1. Welcome to our GCSE Information Evening

2. Aims of the Evening
Inform parents about GCSEs including the grading system.
Explain how the systems in the school support your child’s learning.
Provide further explanation about English, Maths and Science GCSEs.
Offer guidance about how parents can support their children at home.

3. Year 9 Student Progress Leader – Ms Brown
Deputy Head of Middle School and Deputy Safeguarding Lead - Mr Taborda

4. Pathway to Success BEHAVIOUR Behaviour Tariff scheme
SPL detention – every Friday Lunchtime
Leadership detention
ATTENDANCE and PUNCTUALITY
96% minimum requirement
For every 10% deficit in attendance equates to 1 grade lower than expected
Intervention sessions (lunch time/after school)
Letters home informing Parents of Attendance Figures
EXPECTATIONS AND INTERVENTION
Departmental intervention sessions (lunch/afterschool)
Pastoral intervention sessions
EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES
Leadership opportunities, Senior pupils, form reps and form captains
Sports Teams
Music Concerts
Drama Productions
Potential for Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award later in the Academic Year

5. Middle School Pastoral Structure
Mr Campbell – Head of School:
Mr Taborda – Deputy Head of School – Academic Progress and Year 11 Lead
Ms Brown – Student Progress Leader (Year 9) and Attendance Overview
Miss Heaton – Student Progress Leader (Year 10) and Tutor-Time Programme Overview
Mrs Wilson – Behaviour for Learning Manager

6. EXPECTATIONS
Attitude to Learning
Behaviour
Organisation
Commitment
Determination
Communication – very important

7. INTERVENTION and SUBJECT SUPPORT
Catch-up sessions (lunch/afterschool) – Middle School to work with Departments
Departmental intervention sessions (lunch/afterschool) – More formal programmes put in place to help boost progress
Pastoral intervention sessions – Academic Monitoring Programmes to help boost students and their confidence

8. Performance measures for schools
2015 was the last year that the 5 A*-C measure including English and Maths was the main indicator of a school’s performance.
From 2016 onwards schools are measured on the progress all GCSE students make from their KS2 starting points.
This is converted into a Progress score using the best 8 results students achieve including English and Maths.

9. KS4 Curriculum
GCSEs in England have been reformed to keep pace with universities’ and employers’ demands. They are based on new and more demanding subject content but are still suitable for the same wide range of abilities.
The Government expect all students to follow a broad and balanced curriculum and to study a range of subjects.
Some of the top Russell Group universities will expect students to have GCSE qualifications in certain subjects (eg a language) as an entry requirement for any course.

10. Group 1 subjects
English Language
Maths
Compulsory for all
Group 2 subjects
(Ebacc)
Expected to do 3 from this group
Science (Core and Additional, Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
Computing
Humanities (Geography and/or History)
Languages (French, Spanish, Latin)
A Science GCSE is compulsory. At CFS most students either follow the double or triple route.
All CFS students study History or Geography
Most CFS students study a language
Group 3 subjects
(Open)
English Literature RS
Art, Drama, Music, PE, Business, Media, Food and Nutrition, Graphics, Resistant Materials, Health and Social Care
All CFS students study Literature and RS.
Students have chosen additional subjects from this list

12. GCSEs: the main changes
The new grade scale makes it clear to everyone that students have studied the new GCSEs. It also has more higher grades compared to the old A* to G grades
Grade 4 on the new 1-9 GCSE grading scale will be considered a ‘standard pass’.
Grade 5 is a ‘strong pass’

13. GCSEs: the main changes
Grade 7 will be the equivalent of a grade A, Grade 8 a grade A* with the new grade 9 a stretch grade beyond A*.
Grade 9 will be awarded to roughly the top 3% of students in the country.

14. Progress cards 3 progress cards throughout the year
Includes separate Readiness to Learn (RTL) for class work and homework using X/G/C/P (Excellent / Good / Concerns / Poor)
Expected GCSE grades ie the grade the teacher expects them to get at the end of the GCSE course in Year 11.
In the Summer you will also receive written Areas for Development and their PPE (Pre Public Exam) result.

