary?”
All students have been in the routine of revising key vocabulary and have been tested at the beginning of each lesson this term
Listening and reading are two very important skills which require the students to have read their vocabulary lists and checked the grammar
You will also be able to check whether your son/daughter is completing this work by testing them regularly using the AQA Vocabulary booklet

36. Useful Websites and Links
Moodle on the School Website

37. FACULTY SESSIONS VISIT SUBJECT AREAS
Each subject will be offering a revision presentation session at the following times  
5.35pm pm
5.55pm pm
6.15pm End
DEPARTMENT
ROOM
STAFF
Art
A212
Mr Warren
Business Studies
A232
Mr Gill
Child Development
A135
Ms Ozen
Computer Science
A231
Ms Sheikh
Drama
A213
Ms Norman
Economics
A230
Ms Bartholomew
Food Technology
A220
Ms Makepeace
Health & Social Care
A146
Ms Bell
ICT
A233
Ms Bashir-Ali
Media
A110
Ms Smith Allen
Music
A131
Ms Mirsky PE
A107
Ms Paine
Philosophy and Ethics
A108
Mr Walcott
Product Design
A222
Mr Devine
Sociology
A109
Ms Merrigan