GCSESenior School & GCSEs

Boundary Oak School

GCSE

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GCSE

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GCSEWe are very excited to be off ering GCSEs at Boundary Oak School, starting with our fi rst Year 9 in September 2016. Existing Year 8 pupils will be joined by new starters between now and September, and this group of pioneers will become our fi rst Year 10 in 2017, and our fi rst Year 11 in 2018, graduating with their GCSEs in the summer of 2019.

Th e timing coincides with the roll out of new GCSEs so that all examinations sat by Boundary Oak pupils will be the new format exams graded 1-9. With the new changes happening both at Boundary Oak and to GCSEs we have produced this booklet to provide advice, guidance and direction in choosing the right senior school for your son or daughter.

Senior School & GCSEs at Boundary Oak

Our Senior School

At Boundary Oak we already offer plenty of quality classroom and teaching space for our Year 9 in September 2016.

Senior pupils also benefi t from their own social space with their common room located in the Acorn Theatre. Our development plan for the next two years will include new Senior Classroom blocks, a Senior ICT Suite, Senior Library and new Science labs.

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BikeBikeBikeBikeShedShedShedShed

Sports Field

Access to Field

Pavillion

FrontDoor

Main OfficeLibraryHM OfficeBursarITC SuiteBoarding

Balancing

Neighbouring Field

Neighbouring Field

New Classrooms

Classrooms

ArtBlock

Arch/GatehouseEntrance to Roche Court

Nursery

Parking

Parking

Car Park

Dining Room Kitchen

Uniform Shop

Yr 4-8 GirlChanging Rooms

TheatreOutdoorHeatedPool

Pre Prep

ReceptionYear 1Year 2Year 3

BoysWC

GirlsWC

FosterBlock

All WeatherAstro TurfTennis Courts

Maintenance Sheds

MaintenanceSheds

JuniorBlock

BackDoor

BoysWC

JubileeBlockHistoryEnglishMFLGeogMaths

MusicRoom

Yr4

Yr5

AfterSchoolClub

Vehicle acces to rear fields

AdventurePlay Area

Orchard

Preparatory

LaundryRoom

StaffroomStaffroomStaffroomStaffroomStaffroomStaffroomStaffroomStaffroomStaffroomStaffroom

Yr 4-5 BoyChanging Rooms

Yr 6-8 BoyYr 6-8 BoyYr 6-8 BoyYr 6-8 BoyYr 6-8 BoyYr 6-8 BoyYr 6-8 BoyYr 6-8 BoyYr 6-8 BoyChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging RoomsChanging Rooms

Girls WCGirls WCGirls WCGirls WCGirls WCGirls WCGirls WCGirls WCGirls WC ScienceScienceScienceScienceBlockBlockBlockBlock

CORE GCSEsEnglish Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Double Science (leading to Triple Science for some).

Options French, Spanish, History, Geography, RS, PE, Sports Science, Music, Drama, Art, Business, Compute Science, ICT, Photography, DT (Resistant materials or textiles or food tech or graphic or electronic), Astronomy, Psychology, Citizenship, Core Support and Learning Support.

Non-examined subjects PSHE, Careers, Personal Finance, ICT, RS.

Compulsory and Optional SubjectsThe broad and exciting curriculum on offer at Boundary Oak continues into Year 9, where pupils will be introduced to almost all of our GCSE subjects. In Year 9 they make their GCSE choices, with most pupils taking between eight and ten subjects at GCSE. In Years 10 and 11, all students study the core subjects: Mathematics, English Language, English Literature and double or triple Science. Curriculum breadth is provided through the choice of a wide range of GCSE options including, but

not limited to, French, Spanish, History, Geography, Religious Studies, PE, Computer Science, Music, Art, Drama and Design & Technology. Further subject choice includes those that can be studied through our co-curricular activities or as a GCSE, subject to sufficient candidate numbers. These include subjects such as Photography, Sports Science, Astronomy and Mandarin.

GCSE option choices are made in blocks to ensure pupils select a broad and balanced mix of subjects. The blocks are designed to both meet as many pupil preferences as possible, as well as ensuring that they are well prepared for the next stage of their academic journey, with as many opportunities and career paths open to them as possible. When choosing GCSEs please bear in mind that Universities look at grade averages rather than the individual number of GCSE grades, so it is always preferable to concentrate on fewer GCSEs in order to maximize your average grade.

Pupils and parents need to be aware that once they have embarked on a GCSE subject in Year 10 they will be expected to complete it. It is therefore very important that they chose a course and subject that

GCSEs at Boundary Oak

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is within their capabilities. Our experienced staff will provide advice and guidance when pupils need to make these decisions.

Assessment and TrackingIn order to ensure every pupil knows which GCSE grade they are tracking towards and how they can improve, we carry out a comprehensive range of both formative and summative assessments.

Summative assessments• All pupils sit Verbal and Non-Verbal

assessments at the start of each year which produce a standardised score (SS).

• All pupils sit end of year assessments in English, Maths and Science which also produce standardised scores.

• Other subjects will be assessed at the end of each year and graded as Foundation, Developing, Secure or Excellent.

