Simon Balle All-through School

Year 11

Expectations Evening

2015-2016

Creating Tomorrow’s Citizens Today

www.simonballe.herts.sch.ukMangrove Road, Hertford, Herts SG13 8AJ

T: 01992 410400 F: 01992 410401admin@simonballe.herts.sch.uk

The Simon Balle Academies Trust, a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Waleswith Company Number 8661539 and has a registered office at Mangrove Road, Hertford, Herts SG13 8AJ VAT Registration Number: 209-0575-18

Contents Welcome letter – Mike Moss, Deputy Head Stages/ Parent’s guide to surviving Y11 Key Dates Subject information

You make the difference…… Dear Parent/Carer, Your involvement as a parent during this crucial year can make all the difference between success and failure. Parental/carer support can be up to eight times more important in determining a child’s academic success than anything else. You do not have to be an expert in the GCSE subjects and exams that your child will be sitting to be able to make a real difference. You just need to know how best to spend your time at each stage of the GCSE process to support their learning. The hardest demand on our Year 11 students is that of understanding the long term importance of achieving the best they possibly can. Some short term sacrifices may need to be made to ensure they are truly successful. The aim of this booklet is to provide you – the parents/carers – with key dates for the year and to support the GCSE revision process, alongside information on guided revision sessions and try to aid you in forward planning. If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact the school for further information.

Mr Moss

Deputy Headteacher

A successful year and good exam results….. Good exam results are not based on what happens on the day of the exam. Many feelings will go through the minds of yourselves and the students alike. Are they in the right frame of mind? Will they remember what they have revised? Will they get the right questions? The results of your child’s exams are generally determined before they sit the final exam. There are 3 broad stages in the process of achieving good exam results. Exam success is about STAGE 1: Learning the subject content first time round The process of revision (looking at something again) makes the assumption that the learning of each subject has taken place already – every lesson does count! STAGE 2: Revision Even a student who has attended every lesson of the course and paid attention needs to revise to achieve their full potential. Everyone needs to complete revision using techniques that are effective for them. STAGE 3: The exam Even if a student has learnt the subject content and revised thoroughly things can still go wrong on the day of the exam. There are several skills that need to be used during the exam:

Knowing the subject matter

Organisational skills

Exam technique

Time management Nearer the time each student will be issued with a guide to revision

and exam tips. Do go through this with your child during the time they have at home.

During tutor time students will be working on memory and brain

training skills. Get them to practise these skills at home.

A Parent/Carer’s guide to surviving Year 11

How can you help now? Encourage your child to complete coursework on time

Make sure s/he is at school every day and on time

Ensure the balance of work and play is right

If your child is struggling in any way- let us know right away.

Encourage your child to attend all revision and study support

sessions

Revision Devise a revision timetable with your child

Help keep his/her books and notes organised

Ensure your child keeps revision sessions to no longer than half an

hour or an hour at most, and then takes a short break before starting another subject

Help your child to revise specific topics in each subject, not

everything at once Ask your child to start each session by tackling the most difficult

bits first Ensure they revisit each subject several times

Encourage your child to use different revision methods such as

mind maps, notes, pictures and spider diagrams Allow them to work with a friend on occasion to test each other and

talk about the work Check your child is using revision guides from school or

bookshops. Some are available online, such as BBC Bitesize at www.bbc.co.uk/education/revision

Please ensure that your child: Has somewhere to study

Eats properly and drinks plenty of water

Doesn’t listen to television and loud music when revising

Is supported by parents/carers who are positive and reassuring to

build confidence Is not distracted by mobile phones, Facebook, Twitter, emails etc.

When the actual exams arrive Give your child time, space and peace while s/he works before and

between exams Emphasise the need for plenty of sleep, especially the night before

an exam Don’t let him/her work themselves into a state of exhaustion –

encourage them to take regular breaks Ask him/her to put their social life on hold

On the day of an exam Ensure s/he gets up on time and is in school at least 15 minutes

before the exam is due to start Ask if s/he has everything they need

Tell him/her to switch off their mobile phone and leave it off until

after the exam, or better still, leave it at home Wish him/her good luck as they leave!

