Teaching and Learning: what have we

been doing this month?KS3:Key stage 3 students have been getting to grips with ICT

and Computing this half term by learning how to create

their own digital movies. They have reviewed existing

movie trailers and are now using real footage to create

a new Toy Story motion picture that they have planned

themselves. So far the work has been amazing and we

can not wait to see how they will turn out.

KS4We offer a range of courses at KS4 and that’s led to

some fantastic and varied work being created.

Computing option groups:

Our year 9s have been putting their technical skills to

the test by dismantling a current PC and then rebuilding

it from scratch as well as coding their own video games.

Whilst our year 10s have been hard at work creating

HTML websites purely by coding.

Core ICTGCSE students have been working on their controlled

assessments about either a music festival or a new

animal shelter. They have had to develop digital tools to

help promote and plan their new venture. ECDL

students have been expanding their knowledge on key

software in preparation for their exams.

KS5The year 13s have made a great start to their new unit

and have loved the creativity involved in deigning their

very own video game. They have to plan, design and

promote a new concept for a game and will ultimately

have to present it to a panel of experts.

The year 12s have made a flying start and are well on

the way to finishing their first unit on Social Media for

business. They’ve had to use real life examples to

analyse the role social media can play in a range of

different organisations.

Curriculum news:

The difference between ICT and Computing

There has been a lot in the press recently about computing in schools and sometimes it can be hard for parents to understand the difference between ICT and computing. To help, we have summarized their main points below.

ICT:• Using software• Designing and creating• Spreadsheets/databases• Producing digital media

(animations etc.)Computing• The study of how computers work.• Programming languages• Networking• Coding• Understanding software/hardware

Key dates:Y11 GCSE ICT:Controlled Assessment, Units 1-4 Deadline: Wed 16th December 2015

Y12/13:Unit moderation – Thurs 17th March 2016 & Fri 8th July 2016

Autumn term 2015

Computing & ict

Useful website to help you with computing:

Summer Results:

We had some brilliant results

over the summer and we are

delighted for our former year

11 and 13 students.

81% of our year 11 students

got either a Distinction or

Distinction star with everyone

else getting at least a merit.

A special well done to Laura

Poole, Alex Simpkiss, Aaron

Graham and Sarah Nowairi

who worked extremely hard to

surpass their target grades.

www.teach-ict.comProvides resources and revision notes for both ICT and Computing

www.bytesize.co.ukProvides resources and revision notes for both ICT and Computing

www.code.orgGives you a basic introduction to many different programming languages.

www.codecademy.comAllows you to develop your programming skills for free.

Coming soon: Student corner:Every Wednesday Mr Ali runs a P7 Coding Club. Currently they are busy developing their skills in programming by learning how to create web sites using HTML and CSS. The club is open to all students of any age or ability so feel free to come along and join in.

Autumn term 2015

Computing and ict

KS4 - FIFA 16 Tournament!After the October break the computing department will be holding a tournament open to any student that is up to date with their course work and are making good progress in either ICT or Computing. Top prize of a trophy and bragging rights for the rest of the year!

BBC Microbit:We are pleased to announce that we have signed up to the BBC to receive their latest gadget aimed at all students. The Microbit is a codeable computer with some clever features. Release date - Jan 2016

Teaching and Learning: what have we been doing this month?

Year 7 have been completing their baseline assessments in swimming, gymnastics, invasion and striking games. This has helped to set their end of unit target and work out which set they will be working in.Year 8 have been participating in a range of sports with some classes trying handball and badminton for the first time. Year 9 and Year 10 have started their new GCSE course and have settled in well to their theory lessons studying the skeletal system; they have been learning all about the bones in the body and their functions.Year 11 have completed a recent assessment in their theory lessons covering all of the topics studied so far. In practical lessons they have been reassessed in trampolining, rock climbing and have been assessed for the first time in BMX. Learning walls have been a key focus to help students revise.Year 12 have just started their BTEC or AS Level courses and are getting used to the increased demands in workload and higher level thinking skills needed to be successful. Varied units such as sport coaching, anatomy and sport psychology have been started.Year 13 have been starting new units and have been researching outdoor sports ready for their trip to Towers next Easter.

