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Welcome to our Year 10 Information Evening An overview of what to expect in the GCSE years and how to get the most out of them.
Welcome to our
Year 10 Information Evening
An overview of what to expect in the GCSE years
and how to get the most out of them.
DEPUTY HEADTEACHER
Ms Lowney
Welcome to GCSE!
Our priorities for your child
• That every child feels, and is, safe and secure; and that they are supported;
• That students are taught through the values of character education and the
Christian ethos of the school;
• That they are given the highest quality learning opportunities;
• That every student is supported in reaching their potential;
• That all students, and staff, uphold and respect our core values: Love,
Forgiveness, Respect and Responsibility.
Our priorities for your child
• 96% attendance
• Much better than average progress in all subjects
• Positive behaviour for learning
How do we achieve that?
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and
day out”
Every day counts
Every lesson counts
Every piece of work counts
How do we achieve that?
“Failure is not the opposite of success,
it is part of the success”
We must fail in order to become stronger
We must fail in order to grow
We must fail in order to learn
Attendance
• Do you know what your child’s
attendance was for last year?
• Do you know exactly what that
figure means?
Is 90% ‘good’ attendance?
90% attendance = ½ day missed every week!
90% attendance
1 school year at 90% attendance =
4 whole weeks of lessons missed
Sept July
?
38 school weeks
Absent for 4 weeks
90% = ½ day
80% = 1 day
70% = 1 ½ days
60% = 2 days
50% = 2 ½ days
40% = 3 days
30% = 3 ½ days
Percentage Attendance Weekly
Percentage Attendance Termly/Yearly
90% = 1 week 2 days = 4 weeks
80% = 2 weeks 4 days = 8 weeks
70% = 4 weeks 1 day = 12 weeks
60% = 5 weeks 3 days = 16 weeks
50% = 7 weeks = 20 weeks
40% = 8 weeks 2 days = 24 weeks
30% = 9 weeks 1 day = 28 weeks
Termly Yearly
The impact?
Research suggests that
17 missed school days a year
= a GCSE grade DROP in achievement. (DfES)
The greater the attendance the greater the attainment.
Secondary School Key Stage 4 Performance
by Average Absence Sessions
0
20
40
60
80
100
Less than 15
(7.5 days)
15-20
(7.5 to 10 days)
20-25
(10 to 12.5
days)
25-30
(12.5 to 15
days)
30-35
(15 to 17.5
days)
35-40
(17.5 to 20
days)
Over 40
(20+ days)
Average No. of Sessions Absence per Pupil
% 5 or more grades 4 or higher
% achieving any qualification
% 1
5-y
-o a
ch
ievin
g
Attendance 9-5 E/M % 9-4 E/M %
95%-100% 63.80% 87.90%
So what did that mean for last year’s
Year 11s?
Attendance 9-5 E/M % 9-4 E/M %
95%-100% 63.80% 87.90%
90%-95% 53.80% 69.20%
So what did that mean for last year’s
Year 11s?
Attendance 9-5 E/M % 9-4 E/M %
95%-100% 63.80% 87.90%
90%-95% 53.80% 69.20%
85%-90% 22.20% 66.70%
So what did that mean for last year’s
Year 11s?
So what did that mean for last year’s
Year 11s?
Attendance 9-5 E/M % 9-4 E/M %
95%-100% 63.80% 87.90%
90%-95% 53.80% 69.20%
85%-90% 22.20% 66.70%
< 80% 15.40% 38.50%
Attend and Achieve!
• If your child can improve their attendance by 1%, you
will see a 5-6% improvement in attainment. (Department for
Education and Skills)
• Getting their attendance above 95% will help them to
achieve their potential.
How can you help?
• Ensure your child is only absent when absolutely necessary
• Let us know if there is a reason your child might not want to
come in to school
If they are absent…
• Help them complete any work they may have been given to help
catch up with missed lessons
How can we all help?
"I am about to take my GCSEs and I am under so much
pressure as my parents are expecting me to do really well.
I am going to revision classes and trying really hard but I
feel like it is not good enough for them. My parents don't
allow me to do anything else apart from revision and if I
try and talk to them it always ends up in an argument."
Childline caller
How can we help?
Helping children and young people cope with exams
Childline advises that young people:
• take regular breaks from revising and do some exercise
• go to bed at a reasonable time and try and get some sleep
• try to think positively – even if you don't feel like it, a positive attitude will help
you during your revision
• take some water into the test with you if you can — keeping hydrated by
drinking water will help you concentrate.
ChildlineYouTube channel offers a series of videos on Mental Health and Wellbeing,
including coping with exams
But most importantly…
We are hear to talk…
…and listen
…and help where we can
if you need!
HEAD OF YEAR 10
Miss Goldstein
Behaviour for Learning and Homework
As Head of Year I0 I would like to see all opportunities used for students to
demonstrate their learning, this can be seen with a calm learning environment and
students meeting their expectations and their teachers’ expectations. All students
need to be prepared with the correct equipment this is what I will be expecting to
see from them:Pen, pencil, ruler, a scientific calculator,
timetable, glue stick and purple pen.
