Year 11
Parent’s GCSE
Information Evening
English
Last year 75% of students achieved a C
or above in English.
This is down to:
• Choosing the route we have
• Adapting the course to suit the learner
English Language
• 3 pieces of coursework (40%)
– Writing to argue or inform
– Writing to describe
– A response to a piece of text they have
read
• Speaking and listening (20%)
• A reading exam – 2 hours long (40%)
English Literature
• 2 controlled assessments (25%)
– Modern Drama
– Shakespeare
• 2 Exams – each one is 1 hour 45
minutes (75%)
– Literary heritage texts and texts from
different cultures
– Poetry – seen and unseen
Coursework and
CAs
• For coursework, pupils can work on this at home as
much as they like – many students are currently.
• Please do read their work – a second pair of eyes
can be a godsend.
• Give them suggestions about what they can write and
discuss their opinions with them.
• CA guidance is much stricter – this has to be
completed at school. Extra reading tasks will be given
to support this for homework.
Language
• AFOREST or PERSUADE – persuasive techniques
designed to manipulate the reader. (Argue/discuss)
• Descriptive techniques or figurative language –
metaphors, similes, personification etc.
• Using the senses – see, hear, touch, taste, smell.
• Sentence structures – using short sentences for
impact and to add pace; long sentences for
description.
• PETER paragraphs – make a POINT, use
EVIDENCE to support it, name the TECHNIQUE the
writer uses, EXPLORE the quote and then how the
reader RESPONDS to the quotation.
So how do I revise?
• Know the different forms of writing, the kinds of
language they use and how they are structured.
• Language techniques – figurative language,
persuasive techniques.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• READ! Not just fiction, all types of reading matter.
• Look up words you don’t know, use a thesaurus to
look up alternatives.
• The texts for Literature – Animal Farm, Jekyll and
Hyde, Of Mice and Men and the poetry.
Revision Materials
• Available on Moodle are:
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Extra papers for revision
Poetry – annotated copies and Active Teach
Daydream Literacy for specific issues with spelling,
punctuation etc.
Literature papers available.
Links to websites for revision.
Booklets of papers will be provided to students.
SPaG books.
York Notes and CGP are recommended.
Separate Doddle resources will also be set to aid
students with specific issues.
Key dates
• English Language:
– Exam – Reading Paper Tuesday 5th May 2015
– (For a select few) Writing Paper Friday 8th May 2015
• English Literature:
– Understanding Prose – Monday 18th May 2015
– Understanding Poetry – Friday 22nd May 2015
MATHS
Just exams no Controlled
Assessment or coursework
21st May & 4th June 2015
Where are we now?
November 2014
Mocks and tests
Syllabus
Learning Intention sheets
What should we be doing?
What could we do?
Learning
Checking
Practice Makes Perfect
Science
Why parental
engagement in
learning is so
important
• “The biggest factor that
will make the most
difference to your child’s
achievement……is what
happens at home”
•
Alma Harris, Pro-Director at the Institute of Education,
London and author of Do Parents Know They Matter?
Raising achievement through parental engagement
Science in 2014
•71% of Additional Science
students achieved 2 A* - C
grades
•100% of Triple Science students
achieved A* - C grades
Science
•Good revision technique
•Practising exam questions
•Good exam technique
•Purchasing the revision pack
Four ways to
improve
your grade..
1.Read the question carefully –
Questions at GCSE contain a lot of information. You
should be concerned if you are not using the
information in your answer.
2.Give enough detail- If a part of a question
is worth three marks you should make at least three
separate points. Be careful that you do not make
the same point three times
Four ways to improve
your grade..
3. Correct use of scientific language
- Try to use the correct scientific terms in your
answers. The way scientific language is used is
often a difference between successful and
unsuccessful students
4. Show your working- All science papers
include calculations. Learn a set method for
solving a calculation and use that method
Key dates
• CA is completed in class – your
child’s teacher will advise when this
is to happen, it is essential to be
present.
•Biology Exams: 12th May (B2 and
B3)
th
•5 June (B1) triples and resit
Key dates
th
Exams:14
•Chemistry
May
(C2 and C3)
•9th June (C1) triples and resit
only
Key dates
th
Exams:20
•Physics
May (P2
and P3)
•12th June (P1) triples and
resit only
Finally..
• It is down to the individual
pupils to work with their
teachers, work hard and follow
the advice given to push their
grades up to gain two good
science GCSE qualifications.