Student Voice

Key dates:Thursday 12th November- Year 10 indoor athletics, boys and girlsThursday 3rd December- Year 9 indoor athletics, boys and girls.

Autumn term 2015

PE Department

I have enjoyed the transition from GCSE to A level where I have been learning the historical events of the Olympics and started my coursework where I have been researching the provision of Netball locally and nationally.(Emily Banks, yr12)

My favourite part of PE so far was when I took part in my first netball match as part of the school team. I played GA and scored 5 goals which I was very proud of. I have also enjoyed taking part in lots of different sports in my PE lessons. (Brieanna Green, yr7)

So far this year I have been learning how to improve my butterfly technique in swimming. This is helping me achieve my white award. I have also enjoyed taking part in after school clubs such as football and rugby. (Patrick Ngove, yr8)

In GCSE I have been learning the different health and skill components needed to help me design my own fitness programme for my coursework(Sam Aldersley, yr11)

Sports Results so far this year:Year 7 FootballBeat Colton Hills 8-0Beat St Chads 7-1Finished 3rd in the Wednesfield tournament

Year 8 FootballBeat Colton Hills 4-1Year 9 FootballBeat St Matthias 5-3Year 9 rugby playedTettenhall college & MadeleyAcademy.

Year 7/8 Netball Friendly Beat Royal 12-1

Follow the PE department ontwitter for all the latest sports news@AldersleySport

Year 11 GCSE key words

Do you know these key words ready for your exam? Cardiovascular fitnessMuscular EnduranceMuscular StrengthFlexibilityBody CompositionPAR-QAgilitySMART Reversibility Progressive overload

Revision tips:

Coming soon: Mr Biddlecombe is looking to organise a trip to Twickenham to watch Oxford University vs Cambridge university and will be selecting dedicated members of the school rugby teams across all years.

Boys basketball and badminton fixtures will be starting this half term so please see a member of the male PE staff in interested and come along to period 7 on Wednesday and Thursday.

Netball leagues have now started so look out for upcoming fixtures on twitter or see Miss Dunn in the PE department.

Frog page for GCSE,BTEC and A Level resources.

Individual successes:Levi Lawrence in year 7 finished 9th in his first cross country event where he competed against over 100 other year 7s from across Wolverhampton. Well done Levi! Keep up the hard work.Also congratulations to Robyn Swatman in year 7 who competed in the Midlands Synchronized Swimming Championship where she achieved Gold in her duet and team event and silver in her solo.

Autumn term 2015

PE Department

Ryan Harding, Tyler Johnson & Emily Banks are now representing Wolverhampton as part of The Black Country Young leaders programme.

Teaching and Learning: what

have we been doing this

month?Years 7 & 8: In French they

have learnt how to describe

themselves and others, and to

say what they would put into a

survival kit and why. In

Spanish they have been

learning about how to greet

people in Spanish, counting in

Spanish and talking about

themselves and their family.

In year 9 the students have

been writing Facebook profiles

in French and preparing for

their speaking exam.

In year 10 students are

learning about health and are

also preparing for a speaking

assessment.Year 11 are completing a

writing assessment about

School and will complete a

Listening and Reading past

paper.

MFL news:

Key dates: 2016AS French Unit 1 21st MayAS Spanish 19th MayGCSE French Unit 1 and 2 (Listening and Reading) 12th May

Autumn term 2015

MFL NEWSLETTER

Miss McCormack is running French Club this year every Tuesday after school.

French trip to the beautiful Château du Broutel in France Monday 18th July – Friday 22nd July 2015.

French trip meeting for all students on Thursday 8th October in HLB. Look out for future meetings soon!

Please make Miss Emery welcome - our new Spanish PGCE teacher.

Revision tips: Can you extend your sentences with connectives, intensifiers and opinions?

High Frequency words:

French:Je suis = I amJ’ai = I haveJe pense que = I think thatToujours = alwaysQuelquefoisSpanish:Soy = I amTengo = I haveCreo que = I think thatSiempre = alwaysA veces = sometimes

Coming soon: • French trip to the

Chateau du Broutel July 2016.

• Routes into Languages trips for years 8, 9 and 10.

