Welcome to Stanborough School

Key Stage 4 Information Evening

KS4 Information Evening (Year 9 and Year 10)

22nd September, 2015

Jessica Vlijter Bryan Mason Assistant Headteacher Deputy Headteacher

Paul O’Connor Curriculum Leader: English

Karolyn Feliciani Sumeet Modi Rebecca HooperKS4 Leader: English KS4 Leader: Mathematics Curriculum Leader: Science

Paul Harris Katalin McLean Year Leader: Year 10 Deputy Year Leader: Year 10

2012 Onwards

•Reduced list of qualifications•All exams at the end of the course•Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar included in some subjects

•GCSEs ‘strengthened’•Non GCSEs have an externally marked aspect

2015 Onwards

•Further GCSE Reform:•Further changes to content•Reduced List of GCSEs•No coursework•New Grading system which uses 9 to 1 instead of A* to G

When does it happen?

•For Year 10 students: New GCSE (and new grades) for just Maths, English Language and English Literature

When does it happen?

•For Year 9 students, new GCSE and Grades in:

• Art and Design• Science• Drama• French and Spanish• Geography• History• Computer Science• Philosophy and Ethics• Physical Education• Food

When does it happen?

•For Year 8 students, all other subjects are reformed:

•Design Technology• ICT•Business Studies•All GCSE Equivalent subjects

GCSE Mathematics

GCSE (9-1) Mathematics – At a glance

Changes to Assessment

Understanding the changes to the content

Resources/Available support

Monitoring Progress

How can you support your child?

GCSE in Mathematics at a glance

• GCSE Mathematics is getting more demanding

• The volume of subject content has increased

• The demand of that content is increasing too … harder topics have been introduced at both Foundation and Higher Tiers

• The total time for the examinations will increase from 3.5 to 4.5 hours. All exams (3 papers – Two Calculator and One Non-calculator paper) will be sat at the end of the course. There is no coursework.

• There are fewer marks at the lower grades and more marks at the higher grades at both tiers

• There will be greater emphasis on problem solving and mathematical reasoning

• Students will be required to memorise formulae – fewer formulae will be provided in examinations

Changes to assessment

Changes to assessment: grading

Changes to assessment: grading

Understanding the changes to content: Foundation

Topics new to Foundation tier (previously Higher tier only in 2010)

• Index laws: zero and negative powers • Standard form

• Compound interest and reverse percentages • Direct and indirect proportion

• Expand the product of two linear expressions • Factorise quadratic expressions in the form x² + bx + c

• Solve linear/linear simultaneous equations • Solve quadratic equations by factorization

• Plot cubic and reciprocal graphs • Recognise quadratic and cubic graphs

• Trigonometric ratios in 2D right-angled triangles • Fractional scale enlargements in transformations

• Lengths of arcs and areas of sectors of circles • Mensuration problems

• Vectors (except geometric problems/proofs) • Density (compound measure)

• Tree diagrams

Understanding the changes to content: Foundation

Understanding the changes to content: Higher

Understanding the changes to content: Higher

• Expand the products of more than two binomials

• Interpret the reverse process as the ‘inverse function’; interpret the succession of two functions as a ‘composite function’ (using formal function notation)

• Deduce turning points by completing the square

• Calculate gradients of graphs and areas under graphs, and interpret results in real-life cases

• Simple geometric progressions including surds, and other sequences

• Deduce expressions to calculate the nth term of quadratic sequences

• Calculate and interpret conditional probabilities through Venn diagrams

More content has been added to Higher tier in order to stretch and challenge the most ablestudents and better prepare them for studying A level Mathematics, so we’ll see the introduction of new knowledge, skills and understanding that will be assessed at Higher tier only

Most of these are currently taught at A Level

Topics new to both tiers

• Use inequality notation to specify simple error intervals

• Identify and interpret roots, intercepts, turning points of quadratic functions graphically; deduce roots algebraically

• Fibonacci type sequences, quadratic sequences, geometric progressions

• Relate ratios to linear functions

• Interpret the gradient of a straight line graph as a rate of change

• Know the exact values of sin θ and cos θ for θ = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°; know the exact value of tan θ for θ = 0°, 30°, 45° and 60°