Key Dates

TERM 1, 2015:

October 19th – Expectations Evening (7pm, School Hall)

October 22nd – House Plays

October 23rd – Last day before Half Term

November 5th - Student Parliament (1:30-2pm, Mrs Saunders office)

November 11th – Year Council Period 4

November 13th – Non Uniform Day – Children In Need

November 19th - Student Parliament (1:30-2pm, Mrs Saunders office)

November 19th – 6TH Form Open Evening

November 26th & 27th – Occasional Days

November 27th – Big Band at Switching on Christmas Lights in Hertford

December 1st – Autumn Concert (7-10pm, Broxbourne Civic Hall)

December 3rd - Student Parliament (1:30-2pm, Mrs Saunders office)

December 4th-17th inclusive – Mock Examinations

Tuesday 12th January 2016 – Y11 Parents Evening

Mock Exams

Mocks are a vital indicator in how students are likely to perform in the final examinations. They should be prepared for in the same manner as any external examination. Performance below expectation will trigger further investigation and may

result in extra study sessions. There will be two mock periods December

4th-19th and March TBC.

Key Dates For Assessment:

Science Controlled Assessments: Chemistry - 20/10/15 Core Science -18/11/15 Biology -14/01/16 Additional Science -10/2/16 Physics - 18/3/16

Languages:

Term 1: Speaking Controlled Assessment (counts for 15% of their final GCSE grade): Monday 30 November to Thursday 3 December 2015 Writing: Controlled Assessment (counts for 15% of their final GCSE grade): To be timetabled in the week beginning 7th December (may be Monday 7 December p4 when students would normally have their MFL lesson). Reading and Listening: To be done one after the other during the mock period at some point in a classroom. Term 2 (before Easter - dates tbc): Speaking Controlled Assessment (counts for 15% of their final GCSE grade): Writing: Controlled Assessment (counts for 15% of their final GCSE grade):

60% of their final GCSE grade in a MFL is therefore completed before Easter with the Reading and Listening (20%) each sat in the actual exam period.

English:

12th - 23rd October: English Language Controlled Assessment on 'An Inspector Calls' will take place over 4 lessons (3 hour assessment) 9th - 13th November: Creative Writing Controlled Assessment will take place over 3 lessons (2 hour assessment). All English Literature and English Language controlled assessments, including retakes, must be completed by December. Mock Exams 4th Dec - 18th Dec

English Language Unit 1 (Non-fiction reading and writing) English Literature Paper 1 ('Of Mice and Men' and 'An Inspector

Calls')

March 2016 A ‘Walking Talking’ Mock and further Mock Exams will also be held to build students’ familiarity with the exams and provide specific feedback. English Exam Dates English Literature Paper 1 - 1hr 30 mins 23rd May 2016 English Literature Paper 2 - 1hr 15 mins 27th May 2016 English Language - 2 hrs 15 mins 7th June 2016

GCSE Sports Studies:

Completed the training programme due on the first week back after half term (4% & potentially 16% of the course - depends on activity choices)

December theory mock paper Analysis of performance - 23-24th Feb (8%) Practical exam - March - no dates set as yet. (60%)

Revision Thorough, planned revision and practising past exam questions is essential for success in English. We will be running exam revision sessions / booster sessions and drop-in help sessions on Wednesdays after school from January. Revision notes and a revision booklet for independent learning will be provided by the department but some additional recommended websites and books are listed below:

Exam board – past papers and mark schemes http://www.aqa.org.uk

Revision Help http://www.bbc.co.uk/education

Workbook Collins GCSE Revision - GCSE English & English Language for AQA: Higher: Revision Guide and Exam Practice Workbook (£3.99 from Collins Website) English Literature Of Mice and Men: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen/ An Inspector Calls: http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/drama/inspectorcalls.htm Moon on the Tides AQA Poetry Anthology (Relationships collection): http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/poetryrelationships/

Controlled Assessments All controlled assessments for both English GCSEs must be completed by the 19th December. Controlled Assessment catch-up and help for Y11s: Every Wednesday 3.30 - 4.30 in E1 until 19th December Top Tips

Watch the news, read newspapers and a range of non-fiction such as autobiographies.

Re-read your set texts: ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘An Inspector Calls’

Practise analysing unseen poems

Start revision early and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Sports Studies

November 30th - 6 week training programme completion Feb 2015 - Analysis of performance exam March - Practical exam March 20th - All video evidence & log books to be handed in May - PE Theory exam

Study Sessions

Monday after school - Science

Wednesday after school - English, Art and Technology.

Thursday after school - Maths, Textiles

Supervised compulsory catch up sessions will run at least once a week. The aim is to provide a quiet structured environment for students who have either fallen behind or need extra time and support.