Student corner:” I like French because when I go back to Switzerland there are places where they speak French.” (Emilie Elson)“I like learning French because I am learning to speak a different language and it’s fun.” (Lucy Bowen)

Autumn term 2015

MFL NEWSLETTER

ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE

YEAR 7: w/c 19th OCTOBER LISTENING AND

READING EXAM

W/C 2 NOVEMBER SPEAKING and WRITING

EXAM

YEAR 8: w/c 19th OCTOBER LISTENING AND

READING EXAM

W/C 2 NOVEMBER SPEAKING and WRITING

EXAM

YEAR 9: W/C 19 OCTOBER: READING and

LISTENING

YEAR 10: 4TH AND 5TH NOVEMBER: SPEAKING

YEAR 10: W/C 19TH OCTOBER LISTENING AND

READING

YEAR 11: W/C 19 OCTOBER : WRITING

YEAR 11: W/C 19TH OCTOBER LISTENING AND

READING

YEAR 12: W/C 2 NOVEMBER LISTENING,

READING+ WRITING

The Team:

This year we have tried to follow the format of keeping SEN staff to a particular year group, so where possible, the following staff are with the following Year groups:

Year 7 - Wendy Jones SENCO.Year 8 - Claire Preece (part time) and Lynn Reynolds (part time).Year 9 - Stacey Fellows.Year 10 - Val Vassell.Year 11 - Deb Jones.  

Key

Notes:

Autumn term 2015

SEN Department

We have been joined by two volunteers: Claudette Kanagalingam (Friday) and Kate Hall (Wednesday). Both are settling in well and are a welcome addition to our little team.

Departmental News:

Lunchtimes

A select number of 15 SEN students who are deemed to be vulnerable, particularly at lunchtime, have been given passes to go to LS3 where 2 members of the team will supervise them.

At the moment a regular group of 7 students have taken up this offer.

Student voice:

A comment recently madeby a student when thinkingof a teacher who was like Mrs Kay (a mother hen) in ‘Our Day Out’, wasalong the lines of: ‘Mrs * is like Mrs Kay becauseshe makes sure we knowwhere we are going and what we are doing and helps us when we don’t.’

Why not visit our web page to find out more about SEN at Aldersley, read up on Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia and Autism. Why not try out the Literacy and Numeracy activities:

https://frog.aldersleyhigh.org.uk

Assessment information:

Didn’t they do well!We were really pleased with the achievements of last year’s Year 11 SEN students. It is so good that progress is now a measure of value. SEN students may not all fall in the A*- C bands but the progress, both academic and personal, that they make in their journey through school, can be exceptional. Obvious academic successes were Reece Guy (3As, 4Bs, 2Cs) and Tim Whitehead (1A*, 3As, 4Bs, 3Cs) at GCSE.Across all subject areas:Students achieving A*-G: Statements – 92.9%SEN support – 97%.In 11 out of 13 subjects our statemented students achieved 100% A*- G. Well done!

Coming soon: With Year 11 assessments already underway you may not see your usual support in class because the team will be working with students on exam support. SEND help and advice sheets will be emailed to you, followed by a surgery.  Come along and discuss any concerns or positives you may like to share with us.

New Recruits Year 7 On the whole, the new posse of

SEN students are settling into

‘big school’ life really well.

Autumn term 2015

SEN Department

Teaching and Learning: what have we been

doing this month?

Students have hit the ground running in key

stage 3 and have been studying biology,

chemistry, physics and scientific skills.

Year 7 – In biology student have been

studying cells including animal cells, plant

cells and specialized cells. In chemistry

particles and the particle model is being

studied. The solar system is being studied in

physics. Students have also been acquiring

the practical skills they need to work in the

laboratory and carry out experiments safely.

They have also been gaining experience with

using a Bunsen Burner.

Year 8 – In year 8 biology students have been

learning about healthy lifestyles. In

chemistry they have been studying

nanoscience and the new technology being

designed using nanoparticles. In physics

magnets and electromagnets are being

studied.

Autumn term 2015

Science Department – Key Stage 3

Exam dates for KS3

Year 7:

Monday 9th November – Biology Tuesday 10th November – ChemistryWednesday 11th November – Physics

Year 8:

Tuesday 10th November – ChemistryWednesday 11th November – PhysicsThursday 12th November - Biology

Dates for your diary:

Year 7 Consultation evening – 3rd December.