It would be helpful to also have:
highlighter, colouring pencils and a
Geometry set.
Behaviour for Learning and Homework
Homework will be spread out during the week so that you don’t have
too much to do any night. KS4 up to 2 hours per night.
https://kingshove.showmyhomework.co.uk/school/homeworks/calendar
All subjects have extra learning
platforms to use with the students
and this will be shown on SMH with
a link, here are some:
Kerboodle
Mathswatch
Pearson Active Learn
Organisation? Help!
- Students can come find me at any time
during the school day to sign up for a slot
where I can help them organise their
homework/revision timetable.
- Students can also use my room as a quiet
place to complete homework.
- If you feel your child is not organised well
enough and need support with this please
contact me.
Wellbeing
Mrs Gamon and Mrs Findon – Pastoral Officers –
Make regular appointments with students that
need it.
HOY – Students are free to come to see me at any
time to book a slot with me as a one-off or a
regular appointment.
HOY – Miss Goldstein
10C Mr Cornell
10E Mrs Rebera and Mrs
Moscrop
10G Mrs Orford-Kemmish
10P Ms Weysom
Students are encouraged to seek
pastoral support from their tutor, our
Pastoral Officers or their HOY for
anything that they have on their mind.
HEAD OF ENGLISH
Mrs Butcher
GCSEs – What you need to know
Teaching from 2015, Tested from 2017:
• Students at King’s will study the Edexcel English Language and English
Literature courses
• There are no tiers of entry- all sit the same exam
• Each student will sit 2 English Language papers and 2 English Literature
papers
• A set of core skills are tested, including analysing the impact of language and
structure, evaluation and comparison. A thorough application of context is
also required.
• There is a Spoken Language Component, which is assessed but does not
count towards their final grade in either Language or Literature. These will be
carried out and filmed at the end of Year 10
English Language
Paper 1 Paper 2
Fiction and Imaginative Writing
Overview of assessment
● Section A – Reading: 4 questions on an unseen
19th-century fiction extract.
● Section B – Writing: a choice of two writing
tasks. The tasks are linked by a theme to the
reading extract.
●The total number of marks available is 64.
●Assessment duration 1 hour and 45 minutes
Non-fiction and Transactional Writing
Overview of assessment
● Section A – Reading: 7 questions on two
thematically linked, unseen non-fiction extracts.
● Section B – Writing: a choice of two writing
tasks. The tasks are linked by a theme to the
reading extracts.
●The total number of marks available is 96.
●Assessment duration: 2 hours and 5 minutes
English Literature
Paper 1 Paper 2
Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature
Overview of assessment
● Section A – Shakespeare: a two-part question, with
the first task focused on an extract of approximately
30 lines. The second task is focused on how a theme
reflected in the extract is explored elsewhere in the
play.
● Section B – Post-1914 British play or novel: ONE
essay question.
●The total number of marks available is 80.
●Assessment duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes.
● Closed book (texts are not allowed in the
examination).
19th-century Novel and Poetry since 1789
Overview of assessment
● Section A – 19th-century novel:
a two part question, with the first part focussed on
an extract of approximately 400 words. The second
part is an essay question exploring the whole text. ●
Section B – Part 1: ONE question comparing a
named poem from the Pearson Poetry Anthology
collection to another poem from that collection. The
named poem will be shown in the question paper.
Part 2: ONE question comparing two unseen
contemporary poems.
●The total number of marks available is 80.
●Assessment duration: 2 hours and 15 minutes.
● Closed book (texts are not allowed in the
examination).
Core Texts Studied
• Macbeth: Shakespeare-Year 10
• Poetry from the Edexcel Anthology-Relationships
cluster only-Year 10/11
• An Inspector Calls: J. B. Priestly-Year 10
• A Christmas Carol: Charles Dickens-Year 11
To Succeed in English…
• Students need the confidence to express their own ideas and interpretations about texts, supporting these ideas with carefully selected evidence and linking in context.
• It is vital, therefore, that they know their texts really thoroughly.
Here’s what you can do at
home: Focus on the
knowledgeMemorise the plotlines of the core texts! This is an
absolute starting point. Try summarising each
chapter/act in no more than 10 words.
Buy the study guides- there
are a huge range out there.
Use post-it notes, mind
maps, flip notes to learn
key quotations and put
them up in bedrooms/around
the house.Watch the film interpretations
to help with engagement.
Research to develop
confidence in the key
contexts of the texts-
Jacobean England, Victorian
England- realise that texts are
a product of their time
There are a plethora of
online
resources/studyguides-
Sparknotes, BBC Bitesize,
Youtube lessons
Go on the VLE to
access Department
study guides and
revision activities
HEAD OF MATHS
Mr Knowles
Mathematics GCSE – Key facts
• Students at King’s will study the Edexcel maths course (1MA1)
• Mathematics will remain split between higher (grades 4-9) and foundation (grades 1 – 5)
• Each student will now sit three 90 minute exams. (1 Non calculator & 2 Calculator papers)
• There will be a greater emphasis on problem solving and mathematical reasoning, with more marks allocated to these skills.
