year 11 amber evening 2015. aims for this evening.. what does amber mean? what support will school...
TRANSCRIPT
Year 11 Amber Evening 2015
Aims for this evening..
• What does amber mean?• What support will school be offering?• How can I help my daughter?
Format
• Introduction• Curriculum Leaders of English, Maths, Science,
Foreign Languages • Chance to meet and discuss with all subject
leaders from these key departments
Amber Students
Staff feel that the student can improve her results with some form
of support
Attendance
Confidence
Revision
Potential greatness
Exam technique
Poor exam results
Effort
Good progress already
Co-operative
Green Students
Students who have fulfilled their potential
and increased their grades
It’s not just about…
• The C Grade…• Amber students have a range of targets from E
to B
• English and Maths….• It is important for students that they achieve a
range of qualifications• Amber subjects are worth 6 GCSEs
Mentoring
• In subject• In form• Assertive mentoring with senior staff for those
students who are amber in English or Maths
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Mrs Cunningham - CL Miss Jones, Mrs Edwards & Ms Jensen
GCSE Language & Literature
• Core subject – 2 GCSE certificates• Both count towards ‘Progress 8’ measure• Language- 4 Controlled Assessments- (800-
1200 words) 40 % (Exam- 60%)• Literature-1 Controlled Assessment (2000
words) 25 % (Exams- 75%)
AMBER
• CA marks:-target grade, quality, word length, essay structure, proofreading…
• Mock Language results:- final grade, lack of effort, missed out questions, simple vocabulary…
• Attendance, punctuality, behaviour, poor work, not reaching potential…
Class
• 50/50 split• Weekly spelling lists• ‘The Day’ Headlines• Independent learners – e.g. research,
questioning, teaching styles, challenge…• Exam techniques – e.g. acronyms, timing• DIRT – Directed Improvement Reflection Time
Unit 1 Exam – Higher PaperEnglish Language Higher Tier
2 hours 15 minutes
15 minutes
Read the three Sources.
Highlight any language techniques/key words or phrases/the main points so that you can easily locate them when answering the Reading questions.
1 hour
Section A: Reading
Q1 – 12 minutes / 8
Q2 – 12 minutes / 8
Q3 – 12 minutes / 8
Q4 – 24 minutes / 16
1 hour
Section B: Writing
Q5 – 25 minutes / 16
Q6 – 35 minutes / 24
Total = 80 marks
Writing Paper
• My Favourite Place
The travel section of your local newspaper is inviting readers to write about theirfavourite place.
Write a letter to the editor describing a favourite place you know and explaining whyothers would like it. (16 marks)
Poetry SPLITS
• Story/subject – what happens in the poem?
• People/Places – who is in the poem?
• Language – what types of words / phrases are used and why?
• Imagery – what pictures do you get in your head?
• Tone/Theme/Mood – how does the poem make you feel?
• Structure – what does the poem look like on the page?
English Language focuses heavily on a wide range of non-fiction reading. Pupils have to show that they understand and can make inferences between texts. Please encourage your daughter to read widely – broadsheet newspaper articles, magazines, websites, charity leaflets.
• Discuss the news Encourage your daughter to practise exam questions based on
articles they have read. The questions in the exam don’t change – the articles do! Therefore, pupils can practise and revise using any texts they find.
Talk to your daughter about favourite topics in depth!
Check that your daughter is accessing revision materials available to them e.g. GCSE Bitesize, MrBruff and other websites.
How YOU can support your daughter in English
English Literature
• Read for pleasure• Performances e.g. ‘An Inspector Calls’ BBC
drama • Discuss the poems they are studying and
research the poets• Take a pride in their presentation –5% of mark
scheme is for SPaG• Thank you for listening
Mathematics
Mrs ShawCurriculum Leader
GCSE Mathematics
Foundation TierGrades G to C available
Higher TierGrades D to A* available
Key Stage 2 Maths GCSE Target Grade
Level 3 D
Level 4 C
Level 5 B / A
Being Amber – What Does it Mean?
We think that you can achieve your target grade in maths at the end of Year 11.We will support you in this by:-
Teaching the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful in the GCSE exams
Concentrate fully and always try your bestSetting regular homework Always complete your homework on timePractising lots of past exam papers Never give up!Recommending revision resources and online maths help Try out the resources and see what works for youProviding weekly after-school revision sessions (every Friday) Attend as many revision classes as possible Providing a detailed 6-week revision schedule as the exams approach Be organised – keep all of your books and worksheets safe to revise from
In addition, Amber girls will also receive:-
• Additional support in form-time on a daily basis with Miss Riley and Mrs Landy for Foundation Tier pupils
• Form-time drop-in sessions as required with Mrs Shaw for Higher Tier pupils
• Access to a new online maths app that allows each pupil to track their progress and improvements in each topic area in maths
How Parents Can Help
• Show an interest in your daughter’s homework and ensure she always completes it on time (you can use Show My Homework to see what work is being set and when it is due in)
• Be aware of the assessment dates throughout the year and make sure your daughter works hard at home to prepare for each test
• Encourage your daughter to attend after-school revision classes• Purchase a revision guide or MathsWatch revision CD to support
your daughter in her work at home• Challenge your daughter if she does not seem to be doing
enough work or revision at home
The diagram shows the floor plan of Mary’s conservatory. Mary is going to cover the floor with tiles.