Formative assessments will be based on a 3 year Baccalaureate where each pupil will be provided with their learning journey map for each subject and specific attainment descriptors will be coloured in as they achieve them independently. These maps or grids will form the basis of one on one discussions with their subject teachers and

tutors. This ensures a personalised learning experience for every pupil, it makes their learning journey explicitly clear and provides the best opportunity to improve their outcomes.

These scores (as well as intra-term end of topic tests) are used to band the grades they are tracking:

SS New GCSE Old GCSE

Excellent

9 A*+8/9 A*/A*+

125+ 8 A*124 7/8 A*/A

Secure

120 7 A115 6/7 A/B110 6 B105 5/6 B

Developing

100 5 B/C95 4/5 C90 4 C/D85 3 D

Foundation

80 2 E75 2 F70 1 F/G

1 G/U1/U G/UU U

GCSEs ExplainedGCSE‘GCSE’ stands for ‘General Certificate of Secondary Education’. It is an academically rigorous, internationally recognised qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by pupils in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A GCSE generally consists of a 2-year course, examined at the end of Year 11, however this varies depending on the subject and the candidate’s prior knowledge. Recently, with the new curriculum and new GCSE examinations, a large number of schools are moving towards teaching the course over a 3-year period.

IGCSE‘IGCSE’ stands for ‘International General Certificate of Secondary Education’. IGCSEs are recognised worldwide by employers and universities. IGCSEs are based on ‘O Levels’ and were developed initially by the University of Cambridge International Exam Board (who hold the trademark name IGCSE). Other exam boards now offer IGCSEs, most notably Pearson (Edexcel). It is generally acknowledged to be an academically rigorous exam, sat by top independent schools. They have a 25-

year history of a consistent, challenging curriculum and, arguably, have suffered less political changes, grade inflation and marking irregularities that have been associated with GCSEs.

Grading Systems and New GCSEsCurrent GCSEs are graded between an A*-G, with A* the highest, and with G the lowest. A D-G grade will gain students a Level 1 in the National Qualification Framework. An A*-C grade will gain students a Level 2 Qualification (Level 3 is awarded at A Level). A student will achieve neither a Level 1 nor 2 if they receive a ‘U’ grade, which stands for ‘ungraded’/‘unclassified’.

The uniform mark scale (UMS) is used to convert candidates’ component raw marks into uniform marks. Following the marking of scripts, an awarding committee will review the difficulty and statistical evidence of each unit before deciding where to set the raw mark grade boundary for that unit. These raw marks are then converted to UMS marks.

The uniform mark grade boundaries are always set at the same fixed percentages of the maximum uniform mark for the unit and the overall qualification. For GCSE this is A*=90%, A=80%, B=70%, C=60%, D=50%,

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E=40%, F=30%, G=20%. For example, an examination subject may look like this:

Raw Mark (out of 80) 72 63 54 45 37 29

UMS Mark (out of 100) 90 80 70 60 50 40

Grade Awarded A* A B C D E

Results become available to students in the 4th week of August following their exams. The results can be collected from school, however, some exam boards make their results available online, via a login system.

The new GCSEs will be graded 1-9 and can be compared to current GCSE grades as follows:

Approximately two thirds of those currently achieving a C will get a grade 4. The top third of current C grades and the bottom two thirds of the current B grades will become a Grade 5. Grade 9 will be awarded to the top 20% of those who get grade 7 or above (this is different from the current A* award).

The new GCSEs will be introduced gradually over a three year period:

Short CoursesA short course is equal to half of a GCSE course and therefore will only get you a maximum of a Level 1 National Qualification (as opposed to a Level 2, that you can achieve with a normal GCSE). They are the same standard of work as a normal GCSE; however, the course can be completed in about three terms, so roughly half the amount of time as a full GCSE.

Controlled AssessmentA controlled assessment is a piece of work that must be completed under exam conditions during the course. They are usually completed independently in lesson time. Science is a subject that can require controlled assessments in the form of investigations or practical tasks. Music, Computer Science, English and Design & Technology can also be partly examined by controlled assessment. The grades from the controlled assessment then contribute to your final GCSE grade.

Stage Start Teaching/Exam date Subjects

One Sep 2015/Jun 2017 English Lit & Lang, Mathematics

Two Sep 2016/Jun 2018 Sciences, Humanities, MfL, Art, Computer Science, Music, PE, Citizenship

Three Sep 2017/Jun 2019 Astronomy, Business, DT, ICT, Psychology, All languages, Statistics

CourseworkCoursework is similar to a controlled assessment, but it is not done in such a monitored environment. It can be completed in lesson time or for homework. Like a controlled assessment, coursework contributes to your final overall grade. The teachers at school mark the students’ coursework, and the exam board moderates their marking. Some exam boards are opting towards setting a controlled assessment rather than coursework because it gives a more reliable impression of the student’s abilities.

The new GCSEs will reduce the number of units and subjects that rely on controlled assessments or coursework, particularly in English and other Languages.