• Students will be required to memorise more formulae, as less will be provided in the exam
• Harder topics will be introduced into the higher and foundation exams.
Unit exams every six weeks that will produce Question Level Analysis (QLA’s) for techers & students.
Mathematics department will plan lessons around class weaknesses
Students need to learn to revisit problems in red.
Students create QLA after every exam to use
QLA’s
How to maximise its use & parental support
1. Ask which areas they did well in and what they
needed to improve on.
2. Encourage them to use websites and
mathswatch to re-learn content.
1. Practice questions
2. Mathswatch videos
3. Mathswatch practice questions
Mathswatch
All logins are on the showmyhomework website & copies
available tonight.
All passwords are mathswatch
Homeworks will mainly be set on this platform
How to maximise its use & parental support
1. Have a copy of your child's login.
2. Check the site works on your home device
(Pop-ups disabled if needed)
3. Encourage your child to share their usage &
percentage completed.(next slide)
4. Ask to see videos/questions on what they are
learning.
Mathswatch – Independent learning Choose a grade of
work to focus on.
Choose a topic of
work to focus on.
Videos
Practice questions.
Instant feedback.
Class teacher can
monitor.
Search for a topic
that was red on the
QLA’s
Extra resources & exam practice
• Both sites subscription free.
• Contains topic based exam questions
• Selection of past paper & mark scheme
• Daily practice sheets
Mathematics - Steps to success
• Termly exams & QLA’s
• Mathswatch
• CorbettMaths & Mathsgenie
HEAD OF SCIENCE
Mrs Coles
• Everyone in Year 10 is studying the AQA Combined GCSE Science –
Trilogy course – 2 Separate Science grades
• At the end of Year 10 we will decide who follows the AQA Triple Science
course – 3 Separate Science grades
• Everyone else will follow a structured revision programme
• There is two tiers of entry – Higher and Foundation
Examinations consist of the following question styles
• Multiple choice
• Structured
• Closed short answer
• Open response (6 marks - QWC)
Examination information - Trilogy Science
Examination information - Triple ScienceExamination information - Triple Science
To Succeed in Science
Kerboodle Revision cards Mind maps Revision guides
Exam questions GCSE Podcast BBC Bitesize
Kahoot! Seneca Family/Friends Science clinic
Free Science lessons on -You tube
To Succeed in Science
Students need to
• Ask lots of questions and be prepared to mistakes
• Learn the steps involved in the required practicals and are able to apply practical
skills to new situations
• In Physics learn the equations
• In Biology learn the keywords and definitions
• In Chemistry keep on reviewing the work on a regular basis
• Ensure they complete all homework
• Use their transferable mathematical skills and are able to apply them to Science
questions
HEADTEACHER
Mrs Price
Commit to the process, believe in yourself and work
hard every day
• 76% achieving 5 or more 9-4 grades, including English and Maths.
• 89% in English and 84% in Maths at grade 4 or above.
• The average grade for our students per exam was above a grade 5
• 25% of all grades were 7+
The progress our students made again means that students at King’s outperform
students nationally by a considerable margin.
What we do works. Trust and support the process.
Future aspirations?
• Grade 4 “standard pass”
• Grade 5 “good pass”
• Grade 1 “pass”
• English & Maths through to 18?
• “Important” subjects?
ASPIRE for your potential!
New Beginnings
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
New Beginnings
Three truths to transformational success:
1. We all want to be better. I’ve never taught a student who didn’t want to do
well.
2. If you want to become “new” in your success in school you can’t do it with
becoming “new” in your approach.
3. It’s human nature to cling to the “old” especially if it’s “good enough”. Change is
hard.
Understanding Motivation
• So if change is hard then how can we be successful in it?
• Why do some people manage to change?
• There are two types of motivation that we all feel, Extrinsic (outside) and
Intrinsic (inside).
What motivates?
Extrinsic – won’t maintain the commitment
without…
Intrinsic – will maintain the commitment
because…
Knowing the work will be checked Knows the work is important
Being told exactly what to do They get to chose priorities
Living for today. Short term success Planning for a future. Long term success.
Being told they are successful Defining their own “success”
Punishment* Learning from mistakes
Reward* Celebration of what is achieved
Extrinsic motivation is difficult to sustain over even
the short term. Think weekly not monthly.
Practical Summary
• Your involvement as parents will make a difference.
• Everybody can be motivated
• You need to either use
– Light tough accountability - take an interest, talk it through,
celebrate success & talk through frustrations.
– Close supervision – Set short term goals, monitor the
achievement of these, praise achievements & solve problems.
• Keeping communication open is key. Talk about it.
• Commit to the process
• Believe in yourself
• Work hard every day