15. Progress cards
Target grades – a 9-1 target grade based on expected progress from KS2.
Attendance information
Positive and negative referral information.

16. How can you best support your child?
Use ‘Show my homework’ to check what they’ve been set and ensure homework is being done.
Ensure they attend any interventions they’ve been invited to.
Discuss their progress with
them when you’ve received
a progress card.

17. English – What you need to know
4 exams
No coursework
1 x spoken word presentation
Exam board

18. English Language Paper 1: 50% - 1 hour 45 minutes
Lang Paper 1: Section A – reading comprehension
Lang Paper 1: Section B – writing (creative)
Paper 2: 50% - 1 hour 45 minutes
Lang Paper 2: Section A – reading comprehension
Lang Paper 2: Section B – writing (persuasive/discursive)
Students will need to be able to read a range of texts including pre-19th Century non-fiction

19. Students cannot take copies of the texts in with them.
English Literature
Paper 1: 40% - 1 hour 45 minutes
Lit Paper 1: Section A – Shakespeare (Macbeth)
Lit Paper 1: Section B – C19th novel (Jekyll & Hyde or A Christmas Carol)
Paper 2: 60% - 2 hours 15 minutes
Lit Paper 2: Section A – Modern Texts (An Inspector Calls)
Lit Paper 2: Section B – Poetry anthology (Love and Relationship cluster)
Lit Paper 2: Section C – Unseen
Lit Paper 2: Section D – Unseen comparison
Students cannot take copies of the texts in with them.

20. How can you prepare for your English Language and Literature GCSEs?
Encourage them to attend intervention if they are invited.
Ensure all homework is completed in a timely fashion – it will be put up on SMHW
Students need to be learning quotes early on – this helps them to build their confidence and will stand them in good stead as they go through the next 3 years. Memory games played at home will help them improve their memory.
We will provide a set of revision resources that students will have access to for free. Additionally, in Year 10 we will send out a list of revision guides that

21. Edexcel Maths GCSE
Specification 1MA1

22. What’s new? Broader and deeper mathematical content
Higher Tier will include questions that will stretch the most able
Foundation Tier will focus on core mathematical understanding and skills for all students to master
A greater focus on problem-solving
Additional requirements to provide clear mathematical arguments

23. The exams Greater assessment time (4.5 hours)
Three papers, 80 marks each
One non-calculator paper and two calculator papers
Fewer formulae available in the examinations.

24. Grades Higher tier will be graded from 9 to 4
Foundation tier will be graded 5 to 1
Papers will start with the easiest topics and increase in difficulty

25. Have a go!

28. How can you help?
Electronic resources: homework, practice and problem solving
Every pupil has their own individual account.
Complete online questions beyond those formally set for homework or re-try to improve results.

29. GCSE Science at Chingford Foundation School

30. GCSE Science
We currently follow AQA Combined Science. The Combined Science Suite we offer comprises specifications which share a common approach, utilise common material, use a similar style of examination questions and have a common approach to skills assessment. They prepare pupils well for further studies in Science.
The qualifications available as part of this suite are:
GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy
GCSE Biology
GCSE Chemistry
GCSE Physics

31. Changes to the new GCSE
Linear GCSEs with assessment at the end of Year 11
All pupils regardless of their route will be sit 6 examinations
Coursework no longer exists
There are multiple choice questions for pupils to complete.
Only one 6 mark question is in each paper.
A new 9-1 grading system (9 = top level).

32. The content

33. Examinations

34. How can I help my child? BBC Bitesize
Exam questions and specification papers from the AQA website
Revision guide with a combined workbook which can be bought via the school online payment system.
Combined Science
Triple Science
AQA grade booster books (grade 9 and grade 5)
CGP AQA revision question cards
Cornell Notes
Malmesbury Science (Youtube)
myGCSEscience (Youtube)

35. Cornell notes

36. Many thanks for attending the GCSE Information Evening.