HomeworkAll homework is set via ‘Show my homework’. Current year 7 homework is a project to research a famous scientist. This is due on 9th November. Year 8 homework is set weekly by class teachers.

Teaching and Learning: what have we been doing this

month?

Year 9 – Students have started the new GCSE specifications for

Science. They have been studying animal and plant cells in

biology. Atomic structure and the periodic table in chemistry and

in physics they have been studying forces and their interactions.

Year 10 – In biology students have studied aspects of keeping

healthy and co-ordination and control. In Chemistry they have

been reviewing the fundamental ideas of atomic structure and

bonding. In Physics they have been studying the different energy

heat transfer methods.

Year 11 - Students on the double award course are using this first

term to review their understanding of the core science units.

Triple award students are studying the third unit in each subject.

All year 11 lessons are supported with a series of period 7 sessions

reviewing the various topics studied across the two years.

STEPS to SUCCESS:

Autumn term 2015

Science Department – Key Stage 4

Make sure you are using all the available resources when revising and preparing for lessons and assessments; Kerboodle, revision guides, BBC bitesize and Alfie. Keep track of your homework through ‘Show my Homework’.

Exam Dates 2016GCSE

Biology Paper 1 BL1HP/BL1FP 17th May 2016Biology Paper 2 BL2HP/BL2FP 10th June 2016Biology Paper 3 BL3HP/BL3FP 10th June 2016

Chemistry Paper 1 CH1HP/CH1FP 19th May 2016Chemistry Paper 2 CH2HP/CH2FP 15th June 2016Chemistry Paper 3 CH3HP/CH3FP 15th June 2016

Physics Paper 1 PH1HP/PH1FP 25th May 2016Physics Paper 2 PH2HP/PH2FP 17th June 2016Physics Paper 3 PH3HP/PH3FP 17th June 2016

REMINDER:Period 7 sessions for key stage 4 take place every Tuesday.

Dates for your diary:Year 10 Parent event 19th November 2016

Year 11 Parent Event 8th December 2016.

More details to follow.

Teaching and Learning, what have we been doing this

month?AS Biology – Students on the AS Biology course have been

studying Biological Molecules including Water, Carbohydrates,

Amino acids and Food Tests. They have also studied Microscopy,

calculating magnification including actual size vs image size,

plant and animal cell structure and the functions of organelles in

both. AS Chemistry – Students on the AS Chemistry course have been

studying Atomic Structure, Relative Mass, Equations, Mass

Spectroscopy and Electronic Structure. They have also studied

Ionisation Energies, Periodicity and the Reactions of Group 2 and

7. AS Physics- Students on the AS Physics course have been

studying Mechanics, Linear Kinematics and Linear Dynamics.

A2 Biology – Students on the A2 Biology course have been

studying Respiration and

A2 Chemistry – Students on the A2 Chemistry course have been

studying Aromatic Chemistry including the structure of Benzene,

the Kekule model and Electrophilic substitution reactions of

Benzene. They have also been studying Amino acids, Peptides

and Polymerisation, and ways to separate substances including

Thin-Layer Chromatography and Gas Chromatography – Mass

Spectrometry.

A2 Physics – Students on the A2 Physics course have been

studying the Newtonian World.

BTEC Forensics – Year 12 students study Unit 1 – Fundamentals

of Science, Unit 2 – Science in the Workplace and Unit 4 –

Scientific Practical Techniques.

Year 13 students study Unit 18 – Genetics and Genetic

Engineering, Unit 31 – Criminology and Unit 32 – Forensic

Evidence Collection and Analysis.

Student of the Month

Autumn term 2015

Science Department – Key Stage 5

Exam Dates 2016GCE

REMINDER:Science Surgery Sessions to Commence after half term.

BiologyF214

16/6/16

F21523/6/16

H020/126/5/16

H020/27/6/16

ChemistryF324

14/6/16

F32522/6/16

H032/127/5/16

H032/210/6/16

PhysicsG484

20/6/16

G48528/6/16

H156/124/5/16

H156/29/6/16

Congratulations to Daniel Corbett Year 13 for being selected as student of the month for his progress and achievement in both A2 Chemistry and A2 Physics.