Resources/Available supportResources for revision Content/Support Accessing the resource

www.mymaths.co.uk Explanation of all GCSE topics Practice questions Opportunity to set up personalised tasks

Login: stanboroughPassword: adding(Personal login details for personal tasks have been provided)

MathsWatch Video clips on every topic + practice worksheet

New spec discs will be available next year

VLE Topic List and Learning Objectives Practice Papers with Mark Scheme(as soon as these are available)

Can be accessed using the school network login details

After school club Support with homework or a topic Help with revision techniques

Thursdays in G9 from 3 pm to 4 pm

Depending on staffing, we will organise carefully planned revision sessions over the Easter break and again during the Summer half term (in Year 11)

• Teachers regularly use past – exam questions during lessons and while setting homework in order to improve students’ confidence with solving exam style questions in assessments

and mocks

• Underachieving students also get a chance to attend lessons with the specialist maths tutor

Monitoring progress

• 3 lessons per week (4 in Year 11)

• Mini assessments at the end of every module

• Use of Progress Updates, PTI/PTS to discuss targets and highlight areas of strength and weakness in the subject

• Regular book marking/homework marking

Homework

• Opportunity to discuss common mistakes and misconceptions

• A range of resources will be used by teachers including past-exam questions

Homework will be set every week – details can be found on SHOW MY HOMEWORK

• Verbal and written feedback

How can you support your child?

• Please check your child’s planner every week, visit the school website/read Stanborough Times to be updated about any latest developments

• Encourage your child …

• It is important that students arrive to lessons with the correct equipment. Students will require a pen, a pencil, an eraser, a ruler, a protractor, a pair of compasses and a Scientific Calculator.

to consistently complete the class work and homework to a high standard to behave in a way that does not disrupt the lesson or interrupt the teacher from delivering the planned lesson

to attend the after school club

It is crucial that that students revise difficult/important topics e.g. numeracy, algebra, angle facts regularly to make sure that there isn’t a huge pile of topics left to revise nearer to the exam

GCSE English Language and Literature

The main changesThe new demands of GCSE EnglishContent of the English Language GCSEContent of the English Literature GCSEMonitoring progressSupport and Resources

English GCSE reform: What are the main changes?

A new grading scale that uses the numbers 1–9 to identify levels of performance (9 being the top level).

English Literature and English Language to be externally assessed.

All students will take English Language and Literature

English Literature and English Language will not be tiered.

What are the new demands of GCSE English?

A greater demand on learning skills

More challenging to reach the top grades

Students expected to read ‘a wide range of texts.’

Closed book assessments and exams

Unseen texts will be a new requirement.

There will be greater emphasis on accurate use of SPaG.

What does the content of the language course look like?

English Language

Read and understand a range of texts

Read critically

Compare texts

Write clearly and coherently

Write for impact

SPaG.

Which texts will we use?

A wide range of extracts from both fiction and non-fiction.

What does the content of the literature course look like?

English Literature

Read a wide range of classic literature fluently

Read in depth and criticallyWrite accurately, effectively and

analytically about their readingAcquire and use a range of

vocabulary and terminology.Compare unseen textsSPaG.

What texts will we study?

Animal Farm

An Inspector Calls

A range of poetry

Romeo and Juliet

Jekyll and Hyde.

How are we preparing Y9 for the new GCSE?

A shift from letter to number grades to align with the new GCSE

Students have multiple opportunities within the Y9 curriculum to practice the skills needed

Assessment using the new GCSE criteria.

To Kill A Mocking Bird OR Of Mice and Men

The Knife that Killed Me

Unseen Texts

Macbeth

Poetry

Y9 exam modelled on the new GCSE.

Monitoring progress and communication

Y9 and Y10 Reading Assessment – regular assessment and feedback

Tracking Progress Update data – four a year

Emails / phone calls -

Parents’ Evenings

Support and resources

GCSE Bitesize

ShowMyHomework

Teacher

LRC

Revision Guides / workbooks

OCR website for specifications and resources.