The tiles are sold in packs. One pack of tiles will cover 2m2. A pack of tiles normally costs £24.80. Mary gets a discount of 25% off the cost of the tiles. Mary has £100. Does Mary have enough money to buy all the tiles she needs? You must show all your working. (5 marks)
GCSE ScienceCurriculum Leader:Mr MerryweatherDeputies:Dr WalshMiss Lane
What qualification is your daughter studying?
• Edexcel L1/L2 Certificate in Science (Double Science)
What assessments count towards her grade?
• Your daughter will sit 3 papers in June, one each in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
• Each paper lasts two hours and has 120 marks.• There is no coursework.• The marks for all 3 papers are added together
then a double grade is awarded from these marks (A*A*, A*A, AA, AB, BB etc.)
• Typically a CC grade would need around 170 marks out of a total of 360.
What is happening in lessons?
• Year 11 lessons are focusing on developing mastery in important, frequently examined areas of the curriculum.
• If your daughter can be good in these areas she will achieve many marks in the examinations.
• The important topics are as follows:
Biology
• Inheritance• The variety of Life• Excretion• Energy Transfer• Transpiration
Chemistry
• Hydrocarbons and Polymers• Atoms and Empirical Formula• Bonding• Chemical Tests• Rates of Reaction
Physics
• Energy, work and power• Radioactivity• Thermal Transfer• Speed, distance and time graphs and
calculations.• Density of gases
What is happening after school?
• Booster lessons are being run on Tuesday afternoons from 3.10 to 4.10 pm.
• Students will be told which sessions they must attend.
• There will be 3 week cycles of topics.• Each cycle will start with a test to determine
what the students know followed by learning activities and exam practise. The cycle will end with another test so students can see how much they have improved.
How can you help?• Encourage her to explain her homework tasks to you,
and check she completes them.• Ask her about her learning in Science. What is going
well? What could be better?• Encourage her to ask for help when she needs it.• Make sure that she can attend after school classes
when required to. Let us know if she can’t.• Encourage her to look over all her learning in Science
at regular intervals to prepare for the final exams.• Help her to plan a revision schedule for Science that
involves doing short sessions of work very frequently.
Keep in touch
• Please contact us if you need more help, an update on progress or if you have any ideas you think may help us.
• Sets 1 &2: Dr Walsh• Sets 3 and 5: Mr Merryweather• Sets 4 and 6: Miss Lane
FrenchCurriculum Leader:Mr WardDeputy:Mrs Keen
WRITING
30%2 X Controlled Assessments
SPEAKING
30%2 X Controlled Assessments
LISTENING
20%Terminal exam
READING
20%Terminal exam
FRENCH – 4 SKILL AREAS
Controlled Assessments – Writing & Speaking
• Controlled assessments require a lot of learning
from memory
• Learning Letter was sent home at the start of the
year together with a sheet of strategies to help
your daughter
• Please ensure your daughter revises every day –
‘little and often’
• Her French teacher will send a letter home to
inform you of the date of the exam
Controlled Assessments – Writing & Speaking
• WRITING – check what your daughter has written against
her notes – does it match?
• SPEAKING – listen to your daughter speak and check she
says every word – even if you don’t understand it
Controlled Assessments:Writing & Speaking
• Controlled Assessments take the place of a final
GCSE exam and should be considered as such
• Please encourage your daughter to achieve her
target grade first time
• Re-sits are possible but take up a lot of your
daughter’s time during lunch and after school
and adds unnecessary pressure
Terminal Exams:Listening & Reading
• Need to learn as much vocabulary as possible.
• GCSE vocabulary booklet.
• GCSE picture vocabulary booklet accompanied
by an interactive powerpoint for each topic.
(EDMODO).
• Grammar booklet.
• Use all resources and tick off / highlight words as
they are learnt.
Revision & Homework
• After-school revision.
• Revision classes during half-term and Easter
holidays.
• Please encourage your daughter to attend
• The above is designed to supplement, not replace,
your daughter’s own revision at home
• SMHW vocabulary lists of high-frequency and
problematic words.
• Please ensure your daughter is logging onto
SMHW regularly and learning the vocabulary.
Success in French
Pupils who are successful in French are those
pupils who:
• Co-operate with their teacher.
• Do what their teacher asks them to do and when
their teacher asks them to do it.
• Regularly attend after-school revision.
• Plug away and persevere right up until the exam
After school….Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayEnglish Science
(RE Full Course)Business
Week 1 – Option 1GeographyHistoryArtITTravelMusic Week 2 – Option 2ArtMediaDramaPEProduct DesignDramaComputer ScienceSociology
FrenchCatering
Maths(RE Full Course)