Examination BoardsThere are 5 different Examination Boards or companies that set GCSE exams, namely: OCR (Oxford, Cambridge & RSA Examinations), AQA (Assessment & Qualifications Alliance), Pearson (Edexcel), WJEC (Welsh Joint Education Committee) and CCEA (Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessments). IGCSE is independent from this group and is set by

Cambridge, Edexcel and AQA (the latter will stop offering IGCSEs when the new GCSEs become available).

The curriculum and requirements that each company covers varies, as each tries to appeal to schools in different ways. They are all broadly a similar standard of difficulty.

Examination Boards’ Websites: www.ocr.org.uk www.aqa.org.uk www.edexcel.org.uk www.wjec.co.uk www.ccea.org.uk www.wjec.co.ukwww.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge- secondary-2/cambridge-igcse/

TiersSome of the courses that are offered to students are split into two tiers: Higher Tier and Foundation Tier. The Higher Tier is for the more able candidates, and the Foundation Tier is for the less able candidates. Subject teachers will assess which tier is appropriate for each student. However, a student’s ability in one subject may be higher than in another so students

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can sit exams in different tiers for different subjects. This is designed to benefi t the students, as entry to a tiered exam provides the most suitable demands for the ability of the student across the range of subjects.

In the Higher Tier, students are able to achieve grades ranging from A*-D (or a U), whereas students taking the Foundation Tier can achieve C-G grades (or a U).Mathematics and English are current examples of tiered subjects.

In the new GCSEs only Mathematics will remain as a tiered subject with the Higher tier covering grades 9 – 4 (or a U) and Foundation tier covering grades 5 – 1 (or a U).

Exam Access ArrangementsAccess Arrangements are put in place for students who have unnecessary diffi culty with the standard exam, without giving them an unfair advantage. If a student has a history of requiring extra time to fi nish work then they can be eligible for these access arrangements in their exams. Access Arrangements fall into two distinct categories: some arrangements are delegated to centres, others require prior JCQ awarding body approval. The former

are assessed by the SENCO within school, and will only be granted if the school deems it appropriate.

The different kinds of help that a student can use include additional time, a computer, a scribe, a reader (where reading is not the focus of the exam) and rest breaks. Additional time is available by percentage, depending on the student. Up to 25% extra of the set exam time can be awarded. The use of a word processor can be allowed if a student normally uses one to work. If the student has diffi culty writing, then they may use a scribe, to whom they dictate their answer to. We also provide the students with Special Educational Needs lessons to aid their reading and writing skills. Please note that Access Arrangements are not available in all exams.

Sport: Monday - 2.40-4.00pm

Thursday - 2.00-3.40pm

Assemblies: Monday - Senior Assembly

Thursday - Senior Celebration

Friday - Class or Careers

Example Daily Timings and Routines

08.15am Classrooms open

08.30am Registration

08.40am Lessons start or Assembly

09.00am Lessons start if Assembly

10.40 - 11.00am Break

11.00 - 1.00pm Lessons

1.00 - 1.30pm Lunch Break

1.30 - 2pm Lunch

2:00pm - 4:40pm Lessons unless Games

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Senior School Life at Boundary OakSenior School Priviledges• Allowed to bring in your own laptop or

tablet (Wifi enabled only and non 3G/4G) and log into BOSPupil Wifi . Access to school’s laptops.

• Allowed to bring in their own mobiles phones but these must be handed into offi ce upon arrival and collected upon depature.

• They will have their own common room with sofas, tv and mini-kitchen facilities.

• Top table in dining room for the most senior year group.

• One of the games sessions will be optional/voluntary and pupils may choose instead to participate in other co-curricular activities and subject support lessons.

• Participate in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme.

• Senior School library.• Independent Prep time in Senior ICT suite.• Age appropriate trips (London, Paris,

French chateu, ski and other holiday trips)• Career service and work experience.

Senior School Positions of Responsibility• Head Boy and Head Girl.• School Prefects with responsibilities for

each subject and area of the school.• House Captains (Boy and Girl).• Senior School Council.• Head Boy/Girl Prefects, Captains in Yr 7-8

for Juniors, in Yr 10-11 for Seniors.• Independent Prep/homework (ICT suite).

Senior School UniformYears 10 and 11 will wear Navy suits with gold trim and the Senior School tie.

Why Choose Boundary Oak?• Highly experienced GCSE teaching staff are looking

forward to guiding the fi rst set of pupils through to successful exam results.

• A lot of one-on-one support will be on offer for all students. Individual guidance throughout all stages of the education here and beyond.

• New classes of children in schools are pioneers and will form a lifelong bond. It is a unique experience to be the most senior students in a school for 3 years.

• Everyone at the school is focused on ensuring that our pioneers are successful.

• Tailored academic and co-curricular program for individual students to ensure every student achieves their full potential.

• Progression through adolescence in a small, caring school with a lovely family atmosphere and outstanding pastoral care.

• Option to be a day student or part time/fl exible or full boarder.

• New senior school facilities in beautiful surroundings.

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Boundary Oak SchoolRoche Court, Pook Lane (off Wickham Road), Fareham, Hampshire, PO17 5BL

Tel: +44 (0)1329 280955 Email: registrar@boundaryoak.co.uk

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