Science at GCSE

Course Outlines (Year 10)Monitoring Progress (Year 10)

What’s new for GCSE in 2018 (Year 9) Homework (Year 9 and 10)Resources (Year 9 and 10)

Course Outlines Year 10

2 GCSEs 3 GCSEs

Additional Science Triple Science

Science Pathways Year 10

Additional Science

Two Separate GCSEs(Core and Additional)

75% Exam

Assessment

25% Controlled Assessment

Breakdown

Core ExamsThree one hour exams

(B1-3,C1-C3 and P1-P3)

Core CourseworkCase Study (Spring 1 2015)

Data Analysis (Autumn 2 2015)

Additional Coursework Investigation (Autumn 1 2016)

Additional Exams Three one hour exams

(B4-6,C4-C6 and P4-P6)

Classes: Year 10 groups 2 and 3

Triple Science

Three Separate GCSEs(Biology, Chemistry

and Physics)

25% Controlled

Assessment Investigation

(Spring 1 2015)

Biology GCSE Chemistry

GCSE PhysicsGCSE

25% Controlled Assessment Investigation (Autumn 2

2016)

75% ExamThree one

hour exams (B1-3, B4-6,

B7)

75% ExamThree one

hour exams (P1-3, P4-6,

P7)

Classes: 10W1 and 10G1

75% ExamThree one

hour exams (C1-3, C4-6,

C7)

25% Controlled Assessment Investigation (Summer 2

2015)

Types of Assessment

Controlled Assessment• In school• Under exam conditions• In class• Hours do not have to be

consecutive• Planning materials and supporting

resources can be taken in• Good attendance is vital

Examination• ‘Terminal’ (at the end of the

course)• Exam conditions (one hour

exams)• Preparation through revision• No preparation material can be

taken in

Changes to GCSE Science - Year 9

Current • Separate grades for Core and

Additional Science

• Controlled assessment makes up 25% of each GCSE grade

• ‘Working Scientifically’ skills assessed via controlled assessments and exam

• Maths skills assessed but no predetermined %

• No mandatory practicals

• Use equations provided and be able to rearrange equations

New• Double GCSE grade for ‘Combined Science’

• No controlled assessments

• Practical skills to be assessed via the exams and make up 15% of each GCSE grade

• 20% of each GCSE will be Maths skills (new GCSE maths demands)

• 16 mandatory practicals for Combined Science • 24 mandatory practicals for Triple Science

• Recall and use equations • More demand in content- some AS topics have

moved to GCSE

Monitoring and Progress- Year 9 & 10

• Regular formal assessment and feedback throughout the course

• Regularly marked in-class assessment at the end of each topic• Progress Updates• Coursework tracking/Practical Skills Record

Homework

• 6 mark questions (Year 10)• Past papers • Revision activities (more focus on recall for Year 9)• Extending knowledge and understanding • Consolidation of concepts met in class • Preparation for controlled assessments (Year 10)

All homework is expected to be done to the students best ability

Resources

• Classroom teacher • Revision books available to purchase in school• GCSE Bitesize• VLE resources and e-book• Revision sessions with year 11 students

Students should be revising throughout the course and producing revision materials to ensure they are fully prepared for the end of course exams.

Revision Guides + Help

Pupil

ParentsTeachers

Support

How can you help? – A students view

‘I found it useful to have my mum and dad around if I needed them to ask questions or to keep me motivated’

‘My mum took my phone away and unplugged my T.V/x box, I hated this at the time but it did help me to concentrate’

‘I had to do 1 hour of revision before I was allowed to do anything’

‘My dad was always helpful when I needed to talk through any problems I had, especially when I was getting stressed’

‘I went through my exam timetable with my parents and we made a revision timetable which she made me to stick too’

‘I was not allowed to stay up past 9.30pm unless I had a revision book in my hand before exams’

Year 9 and 10 Mock Exams

14th March 2016 – Year 10

25th April 2016 – Year 9

Where can I find the information about the exams?

Student letters + Stanborough times

Stanborough School Website - www.stanborough.herts.sch.uk

Student organisers

Show my Homework - https://www.showmyhomework.co.uk/

VLE

Teachers

Examination Office

Tutors

Revision Clubs – See activities booklet

Parent Teacher Surgery

Useful Resources

Revision bookletsStudents books and revision

guidesShow my homeworkInternet – BBC GCSE Bitesize,

Linguascope, MyMathsVLELRCStudents will get extra support

in tutor time